Cadillac ELR Coupe

Cadillac ELR Coupe
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Full 2014 Cadillac ELR Review

What's New for 2014

The 2014 Cadillac ELR is an all-new plug-in hybrid coupe.

Introduction

As hybrid and electric cars become more common sights in U.S. cities, they're also moving farther up the food chain and beginning to turn up in luxury-car showrooms. The 2014 Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid coupe is an example of this trend. Not only does it offer a convenient combination of electric-only power for short trips and gas-electric operation for extended travel, it brings cutting-edge style and posh interior trimmings into the mix. At a glance, the ELR coupe is an intriguing proposition if you're looking to make a fashion statement while reducing your environmental footprint. However, a few significant drawbacks make Cadillac's plug-in hybrid tough for us to recommend.

Under the hood, the Cadillac ELR shares its major mechanical components with the Chevrolet Volt, including its 16.5-kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack and 1.4-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine. Cadillac estimates it can go up to 37 miles on battery power alone, and while that's one less mile than the Volt, the ELR is a fair bit quicker, as Cadillac was able to get more power out of the car's electric-drive motor. Inside, Cadillac's coupe has a much richer interior than its Chevy cousin and comes with considerably more standard equipment.

The problems begin when you look at the 2014 Cadillac ELR's price tag, which is more than double that of the Volt. This makes the raucous drone from the ELR's four-cylinder engine that much more difficult to take once you deplete its all-electric range. Cadillac has tried to mask the engine's coarseness with hydraulic engine mounts, sound-absorbing materials and a noise-cancelling audio system, but it simply isn't enough when you're accelerating hard. And while the Caddy's ride is serene on smooth roads, a surprising amount of harshness invades the cabin over rougher pavement -- you'd never complain about this in a Volt, but in a luxury coupe, it stands out as a glaring lapse in refinement. Beyond that, the ELR's dramatic roof line creates some major packaging issues: The backseat is small to the point of being almost unusable, and the trunk opening is extraordinarily narrow.