For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Avalon have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac CT5 doesn't offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Avalon has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats (WIL), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WIL system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The CT5 doesn't offer a whiplash protection system.

The Avalon has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The CT5 doesn't offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Avalon's standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the CT5 and is only available on CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport.

The Avalon has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle's blind spots where the side view mirrors don't reveal them. Only the CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Avalon has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport has a cross-path warning system.

Both the Avalon and the CT5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Avalon is safer than the Cadillac CT5:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight's “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Avalon its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 103 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CT5 has not been tested, yet.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Avalon for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the CT5.

There are over 41 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Avalon's warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Avalon's reliability 22 points higher than the CT5.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked fifth.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports' January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Cadillac is ranked 21st.

The Avalon's 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 64 more horsepower (301 vs. 237) and 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (267 vs. 258) than the CT5's standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Avalon is faster than the Cadillac CT5 turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Avalon gets better mileage than the CT5:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Avalon uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CT5 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Avalon has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn't available on the CT5; it requires you to depend on its optional run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Avalon XLE's turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the CT5's (37.7 feet vs. 39 feet). The Avalon Limited/Touring's turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the CT5 AWD's (38.7 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

The Avalon Touring uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CT5 doesn't offer active noise cancellation.

The Avalon has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CT5 (104.3 vs. 99).

The Avalon has 2.1 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 2.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the CT5.

The Avalon has a much larger trunk than the CT5 (16.1 vs. 11.9 cubic feet).

If the windows are left open on the Avalon the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the CT5 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Avalon has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. A locking fuel door is only offered on the CT5 Premium Luxury/Sport and it still costs extra.

The Avalon has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the CT5. The Avalon Limited/Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren't available in the CT5.

Insurance will cost less for the Avalon owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Avalon will cost $340 to $1915 less than the CT5 over a five-year period.

The Avalon will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Avalon will retain 41.63% to 42.3% of its original price after five years, while the CT5 only retains 39.16% to 39.64%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Avalon will be $6884 to $7692 less than for the Cadillac CT5.

The Toyota Avalon has won recognition from these important consumer publications: