2025 Cadillac CT4

Not only is the 2025 Cadillac CT4 the sole American compact luxury sedan, but it’s also the most affordable way to get into a new Cadillac. A bit of cut-price prestige and access to Cadillac’s superb Super Cruise partial self-driving technology while flying the flag might well sound like a tempting prospect for some buyers.

We wouldn’t necessarily talk you out of it, but we do think you should go into this with your eyes open. Then you will probably notice a few cheap plastics in the cabin. Other senses will tell you that the ride quality doesn’t compare so well to most rivals. And that the rear seats are no place for adults. On the plus side — and it’s a huge plus for driving enthusiasts — the top CT4-V Blackwing is a wonderful sports sedan.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact luxury cars, including the Cadillac CT4.

The CT4 launched for the 2020 model year. This time around, there’s a few new exterior paint choices, 8-way power-adjustable front seats for the CT4-V, and a new wheel design.

Among the CT4’s five grades, we recommend the Premium Luxury version, which is also the most popular choice. It brings a few more desirable features while keeping the final cost relatively affordable.

The CT4 skews to the less expensive end of the compact luxury sedan spectrum, putting it into competition with the Genesis G70 (one of our top-rated cars in this class) and Lexus IS, both of which begin higher than the CT4. Even the high-performance CT4-V Blackwing is kind of a bargain, stacking up well against the far more expensive BMW M3.

Before buying a new Cadillac CT4 luxury sedan, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are below the class average. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The base CT4 has a 237-horsepower engine and can accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in just under six seconds. That’s about the same as the Genesis G70 (with 300 horses) and Lexus IS 350 (311 hp). We think this engine does a good job of balancing performance with efficiency. It makes more than enough power for a car of this size, and we had no trouble passing on the highway. We also found the ride quality bearable, yet still with some agility. It’s not especially refined, however.

We prefer the 310-hp unit that’s optional with the Premium Luxury trim. It’s noticeably quicker, hitting 60 mph more than a second sooner, yet not much thirstier. In the CT4-V, this engine’s output is boosted to 325 hp, accompanied by things like an upgraded suspension and brakes, a limited-slip differential, and a sport exhaust system.

Although the CT4 doesn’t get quite as many plaudits as the G70, there’s one variant that’s truly remarkable — the CT4-V Blackwing. This is a 472-hp sports sedan capable of dispatching 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. The base BMW M3 only has one more horse under its hood and isn’t any quicker than the Blackwing, even though it’s much pricier. Like the M3, the Blackwing has a dedicated suspension and plenty of other components to exploit this superb amount of muscle. It can even come with a 6-speed manual transmission.

For drivers who would actually like to work less, the CT4 is also one of the most affordable new cars to offer General Motors’ Super Cruise hands-free/feet-free driving system that works on thousands of miles of designated highways. We’ve used it many times in many vehicles and think it’s excellent.

Fuel Economy

The base CT4 achieves 26 mpg in combined city/highway driving — subtract a mile per gallon for all-wheel drive (AWD). This is in the same kind of region as the Genesis G70 and Lexus IS. Every CT4 requires premium gasoline.

Apologies for being blunt, but the base Cadillac CT4 is an example of getting what you pay for. Sure, it’s swisher than a typical non-luxury compact sedan, but not at the level of the Genesis G70 or Lexus IS. Standard equipment is quite generous, but we could say the same for the G70.

This year, the CT4-V gains 8-way power-adjustable front seats. In our testing, we’ve found the CT4’s front seats sufficiently roomy and comfortable. The rear seats are cramped, though, even for a compact sedan. Rear legroom measures 33.4 inches — less than all its rivals except the Lexus IS. The trunk space of 10.7 cubic feet is also unimpressive, yet no worse than the other contenders we’ve mentioned here.

The “get what you pay for” metric doesn’t apply to the CT4’s exterior styling. In our eyes, the lines and proportions add up to a handsome whole. New colors this year are Deep Space Metallic and Typhoon Metallic — the former being a dark gray, the latter being a green hue. There’s also a light blue Drift Metallic offered with the CT4-V. Cadillac has a new wheel design for the CT4-V as well.

Wireless phone integration
Cable-free Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard in the 2025 CT4. Wireless charging is also included.

Cadillac Smart System
This standard set of safety features includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, rear parking sensors, a vibrating safety alert driver’s seat, and a Teen Driver mode.

Driver Assist package
Standard in all but the base Luxury trim, this array includes adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and reverse automatic braking.

Technology package
This options bundle is offered with Premium Luxury and Sport trims, adding a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, color head-up display, and additional cabin air filtration.

Super Cruise
We’re big fans of this hands-free driving system. It can even handle automatic lane changes without the driver touching the wheel.

V models
The CT4-V and CT4-V Blackwing are superb luxury sport sedans with exciting performance and their own styling touches. The CT4-V Blackwing can give the highly desirable BMW M3 a serious run for its money.

The base engine in the 2025 CT4 is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder unit, making a respectable 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. This is linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Premium Luxury trim offers the option of a turbocharged 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine developing 310 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. This same unit is boosted to 325 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque in the CT4-V. These cars deploy a 10-speed automatic transmission.

With both engines, rear-wheel drive (RWD) is the standard setup; all-wheel drive (AWD) is offered as an option.

The CT4-V Blackwing is a delicious exception. It uses a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 to send 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque solely to the rear wheels. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, or there’s that 10-speed auto available.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Cadillac’s new-car warranty lasts four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. That’s common among luxury car makers, although the powertrain warranty is a little better than usual: six years or 70,000 miles. The first scheduled service is also free. None of this beats the Genesis G70, however.

Safety Ratings

The CT4 hasn’t been crash-tested by any independent agencies in the United States. Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, rear parking sensors, and a vibrating safety alert driver’s seat.