On the rough roads of San Francisco, and then up to the headlands of Marin County, the Optiq first rode with more supple compliance, drowning out speed bumps and streetcar tracks with ease. Then, when the roads started winding, the adjustable drive modes let me switch up the character, as I set the steering to the lightest mode to avoid torque steer and ramp up feedback from the front tires. Of course, I also selected the maximum acceleration and brake responsiveness, then started hustling through a long series of corners.
Almost more impressive than the suspension improvement versus the Equinox, which I drove in Michigan, the Optiq’s lack of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) stood out throughout the drive. This in turn highlighted the Dolby Atmos-enabled sound system, made up of 19 AKG speakers controlled via a 33-inch touchscreen. Though the Escalade IQ absolutely blew the smaller Optiq out of the water, despite lacking Atmos for model-year 2025 due to development timelines, I still wanted to test everything from Pink Floyd’s tripped-out Comfortably Numb to the peculiar pitches of Animal Collective, the electro bass of Major Lazer, and some shriller dance pop by Lady Gaga.
Michael Teo Van Runkle
The 33-inch display is common across most new Cadillacs. CarPlay is absent, but the Google Maps integration is very good.
Michael Teo Van Runkle
Michael Teo Van Runkle
There’s physical controls for the infotainment if you don’t want to use the touchscreen.
Michael Teo Van Runkle
Michael Teo Van Runkle
The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive.
Michael Teo Van Runkle
There’s physical controls for the infotainment if you don’t want to use the touchscreen.
Michael Teo Van Runkle
The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive.
Michael Teo Van Runkle
Searching through the Amazon Music app hoping to find songs optimized for Dolby Atmos surround sound proved nearly impossible, though. If I owned an Optiq, I’d need to create playlists in advance rather than just aimlessly scrolling (or relying on curated options from Cadillac and Dolby). That type of mindset shift applies to much of EV life, in the end, similar to how Optiq’s total range dropping about 5 percent versus the Equinox FWD’s 319 miles (513 km) should matter less than many urban buyers may imagine.
For the additional torque and dual-motor AWD, the Optiq starts at $55,595 (or $61,695 for this loaded Optiq Sport 2). Compare that to the AWD Equinox with 285 miles of range (459 km) and a starting sticker of $49,400—which represents a big jump up from the FWD at $34,995. The Optiq includes far more standard features, especially Super Cruise hands-free driving, which I thoroughly enjoyed activating on the 101 freeway crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.
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