Cadillac XLR (05-06) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
The Cadillac XLR arrived in the UK in 2005 as part of Cadillac’s sales push into Europe. The two-seat roadster paved is aimed squarely (no pun intended) at the likes of the Mercedes SL and uses the Corvette C6 as a base but with Caddy’s Northstar 4.6-litre V8 taking care of power duties via five-speed automatic. Much like the Merc, the XLR has a folding metal roof that disappears under the boot lid, though the Cadillac’s uses up almost every last cubic inch of luggage space when folded down. The XLR tempts with its near endless list of standard equipment, but the very few brave enough to buy this left-hand drive only roadster new in the UK face a depreciation curve that more closely resembles a cliff face.
3 out of 5

Other Cadillac reviews

1 out of 5

Running costs

Any car with a 4.6-litre V8 is not going to be cheap to fuel, but the XLR’s 23.0mpg and 291g/km CO2 emissions are reasonable for the class. However, service intervals at 10,000 miles are more frequent than many alternatives and finding a Cadillac dealer local to you could be a challenge. Then there’s the huge cost of buying new and the woeful depreciation that will wipe out more than a third of the car’s value in the first year alone. Insurance will also be pricier than for an equivalent Merc SL as the XLR’s rarity makes it an unknown quantity.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12 months or 10,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£475.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

1.5 out of 5

Green credentials

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    291

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

XLR is a polluting model. With an average of 291g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are as high as you might expect for a luxury roadster although not particularly bad when you compare it to its rivals. The model is still thirsty, however, averaging 23mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2