Compare the2025 Volvo S90VS 2025 Cadillac CT5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S90 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 S90’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.

Both the S90 and CT5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S90 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 CT5’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.

The Volvo S90 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. Cadillac doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the CT5. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; S90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

The S90 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The CT5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S90 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S90. But it costs extra on the CT5.

Both the S90 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, 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, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Volvo S90 weighs 469 to 965 pounds more than the Cadillac CT5. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The S90’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the CT5’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S90 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the CT5.

The S90 B6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 58 more horsepower (295 vs. 237) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 258) than the CT5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The S90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 120 more horsepower (455 vs. 335) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 405) than the CT5’s optional 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the S90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the Cadillac CT5 turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the S90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the CT5:

On the EPA test cycle the S90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the CT5:

The S90 T8 can travel with zero emissions for 38 miles. The CT5 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the S90’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CT5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The S90 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the CT5. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

For better stopping power the S90’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CT5:

The S90’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 S90 stops shorter than the CT5:

For better traction, the S90 has larger tires than the CT5 (255/35R20 vs. 245/45R18).

The S90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CT5’s standard 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the CT5.

The S90 B6 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on T8) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the CT5; it requires you to depend on its optional run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The S90 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The CT5’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S90’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the CT5 (120.5 inches vs. 116 inches).

The S90 handles at .90 G’s, while the CT5 Premium Luxury pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the S90’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the CT5’s (38.7 feet vs. 39 feet). The S90’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the CT5 AWD’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

The S90 has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CT5 (102 vs. 99).

The S90 has 2.7 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear hip room than the CT5.

The S90 has a much larger trunk than the CT5 (13.5 vs. 11.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the S90 easier. The S90’s trunk lift-over height is 26.5 inches, while the CT5’s liftover is 27.8 inches.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the S90’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The CT5 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its sedan body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S90 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 S90 has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or just by 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.

The S90’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CT5’s (1650 vs. 1000 pounds).

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the CT5, the S90 Ultra has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The CT5 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The CT5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A power rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are standard in the S90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The CT5 doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The Volvo S90 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the CT5.

Both the S90 and the CT5 have standard heated front seats. The S90 also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CT5.

The S90 Ultra has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The CT5 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The S90 has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The CT5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.