2023 Cadillac CT4

Pros:

• Quick acceleration
• Some things about today’s technology
• Even powerful engines can use gas in a good way.

Cons:

• Even for this class, the back seat isn’t huge.
• The ride quality is very hard.
• The CT4 has too much cheap-feeling plastic and rough surfaces for how much it costs.

What moves the CT4? The CT4 is quick to speed up and has a lot of power. Our all-wheel-drive test car went from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds, thanks to its better 2.7-liter engine. Unfortunately, driving is a better experience on paper than in real life. When pushed, the turbocharged engine makes a whining sound and moves slowly. Our test car’s brake pedal almost always caused a click sound, but worse was that it felt like wood, making it hard to come to a smooth stop every time.

In general, the CT4 seems reluctant to do what you ask. When you have to go from one fast turn to the next, the chassis suffers, and the steering gets very heavy and jarring. The 10-speed automatic transmission changes loudly, and the automatic engine stop-start system is among the noisiest in the business.

How comfortable is the CT4? Even though the car we tested had Premium Luxury trim, we couldn’t find proof that it was as good as they said. The seats don’t have enough support, and the leather looks cheap. From there, things only get worse. It doesn’t look like the CT4 is fancy or expensive. You can hear road noise inside the car at almost any speed and on virtually any surface. That’s different from what I expected from a vehicle with this brand and price.

The worst part, though, is how it bounces around. Every bump and pothole on the road is both felt and heard. There are a lot of cheap cars on the market that ride much better and don’t cost as much—n of n of n of n of n of n.

How does the inside look? A cabin otherwise good to live in has a few strange problems. It’s simple to get into and out of the front seat, and there’s plenty of space inside. Even in this small class, it’s tight in the back seat. The roof is low, the doors don’t open, and the sills are too high to step over. People six feet tall or taller will have difficulty staying comfortable in the back and will probably have to twist to get out.

In other places, the driver’s buttons and controls look like they were put there to fill space, with little thought for comfort or ease of use. The rotary controller used to control the main interface seems made of cheap plastic, and we often needed help finding the right button or dial.

How good is the tech? Our test CT4 had a built-in navigation system and a Bose sound system with 14 speakers. Both are optional, but during our time with the vehicle, they were both highlights. The navigation on the 8-inch touchscreen is easy to read and understand, and the stereo can be changed in many ways and sounds good.

It’s easy and quick to connect to Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both work with smartphones wirelessly. The CT4 also does a great job with its voice recognition feature. Even though it can’t understand natural English, it is easy enough to use for in-car instructions and controls. Even though many popular cars come with adaptive cruise control as a standard feature, our test vehicle didn’t have it.

What about putting things away? Regarding usefulness, the CT4 is primarily suitable for everyday tasks. But there are a lot of restrictions. Even though the trunk is broad and deep, it only holds 10.7 cubic feet, which is low for the class. Also, it only has the handles in the box that many competitors do to fold down the second row of seats.

At first glance, the cabin has enough space for small items. The center console is significant, and the car we tested had a smartphone charging port: small cupholders and door pockets, and a compact luxury sedan-like center console. Even though there are places to hook up child seats, large child seats can’t fit in the second row because there needs to be more room.

How well does it use gasoline? The EPA’s rating of 24 mpg for the all-wheel-drive CT4 in the city and on the highway is disappointing for a four-cylinder luxury sedan. Our test vehicle easily beat that number in real-world driving, getting an average of 29.5 mpg on a 115-mile route we planned ahead of time.

Is it wise to buy a CT4? We didn’t hear any shocks or rattles coming from the cabin while driving, so there’s not much else to say. Considering how much the CT4 costs, there is too much cheap-feeling plastic and too many rough spots. Our test car cost $46,690, which is way too much compared to other vehicles of similar quality.

Cadillac has a basic warranty of four years or 50,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of six years or 70,000 miles, which is better than most cars in its class. For a luxury brand, rust protection that lasts for only four years or 50,000 miles is shockingly low.

It’s hard to think of anything unique, groundbreaking, or different about the CT4. It looks like a high-end modern car was Xeroxed over itself. If the CT4 had a smooth ride, it might be easy to overlook that driving isn’t very exciting or satisfying. It doesn’t, which is a shame. The CT4 tries to take advantage of how well-known the Cadillac name is. Instead, the risk is that it will lose value.

Choose the Premium Luxury trim for the best value. The word “responsibility” means figuring out if a person is responsible for their actions. Customers who choose the Premium Luxury trim level can also select options like Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free driver assistance system, and the more powerful 2.7-liter engine.

Models of Cadillac CT4

In 2022, the Cadillac CT4 will come in four trim levels: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, and the V-Series, which has a higher level of performance. All models come with rear-wheel drive as standard, and all-wheel drive can be added as an extra. In the following sections, we’ll talk about the standard and optional features of the CT4. However, keep in mind that some functions may not be available due to issues with the supply chain.