Friday Fleet Notes: 8.10.07

This week we had a trio of $100,000 cars in the office. That’s a rarity, let me assure you. Still, we don’t turn our noses up at cars like these when they do arrive.

Cadillac XLR-V

My time with the XLR-V was tragically brief, but it didn’t take long for me to appreciate its exceptional powertrain. The gutsy supercharged V-8 alone will get your attention, but its harmonious integration with the six-speed automatic is inspiring. The gearing is very well matched, and the revs stay at remarkably low rpm in normal driving, much like the Chevy Corvette on which this Caddy is based. Stand on it, though, and the XLR-V takes off like a shot. Chirping the tires when already in motion is one thing; doing so when moving at highway speed is an accomplishment — one I accomplished enough to ensure I wasn’t imagining it. Though it’s not marked, if you move the gear selector into the manual-shift gate, it seems to activate an eager automatic sport-shift mode. Only when you push up or back does it start locking in gears. There are no shift paddles, and I certainly didn’t miss them.

Though it’s more sophisticated in some ways and more striking to behold, the XLR-V shares the Vette’s spirit, accomplishing what some competing models do without letting you forget you’re driving. It’s not the most tactile driving experience, mind you, but neither is it like piloting a video game. The balance is excellent in curves, and the connection between the accelerator pedal and the drive wheels is quick and fine enough to ensure control. Though the car tended to buck on rough pavement, I noticed that even when all four corners were hopping on uneven surfaces, my seat appeared to be in the eye of the storm. There are aspects of the interior I don’t like, though I was more disappointed that the aluminum trim I value so highly had taken on some dings along the center console. Worst of all, there were too many squeaks during top-up driving for a car with about 7,500 miles on it. Apart from that, the XLR-V — and most other Cadillac products — prove that GM really does know what it’s doing … when it commits the money and effort.

• Joe Wiesenfelder, senior editor

Unlike Joe, I did not find much to like about the XLR-V. I much preferred the comfortable ride of the Jaguar XKR to the molar-grinding suspension of the Cadillac. Yes, the engine was fantastic, but I found the transmission clunky and the shifter reminded me of one of those old arcade racecar games when you sit into a seat and shift just up or down. Not good.

Don’t even get me started on the outdated interior, small trunk and ugly gauges. For $100,000, I’d go buy a much better performance car in the Corvette Z06 and get a little roadster like a Miata. This isn’t the best of both worlds, let me assure you.

• David Thomas, KickingTires editor

Just about everyone around the Cars.com editorial headquarters was excited to drive the Jaguar XKR coupe or convertible. I was super excited to get behind the wheel of this extremely sexy-looking coupe, and while I did walk away with a nice drive, I wasn’t overly impressed with the car. Maybe it’s just that everything functioned so seamlessly that nothing stood out as a positive or negative.

OK, I take that back: The sound of the exhaust stood out as a huge positive, and I blipped the throttle under every overpass or tunnel to hear the gnarly exhaust. Other than that, the performance wasn’t neck-snapping, and it had a very heavy feel while driving around. Not nimble or darty, but more solid and almost lethargic.

• Joe Bruzek, Ask.cars.com

I kind of see where Bruzek is going with his ramblings above. I actually preferred the convertible to the coupe. For a coupe I want even more performance. I want performance oozing from every inch, but besides the exhaust, nice shift paddles and a silky transmission, there wasn’t much to the XKR coupe. The problems probably stem from the steering, which isn’t pinpoint like you’d expect in a performance car — like a Porsche, for example. I didn’t mind that lack of precision in the convertible, but in the coupe it was more of a fault. Still, this is one of the sexiest-looking cars around.

• David Thomas

I spent the weekend escorting my wife to Lollapalooza in a gorgeous baby blue XKR with light tan leather. It was the epitome of indulgence as we roared down the expressway and straight into Chicago’s loop for three days of outdoor music listening. 

The top operated smoothly, and with it down you could really hear the exhaust come to life. During the long weekend, the “point and go” beauty of the car became apparent, and the interior was so lush it even impressed my better half. Although she pointed out that for this kind of dough the car should have cooling seats. I couldn’t agree more. Otherwise, I don’t think there’s much I’d want to change about this car.

• David Thomas

I was surprised when I walked away from the Lancer GTS uninspired. I liked the manual we tested a while back and thought it an improvement, for sure, over the previous generation. This one … maybe the driving experience just didn’t live up to the ferocious styling. The continuously variable automatic transmission is pretty well executed, but the technology hasn’t grown on me over time.

In this and other four-cylinder cars, even the fastest-acting CVTs have a rubber band effect between the accelerator and the car’s response (and that’s not a play on the technology’s use of a belt). It’s always there; the question is only how much — how stretchy the rubber band is when you accelerate lightly, moderately or heavily, and from what speed. The magnesium paddle shifters are cute but little more than a crutch to make up for the automatic mode’s deficiencies. I’ve been a fan of the CVT idea, and I’d even make a sacrifice for better fuel economy if it delivers, but I reject the notion that the driving experience is simply different than with a conventional automatic; it’s just not as good. The best CVTs I’ve driven are tied to larger, typically V-6, engines, but this is nothing new. Larger engines always make automatic transmissions look better, and vice versa.

• Joe Wiesenfelder