The 2021 Cadillac CT5-V is available in only one trim with the rear-wheel-drive option as standard. Cadillac also offers All wheel drive as an option. This might seem a bit limiting at first but trust us, the Cadillac offers bucket loads of modern and clever features. As standard, it offers features like Premium leatherette seating surfaces, Performance steering with V-mode select, 10-inch touchscreen, 18-inch wheels, Nine-speaker sound system, Wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto smartphone integration. The other significant features can be found in the table below.

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Buying becomes easy and simple in this case as there is only one trim on offer. You get almost all the Hitech features in this trim itself. Not only does it offer some great standards but also comes with additional packages and optional features. What the CTS-V offers exclusively is mostly related to performance tweaks. It gets an adaptive suspension, electronic limited-slip differential, and an available super cruise system. It also offers some other great packages like Driver Awareness Plus Package and Navigation and Bose Premium Audio Package.

The 2021 Cadillac CT5-V is powered by a 3.0 Liter twin-turbo V6 engine which can easily crank out 360 horsepower and an incredible torque of 405 lb-ft. As standard, power is sent to only the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission which is revered for its smooth and seamless shifts. That being said, According to us, it is a worthy offering for performance enthusiasts for its smooth and refined engine and precise steering which helps you corner at high speeds with utmost ease.

As for the performance, it’s clearly not the fastest in its class but it manages to go from 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and a quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds which is proper sports car territory. It offers enough oomph for a luxury sport sedan. It also is electronically limited to a top speed of 155 mph like every other car in its division. On top of that, it also comes with an electronic limited-slip differential to ensure that it offers enough traction for instantaneous acceleration and to eliminate wheel slip.

As mentioned earlier, the 2021 Cadillac CT5-V 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine performs nicely when seen in isolation. However, when stacked up against its rivals, the story changes as it is outperformed by some other rivals in the competition. On the other hand, the BMW M340i is the fastest car here with 0-60 mph of just 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. The Audi S4 and the Mercedes Benz C43 AMG offer similar performance numbers.

How well does the 2021 Cadillac CT5-V handle?

This is the part where the Cadillac CT5-V comes into its own. With its well-balanced chassis and sharp steering system, the CT5-V delivers overwhelming handling. Despite being a large hefty sedan, it offers appreciable handling. It also features an adaptive suspension that works actively to reduce the damping caused by the suspension and adapts itself to the road conditions. 

To put things into perspective, it offers a stiff ride quality at high speeds and it offers a relatively comfortable ride on rough terrains. The steering wheel, on the other hand, works perfectly and offers a great response on the road. Not only does it perform great on the straight line but also tackles high-speed corners with ease and gives you a lot of confidence while driving.

 2021 Cadillac CT5-V Braking Performance:

The Cadillac CT5-V again offers extraordinary performance when it comes to braking. It is equipped with a 13.6 inches rotor in the front and 12.4 inches rotor in the rear. Which is relatively smaller considering the sizes of its rivals. However, despite being a heavy car in the segment measuring 3974 lbs. It offers better braking performance than its competition. It manages to stop from 70-0 mph in 153 feet which is slightly better than its competition. Furthermore, you also get a handful of sophisticated and clever systems for braking which you will see on the safety front.

Comparing the competition, Although all the sporty sedans are closely stacked against each other, the Cadillac delivers the best braking performance in the competition followed by the BMW M340i which stops at 156 feet from 70-0 mph and makes use of 13.7-inch rotors in the front and 13.6 inches rotor in the rear. On the other hand, the car with the largest front brakes is the Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG which measures 14.2 inches but fails to offer class-leading braking performance.

The fuel economy is not really the area where the CT5-V shines. With its powerful engine, it fails to offer great fuel economy and loses out to all its rivals by a considerable margin. It manages to return 18 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and a combined 21 mpg only. Nevertheless, with its huge fuel tank of 17 gallons, it manages to stay on par with some of its rivals when it comes to driving range. It offers 306 miles in the city, 442 miles on the highway, and a combined 357 miles which is quite impressive considering the fact that it has a dismal fuel economy.

In comparison, the BMW offers the best mileage in its class. It returns 23 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and a combined 26 mpg. When cruising on the highway, the 2021 BMW M340i is good for 499 miles with a full tank. Despite having a bigger 17.4 gallon-sized tank, the Mercedes Benz C43 fails to offer a better driving range than the BMW. The Audi S4, on the other hand, is the closest rival to the Cadillac in terms of driving range. With the help of a 15.3-gallon tank, it is able to cover a combined driving range of 351 miles before making your way to the next fuel stop.

On the inside, the fit and finish levels are very high. The design of the cabin is a bit generic though. However, it offers a spacious cabin comparatively. With the use of superior materials all over the cabin, it offers great comfort and opulence. To start with, it comes with a stylish-looking steering wheel with Magnesium paddle-shift controls. The seats are wrapped in really upscale leather upholstery.

It also comes with a wireless charging pad which is one of the cool interior features worth considering. In terms of interior dimensions, while the space and legroom at the rear seem good, passengers over 6 feet tall will have the headroom a bit cramped in the rear which measures only 36.6 which is quite less when compared to its counterparts. Moreover, it also comes with the smallest trunk in its class measuring 11.9 cubic feet.

In comparison, All the cars come with seating for 5 people. However, the cabin of the BMW feels extremely premium and opulent. On the other hand, the Cadillac offers an overall spacious cabin despite being slightly low in quality. The Mercedes Benz comes with a moderately sized cabin but oozes you with loads and loads of luxury features. The car with the largest trunk space is the BMW which measures 13 cubic feet. Some other highlights and optional interior features are listed below:

• Available Power 18-way driver and front passenger seats
• leather-wrapped steering wheel
• dual-zone automatic air conditioning with humidity sensor
• Digital compass
• Interior ambient lighting
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Leatherette Seats

What’s there to keep you entertained?

Cadillac has improved over years in offering stellar infotainment features. The 2021 Cadillac CT5-V is fitted with a 10-inch touchscreen display with a nine-speaker sound system as standard. Opting for the Navigation and Bose Premium Audio Package will upgrade the infotainment system with a Cadillac user experience with embedded navigation and a 15 speaker premium audio system. The infotainment system is very easy to use and provides a simple interface with crisp graphics but nowhere near the one, you would find in its German rivals. Some other salient infotainment features include:

• 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot capable
• Bluetooth for phone, connectivity to the vehicle infotainment system 
• HD Radio
• Rotary infotainment controller, console-mounted with jog functionality
• Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile device pairing
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration

The most interesting thing about the Cadillac CT5-V is the new take on its design which looks more aggressive than ever and also looks muscular as well. The sharp-looking headlights are striking and stunning from every angle. The front grille retains the signature Cadillac styling but is more sleek and imposing. It also gets LED Daytime running lights on the front bumper as well. The way it has been designed makes it look like it is connected to the DRL’s in the headlamp. 

Such a clever design. Every attention to detail on the exterior has been very well curated. The taillights, on the other hand, come with a LED strip that looks like the number seven. Moreover, it gets a quad exhaust pipe in the rear. It emphasizes the rear profile of the car. The side crease lines also look clean and fluidic. Coming to the exterior dimensions, it has a length of 193.8 inches which makes it a really long car in its class. Being the widest car, it handles great as well.

Comparing the rivals, There’s no doubt that the Cadillac CT5-V has the largest exterior dimensions of all. Next in line is the Audi S4 which measures a length of 187.5 inches and a width of 72.5 inches. Speaking of ground clearance, the BMW M340i has a ground clearance of 5.4 inches. The BMW has a length of 185.7 inches and a width of 71.9 inches. Some of the highlight exterior features include:

• 19-inch wheels
• LED headlights
• Rear lip spoiler
• Rainsense front intermittent wipers
• solar absorbing glass
• Quad exhaust pipes

Sadly, the 2021 Cadillac CT5-V has not been rated by the NHTSA and IIHS yet. However, the regular Cadillac CT5 version earned a rating of 5 stars from the NHTSA which proves that it is a robust car with a rigid structure. It is built on GM’s Alpha platform. The 2021 CT5-V model would definitely have a better and solid structure with some top-notch safety features as standard. The most advanced safety feature that is available in the Cadillac is the Super Cruise system which is a semi-automated driver assistance feature that lets you drive hand-free in certain driving situations. Some of the significant and advanced safety features are as follows:

• Forward collision mitigation
• Blind-spot monitor
• Lane-keeping assist
• Traffic-adaptive cruise control 
• Upgraded vehicle alarm and security
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Automatic Emergency Braking 
• Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert

2021 Cadillac CT5-V vs 2021 BMW M340i:

The BMW M340i takes the sweet spot between the regular 3 series and M3 which makes it a lively car to drive with the practicality of a regular 3 series and also affordable. As you can see, the BMW offers better performance and a more charming-looking exterior, whereas the Cadillac offers more interior space. Other than that BMW is better than the CT5-V in every way.

2021 Cadillac CT5-V vs 2021 Audi S4:

Based on the specifications, the Cadillac is clearly more powerful than the Audi S4 on paper but the Audi S4 offers a better acceleration off the line due to its Quattro all-wheel-drive system and also more fuel efficiency. The trunk space of both these cars is quite similar. The Audi, on the other hand, offers a more luxurious interior with a lot of Hitech features and a better infotainment system. It surely is a great overall package.

2021 Cadillac CT5-V vs 2021 Mercedes Benz C43 AMG:

Having the AMG badge behind its name, the Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG really lives up to its name and offers better performance than the Cadillac. It is also the better-looking car of the two. On the downside, the braking performance is not as impactful as the Cadillac which is quite better when it comes to braking. However, despite being a smaller cabin, the C43 AMG offers a superior interior and edges over the Cadillac in terms of fuel efficiency as well.

Albeit having a very strong competition in this class, the Cadillac CT5-V manages to make a strong statement of its own and gives a tough fight to the German contenders. On the plus side, it flaunts a great-looking exterior design with a spacious interior with all the essential features with superior quality. The Cadillac offers everything you get from a sporty German luxury sedan for a price that is a lot lesser. Considering the fact that it is cheaper than all the other rivals in the segment, it is a great car to have in your garage.