{"id":25740,"date":"2020-07-25T12:32:09","date_gmt":"2020-07-25T16:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=25740"},"modified":"2020-07-25T12:32:09","modified_gmt":"2020-07-25T16:32:09","slug":"payne-cadillac-ct4-v-is-the-best-small-luxury-drivers-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/07\/payne-cadillac-ct4-v-is-the-best-small-luxury-drivers-car","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Cadillac CT4-V is the best small-luxury driver&#8217;s car"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/482c26ec-c710-4d0f-9db4-c86d3a023ced-ct4v_fr3-4.JPG?width=520&amp;height=390&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V is a new performance variant of the CT4 - which itself replaces the ATS sedan and debuts in the subcompact segment.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><p><span class=\"js-caption\">The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V is a new performance variant of the CT4 &#8211; which itself replaces the ATS sedan and debuts in the subcompact segment.<\/span><span class=\"credit gallery-viewport-credit\">\u00a0Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">The Cadillac ATS was the best-handling luxury sedan in the compact segment. Only the Alfa Romeo Giulia matched it with rear-wheel drive, scalpel-like handling and chiseled looks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">Yet buyers ignored it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">So Cadillac has rebadged ATS as the CT4, added a V-performance version\u00a0and dropped it into the subcompact sedan segment where its tight rear legroom isn\u2019t a liability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I took the 2020 CT4-V to Ohio\u2019s racing mecca, Mid-Ohio race track, to see if would get any attention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cI love it when you drive up in this car. It\u2019s cool-looking,\u201d said a Mid-Ohio gate attendant as I entered the track Saturday morning for qualifying.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-S4bRYGgmXHI\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/7e36287c-7828-40d8-ae59-6635babb2f71-ct4v_engine.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V features a new, 2.7-liter engine that pumps out class best figures 325-horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/7e36287c-7828-40d8-ae59-6635babb2f71-ct4v_engine.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/7e36287c-7828-40d8-ae59-6635babb2f71-ct4v_engine.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V features a new, 2.7-liter engine that pumps out class best figures 325-horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I was racing my own 1990 Lola race car at the annual SVRA Vintage Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio, and I had driven the CT4-V the three hours from Detroit to Lexington, Ohio. For four days, the CT4-V and I came and went from the racing paddock and got plenty of comments. Mostly positive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The CT4-V performance badge is, like everything but the chassis, new for 2021. The V allows Caddy to compete against the likes of the Audi S3 and the BMW M235i \u2014 performance upgrades to standard subcompact models \u2014 but without breaking the bank like uber-high performance Audi RS3 and BMW M2 models (Don\u2019t worry speed freaks, the CT4 will eventually get a steroid-fed, $70,000, twin-turbocharged V-6 animal, too).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The CT4-V starts at $45,490 \u2014 an $11,500\u00a0leap above the entry-level\u00a0$33,990 CT4. My loaded all-wheel drive\u00a0tester stickered at $52,640, including the key ingredient: a new, 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-S4bRYGgf3JY\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/167c6843-5f5c-435f-92f4-2475bf9e8885-ct4v_int-dash.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V gives you useful dials to operate the infotainment system - and two ways to access the console screen, a rotary dial or by touch.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/167c6843-5f5c-435f-92f4-2475bf9e8885-ct4v_int-dash.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/167c6843-5f5c-435f-92f4-2475bf9e8885-ct4v_int-dash.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V gives you useful dials to operate the infotainment system &#8211; and two ways to access the console screen, a rotary dial or by touch.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That\u2019s a lot of coin. It\u2019s noticeably more than\u00a0loaded, comparably equipped\u00a0performance trims like the $48,300 BMW M235i Gran Coupe, $49,500 Audi S3 or $49,490 Tesla Model 3 AWD.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The sticker price caused pause among my pals. Can Cadillac support that kind of brand premium? Well, no. The CT4-V model should be priced below its German competitors in order to give it a fighting chance against stronger brands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It does, however, more than match them for performance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With best-in-class 325 horsepower and face-flattening 380 pound-feet of torque married to a lightning-quick\u00a010-speed transmission, the V in CT4-V stands for \u201cvery fun to drive.\u201d Especially on Lexington\u2019s roller-coaster roads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Like the race track that has made Mid-Ohio an international destination for racers from IndyCar to Trans Am to vintage racing, Lexington\u2019s roads are a twisted delight. Exit flat-as-a-board, four-lane Ohio Route 30, take a two-lane south toward the Clear Fork\u00a0Reservoir and the driving experience is suddenly transformed. Undulating straightaways meet blind crests that suddenly fall away into sharp downhill turns on the other side.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-S4bRYGgVwUw\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/9b45c4d4-055e-43e4-ad18-cf660cb886f2-ct4V_int.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The seats of the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V are a nice place to spend time.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/9b45c4d4-055e-43e4-ad18-cf660cb886f2-ct4V_int.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/9b45c4d4-055e-43e4-ad18-cf660cb886f2-ct4V_int.JPG\" \/>The seats of the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V are a nice place to spend time.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My athletic CT4-V was made for this. It never put a wheel wrong as I gulped country terrain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Adding to its capabilities is V-mode, a button on the steering wheel \u2014 ripped right out of the mid-engine Corvette (which calls the feature Z-mode) \u2014 enabling me to pre-program the chassis settings so they could be changed in an instant from Route 30 cruiser to backroads cheetah. Steering: Track. Drivetrain: Track. Brakes: Sport. A sub-menu accessed by turning off traction control allowed even more electronic tweaking of the suspension and engine systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My friend and fellow Lola racer Mark was as addicted to V-mode as I was. He punched the button and the steering noticeably firmed, the Magneride shocks firmed, and the engine note dropped a couple octaves. Hard on the throttle out of a 90-degree turn and the transmission cracked off shifts \u2014\u00a0<em>BRAP BRAP BRAP<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 while the torque pinned us in our seats.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-S4bRYGglqpQ\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/938a8f3b-32ff-4b7c-8932-8b2ded2efe5f-ct4v_modes.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Unlike competitors, the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V sticks with analog gauges -but its configurable driving modes are state-of-the-art, shared with Corvette.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/938a8f3b-32ff-4b7c-8932-8b2ded2efe5f-ct4v_modes.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/938a8f3b-32ff-4b7c-8932-8b2ded2efe5f-ct4v_modes.JPG\" \/>Unlike competitors, the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V sticks with analog gauges -but its configurable driving modes are state-of-the-art, shared with Corvette.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Want more? Try launch control, another benefit of Corvette electronics: Toggle to Track\u00a0mode. Hold the brake at a stoplight. Bury the throttle. Release the brake. The CT4-V rockets to 60 mph in just 4.9\u00a0seconds, nearly a full second better than the last-generation ATS equipped with a 325-horse\u00a0V-6\u00a0(though the CT4-V is still shy of\u00a0the BMW M235i\u2019s 4.7\u00a0seconds).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Not as thrilling, though, is the turbo-four\u00a0engine note, which suffers compared to the old six. Federal nannies are strangling multi-cylinder engines these days (on their way to mandating we all buy Tesla-like EVs), but six-cylinders\u00a0are still available at this price point \u2014 most notably in the rabid Toyota GR Supra that I recently flogged through northern Michigan. A six will eventually be available in the top-line CT4 but it\u2019ll cost ya.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The four-banger\u2019s growl gets digital enhancement inside the CT4 because the thing is so danged quiet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The cockpit was a pleasant place to be on my trip down to Mid-Ohio. The CT4 is all grown up from its too geeky ATS predecessor. The console has been remade with a touchscreen tablet infotainment display and multiple friendly control points including dial control-knobs for climate controls and a rotary dial to access the screen for those who find touchscreens distracting. Throw in Caddy\u2019s head-up display and it\u2019s all quite useful.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-S4bRYGhQqb8\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/5f9d115e-7adb-40fb-a20e-c2fefdf85d16-ct4v_nav.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V nav system is ho-hum, but fortunately the excellent Android Auto Google maps is available for trips to, say, Mid-Ohio race course.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/5f9d115e-7adb-40fb-a20e-c2fefdf85d16-ct4v_nav.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/5f9d115e-7adb-40fb-a20e-c2fefdf85d16-ct4v_nav.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V nav system is ho-hum, but fortunately the excellent Android Auto Google maps is available for trips to, say, Mid-Ohio race course.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It will all appeal to my Caddy owner friends who have gone noticeably gray dealing with previous, maddening, too-clever haptic-touch systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But compared to its competition, the Cadillac\u00a0noticeably lags in tech.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The voice-command systems of the BMW and Mercedes CLA are noticeably more refined, as are their crisp digital instrument displays. The Audi wows with is configurable instrument display. And then there\u2019s Tesla with its game-changing, minimalist design. It\u2019s a murderer\u2019s row for the relatively average Cadillac interior to face.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">And puts a lot of pressure on the rear-wheel drive CT4-V platform.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-S4bRYGgB75M\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/00487d5c-f3cc-4ccd-ac79-ce2f13ae261d-ct4v_v-mode.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The sensational, one-button, personalized V-mode can be set in the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V's screen.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/00487d5c-f3cc-4ccd-ac79-ce2f13ae261d-ct4v_v-mode.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/00487d5c-f3cc-4ccd-ac79-ce2f13ae261d-ct4v_v-mode.JPG\" \/>The sensational, one-button, personalized V-mode can be set in the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V&#8217;s screen.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It\u2019s the driver\u2019s car of the lot, no doubt. Indeed, I\u2019d be tempted to ditch the V-series AWD option were the winters in Michigan not so brutal. The rear-wheel drive system is 130 pounds lighter, which makes CT4 even more athletic. More tossable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Now in its proper subcompact segment, the rear seat is no longer annoyingly tight. It\u2019s competitive in its segment, and malleable enough to fit my 6-foot-5 stork legs. The exterior design is elegant \u2014 it looked like its belonged next to Mark\u2019s Porsche 911 \u2014 and the geeky interior console a distant memory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But there\u2019s a new American kid on the block, Tesla, that\u2019s turning heads now. And those Germans just won\u2019t go away. Keep working at it CT4. V is for \u201cvery nearly there.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-S4bRYGgQACk\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/5cbce22d-2cde-448f-8bd3-13aec9d2360e-ct4v_side-train.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The all-wheel-drive, 2020 Cadillac CT4-V goes like a train from 0-60 in just 4.9 seconds. \" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/5cbce22d-2cde-448f-8bd3-13aec9d2360e-ct4v_side-train.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/07\/21\/PDTN\/5cbce22d-2cde-448f-8bd3-13aec9d2360e-ct4v_side-train.JPG\" \/>The all-wheel-drive, 2020 Cadillac CT4-V goes like a train from 0-60 in just 4.9 seconds.\u00a0\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\"><strong>2020\u00a0Cadillac CT4-V<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, five-passenger performance sedan<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: $45,490 including $995 destination fee ($52,640 AWD as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Powerplant: 2.7-liter, turbo-4<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Power:\u00a0325 horsepower, 380 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.9\u00a0seconds (AWD CT4-V, mfr.); top speed, 165 mph<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Weight: 3,600-3,750\u00a0pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Fuel economy: EPA, 20 mpg city\/28 highway\/23 combined<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Report card<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Highs: Good looks; best-in-class handling<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Lows: Infotainment system lags; cheap rotary controller<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V is a new performance variant of the CT4 &#8211; which itself replaces the ATS sedan and debuts in the subcompact segment.\u00a0Henry Payne, The Detroit News The Cadillac ATS was the best-handling luxury sedan in the compact segment. Only the Alfa Romeo Giulia matched it with rear-wheel drive, scalpel-like handling and chiseled [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25740"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25741,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25740\/revisions\/25741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}