Yet another entry from Cadillac to show the world it’s serious about competing with the top European and Japanese luxury brands. The XLR is a flashy car, what Cadillac wants to build up. Though it shares the same platform as the current Corvette, the XLR variant is not a simple case of corporate badge engineering. This caddy has more in common with the luxury boat cruisers than sporty little roadsters. The Caddy’s responses are softer and comfortably refined. The XLR also uses a tamer 4/6-liter, 320-horsepower V8 engine rather than the Vette’s edgier 6/2-liter, 436-hp V8 engine.

The XLR makes good use of lightweight parts, such as aluminum suspension pieces, that keeps the XLR’s weight pretty reasonable. Furthermore, the defacto Magnetic Ride Control adaptive suspension system automatically adjusts ride smoothness, based upon how bumpy the road is. With all of this taken together, you get smooth and responsive maneuvers. When you put together the edgy, angular styling outside the body and the wood accent inside the interior, you do get a rich looking car. The retractable hard top is a great piece of engineering, a great switch between hard top and the soft top. Whenever you pull back the hard top, then you should have a Cadillac XLR windscreen / windblocker / wind deflector.

The Cadillac XLR is a good-to-great car, but it’s not the “standard of the world” as GM likes to proclaim it as. Though its styling and Cadillac badge will appeal to those looking to roll up to the valet in something different from the status quo, the XLR comes up short in terms of maximum performance.  The interior is especially disappointing when compared to its similarly priced rivals from Germany and Great Britain. The Corvette is a better car, which is $20K less in the price tag, and the engine delivers more ponies.

The XLR certainly have plenty of speed, but the top-end may still come out short for some enthusiasts. Acceleration, though certainly quick, is not as forceful as its corporate cousin. The XLR has squishy suspension which causes the vehicle to pitch and roll under heavy cornering. Even with its adaptive suspension’s split-second response, the Cadillac XLR still feels less willing to tackle turns than the more athletic European contenders. The XLR does its best driving on the highway, when you’re in the straight line. If going with the top down, then your wife will thank you for getting a Cadillac XLR windscreen / windblocker / wind deflector.