Compare the2023 Cadillac XT5VS 2023 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Model X 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 Model X 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 for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X 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 Model X 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 Model X 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.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The XT5 has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the XT5 and the Model X 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, 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 and blind spot warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Cadillac XT5 is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	XT5	Model X
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	24%	26%
Neck Stress	188 lbs.	207 lbs.
Neck Compression	11 lbs.	33 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	22/17 lbs.	156/119 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Cadillac XT5 is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	XT5	Model X
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	151 lbs.	157 lbs.
Hip Force	184 lbs.	217 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 233 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Model X has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

There are almost 4 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the XT5’s warranty.

Reliability

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 18 points higher than the Model X.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XT5 third among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Model X 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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 63 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 2 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Brakes and Stopping

The XT5 stops shorter than the Model X:

	XT5	Model X
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	113 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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

The XT5 offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the XT5’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Model X’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.8 feet). The XT5 w/20” wheels’ turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Model X’s (39 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

Chassis

The Cadillac XT5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 to 1250 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

The XT5 is 9.5 inches shorter than the Model X, making the XT5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The XT5 has .1 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room and .3 inches more rear legroom than the Model X.

Cargo Capacity

The XT5 has a much larger cargo volume than the Model X with its rear seat up (30.2 vs. 15 cubic feet).

The XT5’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the XT5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model X doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

An Oil Life Monitor is standard on the XT5 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and air filter replacement based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The XT5’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

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 Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The XT5’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XT5 has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The XT5’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the XT5 has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The XT5’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

The XT5 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

Model Availability

The XT5 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Model X doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the XT5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the XT5 will cost $11075 to $12085 less than the Model X over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XT5 is less expensive to operate than the Model X because typical repairs cost much less on the XT5 than the Model X, including $524 less for a water pump, $7 less for front brake pads, $139 less for front struts and $457 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Cadillac XT5 will be $44209 to $45073 less than for the Tesla Model X.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Cadillac XT5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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 Model X isn’t in the top three.

The Cadillac XT5 outsold the Tesla Model X by 13% during 2022.