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Short term CT4V BW review + child/baby seats experience

cnofar

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Joined
Apr 15, 2022
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109
Location
Rochester Hills, Michigan
V-Series Cadillac(s)?
2022 CT4V Blackwing, #46-207
Hello Everyone,
My name is Christopher, and I was lucky enough to recently purchase a 2022 CT4V Blackwing (aka 4BW) locally, so I thought I'd give a very initial review. Currently my vehicle only has about 250 miles on it so it's not past the break in period yet. I can imagine there are a few people waiting on their order and possibly needing child/baby seats, so I wanted to give my initial impressions. I'm a long time Honda and BMW nut, and Cadillac is brand new to me. I've owned 3 Honda S2000s (my favorite car to date), and various BMW M3s including a 2006 E46 M3 Competition Package, 2008 E90 M3 sedan (current), and 2015 F80 M3 sedan. Plus I've had a 2015 Subaru WRX STI, and some other cars sprinkled in for fun.

Initial driving review of the CT4V BW, I will say I think size wise it's closest to the E90 M3, but interior/features wise it compares best to the F80 M3. I know there's a lot of comparisons to the G80 M3 but typically those are Competition or all wheel drive spec cars and not a direct comparison. Plus the spec's G80 M3's are running typically $80-90K before markups. I am still on a wait list for G80 M3 and was told 6-12 months, maybe...

On to the review of the 4BW:
Interior fit and finish is very acceptable at this price range, but not over the top. I think the BMW's have somewhat nicer materials in the areas that aren't seen or admired as readily (e.g. lower dash can be leather covered, lower door cards are somewhat softer touch materials, adjustable center arm rests, etc). Infotainment is pretty easy to use. Very happy there are hard buttons for climate control, and touch screen is just for adjusting vehicle settings, navigation, radio, etc.

The interior cabin has a bit of a "closed in" feeling to it. The window sill is higher, the space a bit more tight than my M3's of various generations. It's not claustrophic by any means, but it is more open/airy in the BMW's for sure.

Shifter/linkage of the Tremec is much better than any of my prior M3's; much more direct acting. My only complaint is that the shifter position seems a bit too "rearward" spaced for me, but at 5 foot 7 inches I sit somewhat close to the wheel for comfort so that's probably just due to my seating position.

Trunk room is great, very good opening but the sill is a bit high. Haven't really had a change to use the trunk much though.

Front seats are quite comfortable given their aggressive bolstering that can be adjusted in lumbar and thigh supports. Very comfortable indeed. Rear seat room compares best to my E90 M3; it's not great, not horrible, just adequate. I'm 5 foot 7 inches and I can sit behind my driver's seat in the 4BW with more than adequate knee and head room; it's just the ingress/egress is a bit tight but do-able.

I do wish there was more rear seat room in the 4BW for child seats, but I was unwilling to spend more to get a CT5V Blackwing, especially with dealer markups. I have two young children ages 4 and 1.5 years old. I have two forward facing child seats in the 4BW, and I can easily have my kids seated with adequate leg room, even with the front seats set to my wife's and I preferences. I did put seat back protectors on the rear seats, and back of the front seats which I highly recommend (I've done this in all my M3's). If you have a rear-facing child seat this will significantly compromise front seat room in the 4BW (similar to my E90 and F80 M3's), so that's something to consider.

I hope to have more updated reviews in the coming months, especially after break in mileage is completed and I can finally rev the car! Plus I will be comparing/contrasting to my E90 M3 along the way.

Best Regards,
Christopher
 

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Thanks for the review and photos! These are the first photos I have ever seen with child seats installed in the 4BW. (y)
 
LOL, same height, same car, and one town away. Nice.

I have yet to sit in, hear, or shift a Blackwing. So good to hear your thoughts. Hoping mine shows up in the next couple of weeks.
 
Welcome & congrats on the purchase.

Do you plan on keeping the car long term or are you going to replace it with the G80?
 
Great write up. I also have two kids in the backseat of my 4 (which I've only had since Friday) and I can confirm that it's plenty of room for a 5yo in a full carseat and a 7yo in a booster.

I will say that the graco turbobooster that my 7yo is using was a bad choice because it doesn't have anchors, so it slides over the top of the seat buckle point and it's difficult for my kid to buckle themselves in. I'm ordering a booster with anchors that won't slide for him as a replacement. It's definitely a smaller backseat than the m340i I had previously, but the kids and I all prefer the look + sound of the Caddy, so we're making do.

I'm also not a fan of the footprints my kids are leaving on the alcantara on the back of my seats. However, such is life - I'll get some sonax and clean it up. I was looking at some of those protectors that have pockets that I could hang off the back of the seats, I'm just not sure I'm willing to go that far.
 
LOL, same height, same car, and one town away. Nice.

I have yet to sit in, hear, or shift a Blackwing. So good to hear your thoughts. Hoping mine shows up in the next couple of weeks.
Hit me up if you want to meet up and check out my car, happy to take you for a drive. Plus it would be nice to meet some local owners.

Regards,
Christopher
 
Welcome & congrats on the purchase.

Do you plan on keeping the car long term or are you going to replace it with the G80?
So I'm not 100% sure what to do. Long time BMW M3 fan and owner for last 10+ years. Not a huge fan of new G80 M3 nose... Plus variety is good for car enthusiasts!

For now I'm keeping my Blackwing. If I test drive a G80 M3 that would be best thing for me to decide which one to keep/sell.
 
Thanks for the review, very much appreciated! Ive got two boys, one rear facing the other front facing.

I'm hoping things will pan out for the 5 but I might consider a 4 so this helps alleviate my concerns.

I'm looking forward to your review on the e90 by comparison, that one was always on my list.
 
Thanks for your review! I had an E90 M3 until my son was about 1.5, then I sold it (wasn't driving much during pandemic), now have a Civic Type R while I wait for my 5 BW. Have been interested in the 4 BW but wanted a bigger back seat, but I know the 4 *can* work and this helps visualize it - thanks.
 
Hit me up if you want to meet up and check out my car, happy to take you for a drive. Plus it would be nice to meet some local owners.

Regards,
Christopher
Umm, absolutely, that would be awesome. I'm free and have nice weather this Sunday.
 
Thanks for your review! I had an E90 M3 until my son was about 1.5, then I sold it (wasn't driving much during pandemic), now have a Civic Type R while I wait for my 5 BW. Have been interested in the 4 BW but wanted a bigger back seat, but I know the 4 *can* work and this helps visualize it - thanks.
I'm super interested in the Civic Type R (I'm a big S2000 geek/previous owner), and have heard nothing but good things about them. Just never had the opportunity to sit in or drive one sadly.

How's your experience been with the CTR? Do car seats fit in the back seat? Fun to drive at ordinary speeds?

Regards,
Christopher
 
Hello Everyone,
My name is Christopher, and I was lucky enough to recently purchase a 2022 CT4V Blackwing (aka 4BW) locally, so I thought I'd give a very initial review. Currently my vehicle only has about 250 miles on it so it's not past the break in period yet. I can imagine there are a few people waiting on their order and possibly needing child/baby seats, so I wanted to give my initial impressions. I'm a long time Honda and BMW nut, and Cadillac is brand new to me. I've owned 3 Honda S2000s (my favorite car to date), and various BMW M3s including a 2006 E46 M3 Competition Package, 2008 E90 M3 sedan (current), and 2015 F80 M3 sedan. Plus I've had a 2015 Subaru WRX STI, and some other cars sprinkled in for fun.

Initial driving review of the CT4V BW, I will say I think size wise it's closest to the E90 M3, but interior/features wise it compares best to the F80 M3. I know there's a lot of comparisons to the G80 M3 but typically those are Competition or all wheel drive spec cars and not a direct comparison. Plus the spec's G80 M3's are running typically $80-90K before markups. I am still on a wait list for G80 M3 and was told 6-12 months, maybe...

On to the review of the 4BW:
Interior fit and finish is very acceptable at this price range, but not over the top. I think the BMW's have somewhat nicer materials in the areas that aren't seen or admired as readily (e.g. lower dash can be leather covered, lower door cards are somewhat softer touch materials, adjustable center arm rests, etc). Infotainment is pretty easy to use. Very happy there are hard buttons for climate control, and touch screen is just for adjusting vehicle settings, navigation, radio, etc.

The interior cabin has a bit of a "closed in" feeling to it. The window sill is higher, the space a bit more tight than my M3's of various generations. It's not claustrophic by any means, but it is more open/airy in the BMW's for sure.

Shifter/linkage of the Tremec is much better than any of my prior M3's; much more direct acting. My only complaint is that the shifter position seems a bit too "rearward" spaced for me, but at 5 foot 7 inches I sit somewhat close to the wheel for comfort so that's probably just due to my seating position.

Trunk room is great, very good opening but the sill is a bit high. Haven't really had a change to use the trunk much though.

Front seats are quite comfortable given their aggressive bolstering that can be adjusted in lumbar and thigh supports. Very comfortable indeed. Rear seat room compares best to my E90 M3; it's not great, not horrible, just adequate. I'm 5 foot 7 inches and I can sit behind my driver's seat in the 4BW with more than adequate knee and head room; it's just the ingress/egress is a bit tight but do-able.

I do wish there was more rear seat room in the 4BW for child seats, but I was unwilling to spend more to get a CT5V Blackwing, especially with dealer markups. I have two young children ages 4 and 1.5 years old. I have two forward facing child seats in the 4BW, and I can easily have my kids seated with adequate leg room, even with the front seats set to my wife's and I preferences. I did put seat back protectors on the rear seats, and back of the front seats which I highly recommend (I've done this in all my M3's). If you have a rear-facing child seat this will significantly compromise front seat room in the 4BW (similar to my E90 and F80 M3's), so that's something to consider.

I hope to have more updated reviews in the coming months, especially after break in mileage is completed and I can finally rev the car! Plus I will be comparing/contrasting to my E90 M3 along the way.

Best Regards,
Christopher
Thanks for sharing your impressions Christopher - and I hope you enjoy your car!
 
I'm super interested in the Civic Type R (I'm a big S2000 geek/previous owner), and have heard nothing but good things about them. Just never had the opportunity to sit in or drive one sadly.

How's your experience been with the CTR? Do car seats fit in the back seat? Fun to drive at ordinary speeds?

Regards,
Christopher
Are we talking about S2000s and car seats now? Mine is regularly configured thusly:

S2000.jpg
 
I'm super interested in the Civic Type R (I'm a big S2000 geek/previous owner), and have heard nothing but good things about them. Just never had the opportunity to sit in or drive one sadly.

How's your experience been with the CTR? Do car seats fit in the back seat? Fun to drive at ordinary speeds?

Regards,
Christopher
I really like it - kind of more than I wanted to like it. In fact I owned an AP1 S2000 for 3.5yrs and like the CTR more. I might even like it more than the E90 M3 as a daily.

(+): Extremely nailed-down and tenacious front end, diff scrabbles like hell for grip, outstanding brakes, extremely direct steering and shifter (similar to S2000, just no slop), yet is very practical and comfortable. Even the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the '20+ is better than what I've experienced with a rented Tesla Model X. 27mpg average and well over 30 highway. And of course, reliable and holds its value. Amazing seats and lots of storage. Fun to drive sanely too - moreso than E90 M3 (other than that V8 cold start, delicious!).

(-): A bit firm on large bumps (but great on small-medium imperfections), can't mix n match drive modes, infotainment could be better though Android/Apple support helps, love or hate looks (I actually like it, but don't like how it makes ME look). Should've come with 18"s or at least 19"s. And of course the inherent limitations of FWD and a turbo. Turning radius is atrocious.

As far as car seats go, the back seat is very generous - far more room than E90. I grew up in several generations of Accords and those back seats didn't get this big until at least '98, maybe later. My son is 3 and he can't even kick the seat in my wife's seating position. And of course the hatch is commodious.

I had planned on getting by with a Mk7 GTI until the BW arrives, but once I drove the CTR - it's far more car in every way. I didn't even want to like it because of the looks and I didn't want to pay that much, but I was sold. People clown on the looks and the fact it's FWD, but there is a reason a 5-year-old one with 30-40k miles sells for MSRP today.
 
My buddy let me drive his F80 manual and thats what got me looking at BMWs a few months back. I wanted to pick up a G80 but cant find any close by to me. And for the price they were going for, I can get a fully loaded 4BW. Ended up picking up one 3 weeks ago. I have my 5 yr old's car seat is in the middle so he can see out the front window, even he complained that there's not a whole lot of space back there with his seat. Its just weird how this car is 2" longer than a F80 but has way less room in the backseat.
 

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