There’s no car company that has managed to turn its brand name into the “best” of something. When someone calls a brand the “Cadillac” of its field, they are simply saying that it’s managed to become the best.
Cadillac is synonymous with American luxury and 2019 is no different.
Or is it? Cadillac certainly has their roots in large luxury vehicles, but their 2019 lineup is full of agile and powerful modern sedans. The luxury touches are of course still there, but they have some truly exhilarating cars to drive as well. 2019 could be a great year for Cadillac! All statistics are for the 2019 model year, unless not available, in which case 2018 was used
Cadillac ATS
Specifications: $36,490+ - 16-31 mpg - 464 hp
Review: The ATS is Cadillac’s sport coupe dreams brought to life. It’s also available in a 4 door sedan model. The base model features a 272 horsepower and rear wheel drive. Many may choose to move up to a 335 horsepower V6 and all wheel drive.
Even better is the ATS-V model. This sport tuned version features a 464 monster of an engine and road performance similar to that of German sport coupes like the BMW M3. The ATS-V is truly American luxury and American sports cars married together in one.
Cadillac CT6
Specifications: $55,090+ - 22-30 mpg - 404 hp
Review: If there’s one vehicle in the Cadillac lineup with a European feel, it’s the CT6. The styling is sleek and modern, portraying power and strength. Behind the wheel, luxury surrounds the driver and anyone else in the cabin. As a nod to the future, the CT6 even has a plug in hybrid option which has a very short 31 mile pure electric range. Those short little trips within the neighborhood to the store can now be done without an ounce of gas being used! It’s an unexpected option in a luxury car.
Cadillac CTS
Specifications: $33,135+ - 22-30 mpg - 420 hp
Review: The CTS (and its hyperactive 600 hp brother, the CTS-V) were the vehicles that showed the world that Cadillac was ready to compete with the Europeans and win! The 420 hp V6 is only available in the V-Sport edition of the car. One wonderful quirk is that the CTS comes standard with rear wheel drive, making it a perfect luxury driver for true driving enthusiasts.
Cadillac Escalade
Specifications: $75,990+ - 14-23 mpg - 420 hp
Review: When it comes to size, there’s not much that can match the Escalade. This behemoth of an automobile perhaps best represents the past of American cars. It’s huge and the fuel economy is dreadful. However, what it does have is pure luxury and size. There’s no amount of luggage that won’t fit inside the back of the ESV model with 25 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. Take out that third row and it’s likely that another smaller car could fit in there. It’s big, excessive and expensive. There’s something kind of great about the fact it doesn’t apologize for that!
Cadillac XT4
Specifications: $35,790+ - 24-30 mpg - 237 hp
Review: There’s no segment of the sport utility market that’s hotter than the compact luxury crossover market right now. The XT4 entered the fight late, but is a feisty option! It features Cadillac styling with the distinctive grille and headlights. While the turbocharged 4 cylinder offers decent pep, the transmission can feel like it’s a bit sad and slow with shifting. It does feature high end safety features with blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alerts in the rear of the vehicle. These often aren’t available in competitors.
Cadillac XT5
Specifications: $41,590+ - 19-26 mpg - 310 hp
Review: The XT5 is the offering most families choose when they need a little bit of space. The rear set has a lot of versatility, which can maximize passenger or cargo space. It can also comfortable shift in the same ways that front seats do, allowing passengers back there to feel just as comfortable. While powerful, the brakes can feel a touch soft, so stopping from high speeds can feel a little uncomfortable.
Cadillac XTS
Specifications: $47,390+ - 19-28 mpg - 410 hp
Review: The Cadillac XTS is the most traditional of the 2019 Cadillac lineup. It’s big and brings back fond remembrance of the term “that car is a boat”. Inside this boat is a huge interior with luxury draped upon every surface. Tech features are easily accessed in the front console and much improved on past models. While the base model features 304 hp, the V-Sport option pack will put 410 hp at the driver’s fingertips.
Cadillac CT5
Specifications: $TBD - TBD mpg - TBD hp
Review: Unfortunately, Cadillac is slow to release their full details on the CT5. What’s known is vehicle is going to be the anchor as Cadillac redesigns it’s sedan offerings into three tiers. The CT5 is expected to ship with three different motor options and potentially a plug in hybrid option. More information will become available as the CT5 is released to the public beyond the test vehicles. Hopefully the CT5 will also get a V version for people looking for extreme speed in addition to the great luxury.
New vs Used
There are some fantastic used Cadillacs. The farther back people go, the more likely it is that people can find one of those classic, comically large luxury barges. While fun to own, it’s true that most used vehicles from Cadillac do not have particularly good fuel economy. It’s only in recent years that fuel economy has improved enough to be even average.