2013 Cadillac ATS

The all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS is GM's attempt at out BMW-ing BMW, and by many accounts, it does. The ATS is Cadillac's new compact luxury sports sedan with three different engine options, either a six-speed manual or automatic and rear- or all-wheel drive. The ATS' base engine is a 2.5-liter four cylinder that makes 202-hp and 191 lb-ft of torque. Available only with a six-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive, the base engine ATS is EPA rated at 22/33 mpg city/highway. One step up on the ladder is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine, good for 272 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The rear-drive-only manual transmission model nets 19/30 mpg, while the automatic gets 21/31 mpg with rear-drive, or 20/30 with all-wheel drive. The top-spec ATS engine is a 321-hp and 275 lb-ft of torque 3.6-liter V-6. Paired only to an automatic tranny, the V-6-powered ATS gets 19/28 mpg with rear-drive, and 18/26 mpg with available all-wheel drive.

To say we really like the 2013 ATS would be an understatement. Not only was Cadillac's BMW 3 Series-fighter a finalist during the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year competition, but the V-6-powered version easily trounced the six-cylinder versions of the 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in a recent comparison test. In that test, we wrote, "This chassis...wow. Unbelievable. I'm just blown away by how well this car drives. Those two are luxury sport sedans. This is a luxury sports car." While the 2.0-liter turbo-4-powered ATS was designed as an enthusiast's special, its manual transmission let it down. "The six-speed manual gearbox in our tester was hugely disappointing," we wrote, "Shifts were notchy and imprecise, with several testers continuing to miss gears even as hours in the car piled up."

The Cadillac ATS is new to the market for 2013. Though the ATS shares some of its engines across the Cadillac lineup (as well as with other General Motors models), it's otherwise an all-new model, and completely unique.

New for 2013

The 2013 Cadillac ATS is an all-new model for Cadillac, with three engine options, six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, and rear or all-wheel-drive depending on configuration. The sharp-looking compact luxury sports sedan is designed to go head-to-head with the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and others. The ATS is Cadillac's latest attempt at making itself a truly global luxury brand.

Key Competitors

• Audi A4
• BMW 3 Series
• Lexus IS
• Mercedes-Benz C-Class
• Volvo S60

Sum Up

Many have tried to take on the BMW 3 Series. Few have succeeded.