Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing vs CTS-V: How Do These Modern Performance Sedans Stack Up?
Is the new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing enough of an evolution to justify its price gap versus a nicely used CTS-V?
It may sound a bit cliche, but we’re living in a true golden age of performance – one ripe with cars that would have been considered true world beaters a mere decade or two ago. Of course, we may also be living in the best of times when it comes to internal combustion powered automobiles, though their very existence is being threatened by the rise of all-electric vehicles. Regardless, we’re going to celebrate the high-performance ICE automobile while it’s here, and both the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CTS-V deserve all the attention they’re getting – including in this well-done comparison video from the folks at MotorEnvy.
GM fans already know that the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the latest and greatest iteration of the luxury brand’s legendary performance sedan, and it shares quite a bit in common with its predecessor, the CTS-V. Both utilize a front engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration, and each offers up four doors. The CT5 has a longer wheelbase but is somehow around 2.5 inches shorter, though it’s also two inches wider and decidedly more modern in terms of styling.
The similarities here continue with the powertrain that both of these models come equipped with – GM’s supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8, which generates 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque in the CTS-V, but the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing makes even more power – to the tune of 668 ponies and 659 pound-feet. The old car gets by with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the new one gets either a proper six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic.
As one might imagine, those numbers translate to impressive performance on the road – the CTS-V needs just 3.7 seconds to reach 60 mph and 12 seconds to get down the quarter mile, while the CT5 takes the same amount of time to hit 60 and is quicker down the drag strip with an 11.7-second time slip. However, as our reviewer notes, the old car feels a bit antiquated thanks to its inferior suspension setup and sluggish power delivery.
The same cannot be said for the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which benefits from a host of tweaks to deliver a more linear power delivery. Regardless, our host does note that the CTS-V has more of a “strange charm,” noting that it “feels more manly” and is actually more comfortable to boot. Given the current state of pricing, one can also pick up a last-gen CTS-V for around $30,000 less – making it a bit of a performance value and perhaps the better buy of the two, at least for now.
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