We reported in January that the average price paid for a new vehicle in the US has hit a new record, again, with a typical driver spending a whopping $50,326 if they want to be a car's first owner. That's the average sale price, meaning that, while it includes plenty of drivers spending $30,000 or less on new Nissans and Kias, it also covers people spending close to $100,000 on full-size pickups and hybrid SUVs.You know how fast food has got so expensive these days that you might as well go to a real restaurant and spend an extra couple of bucks for much better food? That's what the luxury car segment is looking like lately. If you're going to be spending at least $50,000 on a new sedan, you might as well go with the Caddie, right? Not only can you get a 2026 Cadillac CT5 for well under $100,000, you can get it fully loaded without spending anywhere close to six figures. A Look At The 2026 Cadillac CT5 Cadillac The 2026 Cadillac CT5 is available in a couple of different trims, with the top trim offering a choice of rear or all-wheel drive, and one of two engines, being a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbo-four, and a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. It goes without saying that we're getting the top trim with all the best powertrain options, but here's how they break down by options.The 2.0-liter engine delivers a respectable 237 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque through its 10-speed automatic transmission, but the V6 brings that up to 335 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque, with 0-60 mph takeoffs of around 4.9 seconds. If your only budget concern is that you want to spend less than $100,000, the powertrain upgrade is a no-brainer.Here's what you get with your Premium Luxury CT5, before we add anything extra. 33-inch diagonal LED display Heated front seats Super cruise driver assistance technology Premium 15-speaker surround sound 18-inch alloy wheels with Manoogian silver finish and all-season self-sealing tires Rainsense automatic wipers Illuminating door handles Heated exterior windows Intellibeam automatic high beams Tinted glass Ventilated front seats Wireless phone charging Carpeted floor mats 8-way power seat adjust for the driver Leather seating with mini-perforated inserts Even before we look at the extras, we're getting a lot for the price. This is definitely a Cadillac. What Does A Fully Loaded CT5 Look Like? Cadillac Adding every available option and upgrade, and opting to add them in packages, where available, here's what we can add to our CT5. Front license plate bracket $15 Cargo net $95 Highway Safety Kit $175 Collapsible cargo area organizer $175 Seatback organizer $195 Battery Protection Package $195 1-Year MobileService+ $199 Premium carpeted floor mats $240 3 Years SiriusXM $299 Interior Protection Package $350 Bright grille $850 Clear tail lamps $1,125 UltraView power sunroof $1,450 OnStar One with Super Cruise® Plan (extension to 8 years) $3,000 Bronze Accent Package $3,495 3.0L Twin Turbo V6 engine $3,500 Platinum Package $6,795 The Platinum Package includes Sedona Sauvage leather seats with jet black accents, alloy sport pedals, and all the technology package upgrades, including rear camera mirror, front cornering lamps, head-up display, and an upgraded cabin air filter system.We also went with the $1,225 vibrant white tricoat exterior option. If you can't get a pink Cadillac, we think Caddies just look right in white, if you ask us. And yes, the $0.00 base color is white, too, but that tricoat just looks classy.Here's what our total looks like right now at checkout...If you ask us, this is a fair for a fully loaded midsize luxury sedan with a twin-turbo V6 under the hood. To put that into perspective, a 2026 BMW 550 540i starts at $65,800 with a 375-hp hybrid straight-six engine. A 2026 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic starts at $71,700 with a 375-hp hybrid-six. Both of those prices are with no options or extras. What Will It Cost To Finance A Cadillac CT5? Cadillac $76,373 isn't a terrible price for a fully-loaded Cadillac, but it's enough that we're probably not paying for this car with a big cash sum. Most buyers will be financing the car, and we also have to take tax and titling and so on into account. But, if we assume an interest rate at 5%, plus 6% sales tax, we're still getting this car off the lot without spending $100,000.Your mileage will certainly vary. You might have a valuable trade-in to sweeten the deal, or you might live in a state with no sales tax on cars, or 5% interest might be out of the question. $94,077 is a ballpark estimate for a typical buyer, but you could be spending thousands more, or thousands less, than that. All the same, the point is you can get this car off the lot and into your garage without spending six figures.If it's an option, it's never a bad idea to go with shorter loan terms. Your monthly payments will be higher than the national average (which was $745 per month, as of last summer), but you'll be spending less in the long run. Is A Fully Loaded Cadillac CT5 Worth The Price? Cadillac When it comes to luxury cars, we can talk practicality all day long, but it's not exactly a practical decision, and what makes sense on paper might not be what makes sense when you get behind the wheel and give it a test drive. If a fully loaded CT5 speaks to you, don't let us talk you out of it.That said, here's the irony of buying a fully loaded Cadillac CT5 and trying to keep it under $100,000: all the really expensive stuff is just there to let you flex on everybody else on the highway. The $1,125 clear tail lights, the $3,495 bronze accent package, the $850 bright grille. None of these add-ons are what we could call necessities. Yeah, they'll have you standing out in the parking lot, but is that really worth an extra $22,153 when one of those orange antenna balls only costs five bucks?It's also worth considering the cost of ownership. Insurance is only getting more expensive, and CarEdge estimates a CT5 costs around $3,018 a year to insure. The CT5 is reliable, but luxury cars are pricey to maintain, and RepairPal has a typical CT5 owner spending $783 a year on maintenance. Meanwhile, the EPA says you'll be paying $2,750 a year on fuel, assuming 15,000 miles, split 45/55 between highway and city driving. Saving $22,153 on the purchase price will take some of the sting off the cost of ownership. A Fully Loaded CT5 Costs More Than A CT5-V Cadillac To be sure, a fully loaded Cadillac CT5 delivers a lot for the price. With every available feature, the car feels more expensive than it really is. But, a 2026 Cadillac CT5-V starts you off at $57,600 with a 360-hp V6 engine.A base Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury model is very attractive, and very practical, at $51,200. At $56,495, with a twin-turbo V6, you have to wonder why you're not spending another $1,105 for the CT5-V. Once you add on $22,153 of extras, plus financing, you're approaching the base MSRP for a $97,600 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.Our advice: consider going with the base Premium Luxury model, or an AWD Sport, and then pick and choose your options based on what you really can't live without. The closer the price gets to $60,000, the more likely we are to recommend you simply upgrade to the V, and if you really have to have every single option available, take another look at your budget and see what a Blackwing will cost you after trading in your current daily driver.