Compare the2023 Cadillac XT5VS 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

The XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Stelvio doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 XT5 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 XT5 Premium Luxury/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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The XT5 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 XT5 and the Stelvio have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XT5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 221 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Stelvio has not been tested, yet.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT5 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 XT5’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 XT5’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the XT5’s reliability 71 points higher than the Stelvio.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XT5 third among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Stelvio isn’t in the top three in its category.

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.

The XT5’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 30 more horsepower (310 vs. 280) than the Stelvio’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT5’s fuel efficiency. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The XT5 FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Stelvio (19.4 vs. 16.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The XT5 AWD’s standard fuel tank has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Stelvio (21.7 vs. 16.9 gallons).

The XT5 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 XT5 higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio (5). This means the XT5 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 XT5, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Stelvio.

For better stopping power the XT5’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Stelvio:

The XT5 stops much shorter than the Stelvio:

The Cadillac XT5’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XT5’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Stelvio (112.5 inches vs. 110.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the XT5 is 1.3 inches wider in the front than on the Stelvio.

The front grille of the XT5 2.0 Turbo 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 XT5 has 6.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Stelvio (104.5 vs. 97.6).

The XT5 has 4.6 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 7.1 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Stelvio.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the XT5’s rear seats recline. The Stelvio’s rear seats don’t recline.

The XT5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Stelvio with its rear seat up (30.2 vs. 18.5 cubic feet). The XT5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Stelvio with its rear seat folded (63 vs. 56.5 cubic feet).

The XT5’s cargo area is larger than the Stelvio’s in every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is limited to 3000 pounds. The XT5 offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the XT5 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 XT5’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 XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning 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 XT5’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 XT5’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 XT5 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 XT5 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 XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot 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 XT5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the XT5 will cost $1715 to $2820 less than the Stelvio over a five-year period.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Cadillac XT5, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XT5 second among midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Stelvio isn’t in the top three.

The Cadillac XT5 outsold the Alfa Romeo Stelvio by over three to one during the 2021 model year.