2012 Cadillac CTS-V vs. Its Competition

2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe 2-door Coupe Angular Front Exterior View

Meta Rating 8.8 out of 10

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Oct 31, 2011

Closer in size to the mid-size Germans, the Cadillac CTS-V is priced against more compact sports cars.

A chief rival is BMW's M3 lineup of sedans, coupes and convertibles, brilliant performers with V-8 power and hefty curb weights.

The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is another paddle-shifted, mega-watt offering, this year with a new coupe body style added to the lineup.

The Lexus IS-F competes on paper, but its interior isn't quite up to snuff, and its eight-speed transmission is a shifty piece--and it's sedan-only.

The Audi S4 is a bit shy on performance, and its supercharged V-6 sounds coarse compared to the Caddy or BMW or Benz, but it's more of a bargain, and has standard all-wheel drive.

Lastly, there's the Infiniti G37 IPL, a more sporty version of the G lineup that's not quite as transformed as the other superheated sports sedans, coupes and convertibles in this class.

2012 Cadillac CTS-V Get FREE Price Quote	2012 Audi S4 Get FREE Price Quote	2012 BMW M3 Get FREE Price Quote	2012 Infiniti G37 Sedan Get FREE Price Quote	2012 Lexus IS F Get FREE Price Quote	2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class Get FREE Price Quote
Quick Specs
Meta Rating
8.8 With its ZR1-derived powertrain, the 2012 Cadillac CTS-V stuffs 'Vette excitement into a track-ready Cadillac coupe, wagon or sedan.	8.2 For those who like what they see in the pert Audi A4 sport sedan but want an emphasis on the 'sport'—without giving up any practicality—the 2012 Audi S4 is the way to go.	8.6 Despite the weight gain, the BMW M3's still one of the most stunning performance vehicles we've driven.	7.8 Forget that the 2012 Infiniti G Sedans are somewhat practical four-door designs; they can provide all the sensory thrills and dynamic satisfaction of full-fledged sports cars.	7.8 The 2012 Lexus IS F is a unique take on the luxury/performance formula, and will appeal to those that find the Germans too performance-focused.	8.2 With a new base four-cylinder engine, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class makes even more sense for value-conscious (yet image-conscious) luxury shoppers.
MSRP From
$63,215	$47,300	$60,100	$36,900	$61,300	$34,800
Gas Mileage
14 MPG City / 19 MPG Hwy	18 MPG City / 28 MPG Hwy	13 MPG City / 20 MPG Hwy	17 MPG City / 27 MPG Hwy	16 MPG City / 23 MPG Hwy	15 MPG City / 31 MPG Hwy
Engine
Gas V8	Gas Supercharged V6	Gas V8	Gas V6	Gas V8	Turbocharged Gas I4
EPA Class
Subcompact Cars	Compact Cars	Subcompact Cars	Midsize Cars	Sub-Compact	Compact
Style Name
2dr Coupe	4dr Sedan Man Premium Plus	2dr Coupe	4dr Journey RWD	4dr Sedan	4dr Sedan C250 Sport RWD
Drivetrain
Rear Wheel Drive	All wheel drive	Rear Wheel Drive	Rear-Wheel Drive	Rear Wheel Drive	Rear Wheel Drive
Passenger Capacity
4	5	4	5	4	5
Passenger Doors
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Body Style
2 Door Coupe	Sedan	Coupe	4 Door Sedan	Sedan	4 Door Sedan
Transmission
Manual	Manual	Manual	Automatic w/OD	Automatic w/manual shift	Automatic