Compare the2025 Audi S5VS 2025 Cadillac CT4-V

The S5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The CT4-V doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi S5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Cadillac CT4-V doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The S5 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The CT4-V doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S5. But it costs extra on the CT4-V.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The S5 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The CT4-V doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

Both the S5 and CT4-V have rear cross-traffic warning, but the S5 has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The CT4-V’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The S5’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The CT4-V doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the S5 and the CT4-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The S5’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the CT4-V’s (12 vs. 6 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 14 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 37 more horsepower (362 vs. 325) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 380) than the CT4-V’s standard 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi S5 is faster than the Cadillac CT4-V turbo 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The CT4-V requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The S5 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the CT4-V. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The S5 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The CT4-V doesn’t offer an SMG.

For better stopping power the S5’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the CT4-V:

The S5 stops shorter than the CT4-V:

For better traction, the S5 has larger tires than the CT4-V (245/40R19 vs. 235/40R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the CT4-V. The S5’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the CT4-V.

The S5 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The S5’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The CT4-V doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S5’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the CT4-V (114 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

The S5 handles at .95 G’s, while the CT4-V AWD pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The S5 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CT4-V (24.7 seconds @ .8 average G’s vs. 25.4 seconds @ .73 average G’s).

The S5 has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the CT4-V.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S5’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CT4-V doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

The S5’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The CT4-V’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the S5 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the CT4-V can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S5 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The CT4-V doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the S5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The CT4-V doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the Audi S5 and Cadillac CT4-V offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The S5 features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the CT4-V’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The S5 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the CT4-V. The S5 Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CT4-V.

The S5 Premium Plus/Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The CT4-V doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the Cadillac CT4 by almost four to one during 2024.