Compare the2023 Cadillac CT4VS 2022 BMW 3 Series Sedan

Both the CT4 and 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan’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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The CT4 Premium Luxury/Sport offers an optional HD Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 3 Series Sedan only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The CT4 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 3 Series Sedan’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CT4 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

Both the CT4 and the 3 Series Sedan 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the CT4 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 3 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the 3 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 60 percent more Cadillac dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CT4’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

The CT4’s optional 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder produces 55 more horsepower (310 vs. 255) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (350 vs. 294) than the 330i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cadillac CT4 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the 330i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the CT4 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder RWD gets better fuel mileage than the M340i RWD (23 city/34 hwy vs. 23 city/32 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CT4’s fuel efficiency. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CT4 has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan (17 vs. 15.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 3 Series Sedan 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 to 7 out of 10) than the BMW 3 Series Sedan (5 to 7). This means the CT4 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan.

For better traction, the CT4 Premium Luxury’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (235/40R18 vs. 225/35R20).

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the CT4’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (37.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The CT4 AWD’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan xDrive’s (38 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The CT4 has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The 3 Series Sedan has no towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 14% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

The CT4 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

Consumer Reports rated the CT4’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the 3 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Optional air-conditioned seats in the CT4 Premium Luxury/Sport keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The CT4 Sport offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 3 Series Sedan.

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. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the CT4 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CT4 will cost $870 less than the 3 Series Sedan over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Cadillac CT4 will be $4525 to $13400 less than for the BMW 3 Series Sedan.