The question any new car reviewer always gets, apart from can you get me a friends-and-family rate on a new Corvette, is ‘what’s your favorite car’? 

Until recently, I’d dodge the question, by asking how much they wanted to spend, and whether they wanted a sedan or SUV, or gas motor or electric. In other words I really didn’t want to commit. 

Then a couple of weeks back, I got to spend a week with the latest Cadillac Lyriq all-electric crossover, painted a happy shade of baby blue. And I have to say I was wowed more than a 12-year-old after a Taylor Swift concert. 

So, in true New Year’s Honors List fashion, I officially proclaim the Registry Tampa Bay Weekend Wheels Best Automobile of 2024 to be the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury 3 AWD. Yup, it’s that good. 

Just look at the thing. It’s wild enough to be mistaken for some auto show concept dream machine that has zero chance of making it into production. Only it did.

I love the mile-long, drop-dead-gorgeous roofline, that towering  waistline and ski-slope-like windshield. Standing still, it looks like it’s spearing along at 150 mph. 

Then there’s that absolutely jaw-descending front end. Cadillac calls it a ‘Black Crystal Shield’ that incorporates a multitude of brighty-white LEDs. Best viewed at night, a press of the key fob initiates a choreographed light show worthy of Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

Maybe the best part is the illumination of those Cadillac trademark vertical light bars that incorporate a stack of nine LED cubes that light-up in sequence. It’s a light show that will have heads spinning, fingers pointing, mouths gaping, and cell phones clicking. Magical doesn’t come close.

There’s just as much awesomeness when you climb aboard. It starts with the floating center console with storage everywhere, and ends with the 33-inch, high-def, curved, digital screen that sprawls across the dashboard. 

Inside the cabin, there’s stretch-out seating for five, impressive rear-seat space, generous luggage space, and a feeling of light- and-airiness courtesy of a truly massive panoramic glass roof. 

And the quality and craftsmanship, the fit and the finish are just terrific. From the glove-soft Nappa leather for the seats, to the lovely brushed-metal edgings for the screen and dash, and top-notch plastics. 

Of course, much of the Lyriq’s considerable appeal is its electric powertrain. While the base, single-motor model packs 340 hp, for me it’s the dual-motor, all-wheel drive Luxury version packing an impressive 500 hp that’s the one to go for.

This one will also go the distance. Cadillac puts the range of the dual-motor Luxury at 307 miles, or just one mile less than the single-motor version. And with its DC fast-charging capability, it can add up to 76 miles of range in around 10 minutes. 

What proved to be the icing on the cake for me was simply the way this new Lyriq drives. 

While it’s not the fastest EV out there – a Tesla Model X and BMW iX are quicker – the Caddy is arguably the smoothest. Just like a Cadillac should be, it is spookily silent, aided by standard double-glazed glass, advanced noise cancellation tech to reduce road noise, and those whisper-quiet electric motors.

Even though the Lyriq’s focus is on refinement and relaxed driving, this nearly 6,000-pound crossover feels plenty lively. Click the stopwatch and it’ll show 0-to-60 mph sprinting in a zippy 4.6 seconds, accompanied by  that lovely EV slingshot lunge away from the lights. 

Lovely precise and nicely-weighted steering too, together with low-roll cornering and plenty of grip from the 22-inch rubber at each corner. But the magic-carpet-smooth ride reminds you that you’re driving a Cadillac. 

Add to all this, Cadillac’s best-in-the-business Super Cruise hands-free, semi-autonomous driving system that can safely change lanes to pass. Full marks too to the terrific one-pedal braking system. 

If that wasn’t enough, the 2025 Lyriq’s pricing is an absolute steal. It starts at $58,595 and tops-out with the Sport 3 at $71,090. That’s less than the Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD I tested last year. 

So a round of applause please for the good folks at Cadillac for building such a benchmark EV. The trophy is in the mail.