Back in December 2012, I was a lucky recipient for being invited by Klout to sign up for a 3 Day Test Drive of GM’s all new 2013 Cadillac ATS. Through special arrangements by Desa Fernandez at Klout, I was able to complete this 3 day #ATSdrive test drive between February 15-17, and through the experience, I was compelled to write up a review of my impressions as well as areas of improvement for the vehicle. As a former automotive sales and leasing specialist with Ford for almost 7 years, part of my job was to know about the competition and how they stack up versus your own lineup and identify competitive advantages to showcase to our consumers. During my 3 days with the Cadillac, I have to admit that although I’ve never been a GM fan in years past (mainly due to fit / finish of their products), this vehicle left me an impression that completely took me by surprise and with very few disappointments.
Day 1 – February 15
Mike Doyle, the Cadillac representative, showed up at my residence to drop off the new ATS for me. He gave me a quick run-through and demonstration on some of the vehicle’s features as well as Cadillac’s CUE (Cadillac User Experience) System, then handed me the car’s remote, and I was off with the car for the next few days. I was already familiar with Ford’s MyFordTouch system, so I paired up my iPhone with the CUE system and tested out the voice commands. The CUE system was easy to use, as there were screen prompts on the instrument panel instructing me on what I can say in order to make it function properly. CUE’s touch screen pulsed on my fingertip to confirm the function I was seeking. After the setup, I wasted no time by taking it for a quick drive to grab some breakfast. It was the tail end of the morning rush hour, but I already noticed how quiet it was in the cabin of the car. I had to roll down the windows just to make sure there was actual noise outside that was being filtered out.
Upon completing breakfast, I headed over to one of my friend’s house who had previously expressed interest in leasing an ATS. He’s been a Cadillac enthusiast for a very long time, and is looking to eventually replace his older Eldorado. We opened the hood to inspect the engine, and it was here that I discovered that the ATS was powered by a 2.5L Ecotec I4 Engine. Really?! It sure didn’t feel like a 4 cylinder. There was definitely more than enough power for this car. My friend and I took it for a spin around Vancouver, and he was definitely impressed. His only complaint was that he didn’t like the thickness of the A-pillar as it hinders his view of pedestrians while making turns at intersections.
Day 2 – February 16
I put the 2013 Cadillac ATS 2.5L Luxury through it’s paces by taking it for a drive along the Sea to Sky Highway up to Whistler for lunch. The day started off mostly sunny, but as I neared Squamish, it was a complete torrential downpour. It was during this drive where I was able to appreciate the car’s power, handling, braking, the CUE system, the factory BOSE audio system, and surprisingly, the windshield wipers!
With the windy and hilly Highway 99 ahead of me, the 202 HP ATS took on every turn in confidence. For a vehicle that weighs in just over 3300 lbs, it felt moderately light and sporty, with very little body roll around each turn. The 6-speed automatic with manual shift mode was smooth and crisp, without any sudden jolts between shifting. The only exception was during one part of a steep grade where I was passing a few vehicles, where the transmission shifted down and was near redline most of the way up. As soon as I passed the vehicles, I eased up on the accelerator pedal, yet the transmission seemed stuck in the gear for a good 5-6 seconds before I decided to switch to manual mode and get it out of M3 gear.
As I neared Squamish, the rain started to come down in buckets, even though I could still see blue sky. Rainbows covered Highway 99 through most of Squamish, and if it weren’t for me driving, I would’ve snapped a few pictures. Windshield wiper systems are hardly something worth noting, especially after all the different vehicles I had to drive while working at the dealership over the years. The windshield wipers on the ATS, however, was the biggest surprise. I literally couldn’t hear the wiper motor, nor the wiper blades during each swipe. Only the pitter patter of the rain as it came down. While it’s a much overlooked feature of every vehicle I’ve ever driven, the operation and performance of the windshield wiper system was impressive enough to get mentioned.
After reaching my destination in Whistler, I tested out both the front parking system and backup camera. The front, low sloping hood makes it impossible to see where the front bumper is, however the front parking sensors do an excellent job of letting you know through an audible signal and a pictograph on the instrument cluster to tell you if you are getting too close. The backup sensors and rear camera also helped out with parking the car up against a stall, ensuring you can get as close as you want to the wall without bumping it.
On the return trip back to Vancouver, I decided to use the navigation system to program a route back to my residence. This particular ATS model did not come with the optional HDD 3D Navigation System, however you can contact OnStar to tell them your destination and they will program it into the CUE System for you. Upon call completion, my destination popped up on the touch screen, and I was all set. Even though the system didn’t have the 3D Navigation System, there was an arrow pointing you in the direction you need to go, and the distance before hitting the next checkpoint.
Day 3 – February 17
My last day with the ATS was spent on a trip to Steveston Village in Richmond, where I was meeting my family for a birthday dinner celebration. I checked out the XM Satellite System, and it was probably one of the biggest disappointments during the 3 day drive. While I did like the fact the XM information was displayed on the instrument panel, the signal kept cutting out, and I was left with dead space for periods at a time. I did try it out for about 20 minutes during my drive back from Whistler, but because I experienced the same thing up there, I decided to go with music on my iPhone through the bluetooth audio feature. During this drive, I purposely wanted to use the XM Satellite System, and even in the city, the signal kept cutting out. In fairness, I believe that the issue is most likely isolated to this one car and not the entire fleet. I’ve had to put on short demonstrations in the past during my days with Ford, and never experienced the signal issue.
Braking on this car is exceptional, as it is fitted with standard Brembo front brakes. Driving through the city was probably the best demonstration of the brakes for me, as they stopped on a dime at every traffic light. They feel strong and confident, with no brake fade whatsoever.
The family got to comb through the car, checking all the features out including getting in and out of the rear seat. Overall, they all nodded in approval of the car, but the single most common gripe they had was the ingress / egress of the vehicle. I noticed this too, as I seemed to have issues with getting in and out of the driver’s seat during my 3 day experience, mainly because the ATS feels like it’s positioned low.
2013 ATS Highs (what I like)
- Cadillac look
- Plenty of juice, even for their base engine
- Refinement of materials
- Confident suspension / Cornering ability
- Brembo front brakes
- Interior sound / noise levels
- CUE
- Front parking sensors / Backup camera
- Windshield wipers
- Overall fit and finish
2013 ATS Lows (what I didn’t like)
- Vision through rear view mirror
- Thick A-pillars impedes vision around turns
- Ingress / Egress
- Intermittent XM Satellite Signal
- No ambient lighting feature in footwell / cupholder areas during nighttime driving
My Verdict
With the recent GM restructuring from a few years ago during the economic downturn, this car is, in my opinion, proof that the manufacturer is doing something right with their products. As mentioned earlier, I was never a GM fan, but after experiencing the ATS, I can now see they are paying a lot more attention to the fit and finish of their vehicles. The ATS has it’s crosshairs aimed squarely at BMW and Audi for being a luxury sports sedan, and it definitely delivers the goods. A real winner in my opinion!
2013 Cadillac ATS 2.5L Luxury
Base Price As Tested: $42,165
{ 0 comments }
