2024 Cadillac XT4

Subcompact luxury SUVs like the XT4 offer upscale feel and features for a relatively affordable price and with a minimalist footprint. At least, most of them do. While the XT4 has a generous amount of space for people and cargo, it was never a standout in its class and 2024 marks the current generation's sixth year on the market. For many vehicles, this would be about the time for a full redesign but Cadillac is sticking with a more modest update this year. The 2024 model's digital dashboard pulls the interior of the XT4 into the modern era, but unfortunately much of the rest of the vehicle still feels outdated.

Previously, the XT4 had a traditional dashboard design with a hooded instrument cluster flanked by a separate 8-inch center touchscreen. For 2024, the XT4 has a much more modern-looking setup. The instrument cluster is now fully digital and it's connected to the touchscreen as part of a 33-inch dash-topping display. The interface is new too and features Google built-in. (The unimaginative name and weird capitalization are confusing; the name of the tech is "Google built-in.") The system goes beyond typical smartphone mirroring by integrating Google apps and functions directly into the vehicle, making them accessible even without a paired phone. It allows users to control smart-home devices from the car, download apps to the vehicle through Google Play, and control vehicle functions such as climate control and audio volume with voice control.

The compact luxury SUV class is blazing hot right now, with brands from Acura to Volvo fielding entries. Many of the Cadillac's competitors ride better, have smoother and more powerful engines, and boast richer-feeling interior materials. Our favorites in this segment are the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA and GLB, and Volvo XC40.

It's not so much the additional standard equipment that makes the midlevel Premium Luxury our pick as it is the option packages that aren't available on the base Sport model. The Active Safety package substantially bolsters the XT4's safety tech, and the Comfort and Convenience package nets heated and ventilated front seats with lumbar massage (as well as heated outboard second-row chairs).