After Motor Trend’s misguided comparison of the Lexus RX 350 and the new Cadillac SRX, I was looking forward to a more honest take on the battling crossovers—and that’s what Popular Mechanics has delivered:
As much as Cadillac may have had its crosshairs set on Lexus, it built a much different car. The design character and driving dynamics clearly favor the sporty side. If, say, you hauled the family to a mountain retreat along some twisty roads, the SRX would be the best crossover. But in the usual day-to-day grind, the RX’s greater refinement and comfort would be awfully hard to ignore. Forced to choose, we’d go with the Lexus.
It isn’t Popular Mechanics choosing the RX over the SRX that makes this a better comparison than Motor Trend’s, it’s the absence of skewed logic. Even in this review, the RX was chosen reluctantly, and only because it makes the most sense. It’s a safe pick, which is what crossover shoppers are looking for (as opposed to how well the vehicle carves corners). It isn’t right or wrong, it’s simply the truth.
[Source: Popular Mechanics]