The 2024 Cadillac Lyriq Is Worth the Hassle

The Lyriq is Cadillac’s first full EV, and in a vacuum, it’s excellent. Pleasant, artful, luxurious, and smooth, the Lyriq ditches internal combustion for a 102.0-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor on each axle. The end result is a nearly silent 500 horsepower.

But like most EVs, you have to design your life around owning the Lyriq. That shouldn’t be a problem for electric vehicle enthusiasts, but for normal people like myself, the Lyriq requires sacrifice. This time, though, it’s probably worth it.

The Lyriq is one of the only electric vehicles I genuinely miss having in my driveway. It starts inside, where there is scant evidence of component sharing with other GM vehicles, which is a big surprise. The Lyriq’s interior also rejects the antiseptic styling of other EVs from Tesla, Volkswagen, and Polestar, with embroidered ornamentation in places like the seats and center console.

Careful attention to detail was given to everything from the speaker grates to the HVAC knobs. It all elevates the entire experience. Everything feels intentional. The exterior design language is likewise unique and attractive—a rare balance. Every onlooker loved its looks.

Cadillac’s Super Cruise system made it easy to notice CR-V drivers cranking their necks to get a better look at the sharp new crossover, while I drove hands-free. The optional 19-speaker sound system and heated and cooled massage seats were easy to enjoy, too. If not for the fact that the Lyriq eventually had to be plugged in, it would’ve been a completely stress-free ride. 

With 100 miles of the car’s approximate 307-mile range left, I had to search for a place to get some juice. The curved 33.0-inch infotainment screen has a shortcut to find nearby chargers on Google Maps with one tap, which is very handy. It would’ve been even handier if the first two charging stations had any working stalls. The third one was the charm, and the Lyriq started charging at a rate of 130 kilowatts from a 150-kilowatt charger, which is respectable. That rate was cut in half when someone else showed up at the two-stall station.

At this point in the afternoon, it said that getting to 80 percent would take until 5:00 PM—long after I’d planned to be at home sitting on my couch. I left a few moments later with around 30 miles of range to spare for my roughly 80-mile journey.

Most of my other charging experiences were similar, which is a shame. The Lyriq can receive electrons at 190 kW, which means it can utilize 350 kW chargers, the fastest around. They just never seemed to exist in a consistently functional, convenient manner, though. I know it’s often repeated, but the state of EV charging infrastructure put a damper on the whole experience. If it all worked, EV ownership would be easy.

Unreliable charging didn’t bother me before I drove the Lyriq because I hadn’t driven an EV that I really liked. Most of them deliver power the same way, with little control over how the drivetrain behaves. And many have the same tech-heavy iPad gimmicks to distract you from the fact that you’ve been sitting in a parking lot for an hour.

The Lyriq is different. It has a big screen, sure, but it’s crafted into the dashboard intentionally. The software is free of lag and well organized, and the built-in Google Maps works great, no surprise there. Most of the other car-specific features were likewise easy to use and navigate. 

Outright performance also doesn’t seem to be the Lyriq’s goal, which is refreshing. Sport mode unlocks the full electric punch, but all other modes deliver subdued acceleration with no accompanying synthetic noise. This is combined with a regen paddle on the left side of the wheel that allows the driver to brake without touching any pedals. It’s completely variable and will never activate the friction brakes. If you pull harder, you get more regen. I loved that feature.

The Lyriq is big on being a Cadillac in the classic sense. Despite 22-inch wheels and thin-sidewall tires, it glides down most roads effortlessly. The steering feels light in the default drive mode and has a little of that damped-on-center electric feel. For better and for worse, the steering communicates the weight of this nearly 6,000-pound crossover. That’s honesty, if nothing else. 

The steering and other settings can be adjusted to your liking in a custom configuration UI screen—typical of cars in this price range from other luxury automakers. With a few taps on its touchscreen, the Lyriq can go from a ground-pounding electric freight train to something more akin to a sailboat on a placid ocean. The ride is that good, and thanks to standard double-glazed glass, the silence is serene. 

Before this car, I would’ve agreed there are simply too many caveats to owning an EV. This is the first time I wished those caveats didn’t exist. Not every automaker is happy about building EVs; It’s clear some Japanese brands, for instance, are doing it more or less begrudgingly. The opposite is true here. I got the sense driving this car that Cadillac is trying to turn the page on its brand. With more vehicles like this—and a little help from the charging infrastructure—it might just work.