2025 Cadillac CT4

There's plenty of power from any of the CT4's available engines, whether it's the base 237-horsepower engine, the 325-hp CT4 V-Series engine or the 472-hp V-Series Blackwing. While the power is nice, the standard CT4 and CT4-V come up woefully short when it comes to luxury-brand expectations. The sport-tuned suspension is too stiff in the day to day, and there isn't a noteworthy handling payoff. There's also quite a bit of hard plastic inside, even compared to similarly priced competitors. That said, the Blackwing's adaptive suspension and available manual transmission make it a much more compelling choice.

If you're shopping for a compact luxury sedan, you have options outside the CT4. Things start off with the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Audi A4. Those cars cost quite a bit more, though, but even when you compare it to less expensive entry-level luxury sedans from Acura and Lexus, the CT4's interior comes up short. The exception to this is the well-rounded CT4-V Blackwing, but that could be too much of a budget stretch for some.