The $54,000 Cadillac CT4-V is another noble effort at an American luxury sport sedan, but it falls short

Business Insider

• I tested a $54,260 Cadillac CT4-V, a high-performance version of Caddy's smallest sedan.
• My car had a 325-horsepower, 2.7-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive.
• The Cadillac V-Series is supposed to take on driver's cars from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
• Sadly, the CT4-V's less-than-compelling motor soured me on the sedan, although once I got it up to speed, it was fun to drive.

For as long as I've been writing about cars, American automakers have been trying to create a viable sport sedan. The thing is, they've succeeded. I've driven at least three US-badged four-doors that could credibly challenge the Germans. (I'm not even counting the Tesla Model S and Model 3 here, by the way.)

Those cars are the Cadillac CTS-V, the Chevy SS, and Buick Regal GS.

Of course, wouldn't you know it — all three have been replaced or discontinued!

That leaves us with GM and Cadillac's latest crack at challenging Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi: a new crop of V-designated Caddy four-doors. Those are the CT6-V, the CT5-V, and the CT4-V.

The CT4-V is the little guy in this lineup, and I got to spend a week with it a while back. As a successor to the ATS-V, it's an almost immediate come-down, with a less powerful motor. But does it have some redeeming virtues?

Read on to find out: