Compare the2025 Cadillac CelestiqVS 2025 Tesla Model S

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Cadillac Celestiq are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Tesla Model S doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Celestiq 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 Model S doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Celestiq helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Model S doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Celestiq has a standard 360 degree parking monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model S 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 Cadillac Celestiq’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Tesla Model S does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Celestiq’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model S doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Celestiq has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model S doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Celestiq and the Model S have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Cadillac Celestiq weighs 1224 to 1440 pounds more than the Tesla Model S. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Celestiq’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 52 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Cadillac higher than Tesla.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Tesla With 56 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Cadillac higher than Tesla.

Brakes and Stopping

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Celestiq has standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Model S doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Celestiq has larger tires than the Model S (285/35R23 vs. 255/45R19). The Celestiq’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model S (285/35R23 vs. 265/35R21).

The Celestiq’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 Model S’ standard 45 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Celestiq has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Model S. The Celestiq’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the Model S.

The Celestiq 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 Model S doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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

Suspension and Handling

The Celestiq has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Model S doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Celestiq offers an available active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Tesla doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Model S.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Celestiq’s wheelbase is 13.7 inches longer than on the Model S (130.2 inches vs. 116.5 inches).

Passenger Space

The Celestiq has 1 inch more front headroom, 3.4 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom, 6 inches more rear hip room and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model S.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Celestiq’s rear seats recline. The Model S’ rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Celestiq has a much larger trunk than the Model S with its rear seat up (31.6 vs. 28.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Celestiq’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model S has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

The Celestiq’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model S’ cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Celestiq’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model S doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Celestiq has standard extendable sun visors. The Model S doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and rear seats keep the Celestiq’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Model S doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Celestiq has standard massaging front and rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Model S.

The Celestiq’s standard oscillating air vents move back and forth and distribute air evenly inside the vehicle, making everyone more comfortable. The Model S doesn’t offer oscillating vents.

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