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There are moments in this business when the numbers fade and the machine takes over. Not the orchestrated theater of a press junket, but the quiet interval after a few commutes, a grocery run, a late-night detour down a familiar road.
That is when a car declares its intent. The 2026 Cadillac Optiq AWD made that case to one seasoned owner, and the verdict landed with the kind of clarity that gets car people talking.
“I've had the 2026 Optiq AWD for 3 days now, so I wanted to give the group just a real basic first impression.
Not crazy about the Tesla-type glove box that is opened from the infotainment, but the icon is always right there, and I have actually found that if I want to open the glove box, it is a much shorter reach to open it. That surprised me.
My concern, and I know most do not worry about performance, but I like it. My concern is gone, and I have come from the EV6 AWD and the Mach-E, and this 440-horse is really anything but sluggish.
A big plus for me, since we carry our Yorkies in a cage, is that when I do leave the car on for a while, the auto lock and unlock proximity system works fine. On the last two EVs I have owned, I either had to use the emergency key (which, btw, the Mach-E does not have now, crazy) or do the head in the window and lock the door, then put up the window and pull the head out fast. This was a nice surprise.
I have not noticed any roll once you put it in park, and if you are on even a small incline, park will engage.
Most thought that it did not follow the speed limit signs; well, it does if you choose that option. I like it because I got used to it on my Mach-E.
The AKG has not really impressed, but so far, all I have listened to is Sirius XM, so it's not a real test. It does have a lot more volume and bass than my Meridian system in my EV6.
The HUD is the best I have had, as far as bright, clear, and location options.
Most of the switches do not have much feedback, but they work okay as long as you do not push too hard. You just have to lay your finger on it lightly.
First thing you will want to do is turn off the proximity rear hatch opening. I thought I would like it because I had it on my EV6, and it was just a little slow, but it worked fine. The Optiq rear hatch makes you actually run past it as it picks you up fast, even when you do not want it to. I thought there was a way to use the kick open, but I have not found that option, just proximity or manual.
The 3 pumps on the accelerator pedal and then the brake do, in fact, cancel out the auto shutdown mode. You do have to have the door open.
My car has had no squeaks or rattles and is extremely quiet and smooth. It did not feel like a really heavy car to me, but I think where you really notice it is if you come from a lighter-weight ICE vehicle, you would maybe notice it. I came from heavy EVs, so it felt fine to me.
The touch screen is very clear and really responsive. You can really customize how the apps are listed, and you can put a few quick shortcuts that are always on the screen. I did put the drive mode icon on there.
Have not missed my frunk that I had in my other vehicles.
The big question for many is the built-in Google. It is fast and accurate, and I thought I would miss AA, but so far I have not and have done just about everything I used to do with AA, just with the BT connection.
My conclusion for now for just having it a few days, is that it seems to be a very solid car that has very good performance, a typical Caddie quiet ride, and absorbs bumps in the road well. I have really enjoyed driving it, and I have been purchasing exotics, Corvettes, BMWs, and Mercedes for many years. First car, a '67 GTO with a 400 high-output motor. It seemed so fast, and it turned zero to 60 at or just under 6 seconds. No time yet, but I would bet this car to be in the low to mid-4s.
I will follow up in a few weeks when I have had the car for a while, but I think it will be a hit if customers give it a shot. I attached a pic of my son's Lyriq next to my new Optiq.”
That is Terry Williams, an owner with a long memory and a short tolerance for fluff. The headline for him was simple. He arrived from a Kia EV6 AWD and a Ford Mustang Mach-E with concerns about performance, then found the Optiq’s 440 horsepower more than adequate. Estimate a low to mid four-second sprint to 60, and you are looking at acceleration that once belonged to loud coupes with big cams and bigger egos. What matters more is the way he describes it. The car does not feel heavy, it is quiet, it is smooth, and it puts power down with a confidence that reads as mature rather than flashy.
The surprises add up in the mundane places where ownership lives. The glove box icon sits on the screen, not his favorite idea in theory, yet a shorter reach in practice. The proximity locking is sorted well enough that leaving the car on for crate-dogged is a non-event, which is exactly what you want from a feature like that. The rear hatch sensor is a little eager, so he recommends turning it off, a reminder that thoughtful software is as important as strong hardware. Park engagement on an incline is clean, a detail that reassures.
Cadillac Optiq: A New Class Favorite
- The Optiq offers a solid electric range for its class: Cadillac estimates over 300 miles in its base configuration, providing competitive appeal in the luxury EV crossover segment.
- Its interior design is distinctive and upscale: reviewers highlight rich textures, bold accent colours (such as blue trims), and a mix of sustainable materials that give the Optiq a refined yet forward-looking ambiance.
- Sales for Cadillac’s electric models are growing strongly, and the Optiq is playing a meaningful role: for example, it recorded ~4,886 U.S. deliveries during Q3 2025, contributing to Cadillac’s best quarterly result in years.
- For the Cadillac brand, the launch of models like the Optiq illustrates its strategic pivot toward electrification and renewed performance in the marketplace, signalling that Cadillac is no longer just a legacy ICE brand but actively competing in the EV space.
Cadillac’s interface earns real points. Built in Google runs fast, Bluetooth fills the gap he thought Android Auto would leave, and the touchscreen layout can be tailored so the tools you need sit where your eyes already go. The head-up display draws praise for brightness and placement. These are the quiet victories of a well-considered cabin. Even the light touch required for the switches feels intentional once you adjust, proof that consistency can matter more than clickiness.
The comment thread around his post reads like a focused owner's clinic. Peta RA flagged traffic sign speed matching and hinted at how it integrates with Super Cruise in this era. Barry Wallace and Jerri Schwartz Reich pointed to Tidal and Amazon Music with Dolby Atmos to unlock the AKG system, a fair critique of judging any premium audio through SiriusXM compression. Marc Shemesh, coming from a Tesla Model Y, went further and called the AKG better to his ears. Williams later clarified that with speed limit assist on adaptive cruise or Super Cruise, you can choose read sign and adjust speed, which is exactly the sort of functional detail owners care about on day four and day four hundred.
Performance may win the first paragraph, but it is the absence of drama that sustains the verdict. No squeaks, no rattles, a ride with that old Cadillac hush without the old Cadillac float. No frunk and no regrets. Three pumps of the accelerator and a press of the brake will cancel the auto shutdown when the door is open, a small piece of arcana that tells you someone is actually living with the car. The Optiq does not chase headlines. It settles in, then makes its case turn by turn, task by task.
If there is a larger lesson here, it is that enthusiasm thrives where execution lives. The Optiq did not convert a skeptic with slogans. It did it with power, with polish, with the kind of small daily wins that turn a new purchase into a keeper. That is worth sharing, not because it flatters a brand, but because it reminds us why we care about cars in the first place.
Image Sources: Cadillac Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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