Over the past few years in Los Angeles, I consistently started spotting more and more Cadillac Lyriq EVs. The growing popularity of Caddy’s first mass-produced EV then led to the Celestiq halo car and the electric Escalade IQ, both of which arrived with seriously luxurious amenities and price tags well into six figures, as well as the Optiq that serves as more of an entrée into the Caddy EV lineup. But the IQ range’s design language, to my eye at least, looks best on the mid-size Lyriq that somehow starts at a surprisingly reasonable price tag of $59,200.
I first discovered that pricing when I looked up the base Lyriq’s window sticker after driving the Optiq. I expected higher, but General Motors clearly amortized the Ultium EV platform – that the Lyriq originally introduced – across many models and marques in the interim years, sharing development costs in the hopes of helping to keep initial pricing as low as possible and thereby entice hesitant EV customers.
From the outside at least, the Lyriq looked to add similar levels of premium signaling as the Escalade IQ and Celestiq, rather than the Optiq. So, when Caddy offered me a loaner, I spent 10 days daily driving a Lyriq to learn whether the Ultium luxury treatment potentially makes this an intriguing value proposition in the luxury EV market.
Electric powertrains in general cater perfectly to luxury automaking. Silent and powerful, EV motors take up much less room than gasoline engines and thereby open up large, spacious interiors perfect for cramming with premium materials and advanced tech. Nothing beats the opulent experience of a Rolls-Royce Spectre. Though sure, I might miss a powerful V8 or V12, the neighbors sure don’t!
My Lyriq arrived in dual-motor Signature Sport trim, which adds black exterior cladding and a unique “grille” design (if we can call it that, given the lack of airflow into the “engine bay”). A set of 22-inch wheels and premium interior features, including tri-zone climate and a fancy head-up display, help to justify about $10,000 of additional spend above the base rear-wheel-drive single-motor Lyriq. My dual-motor Lyriq received an official 303-mile EPA range rating, despite 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, but my real-world range performance, both initially and after 10 days, indicated more like 325 to 330 miles might be possible.
Every Ultium EV tends to tip the scales more than comparables on the market, and the AWD Lyriq is no exception at 5,838 pounds. That sheer mass hints at the battery pack’s 102 kilowatt-hours of capacity, but also hinders any sense of punchy, brutish acceleration that other EVs from the likes of Tesla, Genesis, and Lucid always prioritize. Still, the “throttle” modulation (again, if we can call it that) will seem familiar to anyone switching over from a gas-powered car.
Nudge into the go pedal and the Lyriq surges forward, happy to accelerate along with other cars or scoot away from traffic with ease. Plus, I spent most of my 10-day loan in a torrential winter rainstorm, and even with the eco-friendly Michelin Primacy tires, I still appreciated the confident traction of the dual-motor AWD system.
So far, in raw performance terms, the Lyriq reminded me somewhat of the lower-spec Chevrolet EVs that share the Ultium platform. But the exterior design definitely trends more toward the cartoonishly elongated Celestiq, albeit without the mind-boggling proportions. And this two-row also thankfully takes up far less of a footprint than the behemoth Escalade IQ.
Both those top-spec packages definitely take Cadillac build quality to the next level, though. The Celestiq, simply put, is the best General Motors EV to drive yet – and it better be, at that price! The electric Escalade can manage a more insane range of over 500 miles in the real world, meanwhile a critical element of the luxury equation. But the humongous SUV also rides with a sense of serenity that one of the most spectacular sound systems in the world only accentuates, along with some of the best massaging and ventilated seats on the market. (In the spirit of openness, I’d still take an Escalade V, but that’s a different story.)
The Lyriq’s pricing might suggest that Celestiq and Escalade IQ levels of luxury fly out the window. And to an extent, that’s true. But compared to any other EV, this Caddy seems almost completely silent, as only the most minor hints of road noise creep in at freeway speeds or higher. The suspension tuning and large wheels toe the line between sporty and compliant, keeping the chassis planted without ever getting too choppy.
Meanwhile, the interior feels roomy for both the front and back seats, plus Cadillac decided to offer a huge trunk rather than go with a third row – though partially, the massive interior cargo volume, including the little storage cubby for a charge cable or groceries beneath the rear floor, comes courtesy of eliminating a front trunk (or “frunk”) as common on other EVs.
From the inside, the Lyriq’s sanctuary space initially imparts a distinct impression that the exterior surely must be larger than it seems. And parallel parking does reveal a rather wide track, but altogether this EV makes negotiating narrow streets or parking lots fairly easy.
Plenty of exterior cameras and parking sensors, including a digital rearview mirror, do help since the D-pillar at the back that so clearly established the IQ lineup’s aesthetic does somewhat hinder rear visibility. And speaking of tech, my Lyriq also featured a booming AKG sound system equipped with active noise canceling and Dolby Atmos available via supported streaming apps. Though I never hit the highest highs and lowest lows, nor the crisp middles, of the Escalade, the speakers still managed that impressive feat of regularly turning familiar songs into new experiences.
I also summoned all my energy not to thank the heavens for the single biggest surprise of living with the Lyriq: Unlike most GM EVs, and reportedly soon all GM vehicles, wireless Apple CarPlay worked! And Super Cruise comes standard across all 2026 Lyriqs now, so when I took some longer drives on the freeway, whether at speed or stuck in traffic, I could just push a button and watch the top of the steering wheel light up green.
The ease of use that CarPlay and Super Cruise enable comes across as a major selling point for the luxurious Lyriq experience. If only because many other functions do require dipping into the curvaceous 33-inch displays, many touchscreen menus. Opening the glovebox, for example, or choosing drive modes. At least the climate controls still use physical switchgear, with a pleasing metallic set of piano keys along the lower edge of the dash. But the center console dial, as futuristic as it looks, never quite makes sense for selecting anything.
Cadillac even sacrificed a stop-start button, which supposedly adds the convenience factor of simply stepping in and putting a foot on the brake pedal, whereupon the gauges and center console come to life, indicating the Lyriq is ready to drive. Then, simply put the motors in Park, get out, and lock the doors, and the EV should turn off – but I say “should” because this regularly did not happen. I tried many times, and even one night left the car “running” (in silence, with the headlights on but the doors locked) to see what happened. The solution to this frequent quandary involves either going for a short drive to reset the computer’s conception of when to turn off or tapping a new widget in the touchscreen, then confirming that the car should, in fact, turn off.
Whether this increasingly digitized driving experience enhances or detracts from the luxury experience probably comes down to a matter of taste. Living with the Lyriq for a longer period, I might even acclimate to some of the more unexpected functions that I struggled with over 10 days. I also found myself wishing for a slightly softer suspension setting, for a smoother ride—and would therefore advise a Lyriq with the smallest wheels possible, a set of 20-inchers that comes on lower trims, even if that means sacrificing style points in the name of increased suppleness.
Skipping the 22-inch rims might preclude the Signature Sport from consideration, which I can justify because the lower trims now include CarPlay and Super Cruise for model year 2026. Luckily, the rest of everything great about the Lyriq carries over too, nailing Cadillac’s electric design language in an eminently usable luxury package. One that imparts a real sense of value without hitting the wallet too hard, either initially or with the threat of massive depreciation common to higher-priced electrics down the road.
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