2013 Cadillac ATS: Fuel Economy Update for February
March 5, 2013
We've put a 1,000 miles on our 2013 Cadillac ATS since its last fuel economy report.
You'd think that might change our overall averages, but in fact, they didn't budge a bit.
2013 Cadillac ATS: Chirping Sound
February 21, 2013
I noticed an odd little sound in our long-term 2013 Cadillac ATS the last time I drove it. It's a muted chirpchirpchirp that happens briefly during moderate acceleration from a standstill. The sound only occurs immediately following the 1-2 upshift and can be reproduced fairly easily.
2013 Cadillac ATS: This Is Backwards
February 20, 2013
To put on the parking brake, you have to pull this little lever. To release, you push.
2013 Cadillac ATS: Magical Touch Sensitive Interface
February 14, 2013
One of the most jarring features of our 2013 Cadillac ATS is the touch-sensitive interface for the stereo, climate controls and the CUE telematics system. A still photo doesn't do it justice, really, and there are some hidden surprises.
It goes way beyond the knobless volume control JKav mentioned previously, although that element is perhaps the most frustrating and prominent aspect of the system. This particular touchpad is oddly calibrated in that you can't reliably reach zero volume when you drag your finger across it to the extreme left edge of the pad.
A second stroke is usually required, and things get screwy when the volume isn't dropping fast enough and your spouse makes a move for the touchpad at the same time. A volume knob really does require so much less time, effort and thought, which adds up to less diverted attention, driver distraction and marital discord.
But I digress. Let's see more of it in action.
2013 Cadillac ATS: Made My Commute Feel Special
February 12, 2013
I took my first drive ever in the 2013 Cadillac ATS this week, and this car put a smile on my face. I really like the way it rides. It's firm, controlled, even sporty, yet there's an underlying compliance to it. It reminds me a lot of the last two generations of the BMW 3 Series (E90 and F10). That's a good thing, of course, especially since our long-term ATS is priced in 328i territory.
The steering is very good, too. It's precise with good feel. Again, like a 3 Series. I can totally see taking this sedan on a back road someday. But in that case, I'll definitely have to shift the six-speed automatic manually to make sure I stay in the power. Often during my commute, the engine rpm would fall enough that there wasn't much turbo boost to work with and the ATS felt slow. Usually, I'm all for getting the turbocharged engine, but in this instance, I'd probably get the 3.6-liter V6 if I was buying an ATS of my own.
2013 Cadillac ATS: Attracting a Younger Audience
February 8, 2013
Cadillac has spent a great deal of time over the last twenty years trying to attract younger customers. It hit pay dirt in the early part of this century when the Escalade became an unexpected hit among the young and rich.
Now that the whole SUV thing has died down, Cadillac is back to concentrating on cars again. The ATS is its latest shot at snagging younger buyers and it appears to be working. The latest sales numbers for January show that the ATS doubled its market share to 12.5%. GM also reported that 20% of ATS sales are going to buyers under the age of 35. That figure is only 10% for the rest of the vehicles in Cadillac's lineup.
2013 Cadillac ATS: Which Car Would You Choose?
February 7, 2013
Three new black cars were parked in a row: BMW 335i, Fiat 500, and our own 2013 Cadillac ATS.
Which one would you choose?
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 4,068 miles
2013 Cadillac ATS: Euroness
February 6, 2013
It's easy pick on the ATS for a couple of its concessions to Europe, such as passenger-side fuel filler. It'd be easier if this weren't prevalent on so many GM cars. I get it, global company and all. Tuned the ATS on the Norburger and hope to sell a few there as well. Fine.
2013 Cadillac ATS: A Good Start
February 5, 2013
I badly wanted to like the ATS. I really did. And after a few days of getting to know it, I do. But I wanted to crush hard on this car. Cadillac promised the Merican challenge to the mighty 3 Series, the Wreath versus the Roundel. But the ATS just doesn't measure up.
Others on staff can better articulate any of the ATS' dynamic deficiencies. To me, the 2.0-liter turbo has enough sauce to thread traffic pretty effortlessly, and get up to highway merge speed. It doesn't sound that happy doing it, but it's not a braying donkey. The smoother, quieter BMW 3 Series turbo-four gets the advantage here.
2013 Cadillac ATS: Fuel Economy Update for January
February 4, 2013
The 2013 Cadillac ATS has been with us since the beginning of December, and there's no doubt it's a staff favorite. Dark and sporty, the ATS looks good, drives well, and turns the heads of diehard German sedan owners.
Now with 4,000 miles on the odo, the ATS is proving itself relatively economical as well. Our best tank so far was 28.6 mpg with Editor in Chief Scott Oldham behind the wheel for a quick weekend road trip to Arizona.
Only one other tank eclipsed the ATS's combined EPA rating of 27 mpg, leaving us with a lifetime average of 21.2 mpg.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 4,101 miles
Worst Fill MPG: 18.3
Best Fill MPG: 28.6
Average Lifetime MPG: 21.2
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway Combined): 27
Best Range: 383 miles
Current Odometer: 4,101 miles
2013 Cadillac ATS: Another Electrical Gremlin
January 24, 2013
Along with the inaccurate headlight malfunction warning that both Walton and I have experienced, our 2013 Cadillac also has another electrical gremlin. During normal use, the backlight for the PRND next to the shifter keeps fading in an out. This is happening whether the car is in motion or not and when the automatic headlights are on or off.
At first I just thought I was having a stroke, but then another editor here confirmed that the lights were indeed failing.
Mike Magrath, Features Editor @ 3,700 miles
2013 Cadillac ATS: Customizable Instrument Panel
January 23, 2013
One of my favorite features of our long-term 2013 Cadillac ATS (besides the handling) is the car's customizable instrument panel. As some of you have pointed out, the gauges themselves are kind of, well, crummy, especially in broad daylight. But where the real magic happens is in the rectangular box directly below the '80s speedometer that has three configurable display screens.
This type of thing isn't exactly new, cars have been playing this game for a while. Cadillac's, however, is super easy to use and gives the user a ton of options. You can even have the same data, like speed, displayed twice.
Some of the available options are distance to destination, average fuel economy, range, tire pressure, oil life, battery voltage, trip odometer, a blank page and posted speed limit. There's also a speed warning. I set ours to 186. Check out the video to see it all in action.
I have it set to display posted speed on the right, and current speed on the left. What's your preference?
2013 Cadillac ATS: Adaptive Cruise Control
January 22, 2013
I've been reading a lot about self-driving cars lately and I learned that Cadillac is eager to get into the game with "super cruise control", which they say will come out soon. One component of that will be adaptive cruise control, which is part of the driver assistance package on our 2013 Cadillac ATS. So, until super cruise gets here, I thought I'd give the current adaptive cruise a test drive on the busy 405 freeway in West Los Angeles.
2013 Cadillac ATS: 2013 North American Car of the Year
January 14, 2013
The 2013 Cadillac ATS sport sedan was voted North American Car of the Year by a jury of automotive journalists.
It beat out the BMW 3 Series, Chevy Malibu, Dodge Dart, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Lincoln MKZ, Nissan Altima, Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ and Toyota Avalon.
The 2103 Ram 1500 took top honors in the truck category, making 2013 a Detroit sweep. The winners were announced at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.
What would you have voted for?
2013 Cadillac ATS, Ram 1500 Win Car and Truck of the Year Prizes
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
2013 Cadillac ATS: Dual Detent Cruise
January 8, 2013
GM installed a well thought-out cruise control system in the 2013 Cadillac ATS. When you want to set the speed in one mph increments, you bump the thumb rocker to its first detent. Push it further to the second detent and your speed increases in 5 mph chunks.
BMWs in particular have had this functionality for a long, long time, but this is first time I can recall an American car with it. It's a great feature. I wish more/all cars had it. I could do without the constantly-illuminated steering wheel text as shown above, but that's picking nits.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
2013 Cadillac ATS: Bring Knobs Back
Seriously, what's so bad about knobs? Our long-term 2013 Cadillac ATS' touch-sensitive center stack is unnecessarily fussy. You touch, it may or may not respond. When it does decide to acknowledge your touch, there's an associated muted 'thunk' that elicits from somewhere deep in the dashboard.
The thunk is supposed to provide some kind of tactile feedback to your touch, except it inevitably does so a split-second after you've released your touch, and sounds (and feels) more like something is wrong with the car. Like with all touch-sensitive center stacks, you still end up having to watch your finger land on the desired spot on the center stack in order to ensure you press the right thing. Totally silly.
In what way is this is better than a knob? Answer: it isn't.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
