When you buy a personal-use vehicle you probably think about it in a macro sense: how it looks; what it offers.  (Those who buy a vehicle that is more vocationally oriented have to take other factors into account, be it whether they can take a sufficient number of clients to lunch or whether it can haul the quantities of stuff in the box, for example.)  But after you’ve signed the papers, driven off the lot, and—sooner, typically, rather than later—discovered the first door ding, it’s the little things that delight or annoy.

From the macro sense, the Cadillac SRX SUV—I mean crossover—is an attractively designed vehicle, one that has the faceted face that is now characteristic of the brand.  The comparatively squared off back is in keeping with the theme, which is a good coincidence in as much as creating a utile hatch on an SUV can sometimes be compromised by a desire to have something that looks less, well, boxy.  It is long (overall length is 194.9 in.; the wheelbase is 116.4 in., which makes it longer than competitive products including the Mercedes M-Class ML and the Volvo XC90) yet a bit lower and narrower than the competition, at 67.8 in. and 72.in. (versus 71.5 in. and 75.2 in. for the Merc and 70.2 in. and 74.7 in. for the Volvo).  It has reasonable cargo capacity, unless you have the third row setup, which then leaves just 8.4-ft³ behind that tortuous bench.  Otherwise, there is 69.5 ft³ of space available behind the first row, or 32.4 ft³ behind the second row, which is plenty good.

The 4.6-liter Northstar V8 provides 320 hp and 315 lb.-ft. of torque; there is a six-speed transmission, which just goes to show you that Cadillac is nothing if not contemporary in its powertrain setup.  Given that the vehicle weighs 4,302 lb. for the RWD version and 4,442 lb. with the AWD system (which makes it lighter than the aforementioned competitors by some serious avoirdupois), the acceleration is suitable; this isn’t a vehicle one would likely go drag racing with in the Costco lot.

You’d be hard pressed to find a smoother riding crossover if you opt for the optional Magnetic Select Ride Control ($1,650).  This system, in effect, replaces a reliance on springs and similar mechanisms with electromagnetism.  Archimedes or Edison—you decide.

One thing that strikes me as moderately odd, though is that the steering wheel adjustment does involve releasing a lever, and if you go with the “V8 Premium Luxury Collection”—and note that this is no mere options grouping, but a couture-like collection, which helps explain the $4,050—you get power-adjustable peals.  Wouldn’t you think that they’d both be powered?

The one thing that would be satisfying over the long run, the one small thing that you probably wouldn’t even notice when admiring the vehicle in a dealership, is the sound that is made when you hit the door lock on the key fob.  There is a solid sound of engagement.  If you’re going to be spending a few bucks shy of $50K for a vehicle, you want to know that this is a vehicle of substance.  And that robust “click” tells you that you’ve made a safe investment.