• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, Yesterday

It might seem counterintuitive that a driving enthusiast would be a huge fan of self-driving technology.

But I am, unabashedly. And General Motors continues to offer the best of the best with Super Cruise.

It gets better. 

Super Cruise is now standard across all Cadillac Lyriq trim levels with a three-year subscription included. 

Speaking of trim levels, Cadillac has simplified its structure on the electric vehicle into three main levels: Luxury, Sport, and the new V-Series, with sub-tiers like Premium and Signature for the standard models.

I ended up needing to charge away from home. Thankfully, the Lyriq offers a fairly fast public-charging experience. It supports up to 190 kW, adding roughly 86 miles of range in 10 minutes. My test model didn’t have the NACS charging adapter, so I wasn’t able to visit a Tesla Supercharger.  

It does have a very cool “Open Sesame” port door on the driver’s front fender, accessed by touching the Cadillac emblem in the upper-righthand corner. 

I chose to charge at a slightly slower Red E level 3 charger because it was at a Beyond Juicery, so I could get food and use the restroom. There’s a faster Electrify America charger that’s actually closer to my house, but it’s in a bank parking lot with no amenities. 

In my experience, Electrify America is more expensive than Red E, but it’s hard to say for certain. Unlike gas stations, charging stations are not required to post their prices so you don’t really know what you are paying until you are plugged in and charging. This is a problem that will hopefully be addressed in the future -- Gas Buddy is devloping a similar app to crowd-source electric charger prices. 

I paid $33.46 and went from 70 miles of range (29%) to 245 miles (80%) in 45 minutes for a gain of 175 miles. Red E charges a 5-cent session fee and 5-centkWh. My charging rate was 71.70/181.25 kW.

A gas-powered SUV about the size of a Lyriq would get around 24 mpg (which is what the gas-powered Cadillac XT5 gets). A gallon of gas in Michigan is currently $4.06. So that would be about $29.60 in gas for 175 miles. 

If I charged on a Level 2 home charger,I could have added the same amount of range for significantly less money: around $6-$12 in electricity, assuming an average efficiency of 3-4 kWh and a rate of 13 to 18 cents per kWh. Charging during off-peak hours can lower this cost further. A full, overnight charge is generally the cheapest way to charge an EV.

I was delighted to find that unlike every other electric Cadillac, the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq still offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. I did use the native navigation system to locate chargers, but being able to interface with my text messaging and music via the familiar Apple CarPlay made my week a lot more enjoyable. I continue to believe GM is making a huge mistake in phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. 

Lyriq offers massaging front seats as part of the AKG and Comfort Package (standard on higher trims, such as Luxury 2/3 and Sport 2/3). These seats use pneumatic air bladders for lumbar massage, with controls located on the door panel, offering three intensity levels that auto-off after 20 minutes. 

It’s not the best vehicle massage I’ve ever had. But massage is like pizza — even when it’s “bad," it’s still pretty good. 

One thing it is not lacking in is power.

The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq Signature Sport, equipped with standard all-wheel drive, produces a combined 515 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The Lyriq-V — the performance trim level — takes that up to 615 horsepower and an estimated 60-mph time of 3.3 seconds.

If you like music, the Lyriq will not disappoint. An updated AKG Studio sound system option brings a total of 23 speakers, up from 19 for the 2025 model year. In addition to the four extra speakers, the upgraded AKG sound system also features Dolby Atmos technology, which creates a true surround-sound experience.

Speaking of which, the ways to interface with the music system seems to be on the overkill side. You can use your steering wheel, the center console screen or a center console knob. 

I get wanting to give drivers options, but it seems like overkill. Especially since the turn signal and windshield wiper functions are bunched together on the left stalk off the steering column. Clearly, the designers were trying to minimize interior clutter, but not with the music functionality. 

The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq starts at $59,200 plus the non-optional $1,495 destination charge. The Signature Sport edition as tested starts at $68,300 plus $8,405 in optional equipment bringing the price to $78,200.

Unfortunately the federal tax incentive for purchasing an EV is no longer in effect. But here’s some news you can use: There's still a break if you install a home charger — but do it fast. 

The federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit provides a tax credit of 30% of the cost of hardware and installation for home EV chargers, up to $1,000, for systems placed in service by June 30. Eligible homeowners must live in qualified census tracts and install new equipment at their primary residence.