Compare the2023 Cadillac CT5VS 2022 Audi A6

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 CT5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A6 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A6 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CT5 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. Only the A6 Premium Plus/Prestige offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CT5 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. Only the A6 Premium Plus/Prestige has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the CT5 and the A6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Cadillac CT5 is safer than the Audi A6:

	CT5	A6
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	155	197
Neck Injury Risk	24%	30%
Neck Stress	217 lbs.	322 lbs.
Neck Compression	5 lbs.	64 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	340	354
Neck Injury Risk	25%	41%
Neck Stress	144 lbs.	228 lbs.
Neck Compression	79 lbs.	98 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	93/36 lbs.	263/331 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Cadillac CT5 is safer than the Audi A6:

	CT5	A6
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	129	135
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	233 lbs.	262 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	93	135
Hip Force	573 lbs.	716 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	240	395
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	39 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the CT5 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A6. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the A6 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 84 percent more Cadillac dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CT5’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 76 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

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 Audi 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, Audi is rated below average.

Engine

The CT5’s optional 3.0 turbo V6 produces 36 lbs.-ft. more torque (405 vs. 369) than the A6 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CT5 gets better mileage than the A6:

			MPG
CT5
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
A6
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6 Hybrid	21 city/30 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CT5’s fuel efficiency. The A6 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CT5 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 A6 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac CT5, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A6.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CT5 Sport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the A6:

	CT5 Sport	A6
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13.3 inches

The CT5 stops shorter than the A6:

	CT5	A6
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	129 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The CT5’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A6’s optional 40 series tires.

The CT5 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 A6 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the CT5 can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The A6 doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Chassis

The Cadillac CT5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 pounds less than the Audi A6.

The front grille of the CT5 (except Premium Luxury/Sport) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The A6 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The CT5 has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more rear legroom than the A6.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 15% lower rating, Audi is ranked 8th.

Ergonomics

The CT5 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A6 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Consumer Reports rated the CT5’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the A6’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Cadillac CT5 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the A6 Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional Automatic Parking Assist with Braking can parallel park by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The A6 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The CT5 is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The A6 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the CT5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CT5 will cost $670 to $4610 less than the A6 over a five-year period.

The CT5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CT5 will retain 41.65% to 41.68% of its original price after five years, while the A6 only retains 39.58% to 41.37%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Cadillac CT5 will be $18718 to $22227 less than for the Audi A6.

Recommendations

The Cadillac CT5 outsold the Audi A6/S6/RS 6 by 15% during the 2021 model year.

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