Price as tested: $71,890

Engine: 3.6 Liter V6

Power: 310 hp and 271 ft/lbs

MPG: 16 in mixed driving

Text/Photos/Video: Yousef Alvi

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So what do I think of the 2020 Cadillac XT6? First, fire the person who thought of the naming convention and second, it’s almost great. That almost part…kills me.

The XT6 is a few missteps from greatness. There are few key issues that keep it from an absolute class leader. Before we start going into the negatives…let’s talk about the positives.

The exterior design is aggressive and bold. Angular lines, bold headlights, and a taut body design gives the XT6 a personality in a sea of dreary designs.

The engine is GM’s corporate 3.6 Liter V6. In this guise making 310hp and 271 ft/lbs of torque mated to a 9 speed auto with part time AWD. Making it one of the most powerful in its class and it feels like it. It has some pep to it and no it will not win any drag races but it will confidently get the job done. Getting to 60 in 6.8 second is about average but it actually feels faster than that partly due to the V6 sounding pretty damn good at full chat. The transmission gets the job done. It’s not ZF good with rapid fire shifts but it does it job without complaining.

Selecting the Platinum package gives you upgraded suspension and it’s a jewel. The XT6 rides well like a Cadillac. It soaks up bumps without a care in the world but the suspension is not meandering. It’s taut and you can actually take corners in the XT6 and have a bit of fun. It’s not a X5M by any means but it will wipe the floor compared to a RX350L. The steering is another bit of lovely news. It’s direct and has some beautiful weighting to it.

The interior is a breath of fresh air. It’s an American interior that feels, smells and looks good! There is substance behind it. it doesn’t feel hollow or cheap. It feels expensive and classy. It’s just a lovely place to be with it’s comfortable seating, generous second row space and decent third row accommodations. Cover up the badges and you can bet someone can mistake this for a German rival.

So overall, if you’re reading the above and feel like the XT6 is the one for you. Go ahead. Stop reading. It’s that good. I don’t want to talk you out of it….

But if you’re still with me…there are a few issues…

First off, if you’re long legged like me, then the front seats are not comfortable at all. The bottom seat cushions need more thigh support. Along with better bolstering.

Second, effing Cadillac and their love of capacitive controls. The infotainment system is surrounded by them and they are horrible. You never know if something is truly off by touch…you have to take your eyes off the road and that is not acceptable.

Third, $71,000!!! That’s how much our tester costs. You are knocking on the door of a base X7 for that much. But more importantly you are in the same ballpark as the Audi Q7. Is the XT6 good? Surely. Is it Q7 good? Well…no.

Fourth. This crap:

What in the actually hell. You have a partially exposed bolt, exactly where you get in the third row. Which usually is reserved for children. COME ON.

Fourth, and the most important to me. That damn 400 badge. It’s a lie. It’s marketing bullshit. It’s vaporware. The XT6 doesn’t produce 400 anything. What the badge means is 400 newton meters of torque. BUT the XT6 doesn’t make 400 newton meters. It’s makes 367 newton meters. Cadillac rounded up. Using the same logic..i’m going to round up my checking account and now i’m a bizillionaire!! w00t.

So there is a bunch of little things but those things add up. They add up in such a way that it is a bit infuriating. Because Cadillac had a true contender on their hands. It’s so close to being great…but it isn’t.