Cadillac ATS review

A joy to drive, this compact sports sedan can be hard to live with

Consumer Reports magazine: May 2013

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Luxury cars

The ATS, Cadillac’s new compact sports sedan, is like a star athlete who’s hard to live with. Its sharp handling, eager performance, and responsive steering give up nothing to the best European sports sedans. The ride is taut and controlled without being harsh. And braking performance is outstanding. On a track or twisty road, the ATS gets a solid thumbs-up.

But living with it every day can become really annoying. The backseat is extremely cramped, and the trunk is tiny, even by the modest standards of this class. The 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine in our car sounds wheezy and got only 23 mpg overall on premium fuel, a far cry from the BMW 328i’s 28 mpg. Worse, Cadillac’s Cue infotainment system is complicated, difficult to use, and distracting.

OK, when you buy an ATS with Cue you get a free iPad, which comes with a tutorial on the system. Still, despite being a joy to drive, the ATS has demerits that drag its road-test score down.

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