[rustyg61]

I ordered a 2023 XT6 and finally took delivery a week ago & I have 2 major concerns. We got the Premium Luxury with Maple Sugar interior which forces you to get the upgraded suspension package. The one we test drove had that package & it drove like it was on glass, it was incredibly smooth. My new XT6 does not ride nearly as smooth as the one we test drove, I can feel every bump & ripple in the road, & I'm seriously wondering if they forgot to upgrade the suspension. When they finally got around to building my SUV it took less than a week to complete it so that adds to my suspicion if they forgot something. Does anyone have any experience with the Performance Suspension, and if so, is there anything I can look for on the vehicle that would show me if it has the right suspension? It is supposed to have real time dampening so is that electronically controlled or is it just better valving in the shocks? I know the standard answer will be to take it back to the dealer & ultimately I will do that, but my salesman was less than helpful explaining the features of the SUV so I doubt he will be any help. His standard answer was "Read the manual!"

My second issue is the comfort of the seats. The driver's seat seems to be more narrow than the passenger seat & the sides push into my legs. I did not notice that when we test drove the XT6. We did notice it when we drove an Accura MDX & that was a deal breaker for us not getting the car. On top of that, the seats are very hard so that makes for a very uncomfortable ride. Does the leather & cushions have a break in period where they will eventually get softer? Again, none of this was an issue with our test drive & we test drove 2 XT6's and an XT5. The first XT6 that had the suspension upgrade was our very first vehicle to drive when we began our search and every other vehicle we drove paled in comparison, none rode as smoothly as the XT6, so that is why we chose the Cadillac. My main reason for getting a new SUV was for comfort on long trips and we just took a 3 hour trip & were both sore from sitting when we got home. This is my first Cadillac & after only a week I'm wondering if I made a mistake.

 

[Tomko]

There are two suspensions available: FE2 and FE5.

Maple Sugar interior is only available with FE5.

You likely test drove a FE2.

Seat cushion and back stitching is in smaller segments on the Maple Sugar interior. Making the seat feel stiffer than those sewn into larger segments. As was probably the case with the vehicle you test drove.

 

[rustyg61]

I test drove an XT6 with and without the upgraded suspension so I could compare the difference and it was noticeable.

 

[Tomko]

I test drove an XT6 with and without the upgraded suspension so I could compare the difference and it was noticeable.

Excellent. Could you describe the differences that you felt?

As well, on your test drives, we’re you able to experience the differences in seat stitching?

 

[rustyg61]

I didn’t really notice any difference on the seat stitching but the suspension was a big difference! The regular suspension felt all the bumps and the upgraded suspension was like driving on glass! My wife said she noticed that the seats felt hard but she asked the salesman if they would break in and he said they would. I’m wondering if I could put leather treatment on them to soften the leather up?

 

[Lockhart Cadillac]

I didn’t really notice any difference on the seat stitching but the suspension was a big difference! The regular suspension felt all the bumps and the upgraded suspension was like driving on glass! My wife said she noticed that the seats felt hard but she asked the salesman if they would break in and he said they would. I’m wondering if I could put leather treatment on them to soften the leather up?

The vehicle you drove could of had different wheels / tires as well. That can change the ride. Maple Sugar is a more premium leather and it is quite different than the standard leather. I wouldn't really say that it's going to soften up above and beyond where it is at today.

 

[tinman]

Lower your tire pressure. Do you have run flats?

 

[rustyg61]

I already checked that because the way it rides is like the tires are metal instead of rubber! I was hoping they had too much pressure but they were all 36psi which is what the door sticker recommended.

 

[rustyg61]

The vehicle you drove could of had different wheels / tires as well. That can change the ride. Maple Sugar is a more premium leather and it is quite different than the standard leather. I wouldn't really say that it's going to soften up above and beyond where it is at today.

I would think that premium leather would be more comfortable, not less comfortable.

 

[ikoolu]

check to see if you are running sport or touring setting?

 

[rustyg61]

I have tried both settings and surprisingly it seems to ride smoother in Sport mode but it gets better gas mileage in Touring mode.

 

[ikoolu]

same for our 22 our ride is stiff but we like the way it handles - fast response on the steering - the ride is not like our old el dorado but it is a suv after all

 

[rustyg61]

My issue is the thing that sold us on the Cadillac was how smooth it rode on the one we test drove and ours doesn’t seem to ride as smooth.

 

[Certs]

Sounds to me like you got the larger wheels. The larger wheels come with lower profile tires and the difference is very noticeable.

 

[Tangee]

I'm considering purchasing a 2020 XT6 FWD, however, after reading a post about the difference in the ride leaves me concerned. I'm actually looking at the same one that was discussed in the post ( it has the maple colored seats). I haven't had a chance to test drive it yet because I live in Florida and the car is in a different state. I'm just wondering is the ride really that horrible? It states it has real time damping suspension chassis and (FE5) performance suspension. Is that not good? Please advise. Thank you

 

[rustyg61]

Sounds to me like you got the larger wheels. The larger wheels come with lower profile tires and the difference is very noticeable.

I got the standard base wheels not the upgraded wheels. I just took it on my first long trip from Texas to Missouri and it still seems to me like the active dampening I paid $5000 extra for is not any more effective than standard suspension.

 

[rustyg61]

I'm considering purchasing a 2020 XT6 FWD, however, after reading a post about the difference in the ride leaves me concerned. I'm actually looking at the same one that was discussed in the post ( it has the maple colored seats). I haven't had a chance to test drive it yet because I live in Florida and the car is in a different state. I'm just wondering is the ride really that horrible? It states it has real time damping suspension chassis and (FE5) performance suspension. Is that not good? Please advise. Thank you

The ride isn’t horrible it just isn’t anything to brag about. Cadillac has always been the benchmark in describing other cars, I grew up saying “It rides like a Cadillac” if a vehicle had a really nice ride, but my Cadillac doesn’t ride any better than most of the other SUVs I test drove. In fact, my new Honda Ridgeline rides better and it’s a truck! Yes, I know it isn’t a traditional frame truck, it is a unibody like a car but it still shouldn’t ride better than a Premium Luxury Cadillac with $5000 upgraded suspension.

 

[stevem5215]

I agree. My 17' RTL rides like my wife's 12' SRX. It's very similar in ride quality for both. The XT5 rode rougher in the 17' that I had as a loaner from the dealer with 600mi on it. The XT4 though demo in 19' was about the same as the SRX and Ridgeline though. (IMO of course)

 

[NorthernSRX]

I ordered a 2023 XT6 and finally took delivery a week ago & I have 2 major concerns. We got the Premium Luxury with Maple Sugar interior which forces you to get the upgraded suspension package. The one we test drove had that package & it drove like it was on glass, it was incredibly smooth. My new XT6 does not ride nearly as smooth as the one we test drove, I can feel every bump & ripple in the road, & I'm seriously wondering if they forgot to upgrade the suspension. When they finally got around to building my SUV it took less than a week to complete it so that adds to my suspicion if they forgot something. Does anyone have any experience with the Performance Suspension, and if so, is there anything I can look for on the vehicle that would show me if it has the right suspension? It is supposed to have real time dampening so is that electronically controlled or is it just better valving in the shocks? I know the standard answer will be to take it back to the dealer & ultimately I will do that, but my salesman was less than helpful explaining the features of the SUV so I doubt he will be any help. His standard answer was "Read the manual!"

My second issue is the comfort of the seats. The driver's seat seems to be more narrow than the passenger seat & the sides push into my legs. I did not notice that when we test drove the XT6. We did notice it when we drove an Accura MDX & that was a deal breaker for us not getting the car. On top of that, the seats are very hard so that makes for a very uncomfortable ride. Does the leather & cushions have a break in period where they will eventually get softer? Again, none of this was an issue with our test drive & we test drove 2 XT6's and an XT5. The first XT6 that had the suspension upgrade was our very first vehicle to drive when we began our search and every other vehicle we drove paled in comparison, none rode as smoothly as the XT6, so that is why we chose the Cadillac. My main reason for getting a new SUV was for comfort on long trips and we just took a 3 hour trip & were both sore from sitting when we got home. This is my first Cadillac & after only a week I'm wondering if I made a mistake.

Congrats on your new ride.

The best way to find out what your vehicle has is to have a dealership look up the VIN and give you the build sheet. GMs used to have a sticker (called a "SPID") somewhere in the car and that sticker listed RPO codes that was sort of a build sheet. Apparently, GM did away with that a few years ago and now you have to look up the VIN.

I have driven a few XT6es recently and find the PL trim to be floaty whereas the Sport suspension provides more road feedback, which I prefer.

The active damping system works via electronically-controlled valves at each corner. The car's ECU monitors each wheel every few milliseconds and controls those valves. The XT6's mode settings essentially instruct the ECU which parameters to use with the valves to achieve certain compression and rebound rates in each shock/strut. In the XT6, I would only use Tour Mode on bad road surfaces (which is most of them up where I live). I believe that Tour mode also electronically disconnects AWD and turns the XT6 into a FWD vehicle.

FWIW, Cadillacs are (mostly) no longer the floaty-ride cars they once were and they've been making more performance-oriented vehicles over the last twenty years. Compared with those old cars, you will (for example) notice significantly less body lean during hard cornering in your XT6. Despite that, I still don't find the XT6 Sport to be overly firm.

I don't recall either loving or hating the seats but I can say that seats don't typically get softer as they age.

I hope you work things out with your XT6 - they are quite lovely vehicles.

 

[rjm]

I ordered a 2023 XT6 and finally took delivery a week ago & I have 2 major concerns. We got the Premium Luxury with Maple Sugar interior which forces you to get the upgraded suspension package. The one we test drove had that package & it drove like it was on glass, it was incredibly smooth. My new XT6 does not ride nearly as smooth as the one we test drove, I can feel every bump & ripple in the road, & I'm seriously wondering if they forgot to upgrade the suspension. When they finally got around to building my SUV it took less than a week to complete it so that adds to my suspicion if they forgot something. Does anyone have any experience with the Performance Suspension, and if so, is there anything I can look for on the vehicle that would show me if it has the right suspension? It is supposed to have real time dampening so is that electronically controlled or is it just better valving in the shocks? I know the standard answer will be to take it back to the dealer & ultimately I will do that, but my salesman was less than helpful explaining the features of the SUV so I doubt he will be any help. His standard answer was "Read the manual!"

My second issue is the comfort of the seats. The driver's seat seems to be more narrow than the passenger seat & the sides push into my legs. I did not notice that when we test drove the XT6. We did notice it when we drove an Accura MDX & that was a deal breaker for us not getting the car. On top of that, the seats are very hard so that makes for a very uncomfortable ride. Does the leather & cushions have a break in period where they will eventually get softer? Again, none of this was an issue with our test drive & we test drove 2 XT6's and an XT5. The first XT6 that had the suspension upgrade was our very first vehicle to drive when we began our search and every other vehicle we drove paled in comparison, none rode as smoothly as the XT6, so that is why we chose the Cadillac. My main reason for getting a new SUV was for comfort on long trips and we just took a 3 hour trip & were both sore from sitting when we got home. This is my first Cadillac & after only a week I'm wondering if I made a mistake.

Reviving this as I'm in the same boat, but I purchased the model I test drove...Premium Luxury with all options except Platinum (wanted but didn't like the Maple Sugar, and hate an all-black interior), 20" wheels.

Test drove over a short course on freshly repaved road/highway. Reminded me of my older Cadillacs, especially the smooth ride. Flash forward a few days, after driving on a variety of road, absolutely hate the ride. There is so much road noise on much of my daily commute, that I literally can not hear myself think, not to mention you feel and HEAR every pit, pebble, and ripple in the pavement. First instinct was to check tire pressure. They were overinflated, but even lowering all the way to 30 psi didn't have much effect on ride, and especially noise.

Have opened a case with Michelin, as I think most of the blame lies with the hard tires. Can't believe the good reviews the Primacy Tour receives. Did you and I just get a bad set??

Anyhow, on the plus side this thing corners like its on rails, even in 2WD mode.

Seriously beginning to regret my purchase decision, and this is my 14th Cadillac.