BMW 3 Series vs Cadillac CT4

The short version

The BMW 3 Series is more fuel-efficient: 31 vs 26 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $500 a year less in fuel for the BMW 3 Series (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Cadillac CT4 is the bigger car, about 2 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the BMW 3 Series has had fewer recall campaigns (4 vs 5).

The two cars

The 2026 BMW 3 Series is a compact car offered with 2 engines (2.0L 4-cyl turbo and 3.0L 6-cyl turbo), including a hybrid version and rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 185 inches long and 72 inches wide on a 112-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,494 lb (3-Series 330i Xdrive 4dr Sedan).

The 2026 Cadillac CT4 is a compact car offered with 3 engines (2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 2.7L 4-cyl turbo and 3.6L 6-cyl turbo) and rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 187 inches long and 72 inches wide on a 109-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,578 lb (2.0l 4dr Sedan AWD).

Buying used? The 2024 3 Series and the 2024 CT4 have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2020 CT4.