So, I purchased a 2018 Premium Luxury Cadillac XT5. Red exterior which I really liked, but a beige interior, a colour I'm not crazy about. "Overall", a nice vehicle.
After 10 months, I liked the XT5 but didn't "love" it. It turned out to be a little smaller than I preferred. For this model year, it wasn't possible to disable the auto start/stop without a "workaround" that came with other potential drawbacks. The feeling of the engine starting up every time I began to take my foot off the brake is something I just never got used to. After having 8-cynlinder engines all my life (with the exception of a 2002 Bonneville SE), this just didn't feel seamless.
I became accustomed to the interior colour, but still never REALLY liked it. At best it was "I can take it or leave it".
A few options were missing that were either not available in this model year or in some cases, this trim level. Alexa built-in was something I really looked forward to but isn't compatible prior to the 2020 XT5's.
One lesson I learned was to wait awhile to make sure a vehicle is really what I want before upgrades. I bought WeatherTech floor mats, a rear cargo shade and the GM accessory tail light package to change from red lenses to clear with a smoked CHMSL. This was well over $1K that I didn't get any real value for.
So...... Gone with the XT5, in with the XT6!
This is a 2020 Sport trim in Crystal White Tricoat with a black interior. Since this is the "Sport", it has genuine carbon fibre interior trim. It's a little bigger, configured for 6-person seating. There are options I didn't have with the XT5 including HUD, full surround vision and a rear view "camera" mirror to list a few. Head room is ample right to the back, although third row legroom is okay but not as generous as the first and second rows. One option I would have liked is night vision, unfortunately very few seem to have been built with this. The Sport trim already has clear tail lights. Most importantly, this vehicle just feels like the right fit for me.
I don't have a lot of photos yet, but here are a few...
I purchased the optional cargo area protection mats.
I decided not to buy WeatherTech mats this time. I just don't feel they are the best option anymore. They're okay, but don't cover as much of the floor as I'd like. This time I bought a set of Manicci Luxury Mats. They are a little more money than WeatherTech, but cover far more surface area. In addition, they can be ordered in various PU leather and stitching colours as well as 5 or 6 layer construction. These are the "Premium", 6-layer version. Care is pretty easy as well. Vacuum any gravel and wipe them with a damp cloth. No need to remove them from the vehicle.
