Review: 2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6

Infotainment on CUE

Are touch screens the best way to control the car of the future? Cadillac thinks yes, and has eliminated numerous buttons, switches and knobs for smooth, touch-ready surfaces. Touch sensitive controls for the HVAC system and audio system are integrated into a smooth, piano-black surface with V-shaped metal accents on the center stack. It looks great, and when you successfully push a control, the panel responds with a slight “haptic” pulse as feedback. While the conductive controls and buttons look high-tech cool, they did not always respond to our fingers’ touch. It sometimes took a harder push, or poking around to find the exact right spot to get the correct reaction. It’s possible to raise or lower the stereo system’s volume by sliding a finger left or right along the volume control. But it was difficult to adjust the volume in small increments with this slider. It was easier to use the redundant controls on the steering wheel.

Pushing “Home” on the center panel brings up icons on the 8-inch Cadillac User Experience (CUE), in charge of navigation, infotainment, HVAC, telephone, Pandora radio, weather reports and more. The large, touch-sensitive display is easily visible high on the dash, and it senses your hand approaching as you reach for it, instantly bringing up extra icons that let you fine tune it or change to a different system. It works like a modern tablet or smartphone, including movable icons and pinch-or-spread-to-zoom capability for the navigation screen. The learning curve is a bit more than some other systems, but overall, it works well in our opinion. We’ve read some harsh criticism of CUE from other reviewers, but we generally disagree. Although there’s room for improvement – some of the icons are a little small and hard to hit while driving, and some settings are many “pages” deep – we found it functional and easy enough to operate. The car comes with a suede-like cleaning cloth to wipe the inevitable finger prints off the shiny touch surfaces.

What others are saying about the ATS

In a three-car comparison test, editors at Motor Trend choose the Cadillac ATS 3.6 over the BMW 335i and Mercedes-Benz C350. Despite complaints about the “dated transmission” in the ATS and how CUE operates, Motor Trend concludes: “If you could combine the engine and transmission from the 335i with the steering feel and chassis from the ATS and stuff it all into the C350’s wonderful package, you would have the perfect sport sedan. Until then, choose Cadillac.”

Car & Driver compares a manual-transmission ATS 2.0L Turbo to a BMW 328i, but narrowly gives the nod to the Bimmer. Editors explain, “If we were looking only for back-road fun and not for everyday livability, the ATS would triumph.” They criticize the Cadillac’s ride, exhaust “drone,” transmission feel, and CUE system. But they love the chassis, and say the ATS is the more entertaining car to drive: “In the most important regard, Cadillac succeeded in building an American 3-series. Now it needs to benchmark BMW’s engine and transmission, and install an infotainment system that isn’t such an outrage.”

2013 Cadillac ATS, 1972 Coupe deVille

Bottom Line

The ATS is a true sports sedan. It sounds sporty and one spirited drive will convince you that it IS sporty enough to run with the Germans. The ATS feels solid and polished, although its interior and trunk space make it feel like the small car that it is. For folks who regularly carry more than two, it may not be the perfect choice. Also, you’ve got to be aware that the outstanding handling comes with a firm, busy ride (tamed just a bit by the optional magnetic shocks). Overall, for a well-built, stylish, premium compact sedan with handling that’s every bit as good as a BMW, the Cadillac ATS is right on target.

2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6 AWD