[docCarter]

Car & Driver
Photo Credit: Car & Driver

After five years of development and countless Nürburgring Nordschleife hot laps, Cadillac engineers finally handed over their new ATS to us for a few hours of road driving and instrumented testing. One day with GM’s first Alpha-platform car was enough to confirm that the ATS is the real deal—a true compact sports sedan with the size, specs, and speed to run with the segment’s aristocracy, especially BMW’s 3-series.

The ATS offers three engines, two transmissions, rear- or four-wheel drive, four trim packages, half a dozen wheel and tire combinations, and a tempting list of infotainment options capable of lifting the $33,990 base price above $50,000. Because the turbocharged 2.0-liter stick-shift ATS we begged for wasn’t ready, we tested what Cadillac’s vehicle line executive Dave Leone considers his hot setup: a rear-drive, 3.6-liter ATS equipped with 18-inch summer run-flat tires, Brembo brakes, and adjustable magnetic-ride-control dampers. The top engine, a $3605 option, comes standard with a six-speed automatic. Loaded with Premium Collection trimmings, including Cadillac’s new CUE (Cadillac User Experience) center-stack interface and heated seats and steering wheel, our test car’s sticker read $48,190.

[jspookss]

Good review and lots of praise, but this is C&D so I'm sure they'll despise it in a month or so.

[MOPAR74]

Still wish a manual trans was an option with the 3.6L, but no matter... this car is awesome either way

[docCarter]

GM's revised autobox's are super quick to respond.

This car is just too awesome, maybe even more awesome than....... Zeta.

[REVolution]

I can't really take what Car & Driver takes for granted. They'll love it in one review and totally despise the same car in another.

[Chevroletguy]

Can the ATS dethrone the 3-series in the 10 Best? We shall see...

[REVolution]

I doubt we'll see that.

[The Voice of Doom]

It's gonna be close. After what GM did with the Camaro nothing surprises me anymore.

[G8mike]

RotaryKing aka Rev;224019 Wrote:I can't really take what Car & Driver takes for granted. They'll love it in one review and totally despise the same car in another.

They all do that. I remember one review calling the Camaro 'an American G35'. Within a year they were dumping all over it for its propensity to understeer.

Since C & D are usually mocked as 'BMW & Driver' I'll take what they say as high praise and my only gripe would be (as others have mentioned) that GM should offer the manual with the 3.6 if they really want to be taken seriously in this segment.

The 2.0T manual is high on my shopping list, once they start making it to dealers up here.

[LovemyPathfinder]

silver looks good on that car. I guess i could live with 280 hp and a stick...

[AlwaysSmooth]

It will be close, but from what all reviews seem to say, the ATS is a very fine car, it's just not a 3 Series....yet. When you think sports sedan, it's the one people think of.

[zguy]

I think the ats will beat the 3 series on design, god the new one is awful looking id rather a 2-4 year old 335i versus a new one

[Cmicasa the GreatXvX]

AlwaysSmooth;225347 Wrote:It will be close, but from what all reviews seem to say, the ATS is a very fine car, it's just not a 3 Series....yet.

U're Right "B..." It's better.

Saw a 3series the other day and almost dropped my coffee on my lap that thing is so fuckin hideous in the front.

As far as a driver's car.. the 3series is dynamic.. but plenty of write-ups have already dethroned it as inferior to the Cadillac. The only thing I have seen more "positive" from the comparison of the two in favor of the 3series is that the 3series offers more rough feedback from the steering. In other words the 3series, in performance driving, allows the driver to feel more vibration from road to steering wheel. I realize U are not exactly a performance driver, but if I feel vibration in my steering wheel going around turns at 80mph.. I taking my shit in for an alignment or wheel balance the very next day.

And another thing... the only dudes I kno who are unable to drive stick and are THIS obsessed with Beyonce... in a non-fuckable way.. are the ones who are also pissed they were born with a jerk... and not a pussy

[Cmicasa the GreatXvX]

zguy;225357 Wrote:I think the ats will beat the 3 series on design, god the new one is awful looking id rather a 2-4 year old 335i versus a new one

Caddy made the car look elegant and sporty both inside and out. The interior in the ATS simply destroys the 3series. BMW actually made the wood trim in the 3series look like plastic.. even tho its actually real wood.

[AlwaysSmooth]

Cmicasa the GreatXvX;226427 Wrote:

AlwaysSmooth;225347 Wrote:It will be close, but from what all reviews seem to say, the ATS is a very fine car, it's just not a 3 Series....yet.

U're Right "B..." It's better.

Saw a 3series the other day and almost dropped my coffee on my lap that thing is so fuckin hideous in the front.

As far as a driver's car.. the 3series is dynamic.. but plenty of write-ups have already dethroned it as inferior to the Cadillac. The only thing I have seen more "positive" from the comparison of the two in favor of the 3series is that the 3series offers more rough feedback from the steering. In other words the 3series, in performance driving, allows the driver to feel more vibration from road to steering wheel. I realize U are not exactly a performance driver, but if I feel vibration in my steering wheel going around turns at 80mph.. I taking my shit in for an alignment or wheel balance the very next day.

And another thing... the only dudes I kno who are unable to drive stick and are THIS obsessed with Beyonce... in a non-fuckable way.. are the ones who are also pissed they were born with a jerk... and not a pussy

I learned how to drive stick quite well this summer. So shut up.