Compare the2022 Cadillac CT4VS 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

Both the CT4 and Arteon have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The CT4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Arteon’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CT4 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Arteon doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the CT4 and the Arteon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the CT4 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Arteon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Arteon ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The CT4’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Arteon’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 37 percent more Cadillac dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the CT4’s warranty.

The battery on the CT4 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the CT4’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Arteon’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac 22nd in initial quality. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 63 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 3 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The CT4’s optional 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder produces 42 more horsepower (310 vs. 268) and 92 lbs.-ft. more torque (350 vs. 258) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Cadillac CT4 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Volkswagen Arteon:

On the EPA test cycle the CT4 gets better mileage than the Arteon:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CT4’s fuel efficiency. The Arteon doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CT4 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Arteon doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Cadillac CT4 higher (6 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Arteon (3). This means the CT4 produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Arteon every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac CT4 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Arteon.

The CT4’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Arteon are solid, not vented.

The CT4 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Arteon doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the CT4 can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Arteon doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The CT4 Premium Luxury AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CT4’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Arteon’s (37.1 feet vs. 39 feet). The CT4 AWD’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Arteon’s (38 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Cadillac CT4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Volkswagen Arteon.

The CT4 is 4.4 inches shorter than the Arteon, making the CT4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the CT4 Premium Luxury uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Arteon doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CT4 has .4 inches more front headroom and 1.2 inches more front legroom than the Arteon.

The engine in the CT4 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Arteon. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 60% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

The CT4 Premium Luxury/Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Arteon doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Cadillac CT4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Arteon R-Line offers wireless charging.