I've Got A 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe For A Week, Whatcha Wanna Know?

"Andrew T. Maness" (theroadlessdriven) 01/24/2015 at 10:00 • Filed to: Cadillac ATS Coupe, Andrew Maness, The Road Less Driven, New Car, Test Drive, Review, Instagram, ATS, Murica, Detroit

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Been waiting to get some more time with this sweet ride ever since the press drive way back in August. My tester is a fully loaded premium model and it's powered by the 2.0T motor, good for 272hp going to the rear wheels as the auto gods intended.

Of course I am disappointed that in their infinite wisdom those same gods did not see fit to affix a third pedal and choose your own adventure stick to this model, but it is an option and there's something to be said for that.

So far I find myself incredibly comfortable in the car. The cabin is the kind of space that you're happy to hang out in whether cruising an open road or crawling along in traffic. In either situation people seem genuinely surprised when the catch a glimpse of this car. Maybe because it's a Cadillac and the general population thinks they're still building land yachts or maybe it's because some young red bearded jackass is behind the wheel. Regardless of the reason, the ATS coupe is a head turner that's for sure.

Aside from the basic information you can find by going to Cadillac's website, what do you Opponauts want to know? I can tell you that it will baby, 3 dead hookers could fit in the trunk given that you passed high school geometry and yes, I'll lay down some rubber in it. Save your deep and philosophical questions for Hardigree, I'm sure he went to a college with dorms and everything. Throw your nonsense questions at me, I'll do my best to answer them in an enlightening, useful manner.

Cheers!

Andrew Maness writes about cars because he has one and also has a computer. He's been known to drunkenly Tweet as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and upload photos to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . He also has a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and thinks talking about himself in the 3rd person is really weird but knows it's necessary if he wants to be taken seriously as an automotive journalist.

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Jonathan Harper > Andrew T. Maness 01/24/2015 at 10:24

4

Is it as good as a 4 series?

E92M3 > Jonathan Harper 01/24/2015 at 10:48

0

Same question

Andrew T. Maness > Jonathan Harper 01/24/2015 at 12:53

0

Having only driven the 428i for about an hour I would say yes but until I whip one around in the canyons proper I wouldn't say it is definitively better.

I will say that I would get the Caddy over the 4 simply because it has more "presence".

Stephen the Canuck > Andrew T. Maness 01/24/2015 at 13:32

2

I want one of these with the 2.0T and 6MT, with very little options.

Andrew T. Maness > Stephen the Canuck 01/24/2015 at 13:38

2

I drove the 6MT on the press day, it's great, like really great.

Stephen the Canuck > Andrew T. Maness 01/24/2015 at 13:41

2

Excellent. I don't want any of the fancy CUE stuff or leather or a sunroof. Nice cloth buckets, decent strereo, the 2.0T, 6MT, and it would be perfect in black. I love the looks so much. I feel like it would make a great sports coupe.

Andrew T. Maness > Stephen the Canuck 01/24/2015 at 13:58

0

Unfortunately you can't get cloth seats in the ATS or almost any sport coupe anymore. It's either leatherette, leather or alcantra inserts which is nice but usually an pricey option.

Other than that you can get one pretty stripped out.

Stephen the Canuck > Andrew T. Maness 01/24/2015 at 14:14

0

Whatever the cheapest seating option is then. Hmmm. I'm going to price on out for day dreaming.

Serious Gord > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:36

0

did you get adaptive cruise control? If "yes" does it work right down to a complete stop or does it 'kick-out' at 25km/h

Kinja'd Again > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:36

0

Can you see the Nürburgring development in it?

Just kidding.

Serious question though; is it a real contender for the ¾-series, A4, or E-class?

mcseanerson > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:41

4

Will it blend?

Mark Alan > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:44

0

Will it do a back flip?

spanfucker retire bitch > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:45

2

How you liking the Magnetorheological dampers?

Doug Nash > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:45

1

Can you get it without a union sticker on the door?

In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:46

3

DOES IT DRIFT BRO??

Sheriff Of American Douchetown > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:48

0

Yes, have you gotten used to the wretched new Cadillac badge?

AlienDNA > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:48

0

Is magnetic ride control worth the $4,500 premium required to spec it here in Canada? That's the delta between the Performance trim (which doesn't have a limited slip or magnetic ride control) and the Premium trim (which does).

jimz > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:53

1

this irritates me. it would be great to be able to get a nice cloth trim option on higher-end cars. I hate leather and leather-like seats, and the cloth used on most low-trim car seats is barely a cut above burlap.

La Mia Ferrari > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:55

0

I'm sorry to hear.

Gilbertda > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 12:59

0

Was it recalled during the week you had it ;-) ?

Sorry, but there isn't a single product GM build/sells I would purchase, even the new corvette which is probably a very good car...why? There are simply too many better choices. If any company has the potential to improve the most it's GM, innovative quality products would be nice.

Axial > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:01

0

Is there an optional cup-holder delete/console cushion extension? Because my elbow dips into the rear cup-holder in the ATS and it's incredibly uncomfortable when using the manual.

Birddog > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:03

1

Does it ever feel slow or sluggish?

At 4100lbs I would expect 272 horsepower to be barely adequate.

SquirrelyWrath > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:05

0

I do love the way these look. Is 272hp enough to make it go adequately or do you feel it needs more power? Is the handling as good as everyone says it is?

DoYouEvenShift > Birddog 01/25/2015 at 13:09

12

It says here it weighs 3463 with a manual.

http://m.motortrend.com/roadtests/coup…

ajmacke > Birddog 01/25/2015 at 13:12

1

Curb weight is 3411. 700 lbs buys you lots of pep.

Jay_Hoff > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:12

13

Can you fuck your mistress in the back seat on a lunch break?

stigshift > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:14

0

Would you rather drive the ATS or the previous gen CTS-V coupe? I have a friend who was very generous with his '12 V coupe 6MT (since traded for a Mazda 3 automatic(?) and that was one hell of a car. Although the coupe was as beautiful as it was it was impractical, I would have bought a wagon.

D.K. > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:19

1

How are the capacitive touch "buttons"?

Christopheroni > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:20

0

Is it worth the money?

Birddog > DoYouEvenShift 01/25/2015 at 13:25

1

Oof.. Thanks!

I cant seem to find where 4100 came from. Maybe I mixed up cars..

MovedOn > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:29

0

Are the safety nannies (lane departure warning, vibrating seat, etc) annoying and can they be permanently deactivated?

MovedOn > Stephen the Canuck 01/25/2015 at 13:31

1

I'm in the same camp. All I want is the 6MT car with heated seats and MRC.

TTc6 > Stephen the Canuck 01/25/2015 at 13:36

0

The 2016 Camaro is on the way which is basically a much cheaper ATS coupe, with the C7 Corvette drivetrain available. No reason to buy the ATS. I hate Caddys current interiors, especially the CUE., and the prices are ridiculous. The lack of DCT and AWD in the V series cars is PATHETIC. I am a GM fan boy, and even I'd still buy a Audi S4/S6 over the new V series cars.

DoYouEvenShift > Birddog 01/25/2015 at 13:45

0

No prob. I actually had to look it up myself. I was thinking, no way its that much is it?

HeyZeuS > Birddog 01/25/2015 at 13:45

2

The new CTS-V barely weighs over 4,100lbs, but it has 640hp. The ATS and CTS are the lightest in their class no matter how you spec them.

MooseKnuckles > Birddog 01/25/2015 at 13:46

2

That's big'ol CTS wagon levels of curb weight

Kaizer Soze > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 13:53

0

Can you fit things under the seats?

Birddog > MooseKnuckles 01/25/2015 at 13:56

1

Yeah, I may have had one too many Brefass Scotches..

SoichiroFerdinandandEnzo > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 14:00

0

I am pretty tall, 6'6", do you think I could fit behind the wheel? Or should I move on to the CTS?

Stephen the Canuck > TTc6 01/25/2015 at 14:01

5

The new Camaro is going to have it's work cut out for it to look better to me than the ATS. The prices are expensive, but I feel that they're pretty comparable to the German offerings. Why is AWD necessary in the V cars? I have no desire for it, I'd go with RWD. I also doubt they would use a dual clutch transmission when they have the 8 speed auto from the Corvette available.

ironvagina > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 14:03

0

Does The Savage Nation come in crisp and clear?

The Little Engine That Couldnt > MovedOn 01/25/2015 at 14:05

3

there are and they can.

Source: I'm an ATS owner

hyperventilatingwookiee > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 14:09

0

how's the turbo lag?

Lopoetve > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 14:13

0

does the interior ever stop feeling a bit cheap?

I sat in two yesterday while doing some pre shopping- parts of the interior were definitely nice (overall look, seats), others felt really really cheap (dash, door). Heck, the dash honestly looks like something is expect in a base Malibu- as much as I love how the coupe looks (it's WAY WAY better in person), there's something about that interior that just makes me feel weird

Dave > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 14:16

0

Is it a suitable platform for the next Camaro?

RedRam47 > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 14:22

0

Since it is a 2.0T can you hear any kind of turbocharger noise?

jeff > Doug Nash 01/25/2015 at 14:26

0

I'm totally with you on that. It cheapens the car the same way leaving dealer license plate frames do. Classless move.

AudiB5Hawaii > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 14:59

0

Question: When you meet people are they confusing this with the CTS? Also are you tired of Cadillacs whole letter naming thing when trying to explain it to people? ATS, CTS, ELR, XTS, CTS-V, etc?

Auto Guy > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 15:01

0

Wow, the 2L 2WD AUTO is pretty rare.

Is CUE as bad as it's reputation (i.e., not very good or responsive)?

shle896 > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 15:07

0

If you had to choose between a 3-series BMW and the Cadillac ATS, which one would you pick, and why.

Critical Bill > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 15:29

0

After owning an E46 and an E92, I skipped the current generation the 3series after the test drive and bought an ATS. I always get people asking me how I could pick a Cadillac over a BMW. Hard as I try, people have an idea of what the new Cadillacs are without even driving them.I think that's Cadillac's biggest challenge. Changing people's perception of their cars . I'm convinced if you put people( even the BMW fanboys ) behind the wheel, without them knowing they were in a Cadillac, they would get out loving the car.Have you gotten that confused and somewhat disappointed "Oh..you have a Cadillac?" yet?

whan > Birddog 01/25/2015 at 15:35

0

Probably the Chevy SS/Camaro with a fat guy. The Alpha platform is significantly lighter - hence the Camaro moving to it in 2016. Granted, I don't really mind the massiveness of my Camaro (though this may be the 1LE package)

BahamaTodd > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 15:51

0

No V - no care.

Viktor King > DoYouEvenShift 01/25/2015 at 16:24

2

This is one of those things that drives me nuts.

Fill the tank, either halfway or topped-off and spilling, and drive to the nearest truck stop with a CAT scale, position the wheel base evenly over the steering and drive axle-scales, get out, and let's get a straight answer on how much the car weighs. The scales are typically accurate to within rounded-up 20lbs if not rounded-up to the pound.

Push the call button, give the license plate as a vehicle number, and head inside.
If there's any why-why-why-are-you-sure from the scale master, just tell them you're preparing to ship the car and need a number.

If nothing else, a definitive DOT-certified-scale weight will give us an idea of how much variance there is in press-release numbers if any.

Axtech > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 16:35

0

Hw does it compare to the cars you've driven in the same segment? e.g. 335i, C class, etc.

Axtech > Jay_Hoff 01/25/2015 at 16:37

0

Why would you do that in a coupe? Borrow somebody's sedan or you'll both suffer from cramps and sprains.

ptak appreciates old racecars > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 16:54

1

Can you take an obligatory picture of the itty-bitty little fins in the back? O__O

404 - User No Longer Available > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 17:03

0

Did they fix the stall issue yet?

spgoode > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 17:07

0

I once test drove a CTS and while it had great high speed stability, it was not nimble around town. This was a deal killer for me. I bought an Infinity G35 instead. The G35 is as good at autocrossing as it is at high speed hoonery.

How well does the ATS balance stability vs. nimbleness?

MDP310 > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 18:14

0

GOD DAMN YOU I WANT ONE SO BAD

I buy the sedan and of course they make a coupe one year later.

none8239487234 > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 18:15

1

Count the Opel parts and let us know how many you find. :)

Andrew T. Maness > Birddog 01/25/2015 at 18:20

0

Certainly does not feel slow or sluggish.

I found that if you're good with throttle application coming out of corners, you can really feel the power getting put down, like really feel it.

I dare say the car inspired a real sense of confidence.

Andrew T. Maness > Jay_Hoff 01/25/2015 at 18:23

7

My mistress is only available at night but I would assume that if it's possible at night it's possible mid-afternoon.

Andrew T. Maness > Axial 01/25/2015 at 18:34

2

Not that I know of, could always fashion your own at home though.

I've seen lots of people do it for older Subarus. All you need is plastic ups to cut off, attach flat material of your choice to said cups and then attach cushioning to that, cover with alcantara.

Andrew T. Maness > Auto Guy 01/25/2015 at 18:35

1

This car must have had the latest firmware because it was moving pretty quickly.

That being said I'm still a fan of rotary knob controlled infotainment systems vs. touchscreen. The reason being that I'm pretty OCD when it comes to my car interiors and I hate fingerprints on screens.

Axial > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 18:35

0

Well, there's an idea. It just strikes me as odd that they'd put that cutout so far back, though. The passenger doesn't really need a cup-holder there, they could have put it in some other spot.

Andrew T. Maness > In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you 01/25/2015 at 18:39

2

Sadly it doesn't. Even with the traction control turned off the safety systems still prevent momentary acts of "Harrising"

It does burnouts and donuts real nice though.

Andrew T. Maness > spanfucker retire bitch 01/25/2015 at 18:39

2

BIG FAN.

Andrew T. Maness > Kaizer Soze 01/25/2015 at 18:40

1

little things yes. what are you trying to stash?

Andrew T. Maness > mcseanerson 01/25/2015 at 18:40

7

Nope, it sticks out in the crowd and I like that.

Andrew T. Maness > MovedOn 01/25/2015 at 18:41

0

Yep, except for traction control, that can't fully be killed.

Andrew T. Maness > D.K. 01/25/2015 at 18:41

0

Ok but not my thing.

Aaron Paul: Oppo's Resident Fake British Actor > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 18:46

1

When's our GLA review coming?

mcseanerson > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 18:58

1

Nice reply!

MovedOn > The Little Engine That Couldnt 01/25/2015 at 18:59

0

Thanks. As someone who has lived with CUE, what are your thoughts?

The Little Engine That Couldnt > MovedOn 01/25/2015 at 19:11

2

It's pretty easy to use. I wish the "buttons" were a little bit larger on some of the screens and the response time after pressing anything is about half as fast as it needs to be, but overall its a good system.

X-cchannel-M > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 19:13

2

Does it BMW?

boxrocket > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 19:26

0

Do you find it narrow and oddly cramped? I've driven a few ats models and they all make me feel nearly claustrophobic, which isn't a feeling I get too often, especially in a car (though the Saturn sky/Pontiac solstice do tend to lead to a similar feeling all too easily). It seems there's no elbow room between passengers, which for me is saying something as I daily drive an old Volvo.

MovedOn > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 19:37

0

Really? No, really? I think there's a small contingent of people working at Caddy that were left off the "We're a performance car brand" memo. This must be the same group that added Lane Departure Warning to the "Performance" trim level. How low is the threshold at which the traction control kicks in.

Thanks for taking questions. I'm seriously considering buying a sedan and the folks at the dealership don't speak enthusiast.

tobythesandwich > TTc6 01/25/2015 at 20:34

3

So you'd rather understeering FWD based AWD cars over true RWD cars that are actually great to drive? Got it.

Frankenbike666 > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 20:44

0

So would you take this over an equivalent BMW 4 series?

Frankenbike666 > none8239487234 01/25/2015 at 20:47

1

Start with the engine from the Opel Astra VXR?

my car smells like crayons > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 21:14

0

can you disable TC via pressing and holding the button?

ThePro > mcseanerson 01/25/2015 at 21:26

1

I see what you did there.

StylistCC > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 21:42

0

Are there any "Easter eggs" and if so, what are they?

Auto Guy > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 21:54

0

Thanks, Andrew. I'm the same way with touchscreens — I keep my center console stocked with those little Zeiss lens wipe in foil packets.

When the OE gives you a car to eval, do they typically give you a copy of the Monroney as well? It would be interesting to see it for this car.

Micro-dosing Gawker's Tears > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 22:34

0

Does it burn a quart of oil every 500 miles?

Atomic Buffalo > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 22:40

2

What's it like to get in and out of the back seat? Can you do it without waiting twenty seconds while you move the front seat forward when it's positioned for an adult?

Is it actually fun to drive it hard, or does something spoil it? Engine note, power curve, transmission, tires?

Is CUE any better than it was when it first came out? Enough to matter?

At the end of the week, is there anything about the interior — materials or design — that bugs you? (Besides CUE.)

The Dummy Gummy > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 23:03

5

Drugs.

Johnnyazz > Andrew T. Maness 01/25/2015 at 23:21

0

I was at the auto show and the ATS's door rattled when I closed it. does this one do it too?

Roll Coal > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 00:12

0

I know this may sound a little strange but how big is the boot trunk? Can you fit a set of golf clubs in the back without dropping the rear seats? (the only reason I said golf clubs is because it is pretty much the universal measurement of trunk space)

Cliff8928 > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 00:22

0

Are you sure you held down the traction control switch long enough to get the "stabilitrak off" message? This is how it works in all the newer GM vehicles I've had/driven. Maybe they have a strict vehicular harissment policy.

Cliff8928 > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 00:25

0

I haven't had much experience with the ATS, let alone the coupe. How's the front headroom? I had a CTS Coupe for a service loaner a few years ago and it was a bit tight. I'm 6'2" and usually sit fairly upright. I know if I was in a collision my head would've been one with the sunroof opening in that car.

AlexJ > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 00:39

0

I already know that it will drive/brake/handle well, so the only important question remains - does CUE still sucks? I've tried last year model's version - it was pretty inconsistent in terms of display/capacitive button responses and overall pretty slow (though I've heard it was recently improved in that regard). I also remember it didn't have a "junction view" similar to latest Garmin devices which can show a "photorealistic" rendering of upcoming exit junction... I doubt it was added in any form to latest version, but I might be wrong.

Also, I've heard that Cadillac is now including a Wireless charging option for smartphones - I use it at home with my Galaxy S5, it is extremely convenient and reduces stress on phone's USB connector (especially if you have a waterproof plug covering the USB connector). Can you try it on your test car with some smartphone which supports it (like Nexus 4/5/6 or Galaxy S5 with optional battery cover)? I believe the charging plate is located behind the "hidden" storage door on the dashboard...

GotDarren > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 02:20

0

Do you see any Audi style cues in this car?

Audilac.jpg

Free Market Party Company > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 04:44

0

I keep hearing conflicting opinions on CUE. If you're spending a week with the car you actually have time to "make friends" with it.

Infotainment systems strike me as problematic to report on; older reviewers may tend to dislike them entirely. I honestly don't know who to trust, or even how to fairly evaluate them.

mhoppy74 > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 07:35

0

Do you find yourself wanting to call the car an Eldorado? ;)

NightDriver > Auto Guy 01/26/2015 at 08:09

2

FWIW I was at the DC Auto Show yesterday and hopped into an ATS Coupe where they'd left CUE on. Deciding to run a quick test, I tried to use the CUE Nav system to program a route back to my condo. I had it done in about 10 seconds or so and never felt confused. The car was of course at rest so maybe I would've had trouble were it moving, but at first glance it didn't seem that hard to me.

Andrew > Axial 01/26/2015 at 08:16

0

I saw one on an ATS forum and I have been thinking about pulling the trigger. It isn't exactly what I was hoping for but good enough and they appear to be on eBay still. http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadilla…

Andrew > Andrew T. Maness 01/26/2015 at 08:19

0

I can fully kill mine in sport mode hit the button twice or in regular mode hold it for 5 seconds. Maybe it is a feature on the manual only?