2024 Cadillac XT4 Premium Luxury Review: A Compact SUV that Checks all the Boxes

It’s a frigid 55 degrees out. The height of LA’s brutally cold winter. And all I can think about is how much I miss the 2024 Cadillac XT4 and its heated steering wheel and seats.

I took the 2024 XT4 out a couple of weeks ago during a packed holiday jaunt around the city, and over the course of 10 days and 520 miles, I came to the understanding that this is basically my ideal daily ride. And not just because of the heating upgrades and options, which I sure could go for right about now. It’s the perfect compact SUV for everyday city driving, that can meet the demands of family life while handling a bit of terrain and speed.

Let me explain …

The Broad Strokes

Backing up a couple of weeks, this ride begins just before Christmas, as I race around Los Angeles to take care of the numerous errands before the holidays. While I normally reserve test rides for trips up the coast and longer scenic drives, I decide to stay in LA with the 2024 Cadillac XT4 and see how practical this SUV is in the city.

Waking up early on Christmas Eve, I head to the Farmer’s Market on 3rd Street to do some last-minute shopping. Cruising west on I-10, I take the Fairfax exit and head north, only to find that the parking lot is jam packed and anxious consumers are fighting over spots.

Inner Beauty

Comfortably seated in the XT4’s driver seat, I crank some tunes on the 14-speaker system and wait for a space to open up. It takes a good 10 minutes for me to find one, but that gives me plenty of time to browse around using the rotary infotainment controller. In this regard the 2024 Cadillac XT4 Premium Luxury excels, as the 33” diagonal advanced LED display is one of the sleekest screens I’ve seen in any vehicle.

The Farmer’s Market on Christmas Eve is a bit of a madhouse, with shoppers picking up the final accouterments for the holiday season. I’m here on a mission, so it’s straight to the butcher to grab a couple juicy ribeyes and a few hanger steaks, and then over to Magee’s Nuts, where I score two large gift baskets.

It’s a quick trip to one of LA’s more popular tourist attractions, but not necessarily an easy one. So, after stashing my purchases in the trunk’s ample 22.5 cubic ft of cargo space, I hop back behind the wheel and head east, to the San Gabriel Valley, where half a dozen lobsters are waiting for me to turn them into a creamy Thermidor.

Pretty on the Outside

Just before I hop back inside, I take a moment to marvel at the 2024 XT4’s Crystal White Tricoat finish and its 20” dynamic 7-spoke alloy wheels with diamond cut & medium android finish. Cadillac has really achieved a sophisticated and elegant look without being flashy. The low-profile exterior is exactly what I covet in an everyday ride. Neither form nor function are sacrificed with the XT4, a vehicle with absolutely no pretense.

Under the Hood

Exiting the parking lot is just as hectic as entering, so I enable the 4-way power lumbar function to enjoy a brief massage and fiddle with the dual panel glass sunroof. Back on the highway, however, things are much more manageable, and I even find a bit of room to really push the 2.0-liter turbo engine.

The 9-speed automatic transmission is smooth and seamless as it shifts gears, and while the 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft torque aren’t necessarily the mightiest of numbers, the 2024 Cadillac XT4 Premium Luxury has some kick. Certainly enough for the city and the coast.

Fuel Economy

With Los Angeles practically empty during Christmas week, I spend my days driving around the city, maximizing my time in the 2024 Cadillac XT4.

Visiting old friends on the west side and family on the east, I rack up 520 miles behind the wheel of the Caddy. And, true to its spec sheet, the XT4 delivers on its 26 combined mpg (24 city / 29 highway), which is pretty standard for the compact SUV class. It’s a totally acceptable number in this age of exorbitant gas prices. And, once again, the XT4 lives up to expectations.

Travel and Leisure

Now, many car aficionados might look at me, a 40-something dad, and the XT4 and think us an odd pairing. Perhaps many in my bracket would opt for something bigger and more rugged. Or, perhaps a sportier sedan. But no matter the model, there’s always cache in the Cadillac name.

Organizing a few friends, including BroBible’s very own founder and publisher, for a night out in downtown LA, we carpool over to the Crypto.com Arena in the XT4 to go watch the Los Angeles Kings take on the Edmonton Oilers.

Bumping some Phish Radio on Sirius XM, all four of us, four full size grown men, fit comfortably in the Cadillac XT4. It’s both spacious and luxurious, which is not always the case for sedans and other compact SUVs where legroom in the back seat can sometimes be a bit too cramped. It’s another win for the XT4.

In Summation

Coming in at a hair under $50,000 (the base model without upgrades and options retails at $41,495), the 2024 Cadillac XT4 Premium Luxury isn’t necessarily the most economical vehicle in its class, but then again, it’s a Cadillac, so what are you expecting?

More important than price is performance, and in that regard the 2024 XT4 shines. It’s a solid workhorse that looks and feels good. It’s spacious enough for a family and delivers that smooth Cadillac purr and hum that’s become synonymous with America’s top luxury car brand.

If anything, I still wish I had it right now, especially during these chilly winter mornings when my hands could really go for a nice, warm steering wheel.

More Car Reviews and Road Trip Tales From Dan Shapiro

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• 2022 Audi e-tron GT Review
• 2022 Chevy Silverado High Country Review

Dan Shapiro is a writer, editor, musician, and producer currently based in Los Angeles. In addition to covering some of the biggest fights in combat sports history, he’s also hunted down the world’s best sushi, skied the northern hemisphere in July, and chronicled Chinese underground music for publications like CNN, the New York Daily News, VICE, and Time Out. Dan also conjured up a ghost at the Chateau Marmont while out on assignment for RoadTrippers. Follow him on Twitter here and check out Driving to the Edge on YouTube.
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