Not surprisingly, given that this is an SUV with a taller center of gravity than a sport sedan, the Cadillac SRX tends to understeer heavily when entering a turn too hot, and the body leans more than a typical passenger car. Quick steering inputs, such as when threading tight S-curves, results in significant and unnatural stiffening of the wheel just off-center. Drive the SRX with talent, getting into turns more slowly and smoothly, and you're rewarded with linear steering response and just the right amount of required effort. Furthermore, nicely balanced weight transitions allow the SRX to handle with surprising grace. Notably, the P255/55R18 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires on our test vehicle uttered not a hint of howl or squeal no matter how ham-fisted we were at the helm. Ride quality could use some work. Though we've found Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control to be brilliant in some applications, here it struggles to manage the SRX's 4,500-pound weight. It doesn't soak up larger bumps so much as crash over them, and the SRX gets unsettled over longer stretches of broken pavement. Plus, on dips and whoop-de-doos, the suspension stiffens suddenly and unnaturally. This technologically advanced setup can't compete with the conventional yet brilliant, Nurburgring-tuned suspension on the Cadillac CTS sedan, which is too bad, because on smoother pavement the SRX's wheel and body control is exemplary for this kind of vehicle.
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