Compare the2023 Cadillac CT5VS 2023 Acura TLX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
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 TLX 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 for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The TLX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CT5 has a standard blind spot warning system that 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 TLX’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CT5 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Acura charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Monitor on the TLX.

Both the CT5 and the TLX 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 Acura TLX:

	CT5	TLX
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	5 lbs.	27 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	340	358
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	32%
Neck Stress	144 lbs.	186 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	93/36 lbs.	416/473 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 Acura TLX:

	CT5	TLX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	233 lbs.	279 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	93	181
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	240	464

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

Warranty

The CT5’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the TLX’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CT5’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the CT5’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the TLX’s camshafts. If the TLX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura 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 Acura 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, Acura is rated below average.

Engine

The CT5’s optional 3.0 turbo V6 produces 51 lbs.-ft. more torque (405 vs. 354) than the TLX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Cadillac CT5 turbo V6 is faster than the TLX Type S 3.0 turbo V6:

	CT5	TLX
Zero to 60 MPH	4.8 sec	4.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	11.8 sec	12.6 sec
Quarter Mile	13.3 sec	13.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	103 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
CT5
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/26 hwy
TLX
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	19 city/25 hwy
		Perf. Tire 3.0 turbo V6	19 city/24 hwy

The CT5 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the TLX (17.5 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

The CT5 stops much shorter than the TLX:

	CT5	TLX
70 to 0 MPH	169 feet	177 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CT5 has larger standard tires than the TLX (245/45R18 vs. 235/50R18).

The CT5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the TLX’s standard 50 series tires.

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 TLX doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CT5’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the TLX (116 inches vs. 113 inches).

The CT5 Sport handles at .88 G’s, while the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CT5 Sport executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD (26.2 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CT5’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the TLX’s (39 feet vs. 40.1 feet).

Chassis

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 TLX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the CT5 a Mid-size car, while the TLX is rated a Compact.

The CT5 has 5.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the TLX (99 vs. 93.4).

The CT5 has 1.8 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the TLX.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s available trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The TLX doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The CT5 has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The TLX has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the CT5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the TLX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Acura. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 9% lower rating, Acura is ranked 6th.

Ergonomics

The CT5’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The TLX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the CT5 and the TLX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the CT5 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The TLX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The CT5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The TLX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The TLX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The TLX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the TLX.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the TLX.

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 TLX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Cadillac CT5 outsold the Acura TLX by 38% during 2022.