Compared: 2023 Audi A4 vs. 2023 Cadillac CT4

While Audi trades on elegance, Cadillac brings the muscle.

Mark Elias | 

May 8, 2024 | 3 min read

Audi | Cadillac

The 2023 Audi A4 and Cadillac CT4 both compete in the luxury compact sedan segment, but the Caddy — with standard rear-wheel drive and multiple performance options — leans into its sporty personality while the Audi lures buyers with its swanky interior and modern tech.

Audi

The CT4 Seems to Offer More Value per Dollar

The 2023 Cadillac CT4 opens with a starting price of $36,000; that's for the Luxury model, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 237 horsepower. The other two trims — Premium Luxury and Sport — come standard with the base engine, though shoppers can option all-wheel drive (AWD) and spec the Premium Luxury model with a 310-hp turbo 2.7-liter four-cylinder if they have about $46,000 to spend.

Cadillac

Cadillac also offers a couple of performance models: the CT4-V and CT4-V Blackwing. The former goes for $48,000 and employs a version of the aforementioned 2.7-liter four-cylinder, tuned to produce 325 horsepower. AWD (combined with the seemingly obligatory Cold Weather package) adds to the price. The brutish rear-drive-only Blackwing packs a 472-hp twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed manual transmission for $62,000. Shoppers can option a 10-speed automatic for a few grand more.

The entry-level A4 sedan comes with a 201-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and starts at about $41,000. That's some $5,000 more than the base CT4, which makes more power. That said, AWD is standard in this lineup, and a 261-hp engine is available on all trim levels, the lowest of which costs $43,000.

Audi

Audi also offers the A4 Allroad, a station wagon with extra ground clearance for off-roading. It comes exclusively with the higher-power four-cylinder and costs $47,000. Above that, the high-performance S4 rounds out the lineup with a 349-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. It requires $54,000.

Audi

The A4 and CT4 Boast Comparable Feature Sets

The Audi has the more compelling tech setup, boasting a 10.1-inch infotainment screen to the Caddy's 8.0-incher. And while the entry-level CT4 includes leatherette seating, the A4 features standard leather with heating up front.

Cadillac buyers wanting real cowhide must step up to the Premium Luxury model or better. Otherwise, the two are fairly well matched. Both automakers reserve adaptive cruise control for mid- and high-level trims and offer desirable features such as a head-up display, premium audio systems, and ventilated front seats at the tops of the lineups.

The Cadillac is available with hands-free Super Cruise, which can now change lanes for you. Though the Audi A4 can be equipped with some driver-assistance tech, it lacks a comparable system.

Cadillac

The Audi Is More Efficient Than the Cadillac

Both manufacturers recommend premium gasoline for these vehicles. A rear-drive CT4 with the base four-cylinder achieves an EPA-estimated 23/34/27 mpg city/highway/combined. With AWD, the model's fuel economy drops to 22/31/26 mpg.

Choosing the 310-hp 2.7-liter four-cylinder will give you a rating of 21/31/25 mpg, and adding AWD on top of that will yield 21/29/24 mpg. The higher-power CT4-V with rear-wheel drive gets 20/29/23 mpg and 20/28/23 mpg with AWD, while the mighty Blackwing returns 16/24/19 mpg with the automatic and 15/23/18 mpg with the manual.

The Audi performs marginally better, with the entry A4 sedan achieving 24/33/28 mpg. Models with the 261-hp engine get 24/32/27 mpg, and the Allroad sees 23/30/26 mpg. The S4, with a 21/30/24-mpg rating, bests its V-Series competition.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Mark Elias

Mark Elias is an award-winning automotive journalist and photographer who has covered the industry for the past 20 years. Along the way, he has photographed for news agencies, car manufacturers, and Fortune 500 companies. He loves playing and building guitars — but his wife will only let him have five at any one time.