2004 Cadillac SRX OVERVIEW

The 2004 Cadillac SRX is as useful as your mother's station wagon or sport-utility vehicle, but it sure doesn't look or drive like your mother's car. The SRX sports futuristic styling that stands out in a sea of boxy sport-utilities and minivans that fill school parking lots. And it drives more like a European sports sedan than it does a minivan or sport utility. Still, the SRX, which goes head-to-head the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class, is strictly for affluent families. It starts at about $39,000, but it can be loaded up with a host of available features so that it closes in on the $60,000 mark. We like the stable yet responsive handling and smooth, extremely quiet ride. The V8 versions offer smooth, confident power, while the all-wheel-drive models are among the best-handling vehicles in the class on snow and ice. The edgy, angular styling is distinctive and the interior is stylish, comfortable and practical, though not warm and inviting.