Cadillac's newest EV starts at roughly $56,000 and delivers a driving experience that Doug DeMuro finds comparable to rivals costing considerably more. The 2025 Optiq is a fully electric midsize SUV, sitting on the smaller end of that segment and about five inches shorter than a BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE. It runs all-wheel drive as standard across every trim, returns around 300 miles of range, and puts roughly 300 horsepower down. The sprint from 0 to 60 comes in the mid-fives, which is competitive for a family-hauler but only about average for an EV at this price. Standard equipment includes Cadillac's Super Cruise hands-free driving system, a rear-seat household outlet, heated rear seats, and USB-C ports for passengers. The unusual badge on the tail reads 500E4: 500 is torque output in Newton meters, E means electric, and 4 denotes all-wheel drive.
The Optiq shares its platform and general proportions with the Chevrolet Equinox EV, a similarity DeMuro finds harder to overlook from the outside. The interior, though, reads clearly as a Cadillac. Rivals like the Polestar 3 and BMW iX occupy a similar market position but carry significantly higher starting prices. Cadillac's bet is that the Optiq's features and positioning can close that gap without asking buyers to match those prices. Two-row seating accommodates families without difficulty, and the absence of a conventional drivetrain tunnel gives the rear center seat more usable floor space than you'd expect. There is no front trunk. Mechanical components take up that space, as they would in a gasoline-powered vehicle.
Inside, a large curved display spans the dashboard, combining the infotainment screen and gauge cluster in one sweep. The infotainment runs Google-integrated software including Maps, Assistant, Spotify, and Amazon Music. DeMuro found it genuinely intuitive and responsive, making the absence of Apple CarPlay less of a issue than expected. Climate controls occupy a separate panel below, not buried in menus. A secondary touchpad to the left of the gauge cluster handles display configuration and headlight settings. The car recognizes the key fob automatically; there is no ignition button. The rear-view mirror can switch to a camera feed. Cargo space is solid for the segment, with a hidden compartment beneath the floor panel, though the rear seats cannot be dropped from the cargo area itself.
Bottom line: The Optiq earns a 56 out of 100 on the Doug Score, landing in the middle of its segment. At that starting price, it undercuts the direct competition by a real margin, and the on-road experience does not feel proportionally worse. If you want the class leaders, the Audi SQ6 or Polestar 3 make stronger cases. But if the monthly payment is the deciding factor, the Optiq deserves a test drive.