Despite having been basically mainstream vehicles for several years now, electric vehicles still tend to put people in one of two camps: fan or foe. The 2025 Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 AWD might just convert a few unfriendlies.
The Lyriq brings forward the essential qualities that have made Cadillac’s offerings special over the years and blends them with a contemporary ethos.
An unapologetic fan of EVs, I’m looking forward to the day when every new car is powered by electricity. Mind you now, this is coming from a guy who does and will own an internal combustion engine powered sports car—with a manual transmission—for the rest of my days. The visceral response I get is something I want to always enjoy.
However, there is no denying the benefits of electric propulsion for the way the vast majority of people drive. Take the subject of this review, the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3, for example. Handsome, smooth, quiet and sophisticated, this 21st Century interpretation of the Cadillac mystique is at once satisfying and intriguing.
The Lyriq brings forward the essential qualities that have made Cadillac’s offerings special over the years and blends them with a contemporary ethos, which makes the Lyriq something special. This also makes the electric Cadillac one of the most desirable offerings in the mid-size luxury EV segment.
Powertrains and Fuel Economy
The all-wheel drive Sport 3 trimmed example of the Lyriq with which I spent a week was equipped with a pair of electric motors (one for the rear wheels and another for the front) which together generated a total system output of 500 horsepower. The Cadillac’s 102-kWh battery pack is said by the EPA to be capable of providing the Lyriq with up to 307 miles of range. And, to assuage any lingering reliability concerns, Cadillac provides eight years or 100,000 miles of warranty coverage on the battery pack.
The Cadillac Lyriq’s interior treatment deftly blended metallic brightwork with open pore wood, leather, and strategically placed high quality plastics.
An EVgo fast charging station was recently installed at the shopping center near my home. Using it refreshed the Cadillac’s battery pack from 80% depleted to fully charged in less time than it took my wife and I to do our weekly grocery shopping.
Emerging from the supermarket about a half an hour after plugging the Lyriq in, we were pleasantly surprised to find the Cadillac EV all charged up and ready to go.
Interior Accommodations
Decidedly upscale in appearance, “my” 2025 Cadillac Lyriq’s interior treatment deftly blended metallic brightwork with open pore wood, leather, and strategically placed high quality plastics. An amalgamation of graceful shapes, the interior’s architecture was at once harmonious and businesslike. One particularly cool touch, the front end of the center console was cantilevered, which provided ready access to a storage tray on the floor.
All of the Cadillac’s switchgear had a substantive look, and the (now seemingly requisite for this class) 33-inch curved digital OLED screen ran from behind the steering wheel to the center of the dash. Residing beneath the touchscreen section of the monitor, the Lyriq’s HVAC controls provided ready access to those functions, without forcing me to wade through a plethora of on-screen menus. A handy drawer offering hidden storage was positioned just beneath the HVAC buttons.
Folding the second row of seats away gave me just under 61 cubic feet of cargo capacity. I had 28 cubic feet with the rear seat deployed. The Cadillac’s low lift over height made loading and unloading the groceries in the back easy to accomplish.
With an output of 500 horsepower, this may be the most common view of the Lyriq.
Comfort, Convenience & Safety Tech
Legroom was good at all seating positions, as was head, shoulder and hip room. What’s more, the exceptionally quiet nature of the Lyriq underway enhanced the comfort factor significantly. While EVs are inherently quiet, the Lyriq also featured active noise cancellation. The result was an uncanny lack of road noise.
Infotainment functions could also be accessed via a rotary dial on the cantilevered section of the center console. CarPlay and Android compatibility, as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot were fitted as standard equipment. The Cadillac’s mellifluous 19-speaker audio system was by produced by AKG.
“My” Lyriq was also equipped with Cadillac’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system, which is a standard feature on all Lyriq models. It comes activated when you purchase the Lyriq, and you can buy a subscription to keep it working after the three-year introductory period expires. Standard driver aids included automated emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist.
Driving Impressions
The Lyriq’s 102-kWh battery pack is said by the EPA to be capable of providing the Lyriq with up to 307 miles of range.
Along with the 500 horsepower I mentioned earlier, the Lyriq’s powertrain is capable of generating 450 lb-ft of torque at throttle tip in. Numbers like those typically mean strong acceleration and indeed the Lyriq ran from zero to 60 in just under five seconds. As respectable as that is, you’d find yourself looking at the taillights of competitors such as the Lucid Gravity and the BMW iX, both of which are faster off the line.
On the other hand, I found the Lyriq’s performance to be more than adequate, given the sophisticated nature of the electrified Caddy. The Lyriq was quick enough to be respectable, which is all you really need. After all, who, in their right mind, would go drag racing in one of these anyway? That just isn’t in its nature. Settling into the Lyriq and taking in its palatial accommodations just makes you want to chill.
Ride quality was extra smooth, steering and braking were suitably responsive, and I could configure the Cadillac for “one pedal” driving. Sure, handling could have been sharper, particularly given the “Sport 3” nomenclature. But that didn’t bother me. The Lyriq brought just enough of that old-school Cadillac flavor, which made every trip in it feel special.
In Summary
Handsome and elegantly appointed, the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 has a lot going for it. What’s more, I’m struggling to remember driving anything that was quieter than the Lyriq. Okay, so, it’s not as quick as its key competitors, but the way the Lyriq coddled its occupants won it quite a few fans among my circle of friends.
Even better, where the BMW and the Lucid’s pricing start at 80 grand — before adding any options — the price of the all-wheel drive Lyriq I experienced was $81,085 fully equipped. And yes, I like it.
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