The Most Affordable American Sedan With More Than 250 Horsepower

There aren’t a lot of sedans these days when SUVs and crossovers dominate the sales charts, with Cadillac being no exception. If ever you do want one, the vast majority of them are from Asian brands, with a handful being from Europe (most of which are luxury cars) and a much tinier fraction being American. At least when counting only those with an internal combustion engine (ICE), there are only three of them left, and all of them are made by one company–General Motors.

The new generation 2025 Dodge Charger, which will also be sold as a sedan, will also come with the new Hurricane 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six. However, the electric version is coming out first. The gas version, on the other hand, won’t come out until early 2025, and pricing will most likely be announced closer to its launch date.

The outgoing Charger with its base V-6 would’ve been the most affordable American sedan with more than 250 horsepower, but in 2024, the landscape is much different without the Charger for now, and a lot more expensive, too. So, without further ado, this is the most affordable American sedan you could buy in 2024 with more than 250 horsepower.

That Means Ponying Up For A Caddy

If you want the most affordable way to get an American sedan with more than 250 horses, then you’d have to pony up for a Cadillac CT4. As mentioned, the American sedan market is pretty much owned by General Motors, with two of those remaining American sedans from Cadillac and one from Chevrolet with the Malibu. Right off the bat, the CT4 comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which is all well and good, but “only” produces 237 horsepower. If you want more than 250 horses, you can’t settle for a base CT4.

You’ll Have To Step Up To The Premium Luxury

Stepping up to the Premium Luxury trim gives you the option to opt for the 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which in this case now produces 310 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. The transmission also changes from an eight-speed automatic to a 10-speed unit. With this drivetrain combo, its 0-60 mph time is 4.8 seconds, with all of that power sent through the rear wheels. The CT4 is also Cadillac’s attempt to somehow outdo the Germans at what they do best, in varying degrees–create a well-sorted compact luxury sedan with sportscar-like precision and handling.

And Here’s How Much It Costs

Unfortunately, the privilege of owning the most affordable American sedan with more than 250 horsepower isn’t exactly affordable. The 2024 Cadillac CT4 in Premium Luxury trim with the optional 2.7-liter turbo engine costs $45,990, and with the brand’s current offers, you can get it for $44,490. That’s more affordable than the competing BMW 330i, which produces less power, but it’s the very sedan that Cadillac is trying to outperform in the handling and polish department.

Fun fact, if you want the most affordable way to get more than 250 horses under your hood in an Asian sedan, the 286-horsepower Hyundai Elantra N costs significantly less at just $33,700. That’s one up for the Asian brands indeed in terms of sedan diversity, as most American brands have pretty much abandoned this segment.

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What You Get For Your Money

For a little under $45,000 when taking into account current promos, the Cadillac CT4 Premium Luxury comes equipped with a good number of standard features. It must be noted, however, that there are still several optional packages you can add to further improve the looks and features of the CT4 if you ever so desire.

A Sporty Yet Stately Exterior

Visually, the 2024 Cadillac CT4 doesn’t get enough credit for the way it looks. Oftentimes, most people would consider the Germans as they are perceived to be more sophisticated to look at, but in my opinion, the CT4 doesn’t look too bad. In the case of this Premium Luxury variant, you get the expected full LED exterior lighting treatment, along with all-wheel-drive options, two of which are 18 inches and two are 19 inches in various finishes.

The Premium Luxury trim also focuses on emphasizing the elegance of the CT4 with its exterior chrome trimmings, while stepping up to the Sport gives it a sportier front and rear bumper and wheel designs. Furthermore, some of the optional exterior extras you can add to the exterior of the CT4 include a sunroof for $1,050, clear LED taillights for $750, a black spoiler for $550, and a Lighting Package that adds cornering lights.

But The Interior Needs An Update

Unfortunately, while we think that its exterior still looks nice enough and is competitive next to its German and even Asian luxury car rivals, the interior of the Cadillac CT4 is already falling behind. In terms of build quality, it’s mostly nice, but there are a few GM parts bin specials that you can spot in the interior. Where it undoubtedly is already falling behind is in terms of the infotainment and tech features.

As standard, you get an 8-inch partly-digital instrument cluster along with a small (by 2024 standards) 8-inch Cadillac user experience infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Next to the large screens and sophisticated graphics of the Germans, the CT4’s cabin tech needs a major upgrade.

As for the features itself, you do get leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats with heating, heated steering, and a 14-speaker Bose surround sound system, just to name a few. There are likewise numerous options and packages you can select to further up the luxury ante of the CT4, and the most notable one is the Technology Package. For $1,350, you now get a more sophisticated air filter, a head-up display, and a 12-inch fully-digital instrument cluster that replaces the 8-inch partly-digital display.

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What The CT4 Premium Luxury Is Like As A Daily

So, you’ve decided to head to your nearest Cadillac dealer to splurge on a CT4 Premium Luxury. Well, that’s great if your ultimate goal is to get the most affordable American sedan with more than 250 horsepower, but otherwise, you might want to stick around to find out what the CT4 Premium Luxury is like to live with. Thankfully, we’ve been able to review this specific trim and powertrain combination, which is why you can vouch for us when it comes to our accurate thoughts on the CT4’s driving and user experience.

The Good

The Cadillac brand has had a confused identity in recent years. For the latter part of the 2010s, this American luxury brand has decided to follow the Germans’ footsteps by trying to outdo what they do best. That didn’t result in a winning formula for Cadillac, but that at least meant that the CT4 was a fine-handling rear-wheel drive (RWD) sports sedan at a price that competes with the more affordable front-wheel drive (FWD) German offerings. The handling finesse has been reduced compared to the ATS it replaced, but this was also in the pursuit of orienting the CT4 a little more on comfort than the ATS.

That sharp and sporty handling was also complemented by a vehicle that’s marginally bigger than the 3 Series, A4, and C-Class. As a result, the stately styling was a perfect fit for the CT4’s dimensions. Additionally, as mentioned, the CT4 has a much lower base price than its German competitors, since it’s priced alongside their smaller FWD models. At the level of the Premium Luxury trim, the amount of standard equipment the CT4 offers already exceeds what all of its German competitors offer at a similar price point.

Where It Needs Improvement

Despite the marginally bigger exterior, the interior–particularly the rear seats, isn’t as spacious as its size would suggest. In addition, there are also the aforementioned tech features that have fallen behind next to its German competitors, which have sharper screens, nicer graphics, and more cutting-edge features. Finally, the interior also doesn’t feel as premium as its German competitors, though an upside is that, the CT4 still has more physical controls, being a car that’s nearly unchanged from 2020.

Also, while its handling finesse is still to be praised in 2024, it isn’t as polished as–you’ve guessed it–its German rivals. That 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder is said to emit a noise that closely resembles a diesel engine, especially during cold starts. Furthermore, the CT4 has remained largely unchanged since the 2020 model year–apart from minor equipment upgrades. Let’s hope that Cadillac updates the CT4–especially in terms of tech and features to bring it in line with its more modern range of crossover SUVs.

• Pros
• Sharp handling
• Generous features
• Good amount of physical controls
• Competitively priced
• Cons
• Drivetrain needs more refinement
• Cramped rear seats
• Interior materials are not as nice as German rivals
• Tech features starting to feel outdated