Compare the2026 Cadillac CT4VS 2026 Lexus ES

Both the CT4 and ES have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The CT4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The ES’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CT4 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ES doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the CT4 and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all-wheel drive and around view monitors.

There are over 2 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CT4’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the CT4 third among compact premium cars in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The ES isn’t in the top three in its category.

The CT4 has more powerful engines than the ES:

Regardless of its engine, the CT4’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES 350h, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The CT4 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES (17.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The CT4 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The ES doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The CT4 Luxury’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ES’ standard 55 series tires. The CT4’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the ES’ optional 45 series tires.

The CT4 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The ES doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the CT4 can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The ES doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The Cadillac CT4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 1100 pounds less than the Lexus ES.

The CT4 is 1 foot, 3.1 inches shorter than the ES, making the CT4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the CT4 Premium Luxury uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ES doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CT4 has .1 inches more front headroom and .6 inches more front legroom than the ES.

The engine in the CT4 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the ES. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The CT4 Sport has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the ES.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Cadillac CT4, based on reliability, safety and performance.