The 2006 Cadillac XLR: A Corvette in Boat Form

As a Cadillac driver I've come to expect only the highest quality products from the brand. The CTS redefined what the Cadillac name means to me, and when I hear the term 'roadster' and 'supercharged V8', I expect big bang for the big buck. Unfortunately the XLR-V, while a fine vehicle in every respect, is not worth the steep price tag.

Well, it's everything you'd expect from the brand name, but that's both its strongest selling point and biggest downfall. For one you have the fine leather upholstery, a few interior options that are at this point pretty much expected out of luxury cars, and a six-speed automatic sitting on a 443 horsepower supercharged V8 engine. It's a Corvette with class, hitting 0-60 times in just 4.3 seconds, but as quick as it is it just doesn't feel like a car that kind of punch should.

Though the CTS helped shed the stereotypical feel of the Cadillac as being the old ladies' brand, it's hard to get past it with the styling of the XLR. It sports the large boat-like look that we have been trying so hard to forget about. Sure, it's a two-seater roadster, but I can't get past the fact that it resembles what a Corvette would look like if it were made out of LEGO bricks.

The fact of the matter is, it's supposed to be a classy Cadillac iteration of the Z06, but it fails to both outperform it mechanically. What you get is a slightly fancier interior at an almost thirty-thousand dollar premium. Maybe the brand name or a personal love of speed and luxury can justify that cost, but there are far faster and more comfortable cars available once you start reaching the six-figure price range.

Perhaps the blocky feel could appeal to some car enthusiasts, and even I will admit that photographs do not do any of Cadillac's new lineup justice, but I simply could not get into the styling decisions behind this car. Under the hood it is a competitive beast if you're only going to be racing in straight lines, and as General Motors most expensive car it does have a surprisingly comfortable interior.

Were the car priced between eighty and ninety thousand, I could give the car two thumbs up recommendation. The fact remains that if you intend to purchase an XLR-V, you're paying over $100,000 for a car that doesn't offer that much in either its styling or its performance.