Compare the2023 Cadillac XT4VS 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the XT4 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The XT4 Premium/Sport offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Stelvio doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport offers an optional Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Stelvio only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the XT4 and the Stelvio have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and lane departure warning systems.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT4 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Alfa Romeo covers the Stelvio. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Stelvio ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The XT4’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Stelvio’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 4 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the XT4’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 48 more problems per 100 vehicles, Alfa Romeo is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Alfa Romeo is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 8 places higher in reliability than Alfa Romeo.

On the EPA test cycle the XT4 gets better mileage than the Stelvio:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT4’s fuel efficiency. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The XT4 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Cadillac XT4 higher (7 out of 10) than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio (5). This means the XT4 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Stelvio every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac XT4, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Stelvio.

The XT4 stops shorter than the Stelvio:

The XT4 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Stelvio doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The XT4 Sport AWD handles at .89 G’s, while the Stelvio Sprint AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XT4 Sport AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Stelvio Ti AWD (26.3 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

The Cadillac XT4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 250 pounds less than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

The XT4 is 3.5 inches shorter than the Stelvio, making the XT4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Stelvio doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The XT4 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Stelvio doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the XT4 Sport AWD is quieter than the Stelvio Sprint AWD (39 vs. 43 dB).

The XT4 has 3.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Stelvio (101.3 vs. 97.6).

The XT4 has 7.5 inches more front legroom and 7.6 inches more rear legroom than the Stelvio.

The XT4 has a much larger cargo volume than the Stelvio with its rear seat up (22.5 vs. 18.5 cubic feet).

Maximum trailer towing in the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is limited to 3000 pounds. The XT4 offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the XT4 uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Stelvio doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Alfa Romeo. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 79% lower rating, Alfa Romeo is ranked 32nd.

The XT4’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Stelvio has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

The XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

On a hot day the XT4’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Stelvio can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XT4’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Stelvio’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

When the XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Stelvio’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Stelvio doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Stelvio.

The XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional Automatic Park Assist can parallel park by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Stelvio doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the XT4 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the XT4 will cost $1855 to $2910 less than the Stelvio over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Cadillac XT4 will be $4043 to $5213 less than for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

The Cadillac XT4 outsold the Alfa Romeo Stelvio by 35% during the 2021 model year.