The 2013 Cadillac ATS: What the critics say

The Detroit News

Cadillac has nailed it: The all-new ATS ranks as “the first American compact luxury sedan capable of challenging the dominant imports.” The brand’s previous attempts to claim turf in this critical segment have been embarrassments, but this time it’s brought real ammo, including a “fast and nimble” 2.0-liter turbo-charged engine and world-class magnetic ride suspension. Cadillac’s littlest car has “good bones” plus a distinctive personality—enough to make it a contender.

CSMonitor.com

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It’s already “the best driver’s car the brand has ever built.” We’d skip the optional V6 engine and all-wheel drive to take the mid-priced performance model, which allows buyers to pair the turbo-charged four-cylinder with a stick shift. Stay behind the wheel and you may never give a thought to the car’s cramped back seats—“one of the ATS’s few Achilles’ heels.”

Car and Driver

We’d add to that short list the car’s base-level engine, which provides “no better than adequate performance.” But Cadillac managed to get just about everything else right. Snap the steering wheel and the mid-level ATS “changes direction like a hummingbird.” Hit the gas and it “bolts from rest with a growl.” This is definitely “not your grandpa’s church-quiet Caddy.”