#ATSDrive Experience: He Said, She Said on the Cadillac ATS

One entire weekend with a Cadillac ATS 2013. We parked our trusty Subaru for this shiny red babe of a car, and took it to floor hockey, mobile programming workshop, pub night, groceries, and a birthday party.

Both Cy and I drove the car, and we both see it as a pretty loaded car. As far as what I know about cars, it’s limited. Then, there is Cy who is a mechanical engineer who has interests in auto cross, driving trips (yes, just to drive) and works for an automotive parts company under the Magna big wigs.

So, this is a he said and she said to get a full view of the Cadillac ATS.

FIRST IMPRESSION

HE SAID GM, good job on the engine – a 2.0L turbo with 4-wheel drive is exactly what this car needs.  The car was a rocket ship on the highway and there was plenty of backup passing power.  Steering was responsive, but could have provided a higher level of feedback and resistance that I would expect from a sports sedan.  The suspension was plenty firm, yet still forgiving.  If we had it for longer, I would have loved to take it on a road trip.

SHE SAID There is a technology dump in this car! Just look at the wheel and touch-screen centre console. Buttons galore! I mean this in a good way. For someone that is drawn to gadget-y devices, this is big, fat gadget in itself. Later we learned, you can connect your smart phone, use voice-activated control, and back up like a pro with the rear-view camera.

TECHNOLOGY + SAFETY

HE SAID A bit of snow that weekend gave us the chance to test the 4-wheel drive system on slippery ground, and it didn’t disappoint. =) The features that got me excited were the heads up display (overlaying speedo, tach and odo readings on the front windshield), the adaptive cruise control (speed adjustment based on surrounding vehicles, even in stop and go traffic), and the voice control system (one button on the steering wheel allowed me to control any HVAC, radio or nav setting by voice).  Thumbs up in this category.

SHE SAID There are layers of technology and safety features that add to the driving experience. My favourite features included the heads-up display of the odometer and the video game-like experience of the driver’s seat. How do I explain this? If there is a hazard on the left, the left side of your driver’s seat vibrates! Same goes for the right hand side of the driver’s seat. Now, that’s augmented reality!

DETAILS

HE SAID The brushed aluminum trims and stealth black console certainly hinted at European inspiration, but the classic Cadiallac logo on the steering wheel quickly reminded me that this was the latest specimen from America’s flagship brand.  A detail I really liked was that the over-running alternator decoupler was made by a certain company I might work for… if the designers cared about small things like reducing the accessory drive belt tension with an OAD, I can expect a lot of other details to be well thought out.

SHE SAID Look at that stylish stitchin! Normally, I don’t like contrast stitching but I think that it looks good in the interior of the car. It’s the small details that I look at, and I liked what I saw in this car.

This isn’t the boring Cadillac that I had in mind before. It’s the North American Car of the Year, 2013 for goodness sake!

Thank you Klout Perks, GM, Cadillac, and MacLaren Momentum for this #ATSDrive experience!