2024 Honda Civic vs 2024 Cadillac CT5

The 2024 Cadillac CT5, which had been on the market since 2020, succeeded the iconic Cadillac CTS. While the CTS was known for its bold and revolutionary styling, the CT5 dialed back the intensity slightly. Gone were the excessive chrome accents and geometric surfaces. Instead, the CT5 featured a more restrained yet distinctive front fascia. Its stretched wheelbase gave it a statelier appearance compared to the smaller Cadillac CT4. A subtle fastback silhouette added a touch of sportiness, although this detail was best noticed upon close inspection.

Compared to its older competitors like the Audi A6 (since 2019), the BMW 5 Series, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (both redesigned for 2024), the CT5 managed to hold its ground with a clean and contemporary design. The Cadillac offered base Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport trims, with the latter featuring racier elements like a rear spoiler and alloy pedals. Despite Cadillac’s efforts, the interior left a mixed impression. Various surface materials on the dashboard and door cards didn’t blend well, detracting from the luxury feel, even when equipped with semi-aniline leather and carbon-fiber trim.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Civic Si retained a stealthy, sport-injected design reminiscent of its early days, dating back to the sporty 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI era. This tradition was reflected in the modern Civic Si's appearance, with LED headlights, a unique grille insert, and a trunk lid gloss-black lip spoiler. Discreet "Si" badges and 18-inch matte-black wheels provided a subtle yet sporty look.

Inside, the Civic Si showcased a vibrant interior with red seat and door panel inserts, a metal mesh strip on the dashboard, and metal pedal covers. It maintained a balance between sportiness and practicality. The cockpit was centered around a touchscreen infotainment system and included gloss black surfaces and polished metal detailing.

Under the hood, the 2024 Cadillac CT5 offered multiple powertrain options. The base model featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. A 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine was available, delivering 335 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The CT5-V variant boasted a tuned twin-turbo V6 generating 360 hp, while the high-performance CT5-V Blackwing featured a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 producing a whopping 668 hp.

Our test car, a CT5 Premium Luxury AWD, offered a thrilling driving experience. With a 0-60 mph time of 5.1 seconds (4.9 seconds for RWD models), handling was neutral, with impressive road grip and rear-end rotation aiding in cornering. Ride quality leaned towards sportiness, though 19-inch wheels maintained comfort levels. Interior noise was well-managed, providing a quiet and refined cabin.

Conversely, the 2024 Honda Civic Si provided a high-output version of the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, making 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. Paired exclusively with a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission featuring downshift rev-matching, the Si delivered an engaging driving experience. Additional performance features included a single-mass lightweight flywheel, a helical limited-slip differential, and a dual-pinion variable-ratio steering system.

In daily driving, the Civic Si was surprisingly docile but came alive when pushed, particularly on twisty roads. We experienced this firsthand on Southern California's Mulholland Highway, where the Si demonstrated its agility. Forward visibility, steering precision, and tire grip contributed to a fun and confidence-inspiring drive, although we encountered brake overheating during hard driving. Nonetheless, the Civic Si achieved an average fuel efficiency of 29.5 mpg, just shy of the EPA-rated 31 mpg.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 offered competitive passenger space among luxury sedans. It had more front headroom than the Audi A6 and outgoing Mercedes E-Class, and nearly matched the BMW 5 Series. However, it fell short in second-row headroom, though it made up for it with the most legroom in both rows. The CT5's trunk space of 11.9 cubic feet was the smallest in its class.

Driving position in the CT5 was optimized for comfort and visibility. The base Luxury trim featured 12-way power front seat adjustments, while Premium Luxury and Sport trims offered 14-way and 18-way power adjustments, respectively. The center console was well-designed, accommodating a shifter, rotary infotainment controller, cupholders, and wireless phone charger.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si balanced performance with practicality. Its sport-bolstered front seats, despite manual adjustments, provided good support. The Civic Si's lower stance required more effort to get in and out, but rear-seat passengers enjoyed generous legroom and a supportive cushion. Interior features included single-zone automatic climate control and a power sunroof, though it lacked heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and rear-seat USB ports. Cargo space was commendable at 14.4 cubic feet, with the ability to stow full-size suitcases on their sides and a 60/40-split folding back seat for longer items.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 featured a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The optional Technology Package added a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display. Standard features included three USB ports and wireless phone charging. However, unlike its German competitors, the CT5 didn’t offer extensive dashboard-spanning screens, opting instead for everyday usability with large, smartphone-like icons and intuitive controls.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, including wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. Despite lacking a native navigation system, the Civic Si made up for it with user-friendly controls, including physical buttons and knobs for essential functions. The integration of Apple CarPlay was seamless, ensuring a straightforward and satisfying infotainment experience.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 boasted impressive safety credentials, earning a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including perfect scores in frontal, side, and rollover crash tests. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Optional features encompassed adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, and GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving system, which excelled in providing a confident and intuitive driving experience.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si came equipped with Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). However, during our evaluation, the system’s intrusive lane-keeping assist and inconsistent adaptive cruise control detracted from the overall driving experience. Nevertheless, the Civic Si earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, with a minor drawback of a four-star rating for front passenger protection in frontal-impact collisions.