The BMW 3 Series has long been the gold standard in compact luxury sedans. Other automakers have tried to offer the same blend of sportiness, style, comfort, luxury and convenience as the 3 Series, but despite this abundance of competition, the sedan has remained at the top of the hotly contested segment for years now.
One area where the current BMW 3 Series excels in is cargo room. The German luxury sedan offers up a whopping 17 cubic feet of cargo capacity – far outclassing all of its rivals. This is one area where the recently introduced Cadillac CT5 falls flat on its face, unfortunately. By comparison, the Cadillac CT5 has just 11.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity – placing it not only behind the 3 Series, but dead last in the entire compact luxury segment.
Compare the cargo room for the Cadillac CT5 with its main rivals here:
| Model | Cargo Room (cu. ft.) |
|---|---|
| Cadillac CT5 | 11.9 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 12.6 |
| Audi A4 | 13.0 |
| Infiniti Q50 | 13.5 |
| BMW 3 Series | 17.0 |
It’s worth noting the CT5’s 11.9 cubic feet of storage capacity isn’t much less than that of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (12.6 cubic feet) and Audi A4 (13 cubic feet). That said, Mercedes-Benz is plotting a new version of the C-Class for next year, which will likely see the vehicle grow in size a bit, just like the 3 Series did when it was redesigned for the 2019 model year, and gain even more truck space.
The Cadillac CT5 can at least compete when it comes to passenger space, though. As the chart below shows, the CT5 has best-in-class second-row legroom – important in China, where luxury car owners are more likely to have a driver and thus will frequently ride in the back seat. The sedan also has good front headroom, front legroom and front shoulder room.
| Model | Front Headroom (in) | Rear Headroom (in) | Front Legroom (in) | Rear Legroom (in) | Front Shoulder Room (in) | Rear Shoulder Room (in) | Front Hip Room (in) | Rear Hip Room (in) | Trunk (cu. ft.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi S4 | 38.9 | 37.4 | 41.3 | 35.7 | 55.9 | 54.5 | N/A | N/A | 13.0 |
| BMW M340i | 38.7 | 37.6 | 42.0 | 35.2 | 56.0 | 54.6 | N/A | N/A | 17.0 |
| Cadillac CT5-V | 39.0 | 36.6 | 42.4 | 37.9 | 56.7 | 55.7 | 53.7 | 53.7 | 11.9 |
| Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 | 39.5 | 36.8 | 44.5 | 35.1 | 56.7 | 56.1 | 53.2 | 52.5 | 13.5 |
| Mercedes-AMG C43 | 37.1 | 37.1 | 41.7 | 35.2 | 55.3 | 55.0 | N/A | N/A | 12.6 |
The 2020 Cadillac CT5 began arriving at U.S. Cadillac dealers last December. Prices start at $37,890 for the entry-level Luxury model with rear-wheel drive and the turbocharged 2.0L LSY four-cylinder engine.
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This post was written in collaboration with our sister publication, Cadillac Society.
Comments
I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that people aren’t deciding which of these cars to buy based on the trunk capacity.
I agree. Most sports sedan drivers never use the trunk, except to carry some luggage a few times a year. Besides, the shape of the trunk affects how it is really used. Finally, I prefer a Cadillac with a smaller trunk than any foreign import with a bigger trunk!
That CT5 sport looks awesome.
This is why nobody is buying sedans anymore.
I just bought my first SUV. I have owned only American made 4 door sedans my entire life (11 of them were GM). I bought the SUV because there is no sedan with a decent sized trunk (2 large golf bags plus luggage for 2 for a week required) with good access on the market today for less than $55,000. This is why most people are not buying sedans today.
Cadillac is setup to fail.
You are definitely wrong here.
Kiss My Arse
In this class, don’t under estimate the importance of a big back seat.
And it is by far the biggest as well. You honestly cannot make that up.
The upcoming Cadillac EV’s cannot get here fast enough. Might be the last chance Cadillac has to finally become a true Tier One Luxury Brand.
This car is almost 8 inches bigger than the 3-Series. It seems to me Cadillac is doing everything to underestimate its sedans. We probably won’t see any ads about CT4 / CT5, nobody will know they exist and GM will kill them after 2 years because “nobody wants cars today”.
some people still do want sedans- we are right GM has poor marketing so we will see little or no advertising for these two sedans . You can’t put golf clubs on the roof or a small trunk
Not to be rude here but who would ever put Golf Clubs on a roof of a sedan?
The CT5 is much, much bigger than their Segment counterparts but the Trunk in Super Tiny. That just shows GM cut huge corners in development yet once again. It is insane to have a trunk this tiny in such a Sized vehicle in today’s marketplace. Cars are Super Expensive and customers want the most of everything when they pay their hard earned cash for a vehicle. GM doesn’t sweat the small stuff and continuously loses sales to the competition.
How difficult is it for Cadillac to copy the now generic looking 3 series, then make it better as a Cadillac/ Cadillac has failed due to Mary Bara and the other morons who make the decisions for Cadillac. A monkey could have done a better job by now.
This is meaningless given that if someone wanted a vehicle to carry large quantities of cargo, they would have bought a Cadillac XT6 or Escalade instead.
I actually like having 13.6 cu ft in my CTS-V.
Now I’d be willing to sacrifice a few cu ft for the sake of style, but the rear section of the profile is a bit of a mess. No style or utility IMO.
@omegatalon
That is totally wrong. If someone wants a Sports Sedan they also require some form of Trunk Space which every other car in that Segment offers. Nobody deriving a 3 Series would be caught dead in an XT6. Two completely different Customers. Like not even close.
Just saying.
I love the looks, especially the use of lighting, but do think BMW is smart to have a large trunk.
Cadillac must lead by every metric or prepare to be shuttered. I’m sure Cadillac Escalade by GMC is possible.
I’d trade more legroom for my LEGS and my passengers Legs and my/their comfort over the COMFORT OF MY CARGO every day 24hrs a Day and 8x on Sunday.. BTW.. Just looked in the trunk of my CT6-V.. And the empty void of a space inside could fit 3 entire human bodies (I’ve confirmed this) and it will never ever be used for that purpose lol. Two duffle bags.. Maybe lol
Behold Cadillac’s new current flagship, a mid size sedan with a trunk you could barely fit a baby stroller in and back seat room your average Accord or Sonata can easily top. More genius marketing from GM here and lackluster packaging.
That is a marginal trunk at best, very few vehicles aside from sports cars have smaller.
I know a few families with one child who make due with a 3 series as their only vehicle. Pretty common in the city. I don’t think this would be an option for them.
NK
Infants and toddlers should ride in the back in a child seat. A bigger backseat means front passengers won’t have to scrunch up as much. 11.9 cu. ft is ample space for groceries & diaper bags.
When the choice is backseat space or trunk space. Most parents would opt for more backseat space.
I have been a GM fan for many years.
My parents have had Pontiacs Chevys and Buicks throughout the years.
I’ve had a Chevy Blazer and and the Oldsmobile Bravada.
I even had a Z28 Camaro that I picked up in 96.
I had the CTS-V in 2012
The ATS4
And I even had the ATS V
At the moment I’m driving a Regal GS.
I recently saw the CT5 at the Chicago Auto Show.
Nice-looking.
I had my five foot six tall daughter attempt to sit in the back seat and exit and it was not easy for her to do so without risking bumping her head on the frame.
That’s a deal-breaker.
I wonder how long GM can continue to make mistakes like this.
Rakesh Chugh
You sit down in a car. It’s a lot like sitting at a table. When getting up you bring 1 foot out, and lean forward.
You hop up into a crossover. Which is more like a bar stool. When getting out you spin around and stand up.
People who get used to crossovers often bump their heads getting out of a car. Any cat not just the GM ones.
The CT5 is going to be a huge flop.
I totally agree.
GM is on a destructive path.
They’ve made some really poor choices.
I don’t think electric vehicles will save them.
I really think they need to pull out of China.
Many poor choices. They need to knock it out of the park with the EVs. The new Escalade will breathe some life into Caddy but beyond that there is not much to depend on…the upcoming V Blackwings might be great performance values but they will not bring any volume.
On a brighter note for GM the 2020 Vette is a hit and the future plans for it are outstanding. The 2021 Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon should continue to lead their class. Can’t think of much else new that is compelling which is scary. Oh, the new GMC Hummer but need more details.