The 2021 Cadillac CT5 offers a unique, bold styled design that creates an eye-catching look, with plenty of features and intuitive technology. The Genesis 680 comes with high rankings in its class, fully redesigned, and is one to compare.
Design
The 2021 CT5 is styled boldly with uniquely characterized trim choices and aerodynamics. Its signature vertical lighting, alloy wheels, dual exhaust and available rear spoiler give the CT5 style while passing you on the road. There is seating for up to five people in the CT5, with plenty of rear legroom, but not enough space and seat support up front, plus some low-quality materials. Synthetic leather upholstery is standard, as well as a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 10-way power-adjustable passenger seat, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Options include genuine leather or semi-aniline leather upholstery, 14- or 18-way power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats, massaging front seats, heated steering wheel, power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, memory settings for the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and ambient interior lighting. It features 11.9 cubic feet of trunk space and a small trunk lid opening with a rear-seat pass-through for stowing longer items. The CT5 comes in four trims: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, and V-Series. Pricing starts at $36,995 for the Luxury trim and ranges to $47,795 for the V-Series.
The Genesis G80 luxury midsize car has a quiet and high-end interior with generous seating space and cargo room. This four-door sedan seats up to five passengers with cushioned and supportive seats and plenty of head- and legroom. Synthetic leather upholstery and heated front seats are standard and genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel are available. Most surfaces are trimmed with first-rate materials like leather, wood, aluminum, and soft-touch plastic. It offers 13.1 cubic feet of trunk space, with a wide and deep trunk area, but the seats don’t fold down for added space. The G80 comes in two trims: G80 2.5T and G80 3.5T. Pricing starts at $47,700 for the G80 2.5T and $59,100 for the G80 3.5T.
Safety and Technology
Cadillac features a long list of standard and available safety features for conveniences and to keep you safe and confident behind the wheel. Standard advanced safety features include forward collision warning, rearview camera, safety alert seat, rain-sensing windshield wipers, pedestrian detection, and Teen Driver. Blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, reverse pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and lane keep assist are among available features. The CT5 features the latest version of the CUE infotainment system displayed in the center of the dashboard. This latest version swaps some of the touch-sensitive controls for physical ones and offers some impressive details and graphics. You will be able to control the system with a rotary wheel behind the shifter or by interacting with the touchscreen. There are plenty of standard features for your enjoyment and convenience including a 10-inch touch screen, voice recognition, three USB ports, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, nine-speaker stereo, satellite radio, HD radio, Bluetooth, and a Wi-Fi-hotspot. Navigation, 15-speaker Bose premium stereo, wireless device charging, and 12-inch digital instrument cluster.
The Genesis G80 features plenty of standard features and an all-new infotainment system. Standard advanced safety features include a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beam headlights. Available advanced safety features include rear seat alert, surround-view parking camera system, rear collision warning, remote control automated parking, and head-up display. Its dashboard takes up a wide 14.5-inch touch screen, with crisp graphics, large icons, and an intuitive menu structure. Standard infotainment features also include navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD radio, satellite radio, 12 speakers, Bluetooth, and three USB ports. Wireless device charging, 21 speakers, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is available.
Performance
There are three engine choices depending on the trim you choose, with a 10-speed automatic transmission, that is paired with all engines..Overall, it has a comfortable, plush, ride, but handling is less inspiring. Its base engine features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Two available engines include twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engines with either 335 or 360 horsepower and 400 or 405 lb-ft or torque. All engines come with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available. Fuel is estimated at 23/32 mpg in the city and on the highway for rear-wheel drive and 21/31 mpg for all-wheel drive. The twin-turbo V6 gets 19/28 mpg for rear-wheel drive and 18/26 mpg all-wheel drive.
Each model features its own engine in the Genesis G80. The G80 2.5T has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, while the G80 3.5T has a twin-turbo V6 with 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet or torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive are standard with both engines, and all-wheel drive is available. Overall, the Genesis G80 delivers a comfortable, well-balanced drive, especially in the G80 3.5T that features adaptive shock absorbers. Fuel is estimated at 23/32 mpg city/highway for the G80 2.5T and 19/27 mpg city/highway for the G80 3.5T.
Conclusion
The 2021 Cadillac CT5 and 2021 Genesis G80 are two great luxury midsize cars that look great on the outside, but the CT5 may be less appealing on the inside. The CT5’s uniquely characterized trim and bold style are sure to catch your eye, as well as its intuitive technology and powerful twin-turbocharged engines; but tight space, small cargo room, plus low quality interior materials, make the CT5 come up short in interior quality compared to its rival.