2006 Cadillac XLR-V - POV Driving Impressions

Filmed with ‪@JW_Reviews‬
MPG: 15 city / 22 highway
Engine: 4.4 L V8
Horsepower: 443 hp
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Dimensions: 178″ L x 72″ W x 50″ H
Driveline: Rear-wheel drive
#cadillac
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Thanks for watching!

[@JW_Reviews]

Topher, this is an AWESOME video! I had such a fantastic experience and I'm honored that you took my very own XLR-V for a spin 😎 Thank you so much for everything!!!

[@John.Christopher]

Youre an awesome owner!!!!!!!!

[@JW_Reviews]

@@John.ChristopherThank you!

[@ers1027]

The XLR is the ONLY non-Corvette model to ever be built at Bowling Green Assembly. Super cool you witnessed that.

[@JW_Reviews]

You're right! TheTopher is SUPER lucky to have seen it

[@adorablecenturion8436]

too bad it used the worst V8 gm made

[@bubbleman2002]

@@adorablecenturion8436 The worst V8 GM has ever made was the 305. At least the North Star made power until it blew up, unlike the gutless POS 305 that can't hardly flow more air than your asshole when you fart.

[@gloopytunes1346]

@@adorablecenturion8436Tell me you’re not very intelligent without telling me challenge: Passed

[@sv52308]

First thing that comes to mind is Driver San Francisco

[@bproductions3326]

Yes!! When I first clicked on the video I had mistaken this for the OG 2004 ish SRX suv, then The Topher turned his head to reveal the true coupe boxiness and my mind quickly went to driver San Francisco. Super underrated video game!

[@JW_Reviews]

I think it's time that racing video game developers bring the XLR-V back! I would have a blast driving it in Forza

[@DannyPrynce04]

Nah this reminds me of Midnight Club LA

[@gibememoni]

great game

[@Freimopp777]

Test Drive Unlimited

[@Tully3674]

I have a 2008 XLR-V. Review is accurate. Exterior design and mechanical engineering are great. Interior components for the era was average. 18,000 miles and I've been fortunate (no leaks).

[@JW_Reviews]

Very nice! After fixing the oil leak, my car should be set for life. The gaskets were replaced with GM sealant which shouldn’t allow for any more leaks in the future. Enjoy the ‘08 XLR-V! I wish I had that heated steering wheel that your car has.

[@zoomzoom3839]

These XLR-Vs are incredibly rare, only 2,200 of these were ever made, I’ve only seen one or two in my lifetime. V series Caddliacs have always been overlooked. They have everything an enthusiast would want. Comfortable, luxurious supercharged V8s, many of them have manual transmissions, they may have reliability issues but that’s typical of any high performance luxury vehicle from any brand. I still think that the CT4 and CT5V Blackwing are two of the best performance cars on the market, better then any of the modern M cars or AMGs.

[@VolvosandHondas]

but such shoddy build quality and materials, my buddy has an sts v that is fun but is built like hammered dog shit. chevy would have been better served using buick interior materials.

[@JW_Reviews]

Agreed! The first gen V-Series cars are slept on and very few people seem to remember them or pay much attention to them which I think is a major shame. They're fast, unique, and deserve to be talked about.

[@VolvosandHondas]

@@JW_Reviews its because they are priced higher than an AMG or M car of the era and are quantifiably worse cars overall. I don’t hate them but i definitely don’t think they are some hidden gem

[@benagrawal1119]

Sounds fantastic. I always went to the dealership with my dad growing up when he took his C5 in for oil changes - I remember the sales manger showing us one of those on the showroom floor, and being super excited about. Love the owner’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the car - car is in a good home - drive it! Can’t take it with you, and don’t save the miles for the next guy…

[@JW_Reviews]

Thank you very much! Those are some cool memories. You’re right, I definitely need to put more miles on her 😎

[@aidangoodwin2673]

Love seeing these older car too! Keep it up

[@bradyg499]

agreed

[@JW_Reviews]

Same!!!

[@wr1ght939]

It’s surprising how expensive these still are.

[@JW_Reviews]

That's true! I think the relative rarity has helped with that, even though a lot of people don't know about these cars

[@natea8911]

Especially given how unreliable they are

[@0326Hambone]

Agreed! I really expected the XLR to fall into the bin of weird ugly-duckling models from auto history. I loved them as a teenager when they were new, and I still love them today!

[@jerryburdick8051]

The paint looks outstanding. Kudos to the owner! Nothing like low sunlight to expose flaws, and the car just looks fantastic. So great to see this one.

[@JW_Reviews]

Thank you so much!

[@mikey380sx]

Oh man. This brings back memories of Test drive unlimited lol

[@lifeislucci]

Beautiful car. I remember the XLRs in the showroom when I was a kid when my dad worked at a GM dealership. I use to dream over the Vs in the magazines. The owner seems like a great guy as well 👍 great video

[@JW_Reviews]

That's cool you have some childhood memories of these cars! I appreciate the nice compliment 😀

[@aceospades7]

This was my favorite car when it debuted. Cadillac should bring this back. I think it would look really good with their new design language

[@JW_Reviews]

Agreed!!

[@Veyronp87]

Always loved this car from afar, something about a Cadillac corvette just seemed awesome

[@mjdgi1]

My dad has one it is just a regular '05 4.6 l. That car still turns heads people cannot believe it's an '05

[@MarkWasylyshyn]

Outstanding review! It was very impressive having the two of you discussing the XLR-V! The two you make a good team! Thank you for doing this review with James

[@gettcouped]

One thing that stinks with these cars is the parts! The rear tail lights are IMPOSSIBLE to find and hella expensive if you can find them. I saw an XLR V on the road a couple weeks ago, was silver and looked absolutely gorgeous!

[@JW_Reviews]

True! I'm going to have to be extra careful not to get into a fender-bender or else the whole car is totaled LOL

[@bubbleman2002]

@@JW_Reviews No matter how careful you are, a 16 year old girl, or old lady that can't see, in a silver/gold 2000s Corolla/Camry WILL find a way to hit you. It's inevitable.

[@alpe6228]

the xlr was based on the c6.They didnt wanna use the ls engine because they wanted to keep the cadillac more refined with a dohc engine,not sure if it was really a good move.

[@vipermoon_]

I heard it was based on the c5. Which is it?

[@alpe6228]

@@vipermoon_ It's based on both actually.Great car minus the dogshit 4.6,the 4.4 is great tho.

[@bobblofinshlof9741]

They should have put the ohv engine in the xlr like they do today in the ct5 V black wing.

[@spicytuna62]

I really thought the XLR was a cool car back in the day, and I still admire them. I think this, the DTS and STS are some of the coolest modern Cadillacs you can get.

[@JW_Reviews]

Those certainly are nice cars!

[@R19Robbin]

That V8 sounds good 🔥🔥

[@JW_Reviews]

It's one of the best sounds out there! 😎

[@jacobyo99]

I’d love to see an STS-V on here also.

[@therealjayseh]

They tried so hard to make this like a Mercedes-Benz SL

[@will5150]

JW has a really cool '08 Caddy DTS on his channel that I love.

[@JW_Reviews]

Yes sir! My dad and I have driven that thing a ton since we bought it and have put nearly 40,000 miles on it already. I've grown to like that car even more, the DTS makes for a fantastic daily driver

[@esaireyna899]

Was it based on the C6 Vette disregard you answered my question as the XLR was assembled on the same Assembly line as the Vette

[@spathotan]

Everytime I see one of these (very rarely obviously) its silver, which does it no favors and blends in with regular traffic. This red does the car justice.

[@JW_Reviews]

Yep, I needed to have an infrared one! Stands out so much better and is probably the best color for this car

[@gettcouped]

Very cool and very unique car! I have an STS-V and man this thing is amazing with a cold air intake, cone filter (makes the supercharger wine very apparent!) and a corsa exhaust. LOOOVE that thing, I call it a cruise missile. The only thing that that holds it back in the mid 2000s transmission.

[@JW_Reviews]

Oooh the STS-V's are SO cool. I think I see them even less than XLR-V's! And it's neat that the STS-V's made a little more horsepower than the XLR-V's, but yours probably makes a even more with the upgrades. Super cool!

[@gettcouped]

@@JW_Reviews yea cool things is the front end is double wishbone all aluminum. When the car loads up it feels great around turns. An amazing 6-8/10ths car!

[@churchyandfriends]

Super cool owner! Respect! Great review as always. Thanks Toph ❤️❤️❤️

[@JW_Reviews]

Thank you so much!

[@churchyandfriends]

@@JW_Reviews welcome brother! ❤️

[@miketaylor4162]

I always wanted one of these.

[@startrader9503]

Love the Owen Wilson "Waaow"

[@05Elantra98GSGang]

Crazy to think this car is already 18 years old literally 2006 is a legal adult… Oil leaks suck just did the valve covers on my gs300 gotta do the VVTI cam gear seal and oil pan gaskets next but wouldn’t trade it for anything

[@JW_Reviews]

It is strange how long ago ‘06 was. Agreed, but I think it’s worth doing to keep cars like mine and yours on the road, especially when we love them!

[@jjefferyworboys8138]

Worth buying for the engine alone !

[@BIGGELATO]

I could only imagine how beautiful a new model would be today if it were inspired by the CT5-V... Aw man.

[@markpera2501]

I vividly remember seeing these new at the dealership.

[@JW_Reviews]

I wish I could have seen new ones at the dealer!

[@John.Christopher]

AWESOME OWNER!!!

[@JW_Reviews]

Thank you so much!

[@codycrawford2385]

It’s cool to see these, I see some of the this in the DTS

[@swayying]

These are super neat, even if I’d never want to own one!

[@JW_Reviews]

They're definitely unique and fun! 😄

[@ag6371]

That rare Northstar V8

[@JW_Reviews]

Rare indeed!

[@reginaldgarcia6699]

Beautiful car

[@JW_Reviews]

Thank you!

[@SamFBM]

the design is very transformers inspired i think edit- i guess it came out before the movies but still maybe the older cartoons

[@JW_Reviews]

True! It's definitely an edgy style that is Transformers-like

[@BIGGELATO]

100K USD in 06' is about 155K USD today in mid 24'. About 210K Canadian, which is MENTAL. 😂😂😂 And pre-taxation! Wild.

[@vipermoon_]

I admit I wasn't a fan this car when it was sold new and even a few years ago. But something has changed, Even before watching this video. I guess the design has aged well. Was this the C5 chassis?

[@JW_Reviews]

I'm glad that you're warming up to the XLR-V! Seeing them in person also seems to help too. From my understanding, even though the regular XLR was introduced before the C6 Corvette in 2004, everything underneath is based off the C6 generation

[@thismanagain]

I wish I could get a chance to drive one! 😍

[@JW_Reviews]

Someday that wish could come true!

[@thismanagain]

@@JW_Reviews hope so! Thanks for the encouraging comment! 😍

[@JimDandy1082]

Its a shame GM is muffling the supercharger whine. That would be one of the selling points for me. What good is a supercharger if you can't hear it?

[@cameronhall04]

For a 4.4 v8 the power isn’t that bad for ealy 2000s

[@JW_Reviews]

That's for sure!

[@dxvlic]

Hey Topher, always love to see the vids and congrats on the new baby 😄 I’ve been following your KZbin channel for a little while now and have greatly appreciated your in-depth reviews and insights into various cars. I’m currently in the market for a new car and was hoping you could provide some guidance based on your experience and expertise. My budget is between $20,000 and $30,000, and I’m particularly interested in sedans or sports cars, especially with sleek exterior designs like the brz or jaguar ftype etc. You definitely have some valuable experience that I'd appreciate it if you kindly share with me. Here are my main concerns: - Reliability and Fuel Consumption: I’ll be using this car for daily commuting, covering about 76 kilometers (47 miles) round trip between home and college. Fuel efficiency is quite important to me. - Winter Driving: Living in an area with harsh winters, I need a car that handles well in snowy and icy conditions. - Maintenance Costs: I’d prefer a car with reasonable maintenance expenses. Given these points, I’d love to hear about your car recommendations that might suit my needs, your experience with its reliability, fuel consumption, and performance in winter driving conditions. I’d greatly appreciate your suggestions. I’m open to any make or model that fits within my budget and meets my criteria. Hopefully you and any other person that sees my comment can help me make this hard decision 😅

[@faeinthebay]

I recall Topher for is quite happy with his Miata and BR-Z. The BR-Z has raised suspension and uses different wheels and tires for winter driving. Of course, you will have to be good at correcting slides, so front wheel drive might be easier to handle in those situations. In that case you could get something like a Civic Si and raise the suspension? Or a Corolla or Civic hatch (with available manual!). Finally if you can stretch your budget or get a lightly used car, the $33k+ WRX is liked by many journalists and is AWD.

[@JW_Reviews]

I was lucky enough to get a car ride in his BR-Z and it was pretty awesome! TheTopher really knows how to drive haha@@faeinthebay

[@dxvlic]

​​@@faeinthebayThank you for your reply, it's very informative. I layed my eyed on a 2018 65000 km mileage jaguar f-type v6 supercharge. Any opinions on that?

[@faeinthebay]

@@dxvlic jaguars are notoriously unreliable, I wouldn't risk it

[@Motolympics]

I would love another XLR

[@JW_Reviews]

I think it would be worth looking into 😉

[@344342276]

İnterior... I love it. İt feels realy premium. Greetings from Turkey

[@JW_Reviews]

It is definitely nice overall! I'm glad you like it 😄

[@beyerch]

By Chicago, do you mean Glenview by chance? Curious what you paid for it.

[@SAMPLETEXT285]

The 06 XLR V the official car of "i wanted a C6 Corvette but i wanted to pay more for it" Dont get me wrong its a beautiful car but i feel like you'd really have to be a Cadillac superfan to justify buying this new over a C6 Corvette

[@relaxingsounds7782]

Imagine paying $100k for this thing 20 years ago brand new 💀

[@JW_Reviews]

Yep, it is a crazy figure especially considering that the base price for new Blackwings today are less. You could also get close to buying a Dodge Viper ACR for that money in 2006 lol

[@ph00ny1]

Now does he also have a CT6-V?

[@JW_Reviews]

I wish! I would love to drive one of those someday. I did get to sit in one and start it up, that Blackwing motor is awesome

[@Martyvison]

Back when they made sturdy shit

[@aspecreviews]

The Northstar wasn't sturdy...

[@NettieRodriguez-r2y]

Garcia Larry Clark Joseph Martinez Michael

[@ethancooke1589]

First 😄

[@mackos007]

I'm always amazed how american comapnies could sell hard chromeplastick interiors that looked straight from a early 2000 cheap korean stereo. Glad it changes, but this interior is just so unrefined and unsophisticated

[@jessefrantz3156]

Absolutely true that plastic chrome and other similarly cheap materials were abundant at the time, but that doesn’t really apply to the XLR-V. All that metal looking trim (steering wheel, center console, doors, etc) is real aluminum. All the wood is genuine. The upper dash, upper door panels, A pillars, windshield header, and the area behind the seats including the roll hoops are wrapped in stitched actual leather. There are still some cheap materials that GM could have done a better job with, but it really was pretty nice for the time.

[@JW_Reviews]

Very good points! The interior certainly doesn't match a $100,000 car in today's world, but for 2006 it was especially good especially when compared to the American brands @@jessefrantz3156

[@user-vd3qo7jx1j]

First

[@RoMeeHang]

Another unreliable PoS that spends more time at the shop than on the road.

[@scottdavis_34]

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

[@JW_Reviews]

Fortunately, I can confirm that my car has actually spent more time in the garage than anywhere else 🤣

[@tyhyhh]

Gm interios have aged so bad

[@hkfan4596]

lol northstar garbage