This luxury sport sedan has lofty goals on its sculpted shoulders: take down the BMW 3 series and establish Cadillac->ke18 as the go-to choice among entry-level luxury sedan shoppers. These demanding buyers want exterior presence, interior quality and better-than-German performance characteristics for their $40,000.

What hasn’t been said about the Cadillac ATS that launched for 2013 on an all-new chassis, including turbocharged four-cylinder, V-6 and AWD options?

The ATS is rear-drive by default and includes some headline tech to win a segment where Cadillac has never been successful before. Perks like Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system, Brembo brakes, a limited-slip diff and third-gen Magnetic Ride Control are all without equal from the latest BMW, Audi->ke14 and Mercedes rivals.

The plan is ambitious and the objective repeats the challenge issued by dozens of companies over the years, including: the Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS250 and Acura TL.

The ATS packs all the mechanical variations of the BMW 3 series and was explicitly benchmarked against the Bimmer for all levels of refinement, space and performance. In its first full year in a new segment for Cadillac->ke18, the ATS is a huge hit with 2013 year-to-date sales of over 20,000 units. This is a huge achievement, despite being only about 40 percent of BMW’s total 3 series volume for the same period.

The ATS Turbo is the top seller and comes with rear-drive or AWD and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. It is priced between the base 2.5-liter RWD auto and the optional 3.6-liter V-6 auto, which comes in rear or AWD configurations.

Click past the jump for the full review of the 2014 Cadillac ATS sedan with highlights on a handful of new features and options.

2014 Cadillac ATS

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Cadillac ATS
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 202 @ 6300
  • Torque: 191 @ 4400
  • Transmission: 6-speed Auto
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The design of the Cadillac ATS might be the best yet under the latest directions for the brand, as established by the XTS and upcoming CTS. It is instantly fresh but still matches its larger siblings to includes the new white LED edge design up front. These twin vertical blades of light start in the lower fascia and extend through the edge of the headlights for a dramatic nighttime signature.

The layout of the LEDs is innovative and extends the visual width of the car’s nose very nicely. The design frames a pointed Cadillac grille with matching black chrome detailing in the lower bumper grille. The bumper forms a sharp air dam near the sculpted corners that reach forward and down from the main assembly for a sporty look.

The ATS runs a remarkably low hood and the elegant extra-short front overhang that defines premium vehicles of all kinds. A scalloped hood edge brings the fenders even lower to emphasize wheel size and the luxury proportions. The mirrors carry turn signal repeaters on the edge of their slim single mounting stalk to the body, aping the high-design appeal from Aston Martin among others.

The ATS, in profile, is just as sporty and slinky, with a low roofline and cab-rearward design. The rear doors and window-line plunge dramatically from behind the driver’s head area and mount the rear seats deep inside the car to maintain legroom.

The rear three-quarter and tail view show the most elegantly-styled Cadillac->ke18 trunk since the 1993 Seville STS. A smooth flow of horizontal body creases carry into the trunk and lead to a pinched LED brake light bar that doubles as a spoiler at high speed. The overall fender shaping and slender body emphasize the ATS’s large wheel and tire packages and its rear-drive design.

The final rear end details are terrific: twin chrome exhaust finishers that are embedded within a grey diffuser plate and vertical LED taillights that are still some of the brightest and most dramatic LED designs on the road.

2014 Cadillac ATS – Exterior Dimensions:

Wheelbase (in.)

109.3

Length (in.)

182.8

Width (in.)

71.1

Height (in.)

55.9

Weight (Pounds) 2.5-liter RWD AWD

3,315

Weight (Pounds) 2.0-liter Turbo Manual

3,403

Weight (Pounds) 2.0-liter Turbo Auto

3,373 (AWD 3,542)

Weight (Pounds) 3.6-liter Auto

3,461 (AWD 3,629)

Track - Front (in.)

59.5

Track - Rear (in.)

60.9


2014 Cadillac ATS – Standard Exterior Features:

- Headlamps, high intensity discharge includes Adaptive Forward Lighting and LED vertical light signatures

- Lamp, LED center high-mounted stop/brake (CHMSL)

- 17-inch x 8-inch premium painted aluminum wheels

- Run-flat Tires, P225/45R17 all-season

- Fascias, front and rear body-color; Moldings, rocker panel, body-color

- Grille, midnight chrome accented

- Grille, active aero (Deleted when Driver Assist Package is ordered.)

- Automatic Rainsense Wipers

- Door handles, illuminating

2014 Cadillac ATS – Optional Exterior Features:

- Dealer-installed Rear spoiler ($450)

- 18-inch forged aluminum wheels ($800)

- Aluminum sport pedal set (Dealer-installed)

- 19-inch ultra-bright machined-finish aluminum wheels (Dealer-installed)

- 19-inch Manoogian premium painted wheels (Dealer-installed)

- 19-inch gloss black aluminum wheels (Dealer-installed)

- 19-inch Y-rated summer tires (Dealer-installed)

- Black chrome-accented sport grille (Dealer-installed)

- Black chrome rear applique trim (Dealer-installed)

Interior

The interior of the ATS is pretty incredible, especially versus other Cadillac->ke18 and GM models that barely get near this level of finish. Tan or black leather come standard and include either wood inlays or brushed aluminum.

The mid-spec ATS Turbo Performance trim is the tastiest of the group with merlot-colored leather sport seats and carbon fiber for the décor. The seats have dozens of individually stitched panels and the leather feels thick and durable, but also quite soft.

These seats are also a critical place where the BMW 3 series typically trumps pretenders. The ATS Turbo even trumps the Audi A4’s fantastic thrones with eight-way power adjustments, manual 4-way headrests and manual two-way seat-base-length -- all for both front seats. The ATS offers class-exclusive power-adjustable lumbar for the passenger seat as well as the driver seat.

All ATS models come with Cadillac’s CUE central touchscreen, but the system needs the $795 navigation option to be complete. The full CUE system is standard on all but the lowest trim to include Bluetooth for audio and phone calls, voice recognition and a better 10-speaker Bose stereo that is a pricey option on Standard trim ATS models.

A big change for the automatic-equipped 2014 ATS Turbo sedans is a new, larger-diameter steering wheel with magnesium-trimmed shift paddles. The other major changes for 2014’s interior setup include a cool frameless rearview mirror and an extra 12-volt power socket in the center armrest on CUE Nav models. The frameless rearview mirror has electrochromic automatic dimming and is pure glass mirror right up to the edge, versus being framed in black plastic.

The ATS seems small by general Cadillac->ke18 standards on the inside, but it is above or within 1 inch of all major interior dimensions of the BMW 3 series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The newest BMW now has 2 extra inches of legroom but both are still tight for large passengers. There is one dimension caveat for the ATS: the trunk is quite small and only has a ski pass-through - not a folding seatback.

2014 Cadillac ATS – Interior Dimensions:

Front Seating Capacity

2

Rear Seating Capacity

3

Headroom - Front (in.)

38.6

Headroom - Rear (in.)

36.8

Legroom - Front (in.)

42.5

Legroom - Rear (in.)

33.5

Shoulder Room - Front (in.)

55.2

Shoulder Room - Rear (in.)

53.9

Hip Room - Front (in.)

53

Hip Room - Rear (in.)

52.3

EPA Cargo Volume (cubic-feet)

10.4


2014 Cadillac ATS – Standard Interior Features:

- Audio system, CD/AM/FM stereo, dual USB ports, SD card slot and auxiliary audio port

- Cadillac User Experience and Surround Sound includes Interface Auxiliary Device Connectivity, single disc CD player, Color Information Display with 8-inch touch screen, SiriusXM and HD radio, and Bose premium surround sound 10-speaker system

- Bluetooth for phone/audio, uplevel phone/audio with natural voice recognition; Interface Auxiliary Device Connectivity; integrated front and rear radio antenna

- Leather seating surfaces; Seat adjusters, driver and front passenger 8-way power, plus 2-way power lumbar plus 4-way adjustable head restraints; Seats, performance includes (AE8) seat adjusters content, plus driver and front passenger manual cushion length adjustment and driver power side bolster adjustment

- Steering wheel, leather-wrapped; Steering wheel controls, mounted controls for audio, phone and cruise; Steering wheel mounted Paddle Shift controls

- Color Information Display with 8" touch screen

- Pedals, Sport aluminum alloy

- Climate control, dual-zone automatic; Air filtration system

- Mirror, frameless inside rearview auto-dimming

2014 Cadillac ATS – Optional Interior Features:

- CUE with Navigation ($795)

- Power sunroof ($1,050)

- Cold Weather Package ($600)

- Advanced Security Package ($395)

- Driver Assist Package ($3645)

Drivetrain, Suspension and Brakes

The base Cadillac ATS comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that delivers 201 horsepower through a six-speed auto to the rear wheels. This is enough to have 21 extra horsepower over the BMW 320i but is a little poky at an estimated 7.5 seconds to 60 mph.

At the top of the range sits the 3.6-liter V-6 producing 321 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque for a 5.4 second 0-to-60 mph run. The V-6 dramatically increases the ATS's curb weight in both rear and AWD setups, with the heaviest about 400 pounds meatier than the 2.5-liter base sedan. Even so, the AWD V-6 is the quickest ATS with a 5.2 second 0-to-60 mph time.

The most popular choice is the ATS Turbo that nicely balances power, performance and economy. This 2.0-liter turbocharged ATS makes 272 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque from just 1,700 rpm. This is a strong engine with generous passing and sprint power in the 3,300-pound sedan. Power is channeled through a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic for rear-wheel drive models, and through just the automatic for AWD models.

All ATS Turbos are very closely matched in 0-to-60 mph times, coming between 5.9 and 6.1 seconds to 60 mph and led by the AWD automatic. The ATS Turbo sedan tops out at 149 mph, but speeds as high as 163 mph have been clocked by some performance tuners.

The turbo engine is ripe for additional boost and power and has plentiful support from the aftermarket. A unique feature for rear-drive ATS sedans is a mechanical limited-slip rear differential (on rear-drive cars only). This ensures great traction out of corners without any electronic intervention by the stability control. It also increases poise under hard braking and mid-corner bumps.

Bumps are something the ATS takes in stride with the optional FE3 handling setup (standard on Luxury, Performance and Premium trims) that brings adjustable Magnetic Ride Control. Because General Motors previously owned the company who developed (and owns the patent to) this technology, the Cadillac->ke18 team has special access to advanced versions not yet offered to other manufacturers. The Caddy also benefits from more intensive tuning by the inventors of the system.

All ATS Cadillac's have adjustable drive settings, but the MRC-equipped cars also get an extra level of control via a Sport button to change steering, throttle, steering and suspension to maximum attack mode. The wide range of adjustments in MRC give the ATS a softer-than-normal ride when not in one of the sport modes. All ATS sedans come standard with run-flat tires that can feel quite firm when cold.

2014 Cadillac ATS – Mechanical Details:

Trim Level

2.5L I-4 DI VVT

2.0L Turbo DI VVT

3.6L V-6 DI VVT

Engine Size and Type

2.5-liter 16-valve I-4 With DOHC And CVVT

2.0-liter Turbocharged 16-valve I-4 With Chain-Driven DOHC, CVVT and DI

3.6-liter 24-valve V-6 With DOHC And CVVT

Peak power (Horsepower)

202

272

321

Peak torque (Pound-feet)

191

260

275

Transmission

6-Speed Auto

6-Speed Manual (6-Speed Auto Opt.)

6-Speed Auto

0-to-60 mph

7.5 seconds

6.0 seconds (Auto AWD 5.9)

5.4 seconds (AWD 5.2)

Top Speed

130 mph, est

149 mph

149 mph

Fuel Economy Estimates (City/Combined/Highway)

21/NA/31, 20/NA/30 AWD

22/NA/33

19/NA/28 RWD, 18/NA/26 AWD


Safety

The ATS is one of a select group of cars that scored the maximum five stars in all NHTSA crash test categories, including rollovers. Only the Chevrolet Camaro and Volvo S60 have achieved this feat.

The ATS offers Cadillac->ke18’s full Driver Assistance Package as an optional extra for $3,650. This includes adaptive cruise, front collision alert, the safety seat and more – all with info displayed on the standard 5.7-inch gauge cluster screen. This leaves the CUE system for audio, climate and nav purposes and also simplifies the usage of these advanced technologies.

The ATS comes standard with front and rear ultrasonic parking sensors and a rear backup camera.

2014 Cadillac ATS Turbo – Standard Safety Features:

- LED Daytime running lamps

- Air bags, driver and front passenger frontal (dual stage for passenger), knee and side, front and rear head curtain

- Air bags, rear thorax for outboard seating positions

- Air bag, Passenger Sensing System

- OnStar, 1 year of Directions and Connections

- Automatic Crash Response; Stolen Vehicle Assistance; OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation

- Forward Collision Alert (Also included when (Y66) Driver Assist Package is ordered.)

- Lane Departure Warning

- Front Parking Assist, Ultrasonic, with audible warning chimes

- Rear Parking Assist, Ultrasonic, with audible warning chimes

- Rearview backup camera

- Door locks, rear child security

- Child seat restraint system; LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Top tethers for CHildren), for child safety seats

- Trunk emergency release handle

- Tire Pressure Monitoring System

- StabiliTrak, vehicle stability enhancement system

Pricing

The ATS is priced from $33,990 for 2013, with an increase of less than $500 expected for 2014. The prices below are for 2013 models, which also currently offer a $2,000 cash back rebate from the manufacturer.

Trim Name

RWD

AWD

ATS Standard (Std. Automatic)

$33,990

NA

ATS Luxury (Std. Automatic)

$38,485

NA

ATS Turbo Standard (Manual)

$34,615

NA

ATS Turbo Standard (Automatic)

$35,795

$37,795

ATS Turbo Luxury (Manual)

$39,110

NA

ATS Turbo Luxury (Automatic)

$40,290

$42,290

ATS Turbo Performance (Manual)

$41,510

NA

ATS Turbo Performance (Automatic)

$42,790

$44,790

ATS Turbo Premium (Manual)

$44,315

NA

ATS Turbo Premium (Automatic)

$45,790

$46,890

ATS V-6 Luxury (Std. Automatic)

$42,090

$44,090

ATS V-6 Performance (Std. Automatic)

$44,590

$46,590

ATS V-6 Premium (Std. Automatic)

$47,590

$48,690


Competition

BMW 328i

The BMW 3 series is obviously top dog in the sports sedan segment and broadens that offering with a new 320i base model producing 180 horsepower at a $33,000 base price.

The most direct comparison with the ATS is the $36,000 BMW 328i that is also available with rear or AWD. The biggest single difference between the two cars is the BMW's superior highway economy and eight-speed (versus 6-speed for Caddy) automatic transmission.

Audi A4

The A4 is also priced right on top of the ATS but the front-drive $34,000 base model runs a CVT automatic transmission that can drone under heavy throttle. The Quattro AWD A4 is available with both a six-speed auto or six-speed manual from about $39,000 upwards.

The A4 is much less of a dedicated sports sedan with a sedate standard ride quality but also older exterior style and less interior tech than the BMW or Cadillac.

Conclusion

The ATS is a car that some believed was beyond Cadillac->ke18’s experience and expertise. The well-balanced and feature-rich ATS proves all the naysayers wrong with a wide variety of mechanical specifications that together form just about the perfect sports sedan.

A 6-second 60 mph sprint plus 32 highway mpg are not stats that have ever come from Cadillac->ke18 before. The interior offers excellent levels of fit and finish that are matched only by the latest Corvette Stingray for perceived quality.

Sure, some of the trims are questionable, but even the faux wood has some elegant graining that does, in fact, resemble trees. Yes, there is a lot of chrome trim in the cabin that would usually be aluminum alloy in an Audi->ke14.

These demerits are not deal-breakers when they come with such great seats as standard. They are sporty, supportive and hugely adjustable in distinctly German ways. The difference is that even the base ATS matches the best 335i’s optional sport seats for range of movement and long-distance comfort.

This theme plays out elsewhere when comparing the ATS with the 3 Series. In the volume sales chase, the base BMW 3 Series is really a ghost of its former self and comes with an extremely stripped down cabin in base trims. It’s still the benchmark for the segment but only really becomes luxurious at $45,000-plus prices.

The ATS comfortably outperforms low-range BMW 320i and 328i models in a package that is generally about $8,000 cheaper (including options). For the first time in history, the 3 Series' default place in the sports sedan world is under siege by Cadillac. The ATS doesn’t make any excuses for its American looks – and finally its buyers won’t need any performance excuses either.

Category

Rating

Details

Driving

A-

Sporty Ride And Great ZF-Sourced Steering

Performance

A

Quick And Fun To Drive

Look

A

Really Beautiful Execution Of Current And Future Cadillac Themes

Value

B+

Can Get A Little Pricey With AWD

Overall

A-

Thrilling Performance And Style With Four Doors