2025 Cadillac CT5-V First Drive Review: BETTER Than You Think

[@robstock596]

My CT5-V puts a smile on my face every day I get into it. You never feel like you run out of power and the handling is simply amazing. This is a great car and with over 400ft/lb of torque you can beat many off the line. V-Mode sounds GREAT! And the different modes change the feel and dynamics of the car more than any other car I've driven.

[@Alex-qy8ur]

I personally think my off black 14 CTS V-Sport Premium (loaded) with carbon fiber V style spoiler n ZZP cold air intake is WAYYYYY better cause it ain’t only got same 0-60 (4.6 secs) and can go 172mph but it’s much better quality, more aggressive looking, iconic Cadillac logos, tri zone with heated rear seats with full peasant blockers, real carbon fiber trim and much more

[@djd2819]

@@Alex-qy8ur Your V-Sport is a great car and I considered one after retiring my 2010 CTS. While I prefer the engine in the V-Sport, the rest of the CT5-V just better in terms of driving dynamics. Car & Driver put a CT5-V around the VIR track in 3:04.1. That's quick. Like 1/10th of a second quicker than a 2011 CTS-V coupe and a full 2.7s quicker than their time for a 2014 CTS V-Sport. Nothing wrong with the V-Sport's performance but to say it's way better than a car engineered on an updated chassis with a next-generation version of magnetic ride control and a significantly improved user interface (that CUE is just awful)? Yeah, no.

[@614LyfeVlogs]

just picked mine up Thursday. I am in love with. Its a beast

[@mikemaslanka3786]

I would go with this car. The CT5-V has enough power but there shouldn’t be 308 HP difference between this and the Backwing. If Caddy made this engine with 425 HP and a bump up on the torque this car would be perfect!

[@marshallaurnou9446]

This basically replaces the CTS Vsport which had a 3.6L TT V6 with 420hp and 430ftlb. I love mine and can’t understand why they downgraded the engine. I was thinking the CT4 V Blackwing engine should have been used.

[@djd2819]

@@marshallaurnou9446 I love the CTS V-Sport and think it's a great car. I think the answer to your question lies in the 3.0TT having roughly 20% better fuel economy with pretty similar real-world performance. In stock form, the CT5-V is actually faster around a track than the CTS V-Sport was/is. There are things about the V-Sport that I prefer over the CT5-V but, on balance, the CT5-V is an improvement - just not a leaps-and-bounds one.

[@ronbrock6153]

@@djd2819 I will invite you to show facts a car that is 25 pounds heavier down 60 hp and 25 torque can lap better than the CTS V Sport. Also your 20% better on fuel is off. Actual city and hwy goes 12.5% better in the CT5 looking at current Cadillac site mpg and my window sticker. I love the look of the CT5 just wish it still had the 3.6 why build two TT V6.

[@Hazdazos]

The brown interior option looks soooo much better than the boring black on black one. Love the CT5 and the reason it is overlooked is because too many of the car magazines can't shut up about the ugly and unreliable German brands long enough to spend time with these Caddys.

[@mattspeer01]

Lol... imagine thinking a Caddy is more reliable than the German brands. BMW and Porsche have been rated in the top 10 most reliable brands for a long time now, unlike Caddy. Mercedes on the other hand, yikes...

[@immaeditthatout7099]

lmao what r u talking about, caddy is bulletproof as long as u do maintenance, the V engines that is, especially blackwings​@@mattspeer01

[@ronbrock6153]

@@mattspeer01 At least a Caddy is does not get mistaken for Genesis.

[@PetuniaEthyl]

Just bought a 2025 CT5-V. Raven Black, Black satin wheels, black interior. It's being built in Detroit now. Can't W8.

[@andrewSUN17]

Congrats! Awd?

[@wubiran880]

Im going to get one any discount on 2025 5v model？

[@raynavarra]

I bought my CT5V back in October. Fully loaded with every option. I could have waited for the 25 but I preferred the front end on the 24v and for me, the wrap around dash display was a nice touch have, not a need to have. I also got a great deal too. I came out of a 550m and yes, power wise there is no comparison. But I will say, I’m extremely happy with Cadillac 3.0tt. I do think with simple tuning Cadillac could have pushed the number on hp to 400. I think that would have kept in line with the competition. But I’m very happy. I also did go AWD. I live in the North East. While I have an SUV too. It’s nice to know the car can go too.

[@locomotions1]

You're a very good communicator; thanks for a nice review!

[@carbuzzcom]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!

[@clivepacker]

Have a 2025 AWD on order, black raven, satin graphite wheels, fully loaded, red seatbelts. In transit to dealer, so hopefully not too long to wait.

[@dwaynejohnson6545]

I'm in the same bout hopefully we get it by the end of the month 🤞🏾

[@anthonytbarnes8725]

Great review and I personally prefer the Cadillac over all others. I would definitely take the 20" dark wheels and AWD for mine though. I like the secure feel of AWD over RWD and I live in a warmer climate. Not to take away from the German brands because I think they are fantastic, but when they develop problems, their repair bills can cost you your first and possibly your second born children.

[@carbuzzcom]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!

[@ToddSwickard-u9k]

Built mine in Typhoon metallic, Sauvage interior w / red seat belts & red brake calipers, graphite wheels. Been sitting at the shipping yard for over a month and my dealership can't tell me why. Already have my gloss black Vossen hf-7 wheels and 255 front tires and 285 for the rear. Would not let me originally order the 20" black wheels as there was only 2 options. 2024 model has a lot of wheel gap with the 19" wheels. So getting eibach lowering springs to get the stance right. Cant wait for it to arrive. Mine came in at $71,250 for my build. I will miss my 2019 Audi rs5 sportback as it is a rocket ship. Time for a change.

[@motormusique]

You're a great reviewer! You give a good sense of how the car feels. I'm a big fan of this Caddy

[@carbuzzcom]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!

[@oldcrook510]

I ended up getting a CT4 Blackwing instead of this the only reason being the power was a little lacking another 50 HP it would be perfect. The CT5 BW was a bit too expensive.

[@karlb8069]

I agree! I would take an ATS-V instead of this.

[@sadisticwolf2722]

@@karlb8069even without the tech?

[@carllange3950]

I have had a 2019 CTS Luxury AWD (2.0T) for over a year and really enjoy it. There are a few design features where I actually prefer the CTS over the CT5, but admit the 2025 screen update is a big improvement. I recently also purchased a 2017 Maserati Ghibli S RWD (404 hp). The sound and power is intoxicating. I am going to drive CT5 V and see if I would be happy with trading in the CTS and Ghibli. There is a certain appeal in reducing my vehicle count.

[@Alex-qy8ur]

I love my off black 14 CTS V-Sport Premium with ZZP cold air intake n carbon fiber V style spoiler is WAYYYYYYYYY better than both of those combined, it’s a great daily especially compared to my old 07 LS460 with 5-10MPG

[@Alex-qy8ur]

Btw you couldn’t get a slightly older Premium/Premium Luxury 3.6 for about the same price?? I can’t standard the standard models

[@carllange3950]

@@Alex-qy8ur I found my CTS at our local Cadillac/Chevrolet dealer. I traded in two less practical cars (C6 GS & Fiesta ST) to get this CTS with cash back. The 2.0 L engine works fine, with satisfactory acceleration. This is the only CTS I have driven, so I cannot say if the non-turbo V6 would be more interesting. On paper, the 3.6 has less low end torque than the 2.0 Turbo. Not that I am fanatical about gas mileage, but on highway trips I have seen 610 miles of range (32 mpg) after filling up my CTS. The Ghibli may be just a temporary fix until I can find an ATS-V or CT4 V Blackwing with a manual to add to the collection.

[@trigganometry168]

I like the thought of going to jail when I drive. So I’m going for the Blackwing in this Typhoon color!

[@carbuzzcom]

Cool!

[@jeffhigel8775]

I think dropping the CT6 was a big mistake. I love my 19' sport.

[@loopba]

Nice review, still have 2014 CTS Vsport for almost 10 years. Great car. Drove the CT4-V Blackwing and the manual made the car much better vs the automatic. That 10 speed isn’t great. Good point about manual in the 5-V. Bought a C8 as second car last July and that thing is amazing

[@betochipistube6543]

Beautiful

[@robertebob]

i have a 2023 ct5-v in Midnight Steel Metallic with most of the options. I love it and have decided to upgrade to the 2025 in Typhoon Metallic. I'll be working with the dealership this week to place the order.

[@Nick12568]

Would like an update on that as I’m considering the same in a few months.

[@awepossum1059]

Do car reviewers not understand that we want to see the driving POV, not your face? Not that your face is bad to look at lol.

[@carbuzzcom]

There are other channels for POV, sorry we don't have that type of mount

[@MG-sj1em]

Such a hot car. Try a CT4...so fun! Handles unbelievable. Much nicer than the german cars and it won't be in the shop everyday like BMW and MBZ etc.

[@rocketdude60]

Too many here completely miss the point of the ct5 V, thinking it is about 0-60 times and drag racing comparison. Sure it would be nice with 450 hp, but you cannot name a car in this price range that has equal overall handling, ride, steering and driver feel. Plus the ability to have mag ride convert to luxury ride for highway and rough roads. And thats basically what the reviewer said.

[@Alex-qy8ur]

Just get a CTS V-Sport Premium it’s WAYYYYYY better than 20-24 models for significantly cheaper as a added benefit while having a really nice luxury sports car, I love my off black 14 with carbon fiber V style spoiler n ZZP cold air intake

[@gregoryrobinson1004]

Love the color

[@Myfriendvinny]

You can get the same engine in a CT-5 premium luxury model.

[@67judge]

I hope 🤞 there’s an aftermarket for performance products for this CTV 5.

[@MadmanLink]

There really isn't much.

[@Alex-qy8ur]

My off black 14 CTS V-Sport Premium better

[@SnoopyRu1980]

Does Cadillac offer the BW Carbon fiber package for the regular CT5-V??🤔

[@tomb4610]

How does this compare to the 2025 Lexus IS350 F sport?

[@carbuzzcom]

It feels significantly quicker and more modern inside.

[@soccersprint]

What about reliability & maintenance and repair expense of Cadillac vs Lexus​@@carbuzzcom

[@jeremiahcrowley8178]

Wonder where the price will fall for a well equipped model, m340 is around 67-69k and audi s5 hatchback is 68-72k

[@carbuzzcom]

Sadly, we don't have the configurator yet

[@jamellee8402]

70-80k well equipped

[@carbuzzcom]

@@jamellee8402 No, not that much

[@jamellee8402]

@@carbuzzcom you will see, trust me!!!!

[@mattengelhardt1852]

I just ordered one, was $66K well equipped including the $1400 destination charge. I didn't get the platinum package, but I did get most other options (upgraded leather, tech package, sunroof, vented seats, suede headliner, etc). The M340 and S5 are smaller cars - the backseats wouldn't work for me the way the CT5V does. I think it compares more with the 540 and A6 on size and price and the CT5V drives better than both of those in my opinion. You have to get the 550 or S6 to equal or beat it on performance and then you are talking $10K+ more.

[@6hilltop6]

This engine came from the Ct6 and it makes 400hp in the ct6, idk why Caddy down graded the power of this engine

[@djd2819]

I've driven both with their respective 3.0TTs with the 10 speed transmission (on a 2019 CT6 Sport) and there's not much difference. The torque is the same. Plus for cars with almost identical weight (although the CT6 was bigger, it used a lot of aluminum vs the mostly steel CT5-V), their fuel economy is pretty much the same but the V is faster to 60 and around a track.

[@truthflatearth]

More like android auto... why does everyone say apple car play first .. screw apple .. android way better.....android auto then apple car play..

[@chris2320]

This car is beautiful but for 70k I don’t think I can justify it. First off this car doesn’t deserve to have the V badging. It gets beat by all its competitors. You have m340, s5, scat pack, even g70s beating this thing. This car is only beating the base models of every other competitor which is sad to say and it’s the 2nd to the highest trim (blackwing). Sorry to say the this is a disappointing for a “V”. This should be called a “sport” more than anything.

[@barrylieberman5954]

You’ll be able to get it for 60-62 and the magnetic ride is unparalleled

[@jay0863]

A sub 5 sec car is pretty quick.

[@djd2819]

Nope. If you measure a car solely by its 0-60 times, then the CT5-V is not for you. The version of magnetic ride control in the V is spellbindingly good and its track times are way better than a G70's and it would take an RS5 to beat the CT5-V around a track. S5? Not even close. M340i? Yeah, it's faster around a track and to 60 mph but by fractions of a second and it's significantly more expensive than the CT5-V. That said, I agree that they should have called it a V-Sport.

[@Diddy_Do_It2037]

That’s a sleeper but my Charger RT that’s actually faster is slow af according to the internet lol

[@jay0863]

This V and an RT are pretty much the same 0 to 60. On paper the V is 4.8 and the RT is 4.9, I'm sure that varies with tires and temps. I tested both cars and ended up going with the Caddy because it's not as popular.

[@Alex-qy8ur]

I hate those Mopar POS’s even smoked a Charger Scatpack with my old 07 LS460 cause he ain’t know to drive, my 14 CTS V-Sport Premium is wayyyyyyyyy better

[@Alex-qy8ur]

@@jay0863Great taste, long as it’s loaded then it ain’t a pos as a owner of a off black 14 CTS V-Sport Premium owner with carbon fiber V style spoiler n ZZP cold air intake even got the iconic Cadillac logo on a modern Caddy

[@messiah447]

i have one..... its going down.

[@heembuck2157]

The MPG is weak

[@MAGApepe]

oh plzzz.. no one drives their cars on the track

[@AOCreatrix]

100,000

[@RfrancisR]

All the reviews on the CT5-V when it was first introduced said the RWD was better than the AWD. RWD is the way Cadillac’s engineers wants you to have the car, and as Car and Driver confirmed just recently, is that it makes fore a fine track car too. The 4.6 0-60 is probably most likely achieved that on an actual well maintained drag strip.

[@chris2320]

@@RfrancisR I’ve hardly seen anybody get 0-60 in 4.6, I’ve seen a lot closer to 5s. That’s pretty pathetic for a so called V don’t care what anybody says. When you have Hyundais beating this thing “Cadillac we have a problem”

[@RfrancisR]

@ admittedly I haven’t seen a. 4.6 run. But I did see a 4.7.

[@djd2819]

I've had one 4.7s run with my friend's dragy (the car's instrument display showed it as 4.6s). It was on a very clean road and warmed tires. Most regular road runs are around 5.0s. Mine is a 2023 RWD.

[@messiah447]

Cadi is a KOOL lux car. they can co crazy but it wont be a Cadi. we aint no Bit2th car. we RUN tings

[@nickeckemoff7631]

"This unique V6 is only found in this GM product" ....... /run if you care about reliability.

[@soccersprint]

Too expensive. Should be 40k. Cadillac does not have the same type of reliability reputation as Lexus and Acura which have cars in the 45k range. That Cadillac is super nice. I would consider getting it if it was at least 15k cheaper than it's current 57k price.

[@carbuzzcom]

Name another 360-hp or more luxury sedan that you can buy new for under $40,000. Doesn't exist.

[@soccersprint]

@carbuzzcom no. I don't have to name anything. I already have a 360 HP Infiniti that was way under 40k. Right now I value the combination of long term reliability, fuel economy and luxury of Lexus, and Acura. Cadillac does not have that combination. 57k is too much but I really like that Cadillac. I can't afford it at 57k though.

[@markgardner4685]

JD Power ranks it very well, MUCH better than Acura, and comparable with Lexus. I personally don't trust any other consumer auto ranking, or their reasoning- their VDS (Vehicle Dependacy Study) comes out each February, and it is a 3-year list.

[@rtucker8944]

Please do not get the rear wheel drive all will drive is better more attraction and completely better drive

[@carbuzzcom]

We tested both. The AWD model was slower. If you don't need AWD for snow, RWD is better.