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GAN CHEV TEST DRIVE SERIES

We recently partnered with our local radio station 99.9 MYFM for a new series on our social media page – The Gan Chev Test Drive. Over the next few weeks Kerri from MYFM will be taking vehicles from our lot and test driving them for a week at a time to see how they fit into her life. Maybe she’ll end up buying one of them! This week’s blog post was written by Kerri Griffin about her experience with the XT4. Thanks Kerri!

At first glance, the Cadillac XT4 looks similar to its big brother, the XT5. A closer look shows this is very much it’s own model but with the standard styling, luxury and comfort that we all know and love from Cadillac . The sport model I drove added 20 -inch twin-spoke alloy wheels with a stunning diamond cut satin finish, dual-panel sliding sunroof and upgraded Bose sound system. All the added options that I would want if purchasing or leasing this vehicle. The list of standard features is too long to list, but there were a few that I really liked that add comfort and safety: all-wheel-drive, 4G LTE connectivity, large display screen with Apple Carplay, wireless cell phone charger dock, front and rear park assist, remote start, HD rear vision camera, adaptive cornering LED headlamps, rainsense wipers, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated leather seats, and adjustable power seats for both driver and front passenger.

Walking up to to XT4, the first thing that caught my eye was the styling of its LED headlights. After doing some research, I learned that designing these headlights was no easy task. The LED design and shape of this headlight would be more expensive to manufacture, but designer Therese Pinazzo was firm on her decision that it was worth the extra cost to give the XT4 the eye-catching design of the headlights. It’s winter, so naturally I used the remote start to warm up the XT4 before getting into it. I always got that excited feeling “I actually get to drive this, wow I am lucky” whenever I walked up to it. That’s a feeling that every owner should feel about their new vehicle. With the sunshade wide open, the dual-panel sunroof let in so much natural sunlight; a great feeling in this cold winter.

The XT4 has all the comforts, size, and space that you could want in a crossover. I currently drive a sedan, and I didn’t realize how much I would enjoyed sitting up a bit higher. I felt I could see more around me, I felt bigger, safer. The 20″ rims definitely amp up the youthful styling to this Cadillac, a feature I would definitely add. Since I was driving this vehicle right off the lot, it did not have winter tires. That being said, the XT4 never gave me any trouble getting through the ices and snow thanks to its all-wheel drive. On a clear day, I was able to see how the XT4’s 2.0L Turbo 4-cylinder motor would work when I needed that “get up and go” to get onto a highway or accelerate into a higher speed limit area. I was concerned how this little motor might work within the structure of a crossover, having driven a smaller SUV before with a 4-cylinder motor finding that it under-powered. Most SUVs or crossovers used to come with a 6-cylinder motor to help pull the extra weight of these types of vehicles. The 2.0L Turbo in the XT4 gave me all the get-up-and-go that I was looking for but with great fuel economy. It has power when you need it, thanks to the turbo, but with the fuel efficiency that we all look for with a 4-cylinder motor.

The luxurious interior of the XT4 definitely has all the comfort, safety and quality that comes with the Cadillac brand. When I was younger, we pictured our grandparents driving a Cadillac, but with their new designs and models, Cadillacs are catching the attention of all-ages, and more importantly, budgets. The XT4 is an affordable luxury vehicle, that doesn’t cut corners. In my honest opinion, if you are looking for luxury, safety and youthful styling without a lavish price tag, the Cadillac XT4 is the perfect vehicle. Don’t be surprised if you see me driving around in my very own sometime in the near future.
Written By Kerri Griffin