Eric's Autos: 2025 Cadillac CT5

There aren't many new sedans left on the market -- and most of the ones still on the market are front-wheel-drive/all-wheel-drive and hybridized sedans.

The Cadillac CT5 is one of the few that's still RWD as it comes (AWD is available if you want it) and that just has an engine rather than an engine and an electric motor(s) and a battery pack.

It also offers some other things that may surprise you -- such as a V8 engine with a supercharger. And a manual transmission.

What It Is

The CT5 is a midsize luxury-sport sedan that competes with other midsize luxury sedans like the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and (arguably) the Audi A7, even though the third is much more expensive.

It is the only one of these models that doesn't come standard with a mild-hybrid drivetrain -- or a base price over $50,000.

MSRPs start at $47,595 for the Premium Lux trim, which comes with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine and RWD; AWD is available as an a la carte option for an additional $2,000 and you can also upgrade to a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 for another $3,500. This trim comes standard with real leather seats, a nine-speaker stereo and an enormous (33-inch) digital dash.

The $48,595 Sport features a larger (19-inch) wheel/tire package, 18-way bolstered front seats, paddle shifters for the standard 10-speed automatic and a rear spoiler. The twin-turbo V6 and AWD are both available optionally.

The $56,995 V-Series comes standard with more powerful version of the twin-turbo V6, along with launch control and more aggressive "summer" tires.

Cadillac also offers a Blackwing version of the CT5 that comes standard with a supercharged V8 engine paired with a manual transmission. This ultra-performance iteration of the CT5 is RWD only and stickers for $95,595.

What's New For 2025

In addition to some minor styling changes to the front and rear end, there's a new panorama-style flatscreen display that encompasses the main instrument cluster and the secondary screen for the infotainment system.

What's Good

-- Priced thousands of dollars below rivals like the BMW 5 Series ($57,900 to start) and Mercedes E-Class ($62,400) and tens of thousands below the Audi A7 ($72,000).

-- You don't have to buy a more expensive trim to get the larger/more powerful twin-turbo V6 engine.

-- Standard engine isn't paired up with a hybrid system, keeping the buy-in cost, and probably also the long-term maintenance costs, down.

What's Not So Good

-- The manual transmission is only available with the supercharged V8, and both are only available in the $95,000-plus Blackwing.

-- Very tiny (11.9-cubic-foot) trunk.

-- New all-flatscreen display looks hi-tech today; may look cheesy about five years from now.

Under the Hood

One of the very nice things about this Cadillac that's also a point of difference versus its rivals is that it is available with a four, a six and an eight.

The standard 2.0-liter turbo four makes 237 horsepower, and it isn't paired with a mild-hybrid system that shuts off the engine as often as possible to (ostensibly) improve fuel economy, as is the case with the BMW 5 sedan's standard 2.0-liter four and the Mercedes E-sedan's 2.0-liter four -- which probably accounts for the much higher starting prices of those two.

You can go RWD (standard) or (optionally) AWD.

Either way, this version of the CT5 takes about 6.5 seconds to get to 60 mph.

Interestingly -- given that the 2.0-liter engine isn't paired with a mild-hybrid system -- it rates 23 mpg in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway. The BMW 5 Series -- with a mild-hybrid system -- rates 27 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, which isn't much of a difference given the $10,000-to-start difference between the base 530i ($57,900) and the base CT5 ($47,595). It's a similar story versus the Benz E350, which also has a standard mild-hybrid system and rates 24 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and costs $62,300.

The Caddy is also available with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 that makes 335 horsepower.

The CT5 Blackwing comes standard with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that makes 668 horsepower and 659 foot-pounds of torque, and it comes standard -- and only -- with a manual (six-speed) transmission.

You can't get the latter in a Corvette anymore.

On the Road

There was a time when all luxury cars were RWD cars, in part because the layout has a certain feel to it that's hard to convey unless you've felt it and so already know how it feels. Also, because FWD was the layout of an economy car -- and when you paid luxury-car money, you expected your car to not feel like an economy car.

Then along came AWD, which practically every car (including many luxury cars) now comes standard with, erasing most of the feel of either FWD or RWD. AWD gives you more traction, certainly. But it takes away much of the feeling (and feedback) you used to get with a RWD (or FWD) car. The rear (or the front) wheels don't slip when power overcomes traction, which may be desirable to people who don't like such feedback.

This car is for those who do.

At the Curb

Cadillacs were -- traditionally -- both huge and loud (visually). Some -- like the Escalade -- still are. The CT5 isn't -- and that's good if you don't want or need a massive vehicle that makes a point of its massiveness, like the Escalade.

At 193.8 inches long, the midsize CT5 is slightly smaller than a Benz E350 (194.9 inches) and several inches shorter than the current BMW 5 Series sedan, which at 199.2 inches long is just shy of being a full-size sedan. Yet it manages to be slightly roomier than both of these, with 42.4 inches of legroom up front and 37.9 inches in back - versus 41.5 inches up front and 36.2 inches in the Benz, and 41.3 inches up front and 37 inches in the back of the BMW 5.

But the Caddy's got a tiny trunk (11.9-cubic-foot) trunk for its size. The BMW 5 has 18.4 cubic feet. The Benz has 12.7.

The Rest

One hair in the soup is that the '25 CT5 comes standard with one of those creepy "driver attention" monitors that pesters you if the eye-movement monitor thinks you're not keeping your eyes on the road.

The Bottom Line

The CT5 is not just the value proposition among midsize luxury-sport sedans. It's arguably the most appealing of the lot.

========

Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.