2019 Cadillac ATS Coupe Review

Name: 2019 Cadillac ATS Coupe Review
Brand: Cadillac

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Used ATS Coupe for sale

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Edmunds' Expert Review

byDan Frio^{Reviews Editor
Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to Edmunds, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.}

Pros

Takes quick turns and curves with ease, an ace handling machine
Offers a wide spectrum of power and performance potential

Cons

Clunky tech interface is better than before, but needlessly complicated
The back seat and trunk are small compared to competitors'
Turbo four-cylinder engine is noisy and not that fuel-efficient
Many interior controls and ergonomics are more clever than functional

What's new

No longer offers manual transmission but largely carries over unchanged
Part of the first ATS generation introduced for 2013 (coupe introduced in 2015)

Eye-catching design, crisp handling and cutting-edge tech features make the 2019 Cadillac ATS a standout among today's crop of small luxury coupes. Tight cabin space and a small trunk limit its daily practicality, but overall the ATS is one of today's most distinctive luxury coupes.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2019 Cadillac ATS Coupe 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.84 per gallon for premium unleaded in Illinois.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Illinois

$236/mo

$194/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

The ATS Coupe is more than just a good-looking two-door Caddy, though. Lightweight mass, a choice of turbocharged four-cylinder or V6 engines, and two available suspension setups give the ATS the kind of performance chops typically reserved for Europe's established luxury sport coupes. But with comfortable seats, a quiet ride and sleek design, the ATS doesn't forsake its everyday road-going manners.

There are quirks. The ATS sacrifices some function with its tidy cabin dimensions, cramped back seat and small trunk. The four-cylinder sounds raspy and coarse under exertion; we'd recommend buyers consider the optional V6. The CUE touchscreen tech interface has improved considerably since its debut, but we still find it awkward to operate simple infotainment functions with soft-touch sliders and convoluted menus.

Success in this crowded, competitive segment is a tall order, but the ATS Coupe is a legitimate contender for shoppers considering sport-luxury coupes such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the BMW 2 Series and 4 Series, and the Audi A5.

Edmunds' Expert Rating

7.1 / 10

Trim tested

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Cadillac ATS Sedan (3.6.L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD).

Scorecard

Overall	7.1 / 10
Driving	8.0
Comfort	7.0
Interior	6.0
Utility	6.5
Technology	6.5

Driving

8.0

Luxury sport coupes have long been dominated by BMW and Mercedes. But Cadillac has quietly closed the gap, especially in terms of dynamics. The ATS Coupe 3.6 is competitive on the test track and around town compared to its rivals, and it isn't even the range-topping ATS-V version.

Acceleration

8.0

The ATS can pull hard, or with grace, from a stop, covering 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds. Thrust tapers off somewhat at this point, but its passing power is plentiful. Tires will light up if provoked. Optional Sport Exhaust gives the ATS a bit more credit under full load than it deserves.

Braking

9.0

Consider the $1,200 Slotted Rotor and Performance Brake Pad package to give brakes a sports car feel and performance — good initial bite and heat resistance for consistency. Yet they remain mild-mannered for city life, not too grabby and requiring little effort. It stops from 60 mph in 109 feet.

Steering

7.0

On the heavy and vague side in routine driving. Very accurate and responds quickly without being darty. Sport mode adds heft, but no better sense of what the tires are up to. The finish on the wheel itself is too smooth, and it slides through hands a bit more easily than we'd like.

Handling

8.0

Well-balanced and nimble on the road or track. On the skidpad, the chassis is neutral and can be steered with the throttle only. Trustworthy, predictable and controllable. Competitive mode loosens electronic stability control, translating to confidence during hard driving.

Drivability

8.0

The ATS is easy to pilot around town. The automatic transmission shifts smoothly in most cases, though gear changes come a bit slower than expected in manual mode. Auto stop-start is noticeable but not too abrupt. A tight turning circle and small proportions make for favorable city driving.

Comfort

7.0

The downside to the ATS coupe's focus on handling and performance is a stiff ride that comes at the expense of comfort. Despite their firmness, the all-important front seats are supportive over the long haul. The car is on the loud side, however.

Seat comfort

8.0

At first, the driver's seat feels firm, bordering on uncomfortable. After a while, its stiffness grows unexpectedly supportive. The side bolsters on the seat bottom are wide and accommodating. Adjustable torso supports are small and can be annoying on canyon roads. The rear buckets require short legs.

Ride comfort

7.0

This is a firm sports car ride. Comfort depends on the road surface. Find one with the wrong rhythm of small bumps and it will buck you about considerably. Some bigger bumps will lift you from the seat. Other sport-tuned rides share these qualities, so ride quality is not an immediate deal-breaker.

Noise & vibration

6.0

Cadillac is capable of building a quiet cabin. It just didn't for the ATS. This cabin is the kind of loud where front passengers have to consciously raise their voices to communicate with backseat passengers. Road noise is the biggest culprit, though the wind and engine do contribute.

Climate control

7.5

Soft-touch buttons make for climate controls that definitely aren't as easy to use as others. Once engaged, however, the dual-zone system works well enough that you can set the temperature and forget about it. Both front seats are heated.

Interior

6.0

The ATS coupe offers the driver and front passenger a roomy place to sit. But the wants and needs of the styling department have resulted in controls that are unnecessarily difficult to use and a rear seat that's largely useless for anyone older than grade school.

Ease of use

5.5

Everything the driver needs to access is placed logically and easily reachable. The major concern is the center stack controls. They're smooth, slick and polished, but there is no way to tell what's what by feel. That takes the driver's attention from the road. And that is never a good thing.

Getting in/getting out

7.0

The doors open wide, enhancing front seat access. Automatic seat controls operate with commendable speed to move the front seat forward and grant entry to the back seat, but it's still a narrow squeeze. Rear passenger entry requires both front occupants to scoot their seats forward. Not the best in its class.

Driving position

8.0

The steering wheel tilts and telescopes with considerable range. Side mirrors, despite their small size, also adapt well to suit driver height. The driver seat has enough adjustability that most will find an acceptable coddling position. It's easy to set up this cockpit the way you like it.

Roominess

6.0

Much like competitive two-door coupes, the ATS cannot be considered roomy. The interior dimensions are sporty-snug for all passengers. Up front you'll be rubbing elbows. Still, there's room enough for a 6-footer to fit with minimal compromise. The back seats are best for kids and people you don't like.

Visibility

5.5

The sideview mirrors are very narrow. They are arguably too small, though we were able to find a position to provide adequate visibility. Otherwise sightlines are clear to the front and sides, but a bit limited to the rear due to the high parcel shelf. The standard rearview camera helps.

Quality

6.0

Despite recent advances, the Cadillac ATS still lacks the solid quality feel found in its BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi peers. It would help if the hard plastic interior materials, shift paddles that feel like plasticware, lame gauges and slippery steering wheel were upgraded.

Utility

6.5

Sporty luxury coupes aren't known for convenience, but the Cadillac ATS forces even more sacrifices due to its lack of cargo and storage space. It can handle most typical day-to-day duties, but other coupes are better suited to weekend getaways and long trips.

Small-item storage

6.5

The door pockets, cupholders and the center armrest bin are smaller than some others in this class. A smartphone bin with its own USB port is hidden behind the climate control panel. But this feels more gimmicky than useful.

Cargo space

6.5

Trunk space is smaller than average, with only 10.4 cubic feet of capacity and an awkward shape. Trunk liftover height is on the high side, and the broad rear wheelwells pinch the space. There is an average-size pass-through when the rear seatbacks are folded down.

Child safety seat accommodation

7.0

Each rear seat has two LATCH anchors and one upper tether. But access is tight, so flexibility is a must for any child seat installation. Steeply sloped seat bottoms may cause trouble depending upon the type of child seat. Generally speaking, it is no worse than any other coupe in the segment.

Technology

6.5

The Cadillac CUE touchscreen is as advanced as any of its peers. But its soft-touch sliders and less-than-intuitive menus offer something to be desired. Fortunately, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and a Wi-Fi hotspot are standard.

Audio & navigation

5.0

The CUE infotainment system responds quickly and returns haptic vibration to confirm each finger stroke. Despite its age, the design still looks sleek and progressive. Functionally, however, the need to look away from the road to distinguish between one soft-touch slider and the next is problematic.

Smartphone integration

8.0

There are enough USB ports to handle all your devices, but pairing your phone and accessing the Wi-Fi hotspot require some digging into menus. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard and far easier to use.

Voice control

7.5

The standard voice controls are fairly reasonable, but the big payoff comes when you pair a smartphone and access Siri or Google Voice commands by pressing the same button for longer.

2019 Cadillac ATS Coupe models

The 2019 Cadillac ATS Coupe is a four-passenger compact luxury coupe offered in four trim levels: base, Luxury, Premium Luxury and Premium Performance. The base comes reasonably well equipped, and the Luxury and the Premium Luxury add progressively more luxury- and safety-oriented features. The Premium Performance trim, with its sport-tuned suspension and tires, among other features, is best suited to enthusiast drivers.

Base and Luxury trims come with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine (272 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque) paired to an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional, but only with the automatic transmission. Premium Luxury and Premium Performance models come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine (335 hp, 285 lb-ft) paired to an eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional on Premium Luxury; Premium Performance trims are rear-wheel-drive only.

Key standard features for base trims include 18-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, a rearview camera, keyless entry and ignition, power-adjustable front seats, and faux leather upholstery. Tech features include the revamped CUE interface with 8-inch touchscreen display, OnStar services with 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, a Bose sound system, satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, wireless device charging, three USB ports and an auxiliary audio input.

The Luxury trim adds adaptive xenon headlights, front and rear parking sensors, leather upholstery, additional front seat power adjustments, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and driver-seat memory settings. Options include an upgraded version of CUE bundled with navigation and a 110-volt household-style power outlet. The Safety and Security package adds driver assistance features such as forward collision alert, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams and rain-sensing wipers, and the Safety Alert Seat, which vibrates the driver seat to warn of lane drift, potential collisions or other hazards.

The Premium Luxury trim adds unique 18-inch wheels, a sunroof, adaptive high beams, rain-sensing wipers, and the Safety and Security package driver assistance features.

The Premium Performance trim includes all the previously mentioned features, plus high-performance tires, a sport-tuned suspension, adaptive suspension dampers, a limited-slip rear differential, a head-up display and a power-adjustable steering column.

Many standard features on the upper trims are optional on lower trims. The Driver Assist package, available on the Premium Luxury and Premium Performance trims, adds the head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and advanced safety technologies including forward and rearward collision mitigation and automatic emergency braking. Wireless device charging is also available as a stand-alone option.

The Track Performance package, available only on the Premium Performance trim, adds a heavy-duty engine-cooling fan and upgraded brake pads. All rear-wheel-drive Base, Luxury and Premium Luxury trims can add the V-Sport Performance Suspension Upgrade package, which adds 18-inch wheels, a sport-tuned suspension and high-performance tires.

Cadillac's Teen Driver features are also standard. They allow owners to limit certain functions when younger drivers are behind the wheel, such as muting audio until front seat occupants fasten seat belts or preventing drivers from disabling safety systems such as traction control. Teen Driver can also capture data — including distance driven, maximum speed, overspeed warnings and hard braking events — and generate a "report card" for owners to review with younger drivers.

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2019 Cadillac ATS Coupe.

5 (32%)

4 (53%)

3 (10%)

2 (0%)

1 (5%)

4.1

19 reviews

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Most helpful consumer reviews

eye catching look, no more granpa cadillac

Ponco, 11/16/2017

2016 Cadillac ATS Coupe Luxury 2dr Coupe AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

I've own a coupe since the day I first purchased my vehicle. Cadillac ATS coupe is a real upgrade for me from my beloved Honda Accord Coupe that has been discontinued from 2018 model. The overall look is just great and I got so much compliment from my neighbors. There some pros I'd like to state; a) there are not many around and I rarely see the same model that I drive (see sedans but …

Great car except for two problems.

Walter Marsh, 05/29/2017

2016 Cadillac ATS Coupe Standard 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

This is a great car as far as acceleration and handling goes. Plus, in my opinion, it's a great looking car and has a reasonably comfortable interior. The back seat is unsuitable for adult passengers but I didn't buy a coupe for four people to ride in. I do think the workmanship is very good. There are two major problems. I do not have the cue system and as I'm not much for high tech …

Love my ATS

Eddie T Theo, 06/02/2018

2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe Performance 2dr Coupe AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)

Previously owned two Cadillac CTS and put over 100,000 miles on both of them. After just a couple of months, I love my ATS Coupe - smaller size, performance, style, comfort, technology - it’s the complete package.

Sporty but has the worst transmission!

1st time Caddy Owner, 01/04/2019

2017 Cadillac ATS Coupe 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

I love the look and road hugging performance. This vehicle's turbo 4cyl. is very fast. It can stand up to much bigger and more powerful engines. The 8A transmission is the most unreliable and hard shifting piece of junk I have owned. It makes all sorts of noises at idle, of which two dealers can't seem to repair. The 8A's hard and erratic shifting makes me regret purchasing this car. …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2019 Cadillac ATS Coupe, so we've included reviews for other years of the ATS Coupe since its last redesign.

See all 19 reviews of the Cadillac ATS Coupe

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2019 ATS Coupe Highlights

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$38,995
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	25 MPG
Cost to Drive	$236/month
Seating	4 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	10.4 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the ATS Coupe models:

Safety Alert Seat: Generates vibrating pulse patterns in the driver seat cushion to alert to potential collisions or unsafe maneuvers.
Lane Departure Warning/Intervention: Alerts driver when the car drifts lanes without turn signal engaged. The car can initiate assist to nudge car back into lane.
Forward Collision Alert: Issues an alert if a potential collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian seems imminent, and can initiate braking if necessary.