2013 Cadillac ATS First Drives now published

[Wimbledon]

Does the ATS have what it takes to challenge the 3-Series? Here are the impressions of the motoring press.



http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/drives...dillac-ats

Quote:Our drive route took us from Atlanta to the hilly base of the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlanta Motorsports Park, a private road course designed by Hermann Tilke. Naturally we cooled it on the way there, as it would be silly to stuff one of these new Cadillacs on a public road. Ride quality was quite good and we had time to work with the CUE system and the info controls on the steering wheel, which can tell you just about everything but your Zodiac sign.

On the track the ATS is, simply, a great deal of fun. We didn’t get to go back-to-back with BMWs, but tried both the 2.0 Turbo manual and V-6 automatic. The former loves to rev and is a bit buzzy well up the tach, with a shifter that makes it easy to get there. The V-6 automatic’s large magnesium shift paddles make it more relaxing to drive quickly. The exhaust note, distant when cruising, encourages track speeds.

A touch of understeer followed by neutral manners characterize the ATS on the track. Push it hard into a corner, back off just a bit to tuck the nose in and then ride the throttle. Nothing untoward, no surprises. Just predictable good fun.

Is the new Cadillac ATS as good as a BMW 3 Series? Remember “the same, only different?” The pair does share quite a bit—in everything from overall size and drivetrains to intent. They are remarkably close.

And yet they come from two different places—Detroit and Munich. That’s obvious in their design, both outside and in. We leave that to the eye of the beholder. Given a choice of which to drive up California’s Highway 1, from New York City to Lime Rock or through Texas Hill Country for some great barbecue, we’d have to flip a coin.

[Wimbledon]

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/seda...z21PqMYJ4e

Quote:The singular question, then, is whether Cadillac can back it up. Given Cadillac's boasting and GM's general long-standing but finally fading habit of overpromising and under-delivering, I was skeptical. That new 3 Series is damn good, and I should know -- I'm assigned to MT's long-term 328i. Has Cadillac really done it?

The answer is yes. The Cadillac ATS is shockingly good. In fact, here are the four things I don't like about the ATS: the instrument cluster is boring and uninspired; the shift paddles on the steering wheel are too far away from your fingertips; the back seat is too cramped; and the 2.5-liter base engine has no business being in a car aimed at dethroning the 3 Series. That's it. But does that make it better than the 3 Series?

It does. I drove all three engine variants on beautiful and treacherous back roads north of Atlanta, and I was more than surprised. The ATS is smooth and composed on rough pavement and through turns. The ride is appropriately stiff for a car with sporting intentions, but never harsh or brittle. I was most surprised by the standard, non-adjustable suspension, because frankly, I couldn't feel much of a difference between how it and the optional Magnetic Ride Control suspension rode or handled.

In all, then, the new Cadillac ATS is a very, very good car. But is it better than the 3 Series? The honest answer is...I don't know yet. Despite driving them less than 24 hours apart, I just can't say without driving them directly back-to-back. Both cars ride, drive, and handle exceptionally well, offer a deluge of technology and sport top-notch materials and build quality. To say that the ATS is as good as 3 Series is a grand compliment by itself, but determining which car is better will have to wait for the inevitable comparison test. It's gonna be a nail-biter.

[Wimbledon]

http://www.insideline.com/cadillac/ats/2...-test.html

Quote:After a day driving around Georgia and lapping the brand-new Atlanta Motorsports Park, we can say, yup, the ATS is legit. Just to be sure, we hooked up our test equipment to a pre-production model while we were there.

Around the skid pad at Road Atlanta, the ATS matched the 0.92g lateral grip of the 3 Series, while it stopped 1 foot shorter from 60 mph — 108 feet. Brembo brakes come standard on all ATS models above the base car. Fade was nonexistent, although pedal feel out on the road was a bit soft.

Better Than the 3 Series?
Taking on the established German and Japanese players in one of the most difficult-to-infiltrate segments in the country takes guts. And it shows even bigger cojones for Cadillac to come right out and say the 2013 ATS is capable of challenging the world's best compact sedans.

But does it knock the BMW 3 Series off its comfy perch? Not yet. Not with these powertrains. Still, the 2013 Cadillac ATS, which will begin shipping to dealers August 1, is an exciting rear-drive alternative to the compact sport sedan establishment. That it's as good as it is, and that it's American-made, should be enough to bring new, young buyers into Cadillac dealers.

Even better, Cadillac officials did everything other than confirm that an ATS-V performance model is on the way. Give it a real engine, and maybe, just maybe, it can take on the M3.

[bmw_phil]

I love the subtle jab at Motor Trend in the Road and Track review (the comment about taking it easy on the way to the track so as not to crash the car).

[vdub10golf]

I think the ATS is going to do pretty well. A Cadillac dealer had an XTS out at the last Cars and Coffee here in Dallas and I loved it. HUGE Improvement over the DTS so I'm eager to see what the ATS is like

[silverspeedbuggy]

I saw the ATS at NAIAS and the Cleveland Auto Show; looks even better in person than in photos. If I were looking for a car in this price range, it would be high on my list.

[bmw_phil]

It looks nice enough. I'll have to check out the specs. One thing that I already don't like is the lack of V6 + manual combo. But the other specs (weight, price, etc) look interesting.

[bmw_phil]

Ok, so I checked out the configurator a bit and I'm less impressed now. MT only available on 2.0T RWD, and once you add options it is not much less than a 3-series. I'll get a F30 335xi, which lets me do 6-cyl + MT + AWD. Seems like the only options out there are BMW and Audi these days if you want that config.

[Wimbledon]

150+ Cadillac ATS photos released:

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/07/cad...3-ats.html

[SladeFan]

I see them around town all the time. We live in Rochester Hills, which is a suburb of Detroit. It is a really nice looking car!! The XTS is pretty sweet too!! I only wish Cadillac would do a convertible!!