2019 Cadillac CT6-V Review: Best Enjoyed From The Driver's Seat

Newly introduced this year, the Cadillac CT6-V is the performance-oriented version of the brand's flagship luxury sedan. That means it's got to compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the BMW 7 Series, the automotive equivalent of taking on Floyd Mayweather and Muhammad Ali at their peaks. The CT6-V enters the ring with a new, hand-built Blackwing 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with 550 horsepower, enabling a 0-60 mph sprint of only 3.8 seconds. That's close to the fastest S-Class and 7 Series, but at a price of well under $100,000. While much cheaper than its German rivals, the CT6-V does suffer from a less sophisticated cabin, with some average materials and a step down in refinement. But it handles like a much smaller car, is as fast as almost any other large sedan, and also looks suitably aggressive. Lacking the class of its best rivals, the CT6-V is still an absolute hoot to drive.

What's the Price of the 2019 Cadillac CT6-V?

At $88,790, the CT6-V comes in at over $50,000 less than the Mercedes-AMG S63 Sedan and the BMW M760i xDrive, despite providing a similar level of performance. The Caddy's price does, however, exclude tax, licensing, and registration, along with a $995 destination charge and $1,300 gas guzzler tax. Thankfully, with fewer options available than its German rivals, the CT6-V's base price won't be as inflated when adding on a few extras.

2019 CT6-V Exterior

Dimensions

2019 CT6-V Performance

Handling and Driving Impressions

It's here that the Cadillac CT6-V really does justice to that V badge. It may be billed as a full-size sedan, but the CT6-V doesn't feel that way when you're wringing its neck. The hardware helps, of course - from the all-wheel-drive system to the V-Series-tuned suspension and a standard mechanical limited-slip rear differential, the Caddy has been set up to provide a lot more than straight-line speed. Active rear steering further improves agility.

Despite its AWD setup, the CT6-V is more than willing to induce oversteer in Track mode - and when you have the space to do it safely - but it's all wonderfully progressive and easily controlled with the throttle. The steering is much more alive than in the German competition, building weight naturally and always communicating what the front wheels are up to. Also in Track mode, body roll is dialed down to a point where it is virtually undetectable, while the engine note gains a harder edge that really makes you want for a broader rev band. The only blemish is the transmission - although perfectly smooth when pottering around town, it can feel a bit slow to respond when you're pushing hard, and the effect isn't eliminated when using the shift paddles.

In the more sedate Touring mode, the adaptive suspension (with magnetic ride control) is absorbent without being floaty. It's matched by excellent refinement. All in all, it's a mightily impressive showing from Cadillac - this really is a luxury car you'd want to drive yourself.

2019 CT6-V Interior

2019 CT6-V Trunk and Cargo Space

Warranty

Verdict: Is the 2019 Cadillac CT6-V A Good car?

The Cadillac CT6-V is as brilliant - or as average - as the criteria you use to judge it on. As the first V-Series CT6, it's hard to deny that Cadillac has hit the nail on the head. The CT6-V's new 550-hp twin-turbo V8 provides immense power and acceleration and, coupled with the upgraded suspension and the CT6's fundamentally delightful steering, makes this car a genuine riot to drive. In that respect, it eclipses the fastest S-Class and 7 Series rivals, both of which feel quite cumbersome by comparison. If your pros and cons list is based on how good of a luxury car the CT6-V is, however, then it falls quite short of the best. It rides well, but not nearly as smoothly as the S-Class. The interior design and quality are several notches down on the competition, while the smaller-than-average trunk fails to impress, too. If you want the best full-size luxury car to be driven in, this is not it. But as a driver's car, the CT6-V demands that you take it for a test spin.

What Cadillac CT6-V Model Should I Buy?

It won't take long to order your CT6-V, simply because your options are so limited. Unless you have kids traveling with you often, the rear-seat entertainment package isn't really essential. We'd specify ours in Manhattan Noir Metallic ($625) and with the glitzy 20-inch alloy wheels with a polished finish ($2,095), because a Caddy and bling just seem like a perfect match. Including destination, the total works out to $92,505.

2019 Cadillac CT6-V Comparisons

2019 Cadillac CT6-V vs Cadillac XTS

A couple of inches longer than the XTS, the CT6-V plays in a similar class. Both are large, well-equipped luxury sedans from Cadillac. The most comparable model to the CT6-V is the XTS V-Sport Platinum, producing just over 400 horsepower (way down on the CT6-V's 550 hp) and accelerating to 60 in 5.2 seconds, a full 1.4 seconds later than the CT6-V gets there. Of course, the price differential of around $20,000 will be a factor for many, but there is no disputing that the CT6-V's new twin-turbo V8 is a glorious power plant that has the edge on the fastest XTS' V6. The XTS is a bit more practical, though: it has a larger trunk, fold-down rear seats, and comparable space at the back. At the XTS' lower price point, we can also be more lenient with its material quality; like the CT6, the XTS has a well-trimmed cabin, but it lacks the attention to detail found in the meticulously crafted German sedans. If you can't stretch to the more powerful CT6, the top-trim XTS is a worthy alternative.

2019 Cadillac CT6-V vs Mercedes-AMG S63 Sedan

Over $50,000 separates the CT6-V from the all-conquering S63, the quickest S-Class there is. But is the Mercedes really that much more car? Well, its 603-hp twin-turbo V8 is a truly venomous engine with a distinctive AMG bellow, and it catapults the heavy S63 to 60 a few tenths quicker than the CT6-V. The Mercedes' nine-speed automatic gearbox also has the edge for its faster shifts, but the Caddy fights back with an exhilarating driving experience and a much nimbler feel through the twisties. It's not as comfortable as the Mercedes, but you'll be having a lot more fun behind the wheel. The Mercedes cabin completely outclasses the Cadillac's, though - it's been assembled with more care, the design is gorgeous, and the seats are far more sumptuous to sit in. It's hard to look past the price premium for the Merc and the enormous fun that is the CT6-V, but we'd still take the S63.