Has anyone owned both 4vBW and 5vBW?

[348SStb]

I’m a proud owner of both the automatic and the manual versions of CT4-V Blackwing. I bought an inventory automatic car (new) and made a deal that I wanted the inbound allocation that is handed down by GM after a new Blackwing is sold, and so I configured and bought the manual car later; then I ended up keeping both.

As a person blessed to own and have owned many fine automobiles with lots of power, I chose the 4Bw over the 5Bw at the beginning because the thought was the handling and agility of the 4Bw is superior. This was an assumption that was made without direct knowledge.

Now that Precision Package and CT5 facelift have debuted, I am thinking of going for a 5Bw with automatic transmission to complement my manual 4Bw and trading in the automatic 4Bw. I’d like to experience Super Cruise, and I figure there’s no better way to do that than in a 5Bw.

However, I imagine there may be tradeoffs to the 5Bw which give me pause:

- significant extra cost
- worse driving range for a car that is intended to be a “practical car” in the stable
- worse handling / vehicle dynamics

Here’s my thing. I do not want to fork over $100k+ for a car that is simply fast in a straight line. I’m not impressed by sedans and SUVs with huge engines and big-time straight line capability — I have that in real 2-door sports cars which also can go around turns. The 5Bw would offer much less range than my 4Bw due to fuel consumption and fuel tank size. If the 7” of extra wheelbase in the 5Bw combined with the 300 extra pounds make it feel a bit sloppy as compared with 4Bw, then I don’t think I want one. It’s not so easy to test drive these things, so I’m asking people who have had extensive experience with both before I move mountains to try to drive one.

What appeals to me about 5Bw, then?
- Super Cruise
- Having the best
- Eight cylinders

Therefore here’s a topic that I haven’t seen explored very much if at all:

Does the 4Bw handle better than the 5Bw, period? Is it downright more agile, athletic, lighter on its feet?

Or is the difference marginal on most street roads (admittedly, besides the canyons)?

Or dare I suspect there will be some folks who say the 5Bw out-handles the 4Bw?

What about overall fun factor and experience, all things considered?

For those who have owned both, how do you compare the two and why?

(I don’t think we should make Precision Package a variable in this discussion because every few people have experience with it.)

Hoping this will be a fun discussion!

 

[1Evil55]

Night and day between them IMO. Only track time I've seen is in a straight line. The 4 gives me more confidence in hard cornering but I believe a lot of that is due to size/hp ratio.

 

[TheShark]

my observation at Spring Mountain - I had one day were most of my group was in 5s with one 4 during the lead/follow laps. The 5s pulled away on the straights, but the 4 caught up braking and in the turns. Professional drivers (think how the instructor-driven lap went, "OH, that's what she can do!") might have a bigger gap 5 over 4, but not the regular folks

 

[dizz81]

Night and day between them IMO. Only track time I've seen is in a straight line. The 4 gives me more confidence in hard cornering but I believe a lot of that is due to size/hp ratio.

Man that's a fancy looking garage/house set up in the background.

 

[348SStb]

Night and day between them IMO. Only track time I've seen is in a straight line. The 4 gives me more confidence in hard cornering but I believe a lot of that is due to size/hp ratio.

@1Evil55

I’m not fully appreciating your reply when you say night and day because you didn’t expand much on that. Can you please elaborate on what attributes are night and day and on which side each car is, and why?

 

[Sebring20]

Night and day between them IMO. Only track time I've seen is in a straight line. The 4 gives me more confidence in hard cornering but I believe a lot of that is due to size/hp ratio.

Rift? Looks amazing

Not sure the real life difference in MPG between the two, but sticker is pretty close. I'm surprised how bad the LF4 is on fuel economy, close to my previous AMG V8

 

[CBH]

Range is not something you hear about non-EVs.

The small gas tank and huge turning radius are the only things that annoy me about this great car.

My 5 is atrocious in the city. It will only go about 200 miles on a tank. But on a road trip i can do 300 or more. Amazing difference.

I would say it handles great. Look at the 5's lap times in Car & Driver's Lightning Lap - a good indicator she's pretty nimble too.

Lightning Lap Results 2006 to 2023: Every Car, Every Lap Time

We've tested hundreds of cars over more than a decade at Virginia International Raceway, which has proved itself the ultimate test of modern machinery.

www.caranddriver.com

There are a surprising number of forum members that have both cars, so you should be able to get some good input.

 

[seattlecubes]

I'm not a track racer, but I've had a CT4-V BW and just picked up my refresh CT5-V BW a week ago. My CT5-V BW does not have the performance package but my CT4 was a manual and my CT5 is as well. Here are my initial thoughts:

-I do not miss the way my feet and legs fell into a dip/well in the CT4 pedal box. The CT5 might have a little dip in the floor but it't not pronounced like it is in the CT4 on driver or passenger side

-I drive like a grandma and so far my MPGs are about the same as they were in the CT4. I'm only 146 miles into ownership though and still driving gently.

-The engine is much smoother in the CT5. It is also quieter. That might be a minus for some people. The CT4 engine has a "fizz" or "buzz" about it all the time that this engine doesn't have...like a prop plane compared to a jet engine plane. The V6 also feels a little more playful. The V8 feels and sounds very serious to me.

-The refreshed Interior to me is a big step up. It's not for everyone but it feels way more modern for better or worse. It still doesn't feel like a Mercedes or even one of these high line trucks or SUVs inside but I think it "looks" impressive at first blush and I like all the new features

-The ride feels softer and less busy, and the initial turn-in is a touch slower in the CT5, however, the difference in ride between the CT4 and CT5 was the biggest surprise vs the difference in turn-in/handling. The CT5 doesn't feel like a boat but it sure rides a lot smoother than the CT4 in my opinion.

-The added Interior space is nice especially in back. But in front the extra, shoulder/elbow room is much appreciated and see above, but I like my feet aren't in a dip/well.

-The sound system is still "meh" to me.

-The clutch pedal in the CT5 is heavier/springier

-I still prefer the looks/proportions of the CT4 to the CT5.

There is a big price difference between the cars but I think the CT5 is a "step up" as I feel like it has more of everything (with the exception of maybe the snappy handling). It still handles better than everything else in the same class though.

There is room for both cars in the sporty Cadillac lineup and I will never agree with the way GM launched them both on the same day. The CT4 never really got its chance to shine and I think its terrific and shouldn't be over shadowed by the press like it has been. I would go so far as to say, I understand how someone could own both a CT4 and a CT5 at the same time if they had the means (a discerning car guy can tell the difference between the two even if the public might not be able to).

TLDR
-The CT4 feels like the off spring of a Porsche Cayman and an upscale, compact sedan
-The CT5 feels like the offspring of a Corvette or muscle car and a luxury car.

In your case, it sounds like you would like a little extra luxury with your sport sedan, and I think the CT5 BW could do that without making you give up what you love about the CT4.

I hope this helps.

 

[1Evil55]

@1Evil55

I’m not fully appreciating your reply when you say night and day because you didn’t expand much on that. Can you please elaborate on what attributes are night and day and on which side each car is, and why?

Sorry I've been told I'm a man of only a few words before..
Night and day in many aspects. Size is substantial. My kids barely fit in the back of the 4 if someone is also riding shotgun. In fact the shotgun seat will go so far back that it presses the back seat bottom. The 5 has no issue fitting 5, obviously not basketball players. Size of acceleration is major. The 4 makes you work to get up and pass. The 5 sits and waits for the signal doesn't matter what gear or speed you're in. Braking I will say they are both similar. Cornering you feel the weight of the 5 much more pronounced over the 4. The sound coming from the 4 was something I had to get used to a little. I am always in the loudest mode for either car. The 4 gets dronish around 3k. The 5 might have some as well, but the note coming from the LT4 is sex to my ears. I haven't driven the 5 since October and can't recall my suspension settings. I keep the 4 at softest and its still a lot bumpier than the 5 which is probably set in the middle.

 

[1Evil55]

Man that's a fancy looking garage/house set up in the background.

She got to design the house. I just wanted a space I could call mine.

 

[VBhak]

I

my observation at Spring Mountain - I had one day were most of my group was in 5s with one 4 during the lead/follow laps. The 5s pulled away on the straights, but the 4 caught up braking and in the turns. Professional drivers (think how the instructor-driven lap went, "OH, that's what she can do!") might have a bigger gap 5 over 4, but not the regular folks

I don't have both, nor have I driven the CT4BW (but have driven the regular CT4-V which I thought was a hoot), but like TheShark, observation from Spring Mountain -- the 5 in capable hands is just as quick around turns and in the AutoCross as the 4, but this is not the likely results in our hands. Definite acceleration gap occurred in the straights that led to the 5 being ahead.

Additionally, one of the instructors was asked about her favorite vehicle(s) to track given Ron Fellows is also there. She stated for AutoCross it was the Miata, and for tracking the CT5-BW over the Corvette (Z51, not Z06). HOWEVER, she owned a CT4V-BW, which split the difference, which I thought was interesting.

 

[668LT4]

I owned both, and vastly prefer the 5. The are very different machines. If budget does not matter, choose the one that fits your style. Mine is the brutality of the 5, and I just can't get enough of it. The ultimate smile machine.

But again, the 4 suits other people's interest more. Even one of the early reviewers said the 5 was too much, and he would rather buy the 4. So you just go with what matches your tastes. Both great cars, can't go wrong.

 

[Squischer]

This is a great thread as I am a long time lurker, first time poster debating on whether to get a 5BW or 4BW to replace 25 years worth of M cars - which are now too ugly/fat to buy. The only thing I worry about with the 5BW is the weight, as the E60,V10 M5 I owned was great, but much too big/heavy. I appreciate all the input from those who know more about both.

 

[beamon]

The 5BW with ceramic brakes and sunroof delete is right at 4000 lbs. Hard to beat that these days with a sedan. I was pleasantly surprised with its handling abilities especially at Spring Mountain.