Used 2022 Cadillac CT5

The Cadillac CT5 is one of the most affordable choices in midsize luxury sedans. This is a car that comes with its share of trade-offs. You get a stylish luxury sedan with a starting price under $40,000, but the interior quality and driving dynamics are generally lacking compared to more expensive class leaders. If you have extra room in your budget, the CT5-V and the stunning CT5-V Blackwing offer more excitement.

One of the biggest perks of the Cadillac CT5 is the available Super Cruise feature. This sophisticated semi-autonomous driving system allows for hands-free highway driving on roads that Cadillac has mapped.

The Cadillac CT5 has one chief rival with a very similar starting price — the Acura TLX. The Acura doesn’t have any performance models that can compete with the CT5-V Blackwing, but it’s more fun to drive in base form than the CT5, and the TLX Type S delivers performance similar to the CT5-V.

The Acura has a nicer interior, but we prefer the infotainment system in the Cadillac. The CT5 has a sporty rear-wheel-drive (RWD) setup as standard, while the TLX has front-wheel drive (FWD) as standard. (Each also offers all-wheel drive as an option). Both cars are worth a test drive if you like the idea of a midsize luxury sedan starting under $40,000.

The driving experience delivered by the Cadillac CT5 varies greatly depending on which model you’re driving. The standard engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 shared with the smaller Cadillac CT4. This is a good fit as the base engine in the compact CT4, but it feels underpowered in the bigger, heavier CT5. Drivers who don’t prioritize performance will be just fine with this engine, and you’ll appreciate good fuel economy returning up to 33 mpg on the highway.

Drivers with an appetite for performance will want to upgrade to the optional 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. In the Premium Luxury trim, this engine makes 335 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque, a substantial boost in performance over the base engine.

We wish we could say the CT5 has the handling, steering, and braking to match this lively twin-turbo V6, but it just doesn’t. If you like fast, straight-line performance, you’ll appreciate this engine. If you want a sport sedan with confident agility in tight corners and windy roads, you’ll find what you’re looking for elsewhere.

Things get better if you can afford to upgrade to the CT5-V. On top of an extra 25 hp from the turbo V6 engine, the V-Series model adds an electronic limited-slip differential, sport-tuned Magnetic Ride Control suspension, Brembo front brakes, and unique steering calibration. It also adds Performance Traction Management with Launch Control derived from the Corvette.

Finally, the CT5-V Blackwing is a veritable super sedan. Powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 pumping out 668 hp, this is the spiritual successor of the now-legendary Cadillac CTS-V. Purists will appreciate the standard manual transmission, but the available 10-speed automatic shaves 0.2 seconds off the 0-60 mph time (3.4 seconds, in case you’re wondering).

If you’re looking for a comfy cruiser, the Cadillac CT5 in the non-V trims fits the bill. If you want a bargain-priced midsize luxury sedan with the taut driving dynamics of a more expensive European sport sedan and the V models aren’t in your budget, the Acura TLX is a better fit.

The Cadillac CT5 has a relatively simple interior that serves as a reminder that it’s one of the most affordable cars in its class. It’s a comfortable cabin with supportive seats and good legroom in front and back, but there are more hard, subpar plastics than we’d like to see in a luxury car. Almost every other midsize luxury sedan uses nicer interior materials, but remember, the German class leaders in this segment have starting prices about $17,000 higher than the CT5.

We also take issue with the trunk of the Cadillac CT5. If you remember old-school American luxury sedans having massive trunks, you’ll be disappointed by the cargo space of the CT5. Not only is the trunk small for a car this size, but it has a narrow, awkward opening that makes it challenging to load and unload bulky items. It makes us miss the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon.

Sleek exterior styling is a strong suit of the Cadillac CT5. Cadillac has a good design language going that blends premium and sporty. It’s a look that works well on the CT5 with a sharp light signature and a sloping roofline. The V models add sportier styling with dark exterior accents, unique wheels, and more aggressive aerodynamics.

The size of the Cadillac CT5 is in line with much of the midsize luxury sedan segment. It has dimensions very similar to the Acura TLX, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

CT5-V BLACKWING
The CT5-V Blackwing is the revival of the iconic CTS-V. Its 668-horsepower supercharged V8 makes it the most powerful production Cadillac in history.

SUPER CRUISE
Available Super Cruise makes the CT5 the only car in its class with hands-free highway driving.

The base Luxury trim of the 2022 Cadillac CT5 is a good value because of its impressive list of standard features. It comes with simulated leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, three USB ports, LED exterior lighting, 18-inch alloy wheels, and remote start.

The standard CUE infotainment system has a 10-inch screen loaded with Amazon Alexa and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Standard safety tech features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, an HD backup camera, and an LED reflective collision alert.

All-wheel drive is an option on every CT5 variant except the CT5-V Blackwing.

Upgrading to the Luxury Premium trim adds some excellent features and opens up many option packages not available on the base trim. Additional standard features include leather seats, wood or aluminum interior trim depending on which interior you select, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, wireless charging, and SiriusXM.

Some of the more appealing option packages for the Luxury Premium trim include the Super Cruise hands-free semi-autonomous driving system, a Navigation and Bose Premium Audio package, and multiple packages adding more driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, lane-keep assist, and much more.

The Sport trim adds a sporty appearance package with dark exterior accents and unique wheels. It also has interior enhancements like sport seats and a thicker steering wheel with magnesium paddle shifters. There’s also a Platinum Package available for the Sport model, making it more luxurious, plus Super Cruise, a V Performance Package, and V Brembo brakes.

The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine is optional for the Luxury Premium trim, but it’s curiously unavailable for the Sport trim.

The CT5-V comes standard with the turbo V6 with a unique tuning, turning the power up to 360 hp. It adds various other performance enhancements like a sport-tuned suspension with Magnetic Ride Control, V Brembo front brakes, an electronic limited-slip differential, and Performance Traction Management with Launch Control. The V-Series is also available with Super Cruise.

There’s a Platinum Package available for the Luxury Premium, Sport, and V-Series models. This bundles together most of the other option packages available for each respective trim if you want your CT5 to be fully loaded.

The mighty CT5-V Blackwing sits at the top of the model range. It’s powered by an astounding 668-hp supercharged V8 linked to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic. It has three interior options, AKG 16-speaker premium audio, a track-tailored chassis and suspension, an enhanced differential, and more.

You have a few options when choosing the engine for your Cadillac CT5. The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 making 237 horsepower. This engine is adequate for the daily commute, but it isn’t exhilarating. It does return pretty good fuel economy of up to 33 mpg with RWD.

For some more muscle, you can upgrade to a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. In the Premium Luxury trim, this optional engine produces 335 hp. This engine is standard in the performance-oriented CT5-V, where it makes 360 hp.

Finally, the range-topping CT5-V Blackwing is powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 making a whopping 668 hp. It achieves a 0-60 mph time in as little as 3.4 seconds, and it’s capable of 200+ mph on the track. This is the fastest and most powerful production car Cadillac has ever built in its 120-year history.

The base engine and the V6 use a 10-speed automatic transmission. In the CT5-V Blackwing, a 6-speed manual transmission is standard, and a 10-speed automatic is optional. Rear-wheel drive is standard on every CT5, and all-wheel drive is optional on all but the Blackwing model.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
237 hp @ 5,000 rpm
258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/33 mpg (RWD), 22/30 mpg (AWD)

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
335 hp @ 5,400 rpm
405 lb-ft of torque @ 2,350-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/27 mpg (RWD), 18/26 mpg (AWD)

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (CT5-V)
360 hp @ 5,400 rpm
405 lb-ft of torque @ 2,350-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/27 mpg (RWD), 18/26 mpg (AWD)

6.2-liter supercharged V8 (CT5-V Blackwing)
668 hp @ 6,500 rpm
659 lb-ft of torque @ 3,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/21 mpg (manual), 13/22 mpg (automatic)