Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2013 Cadillac CTS-V VS 2013 Dodge Charger Near Scottsdale, AZ

For enhanced safety, the Cadillac CTS-V’s rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Dodge Charger SRT8 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

The CTS-V has standard OnStar ®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Charger SRT8 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the CTS-V and the Charger SRT8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The CTS-V comes with a full 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The Charger SRT8’s 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty expires 1 year and 14,000 miles sooner.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the CTS-V 1 year longer than Dodge covers the Charger SRT8. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Charger SRT8 ends after only 5 years.

The CTS-V comes with free roadside assistance for 6 years 70,000 miles. Cadillac will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Dodge doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the Charger SRT8.

The CTS-V’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Charger SRT8’s (6/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Cadillac pays for scheduled maintenance on the CTS-V for 4 years and 50,000 miles. Cadillac will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Charger SRT8.

The CTS-V has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Charger SRT8 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2012 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 44 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 29th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2012 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac third in reliability, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 31st.

The CTS-V’s 6.2 supercharged V8 produces 86 more horsepower (556 vs. 470) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (551 vs. 470) than the Charger SRT8’s 6.4 V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the Cadillac CTS-V is faster than the Dodge Charger SRT8 (automatics tested):

For better stopping power the CTS-V’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Charger SRT8:

The CTS-V stops shorter than the Charger SRT8:

For better traction, the CTS-V has larger tires than the Charger SRT8 (F:255/40R19 & R:285/35R19 vs. 245/45R20).

The CTS-V’s 255/40R19 front and 285/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Charger SRT8’s standard 45 series tires.

The CTS-V Sedan handles at .93 G’s, while the Charger SRT8 pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CTS-V Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Charger SRT8 (25 seconds @ .8 average G’s vs. 25.8 seconds @ .72 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CTS-V’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Charger SRT8’s (37.9 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The CTS-V Sedan is 9 inches shorter than the Charger SRT8, making the CTS-V easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The CTS-V Sedan has .2 inches more front headroom and .6 inches more front legroom than the Charger SRT8.

The CTS-V Sport Wagon has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat up than the Charger SRT8 (25.4 vs. 16.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the CTS-V easier. The CTS-V’s trunk lift-over height is 28.3 inches, while the Charger SRT8’s liftover is 30.1 inches.

The CTS-V’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Charger SRT8’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

The CTS-V’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Charger SRT8’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The CTS-V Sedan/Wagon has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Charger SRT8 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CTS-V has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Charger SRT8 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the CTS-V has standard extendable sun visors. The Charger SRT8 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The CTS-V’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Charger SRT8 Super Bee doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

Insurance will cost less for the CTS-V owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CTS-V will cost $1615 to $7355 less than the Charger SRT8 over a five-year period.

The CTS-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. Kiplinger’s estimates that the CTS-V will retain a greater percentage of its original price after two and four years than the Charger SRT8.