I test drove an ATS and I can say it's the best Cadillac I've ever driven. Very comparable to the 3 series BMW. How does it hold vs the tried and true Nissan V6 platform though?
It'll be interesting to see an ATS being thrown against a Q50 or Q60 in a future comparison. The ATS comes with a 2.0L turbo and a V6. I'd say the V6 would be a fair comparison.
I think options for options of "bang for your buck" features vs price. Nothing beats the G37 and now the Q50. I am interested in the performance aspect of the ATS though. People who drive it seem to like it more than the 3 series BMW.
Cadillac has done an amazing job with the ATS, they built it to rival the 3-series and they came through on their word. It's a true 3-series competitor. How I see it, Infiniti has a lot of catching up to do to keep up with Cadillac, BMW and Lexus with their IS.
Infiniti has the potential, now to see if they will put it to work.
the Cadillac ATS 2.0L Turbo AWD premium will be a good competitor to the Q50's AWD model. So far the ATS sits at $50k, not sure what the Q50 will be but if priced right it will be tough to decide between the two.
Might come down to which brand YOU prefer rather than what each car offers.
Infiniti will be in trouble when that happens. While Infinit is trying to improve the Q50 up to the point that it can officially be a BMW 3 series competitor, Cadillac has reached that with their ATS, making the battle between the two nearly fair game.
A hybrid Cadillac ATS would be even more killer. Cadillac needs to jump on that idea quickly.
I totally agree with you cadillac had gone upstream with the ATS. If they were to make a hybrid model of the ATS and bring it to the table this might be a game changer for this new performance hybrid segment. But reliability is still questionable on the ATS though.
The ATS felt a little bit more refined and a tad bit smoother, but I wasn't a fan of the ATS' transmission. I was digging the interior design of the ATS a lot more than the 3-Series though...The 3-Series felt a little bit livelier.
The ATS felt a little bit more refined and a tad bit smoother, but I wasn't a fan of the ATS' transmission. I was digging the interior design of the ATS a lot more than the 3-Series though...The 3-Series felt a little bit livelier.
Some dealers are just strict with test drives on new models. Happened when the FR-S first came out. I tried to test drive one and they didn't have any for test drives. They sold everyone they got.
In the short time I was using it, it's not really the system, it's the learning curve of the user.
It's a system that just takes a long time to figure out I think...Sure, some of that is a fault of the system, but then again, it's unlike any other system we've seen.
I've read of the system becoming buggy and laggy. I think this is what most owners are complaining about. There have been some firmware updates and it seems to be getting better.
I'm not too sure when comparing the infotainment system since I have never played around with the CUE system in any Cadillac. But I could tell you that the ATS is just ugly when comparing to the new Q50. I saw the Q50 at the auto and was blown away of nice the exterior looks. Kind of still reminds me of the G35/37 but more so an an M if anything. The ATS is just... boring.
New to the boards and figured I would resuscitate this thread. Probably looking to pull the trigger soon and either pick up a 2014 ATS or extend my current Infiniti lease to get some space between launch and when I may be able to get some savings on the Q (not expecting much savings but don't need to overpay so I will wait for a bit of a deal with Infiniti's help on a month to month lease extension).
My thoughts from a test drive of the ATS about a month ago- really nice car! Very impressed!! CUE was fine - don't like missing volume knob but you get used to anything so not a big deal.
Liked the HUD a LOT!! Not the most beautiful looking graphics but useful info.
Drove the driver assist package (would be getting the deluxe tech on the Q if I go that way) and really liked the auto braking, warnings and back up collision intervention. I've only bought Infiniti's with the tech packages and only will. You only need to use the brake assist and seat belt tensioners to save you once to remember that you don't want the car without! (Happened 4 times in one trip on the NJ Turnpike and I remember how appreciative I was).
My main concerns for the ATS are the really small back seat and the really small trunk. I don't take long trips very often but if I do, I want to be able to bring some people and some luggage and I don't think I will be able to do that stunt the ATS (comfortably at least). So we'd have to take the wife's SUV and that defeats the purpose of getting all of that safety equipment for unfamiliar territories.
Anyway, anyone see the trunk on the new Q50 and want to comment?
Are you looking at the ATS 2.0T or the V6? I think for the money, there's a lot of value in the turbo. You get a slightly lighter car, a bit more fuel economy, and you're still getting 0-60 in 5.5-5.8s.
Also, speaking of turbos, have you looked into the 2014 Buick Regal Turbo AWD? It's basically a poor man's ATS but with more room.
Thanks Simpson! Great wrote up on the ATS - thanks for the links.
I'm actually glad I read your review - it reminded me about how hard it was to get into the back seat. I can't believe I forgot about that from my test drive. Would be hard to get the inlaws back there for a road trip.
I don't think the Regal is my style unfortunately. I actually like what Buick has done the past few years but I'm looking for something a bit more upscale. Great suggestion though.
So I guess I'm back to waiting for my preview of the Q in June or maybe the new CTS will hit the market by the time my lease is up.
The lure of the 3.6 ATS will still tug at me, especially with a lease payment about $200/mo less than the current Q leases people are posting.
I guess we'll see what the next few mo the will hold.
If size is a really big factor, but you don't want to pay the $60k for an Infiniti M or a Cadillac XTS, let me also just throw out the Hyundai Genesis sedan. It has the luxury, tech, and size of an Infiniti M with the price and power of an Infiniti G.
I've test driven the Genesis sedan a few times and it's a really nice ride. It has an excellent transmission and the V6 is quite a steal at $44k fully loaded. 0-60 in 5.6s (or $47k for the V8, 0-60 in 4.9s). Personally, I'd keep an eye out for the second generation 2015 Hyundai Genesis due out early next year. It's looking to be an even dangerous beast in the segment..
I haven't driven the Genesis but do like a lot about the car.
I really don't like the dash at all though. It doesn't feel very updated to me. More like an old Lexus LS ripoff(they are famous for copying previous years' designs but they always look like previous years to me).
I'll definitely keep an eye out for the 2015 though.
I also like the pickup/drop off valet service of Lexus and Infiniti as it's tough to take time to get to the dealerships since they are a bit of a drive for me. I don't think Hyundai will be offering this.
I'm curious about the new CTS though. I think it's out this fall. Not sure how the pricing is going to be in comparison to the Q but I guess we'll see.
Right now there are some GM incentives on the ATS so the payments are pretty good in comparison to the Q (both now with the higher sale price, etc. and what. I'm estimating once the launch excitement dies down). I'm thinking about $50-$75 less per month. If I can't get past the backseat and trunk space though it won't matter much.
I still refuse to buy Hyundais. Just too skeptical of the reliability. That is just my person opinion though. And I don't like how dealerships never let you order cars - they only sell you whats available on the lot.
Problem with leasing one is that the residuals are low, so you're paying more (as a percentage) than with a good car. That said, I haven't looked at lease residuals on Hyundai in a while, so it may have changed.
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