Though well equipped out of the wrapper, the 2004 Cadillac SRX can be tailored to meet specific needs thanks to an impressive options list. Available at extra cost is XM satellite radio, Bose premium sound, adjustable pedals, DVD navigation and a cargo management system. The optional Ultra-View roof provides more than five square feet of open air space over the first- and second-row seats. Buyers with deep pockets can also specify the inclusion of a vented glass panel over the third-row. Cadillac's now familiar "art and science" design vocabulary is evident on the SRX, with its stacked headlamps, hard-edged corners and vertical instant-on LED tail lamps. Lots of young men eyeball the SRX, perhaps because it's got too much junk in the trunk for our tastes. However, one twenty-something Michigander from a family loyal to GM products said, "That thing looks like a hearse." Love it or hate it, the Cadillac SRX is at least distinctive, and fits in nicely with the Escalade, CTS, XLR and new STS. Unquestionably, the 2004 SRX moves Cadillac closer to its goal of competing on equal footing with the best the world has to offer. It is exceptionally comfortable, quite fun to drive, distinctively styled, and more competent than any domestic crossover SUV to come before it. But, is it worthy of the automaker's retired "Standard of the World" advertising tagline? Not quite. But one thing's for sure. It punts Lincoln to the curb.
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