2022 Cadillac XT5 vs 2022 Toyota Venza

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 had a design that fell somewhere between the Cyberpunk angularity of the Lexus NX and the more traditional styling of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It featured Cadillac’s trademark design cues, such as a bold grille, daytime running lights extending past the headlights, and vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillacs. However, this created an odd mix with the XT5’s compact footprint and tall profile, making it unmistakably a Cadillac, but an ungainly one. The Premium Luxury and Sport models had slightly different exterior styling cues, with the former featuring bright chrome and the latter darker trim and a mesh grille. Standard 18-inch alloy wheels were included on the Luxury and Premium Luxury models, while the Sport models came with 20-inch wheels.

Inside, the XT5’s interior felt luxurious, especially with the optional Platinum Package, which added semi-aniline leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped instrument panel and door trim, a microfiber sueded headliner, and a heated steering wheel. Without this package, it was unclear if the XT5 met luxury-car standards. The interior design lacked a strong theme and didn’t make a statement like the Volvo XC60’s Swedish minimalism or the Lincoln Corsair’s Midcentury Modern look. It also lacked brand-specific markers found in Audi, BMW, or Mercedes interiors, offering little to remind occupants they were in a Cadillac.

The 2022 Toyota Venza, reintroduced for the 2021 model year, rode on the Toyota New Global Architecture K (TGNA-K) platform, shared with models like the Avalon, Camry, Highlander, RAV4, and Sienna. Measuring 186.6 inches long, 73.0 inches wide, and 65.9 inches tall, with a 105.9-inch wheelbase, the Venza had excellent proportions and a modern exterior design that could fit comfortably into the Lexus lineup. Its most striking design feature was a deeply scalloped body side that bulged to form the rear fender, emphasizing power. The tailgate featured a horizontal stripe of LED lighting, and the prominent nose gave it a unique look, more suited for parking lots than off-road adventures.

Inside, the Venza had an elegant interior layout with high-quality materials. The layered dash took advantage of a steep windshield, and the placement of the standard 8-inch or available 12.3-inch touchscreen display was just right. The front seats were supportive and comfortable, while the rear seats could accommodate three adults easily. The cabin felt roomy, especially with the available Star Gaze fixed panoramic glass roof on the Limited trim level. Convenience features included an overhead console with LED map lights, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, and a four-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat on XLE and Limited models. The Venza also had numerous storage options and a quiet cabin, thanks to sound-blocking and absorbing insulation.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered two engine options. The base 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, standard on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims, produced 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 3.6-liter V6, standard on the XT5 Sport and optional on the XT5 Premium Luxury, made 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6-equipped Premium Luxury test car felt reasonably quick, with linear power delivery and smooth, quick shifts from the nine-speed automatic. The performance suspension with adaptive dampers, part of the optional Platinum Package, provided a comfortable ride with excellent body control. The steering was well-suited to a luxury vehicle, making the XT5 feel nimble without being overly sensitive. The cabin was impressively quiet, enhancing the luxury experience.

The 2022 Toyota Venza featured a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine and three electric motors, producing a combined 219 horsepower. The hybrid setup balanced electric and gas drive for optimum efficiency and performance. Drivers could opt for electric-only (EV) operation for short distances or select among Normal, Eco, and Sport drive modes. Regenerative braking helped recharge the lithium-ion battery, while the main charge came from the motor-generator driven by the gas engine. The Venza offered sprightly performance and agile handling, feeling maneuverable thanks to its shared wheelbase with the Camry. While the taller body and higher ground clearance didn’t encourage aggressive cornering, the Venza delivered the ride and performance expected of a midsize family hauler.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered competitive interior space compared to German luxury crossovers. It had more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class but less than the BMW X3. The XT5 also trailed all three German vehicles in rear headroom but had more legroom in both rows. The seats were fairly comfortable but could have used more padding, especially in the front and rear. Cadillac quoted 30 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 63 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, beating the Q5, X3, and GLC but falling short of the Infiniti QX50. A hands-free power liftgate was available. Up front, a small cubbyhole below the touchscreen provided handy storage, compensating for the limited space on the center console.

The 2022 Toyota Venza seated five in two rows, with good headroom and legroom in both. The second row had 45.2 inches of hip room, adequate for three adults. The cabin felt roomy, especially with the available Star Gaze fixed panoramic glass roof on the Limited trim level. Convenience features included an overhead console with LED map lights, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, and a four-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat on XLE and Limited models. The Venza had numerous storage options, including four cupholders and four bottle holders. The lithium-ion battery pack beneath the second-row seats had little impact on cargo capacity, which was 28.8 cubic feet with the second row in place and 55.1 cubic feet with the second row folded flat. The cabin was quiet, thanks to extensive sound-blocking and absorbing insulation.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with a standard 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. An 8-inch digital instrument cluster display and a head-up display were available as part of the optional Technology Package. While usability was improved over previous Cadillac infotainment systems, it still lagged behind other luxury brands in screen size, graphics, and voice-recognition tech. The array of secondary controls, including a rotary controller and capacitive touchpads, were not ideally placed and lacked physical feedback. An eight-speaker Bose audio system was standard, with an optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system providing excellent sound quality.

The 2022 Toyota Venza featured a hybrid powertrain that required no special attention to work, making it ideal for drivers without access to home charging stations. The Venza's hybrid setup was transparent in operation, with a tank of gas yielding well over 500 miles. Toyota's Predicted Efficient Drive (PED) program used the navigation system to optimize battery charging based on driving habits. The LE and XLE models came with an eight-inch touchscreen, AM/FM/HD Radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa capability, and Bluetooth. The Limited trim added a nine-speaker JBL audio system, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, and intelligent touch-capacitive controls. Both multimedia setups included Toyota Connected Services, with various trials for Safety Connect, Service Connect, Remote Connect, and WiFi Connect. An Advanced Technology Package for the Limited trim included a head-up display, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a digital rearview mirror.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear park assist, automatic high-beam headlamps, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. The optional Driver Assist Package added adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and rear automatic braking. The Technology Package added rear pedestrian alert, a surround-vision camera system, night vision, and automatic parking assist. Blind-spot monitoring was available, but the XT5 didn’t include the advanced Super Cruise driver-assist system. The XT5 received top “Good” scores in all IIHS crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention tech but had a “Marginal” headlight rating and an “Acceptable” rating for LATCH child seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the XT5 a five-star overall safety rating.

The 2022 Toyota Venza included the Toyota Star Safety System, with stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, smart stop technology, and a rearview camera. It also had eight airbags, three-point seatbelts for every seating position, and LATCH lower anchors for child safety seats. The Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) group of driver aids included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, daytime bicycle detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, lane tracing assist, and road-sign assist. A blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert and hill-start assist were standard on all trim levels. XLE and Limited models had front and rear parking assist with automated braking, and Limited models also had fog lamps. The Venza received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.