2014 Cadillac ATS: Hitting All the Right Notes

2014 Cadillac ATS Courtesy of NetCarShow.com

The corporate myth is that Cadillac is the noble upstart in the sport-luxury market, breaking out of its traditional-luxury comfort zone to challenge BMW and Audi on the tracks that are their home turf. The reality is somewhat different, of course. The Cadillac CTS has been around for a decade now, happily giving fits to the German rear-drive sports sedans, and the Corvette-engined CTS-V has no trouble at all chasing down an M3.

And now we’ve got the ATS. New for 2013 and unchanged for 2014, the ATS is smaller still than the CTS, pushing at the edges of the premium sport-compact market Cadillac-style. But it’s certainly not the first time Cadillac has dared to challenge the masters of the sports-sedan market.

Cadillac is no freshman when it comes to performance vehicles, and the ATS hits all of the right notes as a result. 

The rear-drive chassis is all-new and provides a lightweight foundation. The tires are kept on the road by a double-pivot MacPherson strut front suspension and a five-link independent rear. Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control active damping is available on the FE3 sport suspension. 

The ATS is taut and responsive, if a little less sharp-edged than a BMW, and the car exudes confidence. Throw it into a turn and the ATS holds its line while letting the driver know what it’s up to, just like a good sports sedan should. When it’s time to shed speed, the standard ABS and 50/50 weight balance provide equally confident braking. Upgraded Brembo brakes are available.

Power comes from a choice of four- or six-cylinder engines, and the ATS is available with rear- or all-wheel drive. The base powerplant is a 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine making 202 horsepower. For a bit more excitement, the turbocharged 2.0 liter four-cylinder offers 272 horses and is available with a six-speed manual transmission. The turbo is the hot, balanced ticket of the lineup, offering entertaining performance and up to 30 mpg on the freeway. Top of the line is a 3.6 liter V-6 that produces 321 horsepower. The automatic transmission is also a six-speed unit and includes a manual shift mode.

Both the turbo and V6 are entertaining drives thanks to a low curb weight and a highly responsive suspension. Up front, the MacPherson struts feature a double-pivot design (as do Mercedes and BMW) for better steering feel, while the rear is a five-link setup that does double-duty, reducing squat under hard acceleration while keeping the rear end planted and predictable in hard corners. The ATS is more athletic than it looks, and is happy to be thrown into a tight bend or three on the way to work. 

An available limited-slip differential helps to get the power to the road. The brakes are strong and responsive. They can be upgraded to Brembo units for drivers who plan to use the ATS as hard-core performance sedans. Cadillac also offers its Magnetic Ride Control active suspension system.

The ATS is also available with adaptive cruise control. The radar and ultrasonic sensors that inform the adaptive cruise are also used for front and rear automatic-brake systems that help prevent low-speed collisions. A lane departure warning and blind spot alert system are available.

The ATS features a softer version of Cadillac’s sharp-edged styling and has a clean, purposeful look. LED accent lights are used front and rear, enhancing Cadillac’s vertical style. A long wheelbase and short overhangs mask the ATS’s relatively compact size. An elegant touch is the lighted door handles; a clever one is the automatic grille shutters that close on the freeway to improve fuel economy.

The interior appointments are CTS-fancy, with a striking dash dominated by V-shapes. Cadillac’s family styling cues are put to good use in the ATS with first-rate materials and comfortable chairs front and rear. The dash flows into the doors, and the lower console melds neatly with the upper, so the ATS interior wraps around the passengers. This is a Cadillac, so the wood, leather, and aluminum are real, of course. 

The ATS is also available with a choice of five interior themes, from black on black to a handsome gray and brown palette. 

Ambient lighting prettifies it at night. The Cadillac User Experience (CUE) touch-screen system has a neat capacitive feedback sensor that dismisses the auxiliary controls when not in use, but brings them up if you wave your hand in front of the screen. This also makes the touch-screen slightly easier to use.

Infotainment options are varied. The ATS is Bluetooth-enabled, and a number of music apps are available through CUE. USB and SD card readers are also included, and SirusXM satellite radio is offered. A Bose sound system with seven speakers is standard.

With the ATS, Cadillac’s got a full stable of world-class sedans in all sizes, and the brand that went from “Standard of the World” to luxury underdog is back on its feet. 

ATS pricing starts at $33,095. The 2.0T comes in at $35,795, and V-6 power will set you back $42,090. The ATS provides luxury sport-sedan thrills while undercutting its German rivals slightly on price, and that’s a good thing. Can’t wait to see if there’s an ATS-V in the works.