Analysis of 15,000 owner comments reveals what Cadillac won’t tell you in the brochure: switching the Lyriq from Tour to Sport Mode cuts efficiency by 16 to 19 percent. On the RWD model’s 326-mile EPA rating, that’s 50 to 65 miles lost per charge.
But speed matters more. Drive 80 mph instead of 70 mph and you lose 85 miles, according to InsideEVs highway testing. One owner corrected tire pressure from 35 to 42 psi and gained nearly 50 percent efficiency overnight.
The question isn’t whether driving modes affect the Lyriq’s range. They do. The question is whether they matter as much as everything else draining the 102 kWh battery pack.
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The Testing Numbers
InsideEVs took a 2023 Lyriq RWD and ran it until empty at steady highway speeds. At 70 mph in Tour Mode, the SUV delivered 330 miles, beating its EPA estimate by 18 miles. Efficiency measured 3.1 miles per kilowatt-hour.
Bump the speed to 80 mph and range collapsed to 245 miles. Same vehicle, same mode, different outcome.
Edmunds tested an AWD model and recorded 319 miles, exceeding the 307-mile EPA figure. Their consumption rate: 37.6 kWh per 100 miles.
Owner data scraped from Reddit and YouTube shows consistent patterns. Tour Mode averages 2.5 mi/kWh at highway speeds. Sport Mode drops to 2.1 mi/kWh under identical conditions.
What Changes Between Modes
Tour Mode keeps throttle response gradual. The system maximizes regenerative braking to feed energy back into the battery during deceleration. Power delivery stays smooth enough that most drivers naturally avoid the hard acceleration that kills range.
Sport Mode remaps the throttle. The same pedal pressure pulls more current from the motors. Steering weights up. On AWD models, torque distribution shifts rearward. The driving character changes completely, and so does energy consumption.
Snow/Ice Mode backs off throttle sensitivity to prevent wheel spin. Traction and stability systems work harder, using extra energy for the added intervention. Useful when roads turn slippery, wasteful on dry pavement.
My Mode lets drivers customize individual parameters. You can run Tour throttle mapping with Sport steering, creating a custom balance that might split the efficiency difference.
Sport Mode Ranks Sixth
Data analysis from owner forums places Sport Mode sixth among factors affecting range. Five other variables cost more battery per mile.
Cold weather tops the list. Recurrent testing found the Lyriq retains just 72 percent of normal range in winter, among the worst results for EVs equipped with heat pumps. Owners in northern states report efficiency dropping from 2.7 to 3.0 mi/kWh in summer down to 2.2 to 2.5 mi/kWh when temperatures fall below freezing.
Wheel and tire size generates more complaints than Sport Mode. The optional 22-inch wheels increase rolling resistance and rotating mass. Multiple owners report measurable range loss after upgrading from 20-inch wheels.
Highway speed creates exponential drag. Aerodynamic resistance increases with the square of velocity, forcing the motors to work substantially harder at 75 or 80 mph compared to 65 mph.
Climate control draws power directly from the high-voltage pack. Running heat or air conditioning can reduce range by 15 to 30 percent, particularly in extreme temperatures when the system runs continuously.
Tire pressure showed up repeatedly in owner reports. One South Dakota driver posted efficiency numbers of 1.7 mi/kWh with tires at 35 psi. After inflating to the recommended 42 psi, efficiency jumped to 2.5 mi/kWh with no other changes.
How Regenerative Braking Factors In
The Lyriq uses two systems to recover kinetic energy, and both function regardless of driving mode.
One-Pedal Driving brings the SUV to a complete stop using only the accelerator. Lift your foot and regenerative braking activates, converting momentum back into electricity instead of wasting it as brake heat. City driving with frequent stops benefits most from this feature.
Regen on Demand uses a paddle behind the steering wheel. Light pressure triggers mild braking, harder pulls increase deceleration. GM engineering allows the system to harvest up to 240 kW during maximum regeneration, significantly higher than the 190 kW DC fast charging rate.
Both systems work better at moderate speeds and partial state of charge. A fully charged battery has limited capacity to accept regenerated energy, reducing effectiveness. Cold batteries also resist charging, whether from a plug or from regen.
The 2026 Specifications
Every Lyriq uses the same Ultium battery pack: 102 kWh rated capacity with roughly 100 kWh usable. GM’s NCMA cell chemistry reduces cobalt content by 70 percent compared to the Bolt EV’s older pack design.
The 2026 RWD model carries a 326-mile EPA rating. AWD versions range from 307 to 319 miles depending on whether you spec the 11.5 kW or 19.2 kW onboard charger. The Lyriq-V, with 615 horsepower from dual motors, drops to 285 miles.
Real-world numbers fall short of EPA figures during highway driving. Car and Driver’s 75 mph highway test recorded 270 miles for RWD and just 220 miles for AWD, despite similar EPA ratings.
What Owners Should Actually Do
The data suggests driving behavior matters more than mode selection. A smooth driver in Sport Mode can beat an aggressive driver in Tour Mode on efficiency.
Use Tour as the default and switch to Sport when you want sharper response for passing or merging. The performance difference is real, the range penalty manageable if you’re selective about when to use it.
Enable strong regenerative braking in stop-and-go traffic where you can recover meaningful energy. Back off regen intensity during steady highway cruising where it provides less benefit.
Pre-condition the cabin while plugged into a charger. Heating or cooling the interior on grid power instead of battery power preserves several miles of range, particularly in extreme weather.
Check tire pressure monthly. The difference between 35 and 42 psi showed up in enough owner reports to suggest this simple maintenance task affects range more than most electronic settings.
Keep highway speeds reasonable. The gap between 70 and 80 mph costs more range than any driving mode selection.
Driving modes in the Cadillac Lyriq create real, measurable differences in battery consumption. Tour Mode delivers maximum range, Sport Mode trades efficiency for performance. But the data tells a broader story: how you drive matters more than which mode you choose.
