Volvo S90 vs. Cadillac CT6

Are you considering a nicely equipped, stylish luxury sedan? A lot of the cars in this segment are comfy, spacious, and technologically well-appointed. There are quite a few options out there today, but they're not all on equal footing.

The Cadillac CT6 is a model that often comes up in conversation as a rival for the Volvo S90. They're both comfortable and luxury-oriented sedans, but we much prefer the S90 and we'll explain why.

 

 

Cost

Right off the bat, choosing the Volvo S90 will save you money. The S90's starting MSRP is $46,950, whereas the Cadillac base model starts at $53,795. At the highest level trims, the Volvo starts from $55,450, while the Cadillac Platinum CT6 starts at $83,795.

   

Volvo's S90 is an impressive luxury sedan that can be furnished with all the comfort, convenience, and technological features you could want in a car, but the price isn't inflated. You get a wonderfully built, solid car that's worth every penny.

 

Handling, Performance, and Braking

The most important thing you'll notice if you drive these cars back-to-back is that the Cadillac's brake system was not built to the same standards as the Volvo's. The Volvo brakes from 60 mph to 0 in 107 feet, and the Cadillac takes 117 feet to do the same. Those ten feet could be very important someday, which is why we'll always recommend the Volvo.

 

Reversing that particular test, we note that the Volvo outperforms the Cadillac in the 0 to 60 race. The S90 accelerates up to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, and the CT6 gets there after 6.4 seconds.

   

Interior, Features, and Driver Assistance

The Interior of the S90 is the height of elegance and taste. It features wood, metal, and leather complementing one another in a stylish confluence of Swedish minimalism.

 

As executive editor of Motor Trend Mark Rechtin says, "they grow tall people in Sweden, so the back seat easily passes the 6-footer-behind-6-footer test." You and your passengers will each be riding in style and comfort.

Depending on the Cadillac's trim level, you could end up with a mixture of carbon fiber, chrome, and plastic materials in your 54-thousand-dollar car. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we much prefer the cohesive, sophisticated style of the S90.

   

The Cadillac's infotainment system is not what you may expect from a car in this particular segment of the auto market; it's somewhat haphazard in its responsiveness and general function. The Volvo touchscreen is a feature-rich, responsive, and intuitive system.

 

For unparalleled driver assistance and semi-autonomous driving, you'll want to choose Volvo's Pilot Assist technology. It includes semi-autonomous steering, lane keeping, and cruise control. The Cadillac's lane keeping system will keep you within the lane, but it might just bounce you between the lines. The Volvo will actually maintain a nice, even line through the middle of the lane markers.

 

Volvo has never rested on their innovative-safety laurels. Standard safety features in the S90 include automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, drowsy driver alert, and an OnCall system which can notify first responders if the S90 has experienced a collision. This is just a handful of our favorites- there are numerous other systems, each reducing the likelihood of a crash more and more.

   

Fuel Economy and Environmental Impact

Taking steps to reduce ecological damage, Volvo opted for smaller-displacement turbocharged engines to pack the same power as a much larger engine. The base model comes with a turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine (250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque) that gets you an estimated 23 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. Cadillac's comparable engine can't meet that efficiency.

 

Step up to the turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder if you'd like 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet. You can have this kind of potent performance and the S90 will still return an estimated 22 city and 31 highway. The comparable engine on the CT6 gets 18 city and 26 highway.

   

That extra efficiency is good for about a half ton fewer carbon emissions per year than the Cadillac, based on driving 15,000 miles per year.

   

What's the Best Large Luxury Sedan Out There?

The luxury sedan market is competitive. There are a lot of contenders trying to come out on top, but if you ask us, there is of course one winner. The Volvo S90 is the perfect balance of lavish comfort, elegant style, performance-based driving, and legendary safety. Other luxury sedans may excel in one or two of these categories, but you won't find a car as comprehensively brilliant as the Volvo S90.

 

We're very pleased to invite you to visit our showroom and inquire about test driving the Volvo S90. Located conveniently in West Palm Beach, we're delighted to serve drivers from Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Delray Beach, and beyond.