Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class SedanVS 2023 Cadillac CT5

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class Sedan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac CT5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The E-Class Sedan’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The CT5 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The E-Class Sedan’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The CT5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The E-Class Sedan offers an optional Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The CT5 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the E-Class Sedan and CT5 offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the E-Class Sedan with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert also has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The CT5’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The E-Class Sedan’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The CT5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the E-Class Sedan and the CT5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems 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 Mercedes E-Class Sedan is safer than the Cadillac CT5:

	E-Class Sedan	CT5
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	204	340
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	120 lbs.	144 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 Mercedes E-Class Sedan is safer than the Cadillac CT5:

	E-Class Sedan	CT5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	149 lbs.	209 lbs.
Hip Force	223 lbs.	233 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	57 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	20 inches

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the E-Class Sedan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CT5 has not been tested, yet.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the E-Class Sedan third among midsize premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The CT5 isn’t in the top three.

Engine

The E 350 Sedan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 18 more horsepower (255 vs. 237) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the CT5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (362 vs. 335) than the CT5’s optional 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the E 450 4MATIC Sedan 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Cadillac CT5 turbo V6:

	E-Class Sedan	CT5
Zero to 60 MPH	4.3 sec	4.8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	11 sec	11.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.2 sec	5.7 sec
Quarter Mile	12.9 sec	13.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	108 MPH	106 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class Sedan gets better mileage than the CT5:

			MPG
E-Class Sedan
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/31 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/30 hwy
CT5
	RWD	3.0 turbo V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/26 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the E-Class Sedan 450’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CT5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The E-Class Sedan 450’s standard fuel tank has 3.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the CT5 (21.1 vs. 17.5 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the CT5:

	E-Class Sedan	E 450 4MATIC Sedan	CT5	CT5 Sport
Front Rotors	12.7 inches	14.2 inches	12.6 inches	13.6 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	12.6 inches	12.4 inches	12.4 inches

The E-Class Sedan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the CT5 are solid, not vented.

The E-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the CT5:

	E-Class Sedan	CT5
70 to 0 MPH	154 feet	169 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	106 feet	114 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The E-Class Sedan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The E-Class Sedan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The CT5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The E-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The CT5 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC handles at .92 G’s, while the CT5 Premium Luxury pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the CT5 Sport (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 26.2 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the E 350 Sedan’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the CT5’s (38.1 feet vs. 39 feet). The E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the CT5 AWD’s (39 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

Passenger Space

The E-Class Sedan has 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the CT5.

Cargo Capacity

The E-Class Sedan has a much larger trunk than the CT5 (13.1 vs. 11.9 cubic feet).

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the E-Class offers cargo security. The CT5’s non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the E-Class Sedan has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The CT5 doesn’t offer a power trunk, so its trunk has to be closed manually.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport, the E-Class Sedan has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

If the windows are left open on the E-Class Sedan the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the CT5 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The E-Class Sedan has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The CT5 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class Sedan to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The CT5 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

The CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The E-Class Sedan’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the E-Class Sedan has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The CT5 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the E-Class Sedan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The CT5 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The E-Class Sedan has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the CT5. The E-Class Sedan also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CT5.

Model Availability

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Cadillac CT5 isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or station wagon.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the E-Class as their 2021 Car of the Year. The CT5 has never been chosen.

The Mercedes E-Class/CLS outsold the Cadillac CT5 by 18% during 2022.