For 2020, Cadillac updated the CTS and renamed it the CT5. While much is shared with its CTS predecessor, the new name is part of Cadillac's attempt to hone its sedan strategy. Cadillac's previous strategy created two sedans that didn't quite line up in size against the competition. The CT5 is significantly revised, but the 350T version powered by the turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder isn't going to upset the sports-sedan order. While it might be better positioned against the BMW 3-series in terms of price and size, it has lost some of the satisfying handling and performance that distinguished the CTS and ATS sedans.

Chassis Tuning Matters

General Motors's excellent Alpha platform is a big part of why we loved driving the ATS and CTS so much. Like the CTS-to-CT5 transformation, the smaller ATS evolves into the CT4 and will act as an entry-level price leader to compete with the BMW 2-series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz A-class. To improve rear-seat space, the CT5's version of the Alpha platform receives a 1.4-inch wheelbase stretch. The longer wheelbase pays off in rear-seat legroom and space. Shortened overhangs reduce overall length compared to the CTS, but the CT5's measurements are still closer to a BMW 5-series than a 3-series. Despite having a larger footprint than a 3-series, our rear-drive CT5 with the turbo four weighed a mere 41 pounds more than a similarly equipped BMW 330i.

View Photos Andi Hedrick Car and Driver

HIGHS: A rear seat tolerable for adults, improved infotainment, attractive exterior design.

Compared to its predecessor, the CT5's tuning seems to emphasize ride quality and comfort instead of handling precision. Cadillac has made conscious and consequential adjustments to the suspension that serve to soften the car's feel and dull its responses. The steering remains nicely weighted if a bit slower on initial turn-in, and the strong and stiff structure still soaks up impacts well. But the new car's damping is soft and the body control lacks the tightness that made the CTS one of our favorite sport sedans.



There are still good bits. The brake pedal's feel is firm and satisfying, with short travel and excellent initial bite. But in the context of the squishier suspension tune and less precise steering, it feels incongruent.

View Photos Marc Urbano Car and Driver

Shoppers who still crave the feel and handling of the CTS might be more interested in the V-6–powered CT5-V model. We'll be driving that car very soon. Our Sport-trim CT5 came equipped with Michelin Primacy ZP all-season rubber, summer rubber will be exclusive to the CT5-V. On those all-season tires, the CT5 managed 0.92 g of grip on the skidpad and its 70-to-zero-mph braking distance of 161 feet. Those numbers aren't bad, but they would have landed the CT5 near the back of the pack in our recent comparison test of the segment.

350T Is Not Greater Than 2.0T

The CT5 is further off the mark in the engine department. A badge on its trunklid boasts a big number—350T—thanks to a new naming scheme that perplexingly refers to the model's torque output in newton-meters. Yet, the car's new turbo-four offers less power than the four-cylinder turbo offered in the ATS and CTS. Despite the impressive number on the trunk, when converted to units we recognize, we see that the engine makes 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That's 31 hp and 37 lb-ft down on the old ATS and CTS. Acceleration suffers accordingly. Our test car went from zero to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, or nearly a second slower than a heavier four-cylinder CTS. What's really troubling is the new engine's character, which emits droning and vacuum-like intake noises that would be annoying in a Chevy Malibu, but are unforgivable in a $50K-plus luxury sedan.

View Photos Marc Urbano Car and Driver

LOWS: Softer tuning dulls a sharp handling chassis, unimpressive four-cylinder powertrain, déclassé interior.

In our straight-line testing, the BMW 330i and Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti beat the CT5 by a sizable margin. The four-cylinder BMW is 1.5 seconds quicker to 60 mph and carries a 1.1-second advantage through the quarter-mile. The Bimmer's engine also sounds better than the Cadillac's and is more flexible and responsive, as shown by its results in our top-gear passing tests. The 330i beats the CT5 by 0.8 second from 30 to 50 mph and by 1.1 second from 50 to 70 mph.

Sadly, we no longer expect to find a manual transmission in luxury sports sedans. The Genesis G70 is the only one that offers a stick in this space, and it's not our preferred setup for the car anyway. We like the CT5's sole transmission option, a 10-speed automatic. Shifts are smooth and imperceptible, but the console-mounted shifter is the same fussy electronic unit that we've found slightly annoying in other GM products.

View Photos Marc Urbano Car and Driver

Unexceptional Environment

That the shifter is the only real quirk inside the CT5's interior is a marked improvement over the CTS, which arrived with the CUE infotainment system that relied upon silly touch-sensitive sliders and a poorly organized touchscreen interface. It appears Cadillac learned from that experiment. There is a lot of redundancy built into the CT5's controls. Audio, navigation, and various other functions can now be controlled by the touchscreen, several different volume and tuning knobs, toggles and switches on the steering wheel, buttons on the center stack, and even a central control knob aft of the shifter.

The bigger issue is that the CT5's cabin just doesn't look or feel luxurious or special. Equipped with $1500 two-tone beige-and-black leather upholstery and the Sport trim's carbon-fiber trim, the CT5's interior is an overwhelming mix of too many colors, shapes, and textures. We'd prefer a simpler, more consistent approach to the design. Real leather and metal trim pieces can only do so much if they're combined with hard, cheap-looking plastic bits. This would be a good interior in a Chevy Malibu, but it's not good enough for a Cadillac.

View Photos Marc Urbano Car and Driver

These interior-quality issues would be more tolerable closer to the CT5's low $37,890 base price, which undercuts the starting prices of its German rivals by thousands. But the base model is sparsely equipped; you'll have to pony up extra to get equipment such as heated seats, adaptive cruise control, or leather upholstery. Our car came nearly loaded and had several option packages, which brought the price to $54,590. That's within the realm of what's reasonable for a car in this segment—we've had four-cylinder 3-series test cars pushing nearly $60K—but despite the slightly larger size, we wouldn't want to pay that much for this CT5 considering its lackluster road manners, dull engine, and comparably drab environs.

Other than its more spacious rear seat and improved infotainment controls, Cadillac's CT5 doesn't remedy the weaknesses of the outgoing CTS nor does it enjoy the sharp driving dynamics that made the CTS's flaws easier to stomach. Perhaps the CT5-V and its upcoming V-8–powered variant will embody more of the driver-machine connection that we've come to expect in modern Cadillac sedans, but the regular CT5 feels like a step backwards.

Specifications Specifications 2020 Cadillac CT5 350T VEHICLE TYPE

front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan PRICE AS TESTED

$54,590 (base price: $42,690) ENGINE TYPE

turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement

122 in3, 1998 cm3

Power

237 hp @ 5000 rpm

Torque

258 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm TRANSMISSION

10-speed automatic CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink

Brakes (F/R): 13.6-in vented disc/12.4-in vented disc

Tires: Michelin Primacy Tour A/S ZP, 245/40R-19 94V M+S TPC SPEC 3132MS



DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 116.0 in

Length: 193.9 in

Width: 74.1 in

Height: 57.2 in

Passenger volume: 99 ft3

Cargo volume: 12 ft3

Curb weight: 3724 lb C/D

TEST RESULTS

Rollout, 1 ft: 0.3 sec

60 mph: 6.6 sec

100 mph: 17.1 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 7.5 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.1 sec

¼-mile: 15.0 sec @ 94 mph

Top speed (C/D est): 130 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 161 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.92 g C/D

FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 22 mpg

75-mph highway driving: 31 mpg

Highway range: 530 miles EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 26/23/32 mpg Expand Collapse

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