Edmunds Track-Test - 2013 Cadillac ATS turbo (the basis of the next Camaro)
 

Testing the 272-Horsepower Turbocharged Cadillac

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Published: 12/25/2012 - by Mike Magrath, Features Editor

The 2013 Cadillac ATS was born under the enormous shadow of the BMW 3 Series. It's a tough spot. BMW has owned this segment for decades now and despite attempts from every corner of the globe, nobody's managed more than a flash-in-the-pan usurping.

But despite the formidable task, this is exactly where Cadillac wants to be. With the 2013 ATS, Cadillac isn't trying to redefine a segment; it's meeting BMW (and Audi and Mercedes) head-on with the ATS.

This fight starts with a thoroughly modern powertrain consisting of a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 272 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That power is routed to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential. Further ammunition in Caddy's performance quiver is the driver-adjustable magnetorheological shocks with Sport mode.

But you know all of this. You read the 2013 Cadillac ATS Introduction when we added this sport sedan to our Long-Term fleet. Now see what it did on the track.

Test Results

Acceleration
0-30 (sec): 2.2 (2.8 w/ TC on)
0-45 (sec): 3.9 (4.6 w/ TC on)
0-60 (sec): 6.4 (7.1 w/ TC on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 6.0 (6.7 w/ TC on)
0-75 (sec): 9.4 (10.3 w/ TC on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 14.5 @ 94.1 (15.1 @ 93.8 w/ TC on)

Braking
30-0 (ft): 29
60-0 (ft): 114

Handling
Slalom (mph): 67.3 (66.7 w/ TC on)
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.87 (0.87 w/ TC on)

Comments

Acceleration - A profound difference with generous pedal overlap, but too much generates runaway wheelspin that just wastes time. Auto upshifts are quick and reasonably gentle. There's a little bit of a torque deficit at the very bottom of the rev range, but it quickly disappears as the tach swings past 2-3K rpm. I generally like the "feel" of the engine, but it doesn't have what I'd call a personality — or if it has, it's sort of rough and coarse-sounding. It works but it's not pretty.

Braking - Firm pedal, little dive and near zero fade; best stop on fourth attempt and admirable (not astoundingly short) and tightly packed distances. Predictable and early jump-in, linear progression. Average-to-good brakes; not great brakes.

Skid pad - The steering is not what I'd call communicative, but it isn't "noisy" or syrupy either. I get just enough information about the front tires' grip and the precision remains. There's only a little bit of turbo surge complicating the process, but it's entirely manageable and throttle response is acceptable.

Slalom - Crisp response, pointy at the front end without unnecessary weight in the steering effort. Nicely sculpted/contoured wheel. Very good balance overall with a delicacy and precision that is sadly becoming a rarity. As before, Sport mode is too firm and the car skips over the bumps rather than enveloping them. Tour is the better choice almost all the time. Eventually, the tires give up in unison and on this day it was at an impressive 67.3 mph which is good, not great.

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VS the Pontiac G8 GT/Holden Commodore SS, the basis of the current Camaro.

Track Results

Acceleration
0-45 mph (sec.) 3.6
0-60 mph (sec.) 5.4
0-75 mph (sec.) 7.9
1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) 13.7 @ 104.1

Braking
30-0 mph (ft.) 28
60-0 mph (ft.) 109

Handling
Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) 65.7
Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) 0.85

Comments

Acceleration - Why is there no redline on the tach? Isn't this a sport sedan with a powerful engine? Bizarre, especially since manual mode holds gears and will bang off the rev limiter all day long. Quickest accel times came in Sport setting with transmission shifting on its own. There's very little wheelspin at launch. I suspect a manual transmission would be notably quicker.

Braking - Some fade became obvious after 5-6 stops, but the distances continued to come down to a world-class 109 feet. Some ABS kickback is noticeable through the pedal, but the overall brake feel -- at least prior to the minor fading -- is confident.

Handling - Transition to oversteer isn't as intuitive as I'd like. Perhaps this is due to minimal roll stiffness. Once the tail is out, however, the G8 GT is easily controlled. Little roll stiffness also means there's an uncomfortable amount of time between weight transfer in transitions in the slalom. Otherwise, handling is good with predictable limits. Oh, and stability control can be fully disabled.

Just got this car as the wife's DD... absolutely love it. The interior is phenomenal at this price point and its very enjoyable to drive. Coming from a family that exclusively owned 3 series Beemers... I'm overly satisfied with this new ATS.

I really like the ATS. :nod:



:thumb: :cool:

I test drove one with the 2.5L NA 4cyl. and was very dissappointed with the power. I was very pleased with everything else about the car though.

I really wanted to drive a 2.0T but they didnt have any on the lot yet.

Was there space for an LSX454 in there!?

hm, another car with a magnetic suspension that no one is trying to crack for tuning purposes.

>.>

Sad that those acceleration numbers are on par with a Mazdaspeed 3 or a GTI:confused: I hope that the chassis can handle more power.

Where are the reviews of the 3.6 DI sport version? Thats the version I want!