Ezra Dyer pits Cadillac's ATS against its German target, the BMW 3-Series -- on BMW's home-away-from-home turf.
http://autos.yahoo.com/video/cadillac-ats-vs-bmw-3-143801898.html
Very good point.GM is doing some great work with the Cadillac products right now. In my opinion, they should have rolled out a new brand marque for these very good cars, as the Cadillac name removes value from what they are trying to do in the market. Just sayin'.
I completely agree with your first point regarding target market. The only cars my mother drove were Cadillacs...a new one every 2 years or so, but Cadillac wouldn't be my choice even though I respect very much what that company is doing with its vehicles. As to your second point, I don't think there's anything wrong with the Cadillac name. Cadillac and GM are very much a part of the fabric of America. It was GM and other manufacturers that provided jobs to masses of people, triggered gender and racial integration in the workplace, changed our society from agrarian to industrial, and created a middle class early in the last century. Cadillac engineered, built, and powered the Sherman tanks that helped defeat Japan and Germany in WWII. After that war, the company became one of the symbols of prosperity for this country. By the way, have you seen the Cadillac Ciel? http://www.coolhunting.com/design/cadillac-ciel.php I don't choose their cars because, right now, I prefer those of other companies. However, I think Cadillac still has a strong brand and that the company is making very competitive cars for the marketplace.I'm in early, and I say it doesn't matter. The ATS target market is the BMW 3 series target market minus the people who just don't want a Cadillac, which leaves a smaller buyer group than BMW will worry about. They have a much larger problem with Audi.
GM is doing some great work with the Cadillac products right now. In my opinion, they should have rolled out a new brand marque for these very good cars, as the Cadillac name removes value from what they are trying to do in the market. Just sayin'.
It's like the Lexus IS300, designed for one reason, to copy the E36."The ATS is the first Cadillac built specifically to take on the BMW 3 series". In other words, copy it and try to improve on it. And still, it comes up a little short. It's proactive vs reactive.....again.
The BMW guy actually said the 335i had less body roll, and was the better performer overall. He certainly didn't say the ATS was better at anything, I didn't hear that.I don't know when some of you BMW fans will start to call the BMW own test driver an idiot, because even he seemed to agree the ATS 3.6, although not as good as the F30 335i in straight line performance, was better on the curves and at the corners.
I fixed it for you.I live in yurop, so I don't really get the fuss about the ATS here, but I think you guys are discussing the wrong aspects of the car(s).
the single most important reason why you should buy an ATS :
IT IS GORGEOUS!!!!
You should see the interior trim of my 09 328i, peeling on the steering wheel, driver's side window control trim, on cold days radio display will dim and sometimes the radio itself won't work. The driver's seat leather did not age well considering the mileage of the vehicle. Not exactly very high quality built if you ask me. I am not even going to get into the multiple VW brand vehicles I have owned because the quality and service I have encountered with those was beyond embarrassing. The most reliable, highest quality built vehicle I have owned was a TSX. In my experience German cars were by far the most unreliable vehicles I have owned. I am actually very impressed by the increased quality and service domestic brands currently offer over more expensive imports, particularly European ones. Just my 2 cents.I have looked at the ATS, and I am fine with the design. I don't find it to be some amazingly beautiful car, but it's not hideous either. The issue I have with the modern Cadillacs is that it seems like they took pictures of an F117 stealth fighter bomber and said "Hey, let's make it look like that!". They basically took a giant clay mould and chopped a bunch of edges and off-angle lines into it, then put it into production. I look at the ATS, as well as the CTS and STS and wonder if the purpose is to defeat surface to air missiles.
In all seriousness, I just see no soul in the design of the Cadillacs. If you ever watch the BMW specials on TV about how they do their designs and develop everything from the look of the headlights to the sound the doors make when open, you see that they put extensive thought into everything. They really espouse the concept of driving passion. I don't get that feeling from Cadillac. Now granted, I'm not a huge Bangle fan, and the new de-Bangled stuff looks absolutely amazing. BUT, I still found some beauty in what was produced under the Bangle design. I'd take a Cadillac over anything else GM produces, but only because I would have to.
I have a lot of problems with Cadillac, but it's because it's an American brand. I don't care about the history, I care about what I know of American cars. My 1999 M Coupe interior was in better shape in 2010 than the interior of my 2003 Chevy Suburban was in 2005. American cars have had very poor quality interior build quality, and the quality of trim parts, buttons, latches and whatnot has always been relatively cheap. For a long time, they've all looked like they were made by Tyco Toys. Now interiors are getting better, but I have yet to see anything that reassures me that American build quality is any near to being in the ballpark of German build quality. I don't care what technology Cadillac puts into the car, what matters is how that technology fares 5-6 years from now when I'm knocking on the 100,000 mile threshold. Creaks? Squeaks? Rattles? Not only that, but American cars, in my experience, do not stand up well to hard use. The harder I drove my Bimmers, the more reliable they were. Every American or Japanese car I've owned has had progressive issues with hard use.
Then there's the issue of GM needing a government bailout, and the fact that I despise the UAW, and I can't bring myself to buy a Cadillac.