Used 2022 Cadillac CT4

The Cadillac CT4 is the successor to the Cadillac ATS, which served as the Cadillac entry-level model from 2013-2019. The CT4 sedan builds on the ethos of the ATS with a rewarding driving experience, modern tech features, and a sleek design, all at a reasonable price point. However, the CT4 has the same weak spot as the ATS — subpar interior quality for a luxury car. Depending on your tastes, the interior quality is a worthy trade-off for affordable pricing.

The calling card of the Cadillac CT4 is subcompact luxury car pricing for a compact luxury car. Like the bigger CT5, it’s priced a class lower than the one it competes in. That makes the CT4 an excellent bargain in small luxury sedans as long as you don’t need a ton of space in the trunk or the back seats.

Don’t let the budget pricing fool you. The CT4 has multiple performance variants that make it an authentic luxury sport sedan. The 325-horsepower CT4-V serves a generous helping of driving enjoyment for around $45,000, and the stunning 472-hp CT4-V Blackwing is a serious BMW M3 competitor with a standard manual transmission starting at just under $60,000.

The fun-per-dollar ratio of the CT4 is hard for the more expensive rivals from Europe to beat.

The rewarding driving experience of the Cadillac CT4 is part of what makes it such a good value. This is a compact luxury sedan with a satisfying balance of all-day comfort in Tour mode and taut handling in Sport mode. The ride is smooth and compliant on the highway, but this Caddy is eager to deliver a fun drive when the roads get twisty.

One of our favorite things about driving the Cadillac CT4 is hands-free highway driving with the available Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system. Super Cruise is more widely available for the 2022 model year. Super Cruise 1 and 2 packages are now available on the Premium Luxury and Sport trims, which brings down the cost of entry for this excellent driving system.

The base engine has the performance to satisfy most drivers. It makes 237 horsepower, which is about average for a base engine in a luxury sedan this size, and it has an impressive fuel economy rating of up to 34 highway mpg with rear-wheel drive (RWD).

For a little more muscle, the Premium Luxury trim has an optional 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 that comes with a noticeable improvement in performance for only about $4,000 extra. This makes the CT4 a sportier car without too much of a fuel economy penalty compared to the base engine.

The CT4-V uses the 2.7-liter turbo-4 mentioned above but with a more sport-oriented tuning to bring the power rating to 325 hp. On top of that, you get a host of performance enhancements such as Brembo brakes, a sport-tuned suspension, a limited-slip differential, and a Performance Traction Management system inherited from the Corvette.

The CT4-V Blackwing is at the top of the food chain. This is the spiritual successor of the excellent Cadillac ATS-V sedan, which was discontinued in 2018. Like the ATS-V, it has the performance to go toe-to-toe with the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C 63, but at a considerable discount compared to German sport sedan royalty. Purists will appreciate the standard 6-speed manual transmission in the CT4-V Blackwing, but a 10-speed auto is also available.

Naturally, available all-wheel drive (AWD) improves the all-weather traction of the CT4, and it’s a good choice for drivers in snowy climates. AWD is an option on all but the CT4-V Blackwing, which is RWD-only.

The interior of the Cadillac CT4 is much nicer than the average compact sedan but not quite up to the high standard of the rest of the compact luxury car class. Interior material quality is a mixed bag, and there are more hard plastics in this cabin than we’d like. The front seats are supportive and comfortable, but they’re far from best-in-class.

All of that being said, the interior quality of the CT4 is commensurate with its price tag. This is the most affordable luxury car in its class, and for better or worse, that’s what it feels like inside. The vehicles with the most excellent interiors in this class have starting prices around the $40,000 mark.

The front seats in the CT4 have plenty of room for tall adults, but the back seats are tight. If you regularly have tall back-seat passengers, they will appreciate the extra space in the bigger CT5, which doesn’t cost much more than the CT4. The CT4 also suffers from a small trunk, even considering the compact dimensions of the car.

The sleek exterior of the Cadillac CT4 is sure to turn heads. Clean, crisp body lines connect the boomerang-shaped headlights and taillights. Several stylish wheel options complement the body nicely, and the CT4 gets better-looking in the sportier trims.

The CT4-V has a subtle yet sporty appearance package with a unique rear spoiler, black exterior accents, and gray-tinted taillights. The more powerful CT4-V Blackwing has its own, more aggressive appearance package with an available aero package giving it the highest level of downforce ever on Cadillac V-Series production car.

The size of the Cadillac CT4 is right in line with the rest of the compact luxury sedan segment. Its dimensions are very similar to the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

CT4-V BLACKWING
The CT4-V Blackwing with its twin-turbo V6 is a high-powered luxury sport sedan that starts under $60,000.

SUPER CRUISE
The available Super Cruise hands-free driving system is one of the best semi-autonomous driving systems in the industry.

The Cadillac CT4 comes with an impressive list of standard features for its starting price. They include LED headlights and taillights, dual-zone automatic climate control, simulated leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The standard infotainment system is an intuitive 8-inch touchscreen with a rotary controller. It’s loaded with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus Amazon Alexa.

The standard safety tech suite in the CT4 is the SMART System. It includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, GM’s Safety Alert Seat that vibrates to warn of danger like getting too close to an object, rear parking sensors, a backup camera, a rear-seat reminder, and a Teen Driver mode that lets you set speed alerts and adjust parameters such as maximum audio volume. One common feature that’s notably absent from this list is lane-keep assist.

Rear-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional on all but the CT4-V Blackwing model.

The Premium Luxury trim adds several upscale features to the CT4. They include leather seating, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a universal garage door opener, 18-inch alloy wheels, ambient interior lighting, auto-dimming mirrors, and a memory driver’s seat. The 2.7-liter turbocharged engine is optional on the Premium Luxury model.

The Sport trim adds a sporty appearance package with a black grille, unique wheels, and more. It also adds 18-way power-adjustable front seats, performance tires, a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel with magnesium paddle shifters, and alloy pedals. Curiously, the 2.7-liter turbo engine is not available for the Sport model, but it is available with Brembo V Performance front brakes.

Super Cruise 1 and Super Cruise 2 packages are available for the Premium Luxury and Sport trims. Super Cruise is an advanced semi-autonomous driving system that allows you to drive on highways that Cadillac has mapped with your hands off the wheel and your eyes on the road.

The CT4-V comes with a specially tuned version of the 2.7-liter turbo engine making 325 horsepower. It also comes with a limited-slip differential, a distinct appearance package, Brembo front brakes, a performance-tuned suspension with Magnetic Ride Control, and Performance Traction Management with Launch Control. The V-Series model is also available with Super Cruise.

The top performance model of this Cadillac is the CT4-V Blackwing. It’s powered by a 472-hp twin-turbo V6 engine with a standard 6-speed manual transmission and an optional 10-speed automatic.

Other features of the Blackwing include a track-tailored chassis with Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, high-performance Brembo brakes, an enhanced electronic limited-slip differential, three available premium interiors, carbon-fiber interior accents, an AKG premium audio system, and a unique appearance package. An available aero package gives it more downforce while adding a more aggressive look.

There’s a lot of variety under the hood of the Cadillac CT4, and there’s something to love about every engine option. The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 making 237 horsepower and returning up to 34 highway mpg. This engine strikes a satisfying balance of performance and efficiency.

For some extra grunt, you can upgrade to a 2.7-liter turbo-4 in the Premium Luxury trim. It’s a significant upgrade, adding 73 hp and 92 lb-ft of torque, resulting in a noticeable performance boost without too much of a fuel economy penalty compared to the base engine.

The same 2.7-liter engine with a more performance-oriented tuning powers the CT4-V. The V-Series turns up the heat with 325 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque while adding other performance upgrades like a limited-slip differential, sport-tuned suspension, Brembo V Performance brakes, and more.

Finally, a mighty 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 powers the range-topping CT4-V Blackwing. This thrilling engine gives this Cadillac the performance to compete with more expensive European sport sedans.

An 8-speed automatic transmission comes with the standard engine, and the 2.7-liter engine is linked to a 10-speed automatic. The CT4-V Blackwing has a standard 6-speed manual and an optional 10-speed automatic.

Rear-wheel drive is standard on every configuration of the CT4. All-wheel drive is optional on every trim except the Blackwing.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
237 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/34 mpg (RWD), 22/31 mpg (AWD)

2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4
310 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
350 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/31 mpg (RWD), 21/29 mpg (AWD)

2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 (CT4-V)
325 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
380 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/29 mpg (RWD), 20/28 mpg (AWD)

3.6-liter turbocharged V6 (CT4-V Blackwing)
472 horsepower @ 5,750 rpm
445 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/24 mpg (automatic), 15/23 mpg (manual)