Grey Poupon
Cadillac once stood for the absolute peak of perceived excellence. It’s not said as often anymore, but for a time, referring to anything as ‘The Cadillac of X’ was a surefire way to know you had the most socially lauded iteration of whatever you wanted to enjoy, from caviar to cars, to the more mundane like mustard. Cadillac has since distanced itself from that plush and pompous past, trimming the fat with offerings like the CTS-V Blackwing. Of course, excess and luxury still exists among the brand, but it’s largely restricted to the Escalade. So, what does that mean for the rest of the lineup? Are the remaining models an array of apathy to help certain players stand out from the crowd? In some ways yes, but that doesn’t mean there’s no redeeming qualities to be enjoyed.
The people of North America have spoken and sadly, the sporty sedan is, by all financial measures, on its way out. We want trucks, crossovers and hybrids – and that is a crying shame when vehicles as handsome as the CT5 exist. Of course, style is subjective, but we can find no fault in this design. It is The Rock in a tailored suit. Handsome, aggressive athletic and elegant, all in the same brushstroke. Finished in an almost matte-like paint, the Diamond Sky Metallic exterior shifts in tone from a chalky white to a subtle lavender depending on the light. It’s really quite beautiful, especially with the lightly tinted rear lights, which we’d recommend as a no-cost option. Our tester featured standard 19-inch silver alloys on run-flat all-season tires with some blue Brembo brakes peeking behind the spokes.
The skin-deep beauty continues inside, especially when buyers select the Sky Cool Grey interior like our tester featured. Of course, there’s always a worry about staining, but my goodness, this (virtually) white on white combination on our tester is a wonderful throwback to the visually bold colour schemes of yore, and we’re all for it. Black on black is fine, but boring (to us, anyway.) However, you can start to see some cost-cutting measures in effect from the inside. The dashboard’s clean elegance and premium-feeling materials such as the seat surfaces are jarringly offset by frequent use of cheaper looking plastics seemingly plucked straight from the GM parts catalogue.
Our 550T gets its power from a turbocharged 335hp 3.0L V6 mated to a 10-speed transmission. In regular, low-effort daily driving, the engine does a fine job. It is smooth and gradual, with minimally intrusive shifts from the transmission. This is where the car shines best to us. The engine also works fantastically in sport mode, but for those exciting drives, we’d recommend letting the car do its own shifting. Using the paddles proved empty and unsatisfying. The vehicle is far too restrictive in its shift allowances, and it’s just not enjoyable using the paddles. It feels more like clicking a button. There’s no weight or feeling behind each shift, assuming the car even lets you.
However, shifty shifts aside, the CT5’s optional AWD system still results in an enjoyable, engaging drive. Personally we’d have liked to see it lean more towards its luxurious routes, keeping the sportiness for the Blackwing. But if the dizzying arrays of M-Sports and F-Sport trim levels are anything to go by, Cadillac is simply responding to what buyers want – which is understandable because it’s absolutely not sport sedans. Even in a niche market, you still need to appeal to the largest demographic.
We gave the CT5 a lengthy test to see how it could handle something beyond the daily commute, by driving it from Toronto to Gatineau. It was on such a lengthy drive that certain options shined, and a lack of features in other areas were sorely missed. Canada’s autumn season can result in certain days which are crispier than others – and the lack of heated seats and a heated steering wheel immediately puts a damper. These are not unreasonable options to expect on a car whose trim level contains the term ‘Premium Luxury.’ Thankfully, it did feature adaptive cruise control with a lane-keeping system in place, in addition to Android Auto/Apple CarPlay integration and a very buttery Bose sound system – a road trip’s best friend.
The spacious cabin is comfortable and sizable enough for drivers and occupants of all manner of sizes and heights, but of course, check with your taller friends before putting them in the back. A surprisingly cavernous trunk provided more than enough space for the weekend trip. If you needed even more space, the trunk is expandable thanks to split-folding rear seats. Despite its available sport mode, or custom setups, we’d really recommend leaving the steering in comfort. Driving around tight city streets with such heavy steering is far more work than a luxury car ought to put its operator through. But visibility is fantastic and even with a driver-focused dashboard, the vehicle feels light and airy behind the wheel. But you know what isn’t light at all? The stalks. We’d have loved to see some illumination for at least the wiper stalk for those evening rainfalls. GM’s digital rear-view mirror is also featured in the CT5.
It's not leaning into Luxury like a Lincoln, and it’s not quite as hardcore as its German rivals. The question remains – who exactly is the CT5 for? Sales have been on a steady decline – with the most significant drop between 2019 and 2020, with the future looking increasingly grim. There’s a lot to like about the CT5, but Blackwing aside, the brand is not doing enough with the vehicle to give it any leg up. As sales continue to dwindle, it’s not hard to think Cadillac is simply letting the car live out its expected life before pulling the plug for good. The mighty will eventually fall - and from those ruins, something new and great can come. But it can be difficult taking pleasure in any kind of downfall. At least this one, you can drive into the ground.