2025 Cadillac CT5-V: Making the Case for the CT5 Family's Middle Child.

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stymied99@reddit

Is there a consensus of opinion if it's better to get the RWD or the AWD version?

Anyone ever buy one & wish they got the other?

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Uptons_BJs@reddit

It's a pretty decent buy if you're comparing it to the poverty spec Germans. Like, a well equipped CT5-V is the same price as a poorly equipped A6 or 5 Series.

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JoJorCo@reddit

And poverty spec German cars don’t even have adaptive cruise, no self driving, typically not ventilated seats, and maintenance is significantly more expensive.

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lahire149@reddit

The big miss vs the Germans is bad fuel economy because there's no mild hybrid on the V.

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CatoMulligan@reddit

I get 24-25 MPG in mine when I'm not hooning around.

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lahire149@reddit

I'm not doubting you, but how is yours so much better than the EPA estimated 21?

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The EPA test cycle is a hot mess. In my Ford with a 2.0 turbo I was always around 21-22mpg when it was EPA rated at 23 City and 27 combined. That was a 2017. The CT5 is a 2024 and I regiularly get 24-25mpg combined, but mostly city. I might drive the freeway 2-3 times a week to go into the office or visit my in-laws (30 mins max per trip), but otherwise I'm just tooling around suburbia. Did the EPA change their formula in the past 7 years? Maybe. Is cylinder deactivation kicking in more often than usual for me? Maybe. The thing will get to 9th gear by 45mph, so it's not really working that hard.

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Flamethrower753@reddit

I legit get 32-34MPG highway on mine. City driving is MUCH different, like around 18-22MPG, but I couldn’t believe the highway gas mileage I was getting when I drove from Florida to New Jersey a few days ago.

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cthompson07@reddit

What speed were you cruising at?

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Flamethrower753@reddit

The speed limit on i95 is mostly 70MPH so around 70-75MPH.

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cthompson07@reddit

Damn, thats crazy. I have to drive my Camaro at like 56-60 to get 30+ lol, and you’re getting a few over EPA estimates at a normal speed

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CatoMulligan@reddit

Yeah, the most freeway driving I do is about 10-15 miles at a go.

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hamburglar27@reddit

The fuel economy difference between the CT5 V AWD and the mild hybrids BMW M340i xDrive and 540i xDrive is pretty large.

I could see how the relatively poor fuel economy for a 6 cylinder could turn away potential buyers who want a daily driver for a lengthy commute. The great highway fuel economy was one of the reasons I bought an M340i.

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bestselfnice@reddit

How many miles do you have to drive before that fuel economy difference costs as much as the price gap?

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Jimb1967@reddit

I'll stick with my 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP. It's the original CTS-V without the supercharger, but will likely smoke the new ones. It's also long been paid for. It's quicker than my first car, a 67 GTO with the 400 HO, 1978 - 2022, she has more torque that my 96 993 Targa, bought when I sold the goat.

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MiamiFan-305@reddit

Yeah but that's two totally different cars and goals....

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cthompson07@reddit

I can’t swing a Blackwing, but I have a 25 V on order and awaiting shipping and I’m super excited. I just want a roomy daily that is fun to drive, and since I plan on keeping my Camaro, it’s a great option.

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Vhozite@reddit

I can’t swing a Blackwing

lol same except I want a CT4. I can’t afford a Blackwing but I do really like the CT4-V. I love the size and styling of those cars.

I never liked Cadillac but their newest cars are really cool

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cthompson07@reddit

I debated between a ct5V and a 4vBW but the rear size of the 4 was a nogo for me. Seemed like less room than my Camaro, and my kids are only getting bigger lol.

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hawgs911@reddit

I would have taken the blackwing and told the kids to walk.

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cthompson07@reddit

The 4 BW seems on par as far as acceleration as my Camaro, so i wouldn’t gain anything by having a slightly faster daily.

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Nitrothacat@reddit

Had both an SS with mag ride and a 4 BW. The BW is a bit more hardcore than the base SS. Similar to a 1LE in feel. I’d take the Camaro back if I could have either for free. The 6.2 is so much better than the 3.6 TT and the backseat in the 4 is useless with the perforated performance seats.

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Intelligent-Image224@reddit

I came to find you after reading your nd miata post. We are the same height, weight, wife size, have kids, and appreciate the coyote and lt1 and handling characteristics. Felt like I was reading my own post.

Had a ‘11 GT and a ‘16 SS lol.

I actually don’t like the lt1 compared to the coyote. Alpha chassis with coyote is what I really want.

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Nitrothacat@reddit

Haha nice to hear man! The Coyote is so good. I’ve always thought a C7 with the gen 3 Coyote and TR3160 would be my perfect car. Kind of like a scaled up V8 ND Miata.

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Intelligent-Image224@reddit

3160 over 6060?

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Nitrothacat@reddit

Yea, the gearing is shorter than the 6060. I loved that engine/trans combo in the Mach 1 but the car itself was a letdown compared to my SS.

I also had a ‘16 C7 Z51. I liked the SS more overall but you could really feel the weight difference when accelerating and the Vette was more fun to push hard through corners.

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Intelligent-Image224@reddit

I always wondered how the mach 1 felt compared to the camaro. My mustang was a pile of junk and a base ats 2.0 would run circles around it. But it was solid axle. Figured with the rave reviews of the mach 1 and gt350 it might be more comparable to the camaro.

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Nitrothacat@reddit

It was pretty close to my SS with mag ride just the chassis felt sloppier. For sure a big improvement over the base GT. Pretty much every Mustang I’ve been in has felt like junk. My ‘14 felt nice and never had any rattles but by 30k miles it felt worn out.

What are you driving now?

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Intelligent-Image224@reddit

I get too many tickets. I leased a wrangler 4xe rubicon for peanuts, it sucks but launches like the camaro. I just keep an e30 in the garage just because so I can wring out 1st through 3rd every traffic light.

Lease is up soon, might go ct5 bw manual.

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Nitrothacat@reddit

That’s really funny, I had a ‘21 Silverado with an L86. Always been interested in leasing but never looked into it. My wife and I just paid off both of our family vehicles off. Planning on picking up an ND2 or ND3 once I get some time back. Just have none with a six month old lol.

Man I got to drive a 5 BW at Spring Mountain and it’s the real deal. Everyone says the 4 is “better” because it’s slightly lighter and smaller but it’s a cope. The LT4 completely makes that car. I’d have one if I could afford it.

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Intelligent-Image224@reddit

Something i just thought of to ask you. Have you ever driven an s2000? How did the ND compare?

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Nitrothacat@reddit

I’ve never driven an S2000. The only comparable cars were a 2019 BRZ and a 124 Abarth. I thought the BRZ only compared in steering feel, everything else was significantly worse and the 124’s turbo engine ruins the car. Horrible power band for a sports car. Especially compared to the ND2’s which feels exactly like a Coyote’s to me. Just less power obviously.

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Intelligent-Image224@reddit

Yeah I always wondered how the 3.6Tt was. Everyone complained about it in the ats-v and I wasn’t sure why all of sudden there are no complaints in the ct4.

Yeah you have to do leasing through brokers. You just kind of refresh the site once a week and see what deals are happening. Most of the plug in hybrids are crazy cheap due to incentive. My friend just leased a base xc90 for like $850 a month, meanwhile the top trim (like $25k more msrp) can be had for like $550-600/month.

It just works out to be less expensive to lease than it is to buy.

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sire_blumpkin@reddit

How tall are you? I was able to fit a front facing car seat behind my seating position and I’m 5’11. I think the ct4 is fine for kids and short trips with adults. Basically the same size as an E90 M3. The 5 seems better if the dedicated people hauler.

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Nitrothacat@reddit

6’4. Even with the front seat all the way forward my head touched the roof in the rear seat.

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sire_blumpkin@reddit

Ah yeah, that’ll do it. CT4 backseats are exclusively for <6’ people kids. Still way better than the Camaro tho.

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penis-tango-man@reddit

Not sure if you mean Chevy SS or Camaro SS, but regardless, the CT4-V BW having the 3.6TT instead of an LT1 feels like such a mistake.

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cthompson07@reddit

I would love the ct5 with an lt1 also. I want the extra room of the ct5, and a TT 3.0 v6 only making 30hp more than the NA 3.6 v6 in the $30k Camaro feels wrong.

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Ru4pigsizedelephants@reddit

I agree that the 4BW would be even better out of the box with a V8, but as a person who loves to get every last ounce of performance out of a platform, the tunability of the TT motor makes up for the loss in soundtrack for me.

To each their own.

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CatoMulligan@reddit

Exact same deal for me, which is why I got my CT5-V. If I didn't have kids to cart around I could get over the small rear seats in the CT4-V BW. Of course if I didn't have kids I could afford a CT5-V BW, or more likely the CT5-V for a DD and a Ferrari or Porsche for fun time.

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MembershipNo2077@reddit

As someone without kids, I just make the rare friends riding along suck it up and squish in the back seat. I'm surprised it can't fit children when I fit 3 full grown adults (not comfortably)

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BeingRightAmbassador@reddit

I just make the rare friends riding along suck it up and squish in the back seat

Yeah, I don't buy my cars based on other's comfort and when they complain, I just say "well it's not designed for back seat passengers". But the best part is that people are less likely to ask for rides and part of the reason I get such "cramped" vehicles (that and smaller cars are more fun).

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sire_blumpkin@reddit

How does the drive compare with your type R? What’s your favorite?

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MembershipNo2077@reddit

I slightly prefer the blackwing, but I do enjoy the Type R. The CTR is technically my wife's car and she greatly prefers it, so that works out.

They are very different cars, really. The most glaring difference being FWD vs. RWD. Comparison: The Type R's lower power is very noticeable, but it's so much more nimble that when we go up to the mountains for driving it really makes up for it. The FWD is very forgiving and intuitive, it just becomes an extremely satisfying canyon carver -- especially if you're just wanting fun times not extreme times. But there is something so visceral about that RWD powering out of turns that I just can't get away from.

The CTR suspension is just very stiff compared to the magride of the 4vBW, it's good for some things such as AutoX, but I find it to be too stiff quite often making for some really bumpy rides when running in R mode. This is not necessarily a good thing when you're on mountain roads, the bumpiness can really throw you off.

The blackwing, for better and for worse, is still a luxury car. It's more comfy for regular driving, but for more spirited driving I do find the CTR's seats are perfect, the steering wheel comfortable, and the transmission fantastic.

A funny thing is that my wife is a full foot shorter than me and constantly comments she feels like the CTR was made for her. She slots super nicely into the bucket seats and everything is perfectly in reach.

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billy12347@reddit

I have a 4BW, the rear seats are fine for an adult as long as the front seats aren't moved back too far. I'm 6'1 but I sit fairly close to the steering wheel, and there's plenty of room behind my seat. If you move the front seat all the way back though you can entirely remove rear leg room.

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Vhozite@reddit

I’ll be honest, i mostly only want back doors/seats so I can get more seat time by offering to drive when I’m with people. I do not actually care how comfortable anyone is once they get back there lol.

That and I want a dog

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Ru4pigsizedelephants@reddit

I bought my wife a 4BW with the auto, because despite the fact that I've been an SCCA/NASA driving instructor, I cannot teach her to love manual transmissions. I absolutely love the car and find myself wanting to buy one with a TR6060 for myself.

I'm ready to replace my track prepped manual E90 BMW with a manual 4BW. I haven't found a car that I could say that about until now, but the dimensions are almost exactly the same as my 15 year old car I adore, which is an impressive feat in today's world of ever growing cars.

This generation of Cadillac BWs is the perfect bookend to the sports sedans I fell in love with when my Dad bought a '98 M3/4/5 brand new and then traded up to an '01 E39 M5.

Cadillac has truly out BMW'ed BMW with these BW cars and I love it.

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Granto86@reddit

How much did you get it for?

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cthompson07@reddit

Still waiting on it, but I’ll be happy if I can get for MSRP which is $66,710. Base of $58,390 with Typhoon Metallic paint, technology package, PDR, sunroof, and black leather w ventilated seats.

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spiketeam@reddit

I don’t understand why Cadillac made it so underpowered. The v6 from the ct4 v blackwing would be a great fit. A v car with just 350 hp sounds wrong.

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bss83@reddit

Apparently the 3.6 from the ct4 bw didn't fit with the AWD up front. Don't remember which review called it out, but that was allegedly the reason.

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cthompson07@reddit

Even if they just stuck an NA lt1 in it with 455hp. A 3.0 TT v6 is only 30hp more than the NA 3.6 v6 that the Camaro had.

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spiketeam@reddit

A na lt1 is not happening in a Cadillac.

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penis-tango-man@reddit

It would have been perfect for the CT4V BW. Such a missed opportunity.

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cthompson07@reddit

Oh I’ve way since lost hope. It would still be killer though.

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just_dave@reddit

If I could swing the CT5V blackwing, I would buy it yesterday.

Modern technology, great chassis, Cadillac luxury and quality, and a supercharged V8 with manual transmission and, in my opinion, even looks good.

We always have conversations about what cars we should buy now because they are going to be valuable in the future. This is that.

Supercharged V8 manual luxury sports sedan? You'll never see another one of those out of Europe. Ford doesn't seem to have an interest in the segment. Chrysler can't get build quality or refinement right to save their lives.

This is the one, and it kills me that I don't think I'll be able to afford one before it's gone too.

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penis-tango-man@reddit

The CT4V BW would be similarly desirable if it had an LT1 instead of the 3.6TT. Alas, the CT5V BW is a bit too much to spend, so I’ll soldier on in my Chevy SS for as long as I can.

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just_dave@reddit

Agreed, but then it'd be more desirable, and not as expensive, as the CTV BW, so they won't do it.

Sucks that we get screwed by marketing decisions.

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Jamesthrottlehouse@reddit

Not sure the appreciation would cover the abysmal fuel bills. Worth it though

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Powerful-Ad3259@reddit

Personally it hasn’t been that bad for me. Best I have got was 28mpg hwy cruising. Around town mixed driving I get around 16 on average. Sure if I hoon it I get way less but which V8 doesn’t?

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just_dave@reddit

The car might not appreciate enough to cover the fuel bills, but I would definitely appreciate it enough for it not to matter.

My wife on the other hand...

(Also, holy shit it's James! I love the work you guys do, keep on keeping on my man)

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caterham09@reddit

My issue with the ct5-v is that it's so close to the Ct4-v BW in price, which is undeniably a better car.

Granted the back seats in the 4v are a little snug, but that wouldn't be the deciding factor for most buyers.

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MadUohh@reddit

AWD?

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e_r_s@reddit

The 4BW interior volume was in fact the deciding factor for me. It’s not just the back seats. The interior is less spacious up front as well. Definitely a more visceral drive, but I needed to live with the car too. The 5V fit all my needs literally and figuratively.

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Ray_Band@reddit

And AWD. Being able to have it be a year round ride without the hassle of snow tires is a big part of it for me.

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caterham09@reddit

Fair enough, I knew there would be someone to rebutt my statement. I did do a test drive of the Ct4-v BW, and nearly bought it, but initially was apprehensive because of the cabin space.

It is smaller than some of the other sedans in the range, but even as an above average sized person (6'1", 180) I never felt cramped. My wife (5'5", 130) fit in the back without complaint, I even asked her if it felt small and she had nothing negative to say.

It really just depends on the use case though I'd imagine. If you are someone who was transporting 3+ adults regularly then it's probably not the car for you.

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cthompson07@reddit

I debated a 4BW vs a 5V and went with the 5. The rear side was the main factor. The 4 seemed smaller than my Camaro and I need something to actually fit my kids in. My 2.5yr old has to front face in the Camaro and sitting behind me, her legs are still not in a great spot.

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cubs223425@reddit

For the average buyer in that market, I think the CT5-V is more likely to draw people away from the CT4-V BW than the other way around. The MSRP gap is $10K, and the CT5 is a bigger car with a refresh that the CT4 didn't receive. You probably have to be firmly set on buying the maximum performance in your budget to pick the CT4, in which case Cadillac couldn't do anything reasonable with the CT5 to change your mind anyway.

I believe it's easier for someone to live with the CT5's power than the CT4's seats, and most of the people who feel differently probably are probably better suited to something other than a sedan anyway.

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MembershipNo2077@reddit

You're probably right. I know that my compromise for the 4vBW was that it had backseats -- for the occasional friends or family visiting -- otherwise I was going to probably just swing up for a 718 or possibly a C8. And I still sometimes think about getting them, but I like the 4V blackwing (more than the 5V BW actually).

I assume people who haul a lot more people than I do or only have one car need more utility than me and for them I'm surprised they'd even get a CT5V and not just go to a CUV or SUV, which they probably do often.

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-Olive-Juice-@reddit

Same. I had an ND Miata and moved to the 4BW for practicality purposes, so it’s always interesting when I see people exclude it from their list for being impractical 😅

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Ru4pigsizedelephants@reddit

Why don't you have 6MT in your sig? I know you didn't go from the ND to an automatic sedan!

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MembershipNo2077@reddit

I can fit in the backseat as a 6' 2" male, not super comfortably but I can. It's always a bit weird to see people say its impractical for use with one kid or even as just a couple. Is this kid massive? I know it has ample room for my wife and I on trips without kids, that's for sure.

Still, my Type R is roomier, though I bought the blackwing when the Type R was a miata.

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Dnlx5@reddit

Ya I think the BW cars are cool, but for many people, its not actually a draw. The regular V cars are cool enough and they still want the luxury side.

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presidentofmax@reddit

In addition to increased size, the 5 V was just upgraded with a new interior and new matrix LED headlamps, and can be optioned with supercruise and AWD. The 4V BW doesn't get any of those. The 4V BW is a spectacular car, but the 5 has a lot of creature comforts that make it appeal to a more casual buyer

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waqas1263@reddit

Such a beautiful vehicle...

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shits_chickens@reddit

Specs wise seems similar to a TLX Type S but with better tech, looking forward to test driving one.

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AggravatingZone991@reddit

The big difference is that the CT5 has a rear bias drivetrain, where the Acura has a front bias. The CT5's Alpha platform makes it such a good driving car.

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DatalessUniverse@reddit

It has lackluster performance for a sport luxury sedan for $60k+. It’s slower than a Lexus IS500, which has a wonderful v8 for the same price. A previous generation CTS V can be had for around the same price.

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djpatrick44@reddit

I wish the standard non-Blackwing CT5-V was a true M550i fighter - AWD with about 450-500 horsepower and could be equipped with a manual. THAT car would be damn hard to resist.

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External_Promise599@reddit

These things are great! They even have good plug in tunes that can get you some extra power. Not as great of a track car as blackwings obviously but plenty of power

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CayenneHybridSE@reddit

Such an underrated vehicle, also one of the best sounding sport sedans in its class

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ait-solutions@reddit

I'm not concerned about the difference between the BW for the sole purpose that the CT5-V can be equipped with AWD "Canada"
It was on my short list of cars.... "before the 2025 model came out" my issue now, is it has had a massive price increase over the 2024 models.. it was something like save $6k over an S4 for example, and it's fully loaded... versus a top of the line S4 with no options..Now they are neck and neck... with the S4 optioned out.

It's also a bigger car, somewhere between a compact and midsize.. between a 3 and a 5 or a C an E Class etc

Also, I know for 98% of CT5-V buyers it's not important.. but that car has ZERO options for aftermarket..

Parts are non existent, no tune exist either.. I think burger tuning has a piggy back, but I have heard mixed results "Nothing against burger tuning, I have been running piggybacks on different cars with them for years :)"

I feel like now the only all around car with a decent price is the G70 3.3T, aka something OOTD under $80k Canadian..

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PurpleSausage77@reddit

360hp?! My 2013 ATS with AWD/LFX V6 is at 321hp. 150k miles, going good.

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I_am_-c@reddit

With almost 185k miles it's getting to be time to replace my ATS.

Been silently stalking very lightly used CT4-V and CT5-Vs as the most logical replacements. There have even been some repaired blackwings that fall into the general price range as options, but I'm not sure I would be fully comfortable with that route.

ATS has been perfectly sized, but getting a bit older I think the CT5 might be a bit more comfortable.

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Flamethrower753@reddit

I love mine. It’s a really fun car that you can comfortably daily drive, and that’s exactly what I was looking for when I was in the market a few years ago. I’m not looking to race the thing so I don’t have a reason to buy a hardcore track-focused car; I just wanted a really fun car daily drive and the CT5-V perfectly fits that need. I will say that there’s something I’m pissed about, and that’s the track mode HUD’s shift indicator not working. Cadillac says it’s a feature that’s supposed to be activated in a future software update, which was supposed to be last December, but that never happened and it’s delayed indefinitely.

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