Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) have emerged as a promising paradigm in the automotive industry, revolutionizing transportation systems with their potential to improve safety, efficiency, and overall user experience. The communication aspect of CAVs is vital to enable their advanced capabilities. In this article, we focus on analyzing the current landscape, challenges, and future vision of CAVs from a 5G perspective. Unlike previous theoretical studies, our approach is grounded on empirical evidence obtained through trials conducted over a commercial 5G deployment, considering two representative use cases: “Remote Driving" and “Quality of Service (QoS)-based Level-of-Automation Selection”. Based on the quantitative findings, we identify and discuss several open challenges that need to be overcome to seamlessly integrate CAVs into the 5G ecosystem. Furthermore, we outline prospective enablers for solutions and enhancements that can address the identified shortcomings and provide a solid foundation for the future of CAVs in the context of 6G. Overall, this research contributes to the ongoing efforts to optimize communication systems for CAVs, facilitating their safe and efficient integration into the future smart transportation ecosystem.