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The Cadillac of test drives: We drive…and get 25 (bucks)

Events

The Cadillac of test drives: We drive…and get 25 (bucks)

As manufacturers continue to look for new, innovative ways to get you behind the wheel of their latest offerings, the ubiquitous shopping mall stands out as an attractive venue. In this case, Barton Creek Mall in Austin played host to Cadillac’s quickie test drive program – CADILLAC DETOURS – this past weekend, May 4th and 5th. Austin was the third stop on a 10-city tour. Naturally, I detoured on over to check it out. It was brief, but it was still fun.

Sure, it’s just a spin around the block. In this case, it’s actually a spin around the perimeter of the mall, using public roads. But it’s a spin you didn’t have to pay admission to an auto show for, or drive to a dealership and (possibly) get swarmed by salespeople. It’s a spin that’s spun by you.

Beyond the Cadillacs, the staff is cordial and knowledgeable, the ride-along people are often professional driving instructors, and at the end of the test drive you get a $25 Visa debit gift card, good anywhere at the mall.

The Cadillac XT4, XT5 and Escalade Sport were all available to drive here in Austin. So naturally, I drove them all. The new XT6 is on display, but you can’t drive it.

Personally, I preferred the smaller XT4, which has a 2.0L Turbo. But that’s me. You may find one of the others to be your favorite. In any case, you can drive all three test vehicles, but you only get one Visa Gift Card!

So I’ll suggest you take a friend. That way you get two Visa Cards if – of course – your  friend drives as well. When your test drive is over, and you have the Visa Cards in hand, (a $50 value with the two cards), you can enjoy a nice brunch or lunch or dinner, or better yet, go see “The Avengers: Endgame.” A 10-15 minute test drive gets you three hours (and two minutes) of movie. And maybe a snack.

Personally, I’d call it the Fun Fifteen, because it is indeed fifteen minutes of fun.

To find out if CADILLAC DETOURS is detouring to a location near you, just click on the link below for a complete schedule of cities and dates.

https://cadillacdetours.com/

Alan Pease is our Central Texas correspondent. He covers state and local government, as well as racing events at the Circuit of the Americas. His articles have appeared in Autoweek, txGarage.com and Automotive News. Prior to joining our staff, Alan produced automotive and motorcycle press introductions for BMW, MINI, Aston Martin, Jaguar and GM. Alan lives in Austin; you can reach him at thelostcolumnist@gmail.com.

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