Launched at the 2019 New York Auto Show, and with sales starting late in the year as a 2020 model, the CT5 is the replacement for the Cadillac CTS, a car which we saw in three distinct generations going back to 2003, when it marked something of a renaissance for America’s luxury automotive brand. That first CTS impressed everyone with its neat styling, and generally good driving dynamics. It sold well in America, despite a long list of equally impressive market alternatives. Objectively, even then, it was not truly a class leader, though, and this is something that Cadillac sought to address with the second and third generation cars. On both occasions, they delivered a creditable product but still missed the ever-elusive bull’s eye. The CT5 represents their latest attempt to secure class leadership. Unlike the larger CT6 model, this one is a rear wheel drive car, sitting off the GM Alpha platform that also underpins the latest Camaro, and it comes with a much more fastback look to it which suggests it might even be a hatchback. It isn’t, but at least it does make it easier to distinguish from the slightly smaller CT4 model which also debuted in 2019, taking aim at the 3 Series sector. The CT5 comes stuffed full of the latest electronic and safety features, as you would expect, as well as a long list of standard equipment and a price tag that is significantly lower than most of its rivals. Is that enough, though? The sales stats suggest that it really is not, with fewer than 16,000 examples being sold I the US even its best sales year. Interestingly, the car has sold in far larger numbers in China, where the badge has some extra cachet. The CT5 has changed little since launch. It’s also eluded the Hertz rental fleet until now, but when I arrived early on a Sunday morning, needing a car to get up to a Cars and Coffee meet before everyone departed, I spotted a couple parked up in the area from which I could just take a car without having to ask or pay an upgrade. Or so I thought. The gate staff thought this might have been an error, but were assured by “control”, when they checked, that it was not, so a more or less new 2023 model year CT5 was mine for the day, giving me the chance to see what I thought of it.

This CT5 was badged 350T, but if you thought that meant it generates 350 bhp, prepare to be disappointed. It does not. The 350T actually denotes the available torque in Newton Metres. In fact this car had a rather less impressive 237 bhp on offer from its four cylinder 2.0 litre turbocharged engine. That did actually prove sufficient to give the Cadillac a lively performance. There is a slightly throaty on hard acceleration which is quite pleasant. Generally, the CT5 proved to be very smooth and quiet. There is a standard 10 speed automatic transmission and it is matched well to the engine, operating very smoothly. The upper ratios are all quite close together but they do drop the revs such that cruising on the freeway is a relaxed and peaceful thing with the engine spinning at well under 2000 rpm.

If Cadillac thought they had made a sports saloon, they need to think again, as this is a car that feels more like a luxury express rather than one with sporting ambition. The steering does not have much in the way of feel, but it does mean that the CT5 is light and easy to drive. Handling feels quite predictable and safe, but there is no real sense of fun to be had here. The car did understeer on the swooping bends of the canyon roads where I drove it, but at least there is no body roll to speak of. The brakes were powerful and did their job well. There is an electronic handbrake operated by a button in the dash. The test car was on 245/45 R18 wheels and it generally rode quite well at least until faced with some of the rougher surfaces. The CT5 has very small door mirrors which did mean a bit more care was required when out and about. Despite the relatively small and steeply angled rear window, parking the car was not that hard thanks to the combination of stubby tail, and standard parking sensors and rear-view camera. There is an extensive list of safety features which include forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Although Cadillac have made quite a significant improvement in interior quality with the CT5, it is still not up to Audi levels. The profusion of different materials and colours that was a characteristic of the last CTS has been reduced here, with a mix of leather on the dash and door casings and just mottled metal effect and chrome inlays. There’s a modern feel to the dashboard with two large electronic dials, and inset fuel level and temperature displays in the instrument cluster. There is a large trip computer display area between the two dials. I noted that there were an awful lot of warning lights even by modern standards. Two column stalks are used with the left hand one also operating the lights. The steering wheel boss has cruise control and audio repeaters, as almost all cars do these days. The centre of the dash has by the latest standards, a relatively small 10” infotainment screen. The touch interface proved a bit cumbersome, but there is also a control wheel in the centre console. Features include a XM satellite radio, a nine speaker sound system, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, as well as navigation, an LTE WiFi hotspot and GM OnStar. The central air vents are set low, and, increasingly unusually these days, there is a long row of physical buttons for the dual zone automated climate control. There is a wireless charging pad in front of the gearlever.

Seat upholstery is an artificial leather, of reasonable quality. There is all-around electric adjustment, and both front seats can be heated and cooled. The heated steering wheel has a wide range of electric adjustment, so drivers of all shapes and sizes should be able to get the optimum position to suit. I found the seat to be comfortable and supportive and there is a feeling of plenty of space here.

It is a mixed story for those in the rear seats. There is plenty of legroom, even with the front seats set well back, and width is such that three adults should be able to fit across the car, but the sloping rear roofline does limit headroom somewhat. There is a drop-down central armrest with cup holders in the upper surface and oddments can be placed in the map pockets on the back of the front seats or the door bins. Boot space is not that generous, with total capacity somewhat less than that of all of the CT5’s rivals. The floor area is not completely flat, either. There is no additional space under the floor, but you can expand the capacity by folding the asymmetrically split rear backrests. Inside the cabin, there are all the usual sort of places for odds and ends. The glovebox is a decent size and there are pockets on the doors as well as a central armrest cubby.

The 2023 Cadillac CT5 is available in three trims: Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport. Standard equipment includes a 237 bhp turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission; a 335 bhp twin-turbocharged V6 is available for the Premium Luxury. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available in the top two trims. Standard features in the base Luxury trim include synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, a 10-inch touch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a nine-speaker stereo, wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hot spot, HD Radio, satellite radio, Bluetooth, three USB ports, dual-zone automatic climate control, proximity keyless entry, push-button start, remote start and 18-inch wheels. Standard driver-assistance features include a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a rear-seat alert, a safety alert seat, automatic high-beam headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers and the Teen Driver system. The available Sun and Sound package adds a sunroof, navigation and a 15-speaker Bose premium audio system, while the Cold Weather package adds heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Luxury trim gains genuine leather upholstery, ambient interior lighting, front parking sensors and adaptive cruise control. When this trim was new, it was available with a V6 engine, and you could option it with several packages and stand-alone features. The Technology package adds a 12-inch digital gauge cluster and head-up display. The Parking package comes with a rear-camera mirror, a surround-view camera system, hands-free park assist, rear pedestrian detection, heated outside mirrors, a cabin air purifier and a hands-free power trunk lid. The Super Cruise 1 package includes the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, plus a surround-view camera system, paddle shifters and a 12-inch digital gauge cluster. The Super Cruise 2 package includes the Super Cruise system along with a 12-inch digital gauge cluster, navigation, a 15-speaker Bose premium audio system, a surround-view camera system, a head-up display, paddle shifters, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Sport trim adds 19-inch wheels and performance front seats with larger side bolsters. However, it gives up genuine leather upholstery for synthetic leather. The Sport trim has many of the same options as the Premium Luxury.

Yet again, Cadillac have tried hard to deliver a class-leading product, in this case to one of the more demanding sectors of the market, and although the end result is far from a bad product, they’re not really going to trouble many of the rivals with the result. For those who want to buy American, the CT5 certainly has appeal, though you will have to accept the sometimes poor ride and lack of space in the back and the boot, but for any truly objective buyer, the reality is that there is quite a long list of alternatives, all of which are excellent. That’s certainly the case with the German trio of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but the list of rivals does not stop there, with alternatives form Lexus, Volvo, Genesis and Jaguar all of whom also offer very capable products. Without a back-to-back comparison of them all, I’d find it hard to pick out “the best” or even my favourite, but, whilst I did enjoy sampling the CT5, I can say that the Cadillac still is not that car.