2023 Dodge Charger vs 2023 Cadillac CT5

In Southern California, the 2023 Cadillac CT5 stood out amidst a sea of Asian and German luxury cars, drawing attention and admiration from onlookers, particularly men. The test vehicle, a CT5-V, was adorned in a unique light gray metallic color called Rift, which, combined with its 19-inch aluminum wheels with a Pearl Nickel finish, made it a rare sight in a world dominated by black wheels. The CT5-V, positioned between the standard CT5 and the high-performance CT5-V Blackwing, offered a sporty yet luxurious appeal. Despite its competitive pricing, the interior quality of the CT5-V revealed a mix of high-end materials and less impressive details, such as hard plastic panels and unlined storage areas. However, it boasted standard features like ambient lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a blend of performance and luxury.

The 2023 Dodge Charger, despite its age, maintained a distinct and modern appearance, especially when compared to more frequently redesigned models like the Accord, Altima, and Camry. The R/T Scatpack Swinger model, with its widebody kit and 20-inch wheels, exuded a bold and aggressive stance. The Charger’s interior, however, felt dated, with a small touchscreen and plasticky knobs reminiscent of an earlier era. Despite this, the Swinger model featured unique touches like green stitching and a Swinger badge, adding a touch of flair to an otherwise basic interior. The Charger’s controls were straightforward and user-friendly, providing a familiar and distraction-free driving experience.

The 2023 Cadillac CT5-V was powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine, delivering 360 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. This engine outperformed the base engines of its German rivals but fell short compared to the BMW M340i and Mercedes-AMG C 43. The CT5-V could accelerate to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, although it felt slower than it sounded. The car featured a 10-speed automatic transmission, which, while nearly faultless in most conditions, occasionally required manual intervention via paddle shifters for optimal performance. The CT5-V offered various driving modes, including Tour, Sport, Track, My Mode, and V-Mode, allowing drivers to tailor the car’s dynamics to their preferences. Despite its impressive balance and grip, the CT5-V was not a quiet car, with noticeable road noise and a lack of refinement on imperfect surfaces. Nevertheless, it provided an enjoyable driving experience, particularly on winding roads.

The 2023 Dodge Charger offered a range of engine options, starting with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which produced up to 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. However, the real excitement lay in the V8 models. The R/T featured a 5.7-liter V8 with 370 horsepower, while the Scatpack Swinger boasted a 6.4-liter V8 with 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. The Charger’s handling was surprisingly poised, with good front-end grip and steering precision, although it was best to avoid mid-corner corrections due to its size. The Charger’s braking performance was exceptional, particularly on Scat Pack Widebody trims and above, which featured Brembo brakes. The Hellcat models, with their supercharged 6.2-liter engines, offered mind-boggling power, with up to 807 horsepower in the Redeye Jailbreak variant. However, their fuel economy was abysmal, with a range of about 250 miles on a tank.

The 2023 Cadillac CT5 offered a spacious and comfortable interior, with standard 18-way power-adjustable front seats wrapped in Inteluxe artificial leather. Genuine leather and heated and ventilated front seats were optional. The rear seats, while slightly challenging to access, provided good comfort and support, reminiscent of a BMW 3 Series. The CT5-V featured functional storage areas, including a wireless smartphone charging pad and a decent-sized storage bin under the center armrest. However, the trunk was disappointingly small, offering just 11.9 cubic feet of cargo space, although it did include some hidden storage options.

In contrast, the 2023 Dodge Charger, despite its large size, felt cramped inside. The footwells were tight, and the transmission tunnel limited rear legroom. However, the trunk was spacious, offering 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space. The Charger’s controls were straightforward and easy to use, with large buttons and switches for the dual-zone climate control, lighting, and audio system. The interior, while dated, provided a familiar and distraction-free environment for drivers.

The 2023 Cadillac CT5 excelled in making technology accessible and user-friendly. Its Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system featured a 10-inch touchscreen and a 12-inch digital instrumentation display, offering simplicity over flashy graphics. Standard features included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, and a Bose 15-speaker audio system. The CT5-V also offered optional upgrades like a head-up display and a surround-view camera. However, the lack of an embedded navigation system in the test car limited the ability to fully test the voice recognition system.

The 2023 Dodge Charger, while lacking the latest Uconnect system and advanced driver-assistance features, offered a straightforward 8.4-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, and voice recognition. The Charger SRT Dashboard app allowed for extensive customization of the car’s performance settings, including throttle, steering, and transmission. The Performance Pages feature provided real-time data on power and torque, while the Hellcat models included additional cooling functions for the supercharger.

The 2023 Cadillac CT5 came equipped with the Cadillac Smart System, which included forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and a vibrating Safety Alert Seat. The CT5-V added features like adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. The optional Super Cruise 1 Package offered hands-free driving assistance on approved highways, although it required the driver to remain attentive and ready to take control.

The 2023 Dodge Charger performed well in NHTSA crash tests, receiving four out of five stars overall. However, it lacked standard safety assists, with features like forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control available only as options on certain trims. Blind-spot monitoring was also optional on select models.