Originally published Nov. 24, 2012
Barely settled into the Cadillac’s lightly bolstered seat, I felt a vibration in my right hip as the SUV drifted just a bit to the edge of the road.
Suspecting what was occurring, I purposely steered to the roadway’s center and, sure enough, my left hip got nudged.
The effect was part of Cadillac’s new safety alert seat, which generates pulse patterns on the left or right side of the lower bolster to alert the driver of potential dangers from drifting off the driving lane or toward nearby objects when parking.
It is the newest of half a dozen or more lane-departure warning systems unveiled over the past several years in luxury automobiles.
In its new hue of glacier blue, the 2013 SRX Premium all-wheel drive is gorgeous, from its crested grille and wedge-shaped front end to its sculpted and sloped power tailgate.
The seat alert is only one of several high-tech and innovative features added by Cadillac in an effort to maintain the SRX’s competitiveness with other premium compact SUVs, such as the Lincoln MKX, Mercedes GLK, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and Range Rover Evoque.
The SRX’s new CUE (Cadillac User Experience), which is also a part of the new XTS and ATS models for Cadillac, opens touch-screen action for connectivity, navigation and entertainment, along the lines of MyFord Touch by Ford Motor Co. We found the CUE’s voice-recognition system more clearly responsive and easier to use than most. Bose surround sound and rearview camera are part of the overall package.
For rear-seat passengers, dual independent monitors with Blu-ray DVD player can connect to up to 10 devices using Bluetooth.
An adjustable cargo fence in a U-rail track is a usable divider for the storage area behind the rear seats.
Sweeping dash lines with stitched leather and sapele wood trim are interior highlights, along with a panorama sunroof and nice, soft-leather-covered steering wheel (heated, of course).
Cadillac’s 308-horsepower, direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 isn’t overly powerful, but is very smooth and it performs quietly. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual-mode capability; the SRX’s AWD system transfers torque from front to rear wheels and along the rear axle.
Its four-wheel independent sport suspension offered a smooth ride.
The Cadillac averaged 21.3 miles per gallon overall, boosted by a 140-mile round-trip drive for Jan, Kathy Allen, Kim Parker and me to a gathering at Grant and Terrie Blackstone’s home. There, we talked of days gone by with Terrie, Barbara Carlson and Marilyn Gordon. Terrie, Barbara and Marilyn were Ashleys when we shared a north Denver suburban neighborhood with them 30 to 40 years ago.
The Premium edition of the SRX comes decked out nearly complete; the review model’s only options were the rear entertainment system and 20-inch polished wheels with Michelin P235/55R20 tires.
The SRX’s sticker price of $53,520 included adjustable-height automatic tailgate opening, ventilated and heated front seats and heated rear seats, adjustable pedals, trizone climate control, rainsense wipers, side blind-zone and rear cross-traffic safety alerts.
A look back
Thirty-two years ago, I reviewed in The Denver Post a 1981 Jeep Wagoneer Limited. Excerpts:
Jeep Wagoneers are neat enough to be parked out front of the country club, yet they have retained some of the rugged characteristics associated with four-wheel-drive units. The “Beauty and the Beast” blend comes with a bonus these days – improved gas mileage. The 16.4 miles per gallon registered by an ’81 Wagoneer limited recently is 5 miles per gallon higher than the test three years ago of one with a 401 V-8. The 360-cubic-inch V-8 on this year’s test model is surprisingly agile, making it one of the quicker four-wheel drives. Wagoneers sell well in the Rocky Mountain region, and the expensive Limited version is the most popular.
Sidebar: Oil change timing
An oil change every 3,000 miles used to be a required job, just like cleaning the accumulated fuzz from record player needles or defrosting freezers. Today, advances in engine design and lubricants make oil changes something to be done when the schedule calls for it, not when granddad says it’s time. Some cars call for 5,000-mile change intervals and some even go as high 15,000 miles between changes. Others have a variable timer. Follow the schedule and use the oil called for by the manufacturer. You might just find yourself in a car commercial with an odometer reading of 300,000.
– Autos.MSN.com
