2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Long-Term Road Test: 10,000-Mile Update

10,000-Mile Replace

After a rocky begin to its 40,000-mile analysis—due to an sudden high-speed come across with a turkey vulture—the 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing has settled in, impressing as each a centered sports activities sedan and a day by day commuter. The CT4 is certainly one of 3 luxurious sports activities sedans in Automobile and Driving force‘s long-term fleet, along the 2022 BMW M3 and the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, however the compact Caddy has controlled to face out subsequent to its high-performance stablemates.

The CT4-V Blackwing’s sharp steerage and balanced dealing with have elicited reward, outshining the M3, specifically, for lots of in the case of motive force engagement. We’ve additionally come to understand the twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6’s throaty growl and firecracker exhaust, serving to us recover from the truth that the CT4 doesn’t have the CT5-V Blackwing’s supercharged 6.2-liter V-8.

The CT4-V Blackwing has additionally published a chameleon-like talent to conform to its atmosphere. Within the sportier power settings, the Blackwing can all of a sudden scythe its approach down a curvy nation highway, the snarling V-6 rocketing the CT4 out of corners because the suspension is helping it grasp to the pavement across the bends. However put the sports activities sedan into Excursion mode, and the engine observe quiets to a far off rumble whilst the magnetorheological dampers change into the auto right into a docile and at ease cruiser. The rear-seat passengers will undoubtedly respect the calmer trip in Excursion mode, even supposing the Cadillac is slightly tight on rear legroom, with its wheelbase measuring 3.2 inches shorter than the M3’s. But when somebody pipes up from the again seat and says, “Display us what this automotive can do!” you’ll be able to simply transfer it again into Observe mode and feature your passengers clinging onto the snatch handles, with a bit of luck with a glance of glee and now not terror on their faces.

The Electrical Blue paint has additionally introduced the CT4-V Blackwing an excellent quantity of consideration. Some are obviously conscious about the Caddy’s functionality credentials, whilst others are merely captivated by means of the bright hue. The eye will also be a laugh, however in case you are extra reserved, we would counsel a subtler colour just like the Wave Metal of our long-term CT5-V Blackwing.

Gas financial system has quite larger as we’ve added miles to the CT4-V Blackwing. In the course of the first 5000 miles, the CT4 averaged 19 mpg, however a couple of longer journeys have observed the mileage bump as much as 20 mpg. Whilst that determine nonetheless may not win you any issues with environmental teams, this can be a first rate development at the EPA’s mixed ranking of 18 mpg for the guide Blackwing.

Wintry weather has arrived in Michigan, with temperatures shedding into the 30s and a couple of gentle snowfalls. However sourcing wintry weather tires for the CT4-V Blackwing was once a problem. There are many alternatives for the 255/35R-18 entrance tires, however the 275/35 rear tires are an bizarre dimension, with not anything lately to be had in the ones dimensions. Forsaking the staggered setup may be now not an ideal choice, with a distinct offset entrance and rear. The entrance wheels measure 9.0 inches broad, however the rears have an additional 0.5 inch of width, so stretching 255s onto the rear wheels is not splendid.

Converting wheel sizes additionally introduced demanding situations—going an inch smaller would not supply ok house for the beefy six-piston entrance brake calipers. We requested Cadillac’s engineering crew what they run, and so they pointed us to a 265/35R-18 rear dimension. There are two such tires to be had, a Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 and a Pirelli Sottozero Serie II, and each had been hopelessly backordered. After a lot looking, handwringing, and taking into consideration sending our CT4 to the West Coast to trip out the wintry weather months, we came about upon a collection of discontinued Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 wintry weather tires on eBay in the right kind sizes.

In conjunction with becoming new tires, the CT4-V Blacking won scheduled provider at 7500 miles. The dealership carried out an oil-and-filter exchange that value $123. In a different way, our time with the CT4-V Blackwing has been clean crusing and we stay up for seeing how the sports activities sedan handles the wintry weather.

Months in Fleet: 4 months Present Mileage: 10,013 miles
Moderate Gas Economic system: 20 mpg
Gas Tank Measurement: 17.4 gal Noticed Gas Vary: 340 miles

Provider: $123 Restore: $0 Harm and Destruction: $4326

Advent

With a long-term fleet that already incorporates a 2022 BMW M3 and a 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing—either one of which let the driving force row their very own gears via six-speed guide transmissions—chances are you’ll assume that our sports-sedan itch could be satiated. However we consider there can by no means be too many stick-shift, high-performance four-doors. So after the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing earned a place on our 2022 10Best checklist and set a sub-three-minute time at Lightning Lap due to its 472-hp 3.6-liter engine, wealthy comments, and crisp dealing with, we ordered one for a long-term take a look at. Regardless that it stocks the Blackwing moniker with the bigger CT5-V, the CT4-V’s tighter dimensions and twin-turbo V-6 give the auto a distinctly other demeanor. The CT4-V Blackwing additionally offers our M3 an in-house rival.

As with our CT5-V Blackwing, we selected the six-speed guide gearbox. The stick shift is usual on Blackwing fashions and saves consumers greater than $3000 in comparison to the 10-speed automated. The bright $625 Electrical Blue hue of our CT4-V Blackwing truly pops. We matched the paint activity with blue brake calipers ($595) hiding at the back of a collection of 18-inch bronze-colored aluminum alloy wheels ($1500). The cabin is equipped with high-performance bucket seats, that have Sky Cool Grey quilted and perforated inserts and sueded seatbacks. They are a $4900 improve over the usual seats, which can be simple Jet Black leather-based. Those buckets also are heated and ventilated, a part of a required $600 package deal that still provides energy lumbar toughen for the driving force and entrance passenger. The particular seats additionally require another choice package deal, which wraps the headliner, door trim, and different internal bits in a suedelike microfiber.

In spite of packing fewer choices than the primary CT4-V Blackwing we examined in 2021, this case weighed in quite heavier at 3879 kilos. The additional 28 kilos could have ended in this Blackwing recording a zero.1 moment slower sprint to 60 mph, at 4.1 seconds, than that first take a look at automotive did, and it was once 0.2 moment at the back of on the quarter-mile with a 12.6-second run. The grippy Michelin Pilot Game 4S rubber helped our CT4-V report 1.01 g’s on the skidpad, and the tires and Brembo brakes clawed the Blackwing to a prevent from 70 mph in 149 ft. Whilst those functionality figures can’t relatively fit our long-term BMW M3—which hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, finished the quarter-mile in 12.2 ticks, and pulled 1.02 g’s at the skidpad—the Cadillac rings in just about $10,000 less expensive.

The spectacular run on the observe was once unfortunately lower brief by means of an sudden visitor. An afternoon after a deer were given up shut and private with the rear passenger-side door of our long-term CT5-V Blackwing, the CT4-V suffered a identical destiny, colliding with a turkey vulture at 144 mph. Solving the hen bash necessitated repairing a broken A-pillar, changing the passenger-side replicate and different trim items, and repainting the affected spaces. The paintings totaled greater than $4000 and compelled the Blackwing to spend 14 days at the sideline.

Harmful encounters with natural world apart, the CT4-V’s keep up to now has been stellar, with the sports activities sedan briefly incomes lots of reward, similar to its larger brother. We’ve constantly lauded the riding dynamics, with the pointy and responsive steerage and gearbox serving to the Cadillac really feel extra alive than the M3. One staffer even likened it to a Camaro SS 1LE, simply “with higher sightliness and an additional set of doorways.” Whilst some want the CT4-V had been powered by means of a extra characterful V-8, the V-6 supplies sufficient oomph to pin your noggin to the headrest and emits its personal distinctive burble.

Whilst the Blackwing’s talent to ferociously assault a curvy highway was once widely recognized from our reports at Lightning Lap and 10Best, the Cadillac is now appearing us that it may also excel within the day by day trip. The forgiving trip afforded by means of the adaptive magnetorheological dampers makes it noticeably extra at ease to are living with than the stiffer M3, which will also be punishing on Michigan’s damaged asphalt. Many commenters have already asserted their desire for the Blackwing over our long-term BMW. “If our M3 disappeared the following day, I would not pass over it,” one editor wrote, whilst every other stated, “If best the M3 may really feel so balanced and innovative.”

There were some lawsuits concerning the high quality of the internal fabrics, even supposing the cabin cheapness is much less egregious within the CT4-V than in our $100,000 CT5-V Blackwing. The Sky Cool Grey seats, which indubitably lend a hand enliven the internal, are already staining a gray-blue colour. Minor criticisms apart, the team of workers’s adoration for the CT4-V Blackwing manner the sports activities sedan must get started briefly racking up miles, even because the incoming Michigan wintry weather supplies a harsh take a look at for this Cadillac’s day by day usability.

Months in Fleet: 3 months Present Mileage: 5566 miles
Moderate Gas Economic system: 19 mpg
Gas Tank Measurement: 17.4 gal Noticed Gas Vary: 330 miles
Provider: $0 Standard Put on: $0 Restore: $0
Harm and Destruction: $4326