The 2021 Cadillac CT4 is well-equipped and fun to drive, making it a good small sedan choice. The CT4 is the brand’s smaller sedan, in a lineup that also includes the CT5, but the CT6 is no longer. The compact CT4 squares off against German stalwarts such as the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, not to mention the Volvo S60 and Genesis G70. For its second year, the CT4 spent the off-season regrouping its safety features to correct last year’s glaring deficit. For 2021, automatic emergency braking is standard across the line, and the automaker’s trick Super Cruise that allows for limited hands-off highway driving is newly available.
Clean and conservative against its rivals, the Cadillac CT4 flies under the radar. There’s not a bad line on the 2021 Cadillac CT4, though it is upstaged by its slightly larger and far more evocative CT5 sibling. The CT4’s pinched lights front and rear add intrigue, but its profile is ordinary. Bigger wheels spice things up, albeit at the expense of ride quality. Inside, the CT4 is well-equipped but no dazzler. Its dash is light on adornment, and even higher trims do little to correct that. At least controls are easy to sort through and the 8.0-inch touchscreen is bright and well-positioned.
The 2021 CT4 is plenty muscular, with a gearbox and a chassis to match. The base CT4 makes use of a 2.0-liter turbo-4 rated at 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, which is sent rearward or to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic. We’ve not driven this engine in the CT4, though prior experience with it in other General Motors cars has largely been favorable. For about $2,600, Cadillac offers all-wheel drive on all four CT4 trim levels.
The optional 2.7-liter turbo-4; rated at 310 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque in Premium Luxury trim, or 325 hp and 380 lb-ft in V-Series trim in our tester, is a strong performer. The transmission is matched with a responsive 10-speed automatic that zips through gears with ease. Run hard and you’ll find a little turbo whistle and plenty of low-rpm grumbling, but nothing objectionable at a cruising clip. A standard stop/start system cuts out the engine at stoplights almost imperceptibly.
The CT4 is relatively lithe at around 3,400 pounds for a base car, which is less than its competitors. That weight savings is paired with a balanced chassis to deliver good handling. V-Series versions add an adjustable and adaptive suspension with trick struts that do an even better job shrugging off road imperfections. Steering feel in all is great, with reasonable heft and excellent highway tracking.
The 2021 Cadillac CT4 is just so-so when it comes to fuel economy. Base 2.0-liter turbo-4s top the range at 23 mpg city, 34 highway, 27 combined. Subtract 1 to 2 mpg with all-wheel drive. The optional 2.7-liter turbo-4 slides those figures to 21/31/25 mpg with rear-wheel drive, and 21/29/24 mpg with all-wheel drive. More powerful V-Series cars are rated separately, bottoming out at 20/28/23 mpg with all-wheel drive.
The 2021 CT4 adds considerable collision-avoidance tech to its roster this year. There are no federal and independent testers crash tests to report, but we do have good news to report this year. Automatic emergency braking is finally standard across the line, albeit with a notable asterisk. You’ll have to add a package including adaptive cruise control and reverse automatic emergency braking for a full high-speed automatic emergency braking system.
Newly optional this year, and absolutely worth it if you spend a fair amount of time on the highway, is Cadillac’s Super Cruise system, one of the most advanced driver-aid setups available. The system allows for limited hands-off driving, but its real forte is in its ability to reduce driver fatigue and to help prevent collisions. Among chief rivals, the system is comparable to those available on the Volvo S60 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Comfortable up front, the 2021 CT4 is tight on rear-seat space. Front-seat riders are treated to comfortable seats with 12-way driver and 8-way power adjustment, while higher-trim versions swap in 14-way adjustment with massaging lumbar. Synthetic leather upholstery is standard fare, while two grades of leather are optional depending on the trim. Rear-seat riders have little leg room, and the sloping roof line cuts into head room for taller passengers, too. The trunk offers just under 11 cubic feet, which isn’t much for a car of this size. At least interior trim mostly feels bucks-up, with padded surfaces throughout though none of the woodgrain or carbon fiber trim we expect to see in cars costing upward of $40,000.
The 2021 Cadillac CT4 undercuts rivals’ price tags while delivering a similar level of features and tech. Most drivers will be perfectly satisfied with the $34,000CT4 Luxury, which comes with synthetic leather upholstery, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and LED lighting. The $39,000 CT4 Premium Luxury tosses in leather upholstery and a few more goodies, plus it opens up the option for far more safety tech. We’d spend our money here, and add about $5,000 in collision-avoidance and convenience features to land at somewhere in the mid-$40,000 range, depending on color selections. Go all in and the CT4 can tickle $60,000, though a judicious shopper can avoid hefty surcharges for paint colors and upsized wheels. Cadillac offers a typical luxury car warranty: four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first, for basic coverage.
Cadillac’s ATS was around for awhile and unfortunately became a rental car special. We say unfortunately because the ATS had some impressive driving dynamics and was a good value. Luckily the CT4 builds upon that with better style and impressive technology while refining the driving dynamics even more. The 2021 Cadillac definitely has what it takes to compete in the small luxury car class so hopefully it won’t get looked over this time around.
