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2008 Cadillac XLR Quality Review

November 5, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

comfort beats most sports cars by a mile
Cars.com

fails to impress in terms of cargo capacity
MyRide.com

interior is somewhat reserved
Kelley Blue Book

The 2008 Cadillac XLR is as comfortable as a two-seat roadster can get, though it makes do with less storage space.

According to Cars.com, "two occupants fit inside the XLR's luxurious interior.” Kelley Blue Book says its "seats are supportive, with a multitude of possible positions. Mounting the transmission in the rear provides abundant room in the footwell areas, an uncommon feature in a rear-wheel-drive roadster of this size." ConsumerGuide tempers its praise of this 2008 Cadillac somewhat: "not expansive, but as roomy as any rival," noting that the "comfortable, supportive seats set low, so entry/exit requires minor effort." Cars.com counters this: “high sills demand some twisting to get inside.”

As is the case with so many two-seat roadsters, there is "limited interior stowage" and "[little] trunk space with top down," according to Car and Driver, due mainly to the retractable hardtop. Kelley Blue Book notes that in the XLR, "storage space is reserved to a small storage console between the seats, the glovebox and two flip-out map pockets in the doors." Even if it "fails to impress in terms of cargo capacity,” MyRide.com asks, “who buys a $100,000 performance convertible for weekly runs to the local megastore in search of provisions for a family of eight?"

While the interior may look nice, TheCarConnection.com notes some problems with the Cadillac XLR 2008; Car and Driver reports "shoddy materials inside," while Edmunds comments that "compared to similarly priced offerings from European luxury brands, the XLR doesn't come close to matching materials quality and overall design." Damning with faint praise, Kelley Blue Book says "the XLR's interior is somewhat reserved, lacking the polish found in Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz cars."

For a convertible, however, the 2008 Cadillac XLR is amazingly quiet; ConsumerGuide reports a "tightly sealed hardtop, plenty of insulation keep wind, tire noise well within reason," noting that "normal conversation [is] possible with top down, even at highway speeds," although "rapid acceleration brings spirited V8 growl."

Conclusion

The 2008 Cadillac XLR has ample legroom, but less storage than expected and lower materials quality than its European rivals.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:comfort beats most sports cars by a mileCars.comfails to impress in terms of cargo capacityMyRide.cominterior is somewhat reservedKelley Blue Book The 2008 Cadillac XLR is as comfortable as a two-seat roadster can get, though it makes do with less storage space. According to Cars.com, "two occupants fit inside the XLR's luxurious interior.” Kelley Blue Book says its "seats are supportive, with a multitude of possible positions. Mounting the transmission in the rear provides abundant room in the footwell areas, an uncommon feature in a rear-wheel-drive roadster of this size." ConsumerGuide tempers its praise of this 2008 Cadillac somewhat: "not expansive, but as roomy as any rival," noting that the "comfortable, supportive seats set low, so entry/exit requires minor effort." Cars.com counters this: “high sills demand some twisting to get inside.” As is the case with so many two-seat roadsters, there is "limited interior stowage" and "[little] trunk space with top down," according to Car and Driver, due mainly to the retractable hardtop. Kelley Blue Book notes that in the XLR, "storage space is reserved to a small storage console between the seats, the glovebox and two flip-out map pockets in the doors." Even if it "fails to impress in terms of cargo capacity,” MyRide.com asks, “who buys a $100,000 performance convertible for weekly runs to the local megastore in search of provisions for a family of eight?" While the interior may look nice, TheCarConnection.com notes some problems with the Cadillac XLR 2008; Car and Driver reports "shoddy materials inside," while Edmunds comments that "compared to similarly priced offerings from European luxury brands, the XLR doesn't come close to matching materials quality and overall design." Damning with faint praise, Kelley Blue Book says "the XLR's interior is somewhat reserved, lacking the polish found in Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz cars." For a convertible, however, the 2008 Cadillac XLR is amazingly quiet; ConsumerGuide reports a "tightly sealed hardtop, plenty of insulation keep wind, tire noise well within reason," noting that "normal conversation [is] possible with top down, even at highway speeds," although "rapid acceleration brings spirited V8 growl." ConclusionThe 2008 Cadillac XLR has ample legroom, but less storage than expected and lower materials quality than its European rivals. 2008 CADILLAC XLR STYLING | [8 out of 10] Car and Driver: "Vivid styling...looks like nothing else" Kelley Blue Book: "Edgy styling stands out from the crowd" Edmunds: "an upscale cabin" The 2008 Cadillac XLR is a sporty two-seat retractable hardtop roadster. If you didn’t know, ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is the benchmark for this class of vehicle. It may not be the fastest, the smoothest riding, or the most engaging, but it does many things well. Plus, Mercedes-Benz earned its stripes along the way, and the current SL-Class cars prove it. The retractable hardtop operates quickly. The SL is dynamically engaging, although not quite to the level of the 2008 Cadillac XLR-V, but clearly more so than the Lexus SC 430. The Jaguar XK, BMW 6-Series, and Porsche 911 all offer 2+2 seating if this is important to you, as well as canvas convertible tops.

Next Steps:

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See the Cadillac XLR in Other Years:

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

Comments (3 total)

  1. By GREG BERLIN #1, Posted: 3/29/2009

    CADDY KILLS COBRA!!!!

    YES PEOPLE AROUND THE PLANET OF CARS !!!!
    i spanked a new 09 mustang cobra down 7 city blocks!! and how much h.p.?does the ford have
    lots!!!maybe its luck? maybe so?? but i enjoyed it...my xlrv is waiting and watching you!!!
    GREG BERLIN RENO NV...BEWARE!!

  2. By GREG BERLIN #2, Posted: 3/29/2009

    CADDY KILLS COBRA!!!!

    YES PEOPLE AROUND THE PLANET OF CARS !!!!
    i spanked a new 09 mustang cobra down 7 city blocks!! and how much h.p.?does the ford have
    lots!!!maybe its luck? maybe so?? but i enjoyed it...my xlrv is waiting and watching you!!!
    GREG BERLIN RENO NV...BEWARE!!

  3. By GREG BERLIN #3, Posted: 3/29/2009

    CADDY KILLS COBRA!!!!

    YES PEOPLE AROUND THE PLANET OF CARS !!!!
    i spanked a new 09 mustang cobra down 7 city blocks!! and how much h.p.?does the ford have
    lots!!!maybe its luck? maybe so?? but i enjoyed it...my xlrv is waiting and watching you!!!
    GREG BERLIN RENO NV...BEWARE!!

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