[ProudCaddyDaddy]

I'm thinking of buying an ATS.
I had a CTS for a long time and loved that car.
Is there anything to be aware of with these ATS'?
Known issues at certain miles? known issues in general?
I read about blown pistons/engines at relatively low miles and I'd be buying used...thinking 15-16 so it'd prob have a few miles on it already.
Are the AWDs decent in the snow? I'm in the midwest so I see plenty of it.
Any former CTS owners now driving an ATS? How do they compare?
Any other general info would be appreciated.

 

[Pezman]

This question has been asked before, so spend some time searching, but the gist of it is this:

Look for a 2015 or newer, The AWD is very nice if you live in snow country, and the back seat in the ATS is small, very small..... Pez.

EDIT - consider a Cadillac certified pre-owned. Fantastic warranty.

 

[TheFlash]

I owned a 2013 ATS RWD 2.0 T performance. Things it had and did not have, NO memory seats or mirrors, NO auto dimming mirrors, bad heater-the passenger side front floor area was cold, NO key less entry, NO Heated str wheel, very little room in car and trunk, back seat is a joke, No GPS, has lots of road noise even after taking off those awful run flat tires and putting of a set of Continental EX. it was noisy. and NO cool seats. A must in Las Vegas. Rear seat back did not fold down.

I hate the CUE system and the dash controls, radio, heater. Not user friendly.

What did I like, it handled well good brakes and OK performance good gas mileage if you did not full throttle it. It looked good pearl white.
Problems; has to replace rear diff. under warranty. The turbo engine pumps oil into the air intake in front of the turbo thru the PCV air intake. Dealer claims that's OK.
I traded it in for a 2011 CTS RWD coupe Performance 3.6 with $10,000 worth of options. NO CUE system. I love this car. But it is a good thing I bought the 36K B to B warranty. dealer has spent $10,000 fixing this car. So buyer beware.

 

[artscadillac]

Your "what to look for" questions are asked in a post about every two weeks or so, so if you scan for them, you will find a lot
more answers than you will will end up with in this post.

2015+ is a good idea. Piston problems stopped mid 2014. 2015 2.0T got more torque. 2016 got the 8-speed trans and new 3.6.

Newer drove in deep snow, but AWD is impressive on wet and sandy roads. Doesn't spin the rear like RWD.

Compared to 1st gen CTS, ATS is smaller, corners sharper, rides firmer, brakes better, is faster even with the 2.0T.
1st Gen is 190", ATS is 183", 2nd gen CTS is 191", 3rd gen CTS is 195.5".

ATS has 4 trims. Base, Luxury, Perf, Premium. Signature lights are on the last 2.
Base seats don't adjust very well. Compare trims + options. They are not all the same.

 

[rand49er]

Thanks for asking this question. Searching on here is a PITA. I pick up new info every time someone posts in answer to these kinds of threads. I hope to be in the market for an ATS this spring/summer.

I know this may sound a bit snarky (and I don't mean it ... well, mostly), but who adjusts seats once you get them to where you want them?

 

[SaveTheManuals]

Some good info here, some not so good. My advice, get this car in a manual.

https://www.cadillacforums.com/foru...scussion-forum/1078030-ats-2-0t-vs-3-6-a.html

 

[sadpanda]

I have two seat settings... one further back for long highway stints and one much closer for my normal driving style. Also, seat position is linked to key fob so if the wifey needs to drive etc.

I love my ATS but I do have a number of gripes. The biggest I can see coming from CTS would be the borderline useless trunk. If GM decides to copy the A class/1-2 series I hope they make it a hatch back... If my ATS was a wagon hatch thingy I don't think I would ever want to buy another daily driver ever.

 

[SaveTheManuals]

double post

 

[rand49er]

... the borderline useless trunk ...

The BIG question is can you get a set of golf clubs in there?

 

[Sydtron]

The BIG question is can you get a set of golf clubs in there?

I believe yes, one set - there are cutouts behind each wheel well to ensure this. https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013-Cadillac-ATS-3.6-AWD-014.jpg


For the OP - yes, AWD is good in the snow. I'd look at a 2016+ so you get the 8-speed, it's just a better pairing than the 6-speed auto.

 

[rsingl]

I had a 2008 CTS (2nd gen) which I loved but I didn't care for the restyled 3rd gen. I took an ATS for a test drive and really liked it.

My dislikes of the ATS are minor:
1. miss the ventilated seats which I had in the CTS and currently have in my Corvette and GMC pickup.
2. the trunk is less spacious so you will need to spend a little more care if you tend to need a lot of capacity.
3. the sound system was a little better in the CTS.
4. I don't care for the touch controls for the HVAC/radio that too often require going into a menu to do a common task. And the ATS has the worst HVAC system of any vehicle I have ever owned, AC is fine but heat is erratic and tends to go between deep freeze and sauna. For some reason it has a really poor software/control system. Fortunately my daughter and I both like a cool environment but if you like a warm car prepare to fiddle with the controls a lot.

But the ATS size/maneuverability is great and its performance is better with the lesser weight. Fuel mileage is about 1 MPG better comparing my previous 2008 3.6L RWD CTS to my current 2014 3.6L RWD ATS. I retired a couple of years after bought the ATS but one thing I really appreciated about its smaller size was it was a breeze to fit into my "perfect" reserved spot in the deck (close to a support pillar on one side so I could snuggle close to it and have the other side far enough in my spot that both sides were protected from door dings. The CTS took a bit of maneuvering to fit in the same spot since it was just off the apex of a 90 degree corner.

If I lived in a city I would probably go with the AWD ATS but where I live in rural IL farm country an AWD car does little good because of the heavy drifting that will stop anything without a lot of ground clearance. I am very impressed with the traction of the ATS on ice and light snow and it has no issues going up my inclined driveway with both sides on ice which is very impressive for a RWD vehicle. The F/R weight balance is so much better than it was for RWD cars in years past. I took the ATS out last night in -4 degree weather on snow and ice to make a quick run into town and it did great but it stayed in the garage for several days after a 14" snow fall a week ago where it would have been out of its element.

For golf bags and other odd shaped objects pay close attention to trim level. I haven't looked at all of the variations but I believe the lower trim level has a fixed back rear seat while pass through options change as you move up to higher trim levels. I bought the premium trim because I wanted RWD with a 3.6L and a limited slip rear end and that was the only way to get that setup.

 

[artscadillac]

Thanks for asking this question. Searching on here is a PITA. I pick up new info every time someone posts in answer to these kinds of threads. I hope to be in the market for an ATS this spring/summer.

I know this may sound a bit snarky (and I don't mean it ... well, mostly), but who adjusts seats once you get them to where you want them?

Unless sharing the car, there usually is no need to adjust the seats. If you get the Base ATS, you may never find a comfortable setting,
unless maybe you are short.

Golf clubs will fit across the back of the trunk, from taillight to taillight. If your driver is longer than 45", you may have to remove it.
You may be able to put clubs at a 45° angle, but that waists a lot of space.

 

[CaptSoloNJ]

ATS4 will be a lot better in snow than the RWD CTS.

ATS has better torque and rides tighter than CTS. Overall, I was surprisingly more happy with the ATS driving experience, though it was a smaller car. The CTS was more roomy and while not a deVille, it feels more heavy.

 

[OHHEY]

ATS4 will be a lot better in snow than the RWD CTS.

ATS has better torque and rides tighter than CTS. Overall, I was surprisingly more happy with the ATS driving experience, though it was a smaller car. The CTS was more roomy and while not a deVille, it feels more heavy.

I felt cramped in the CTS, I think it's because the center console is so tall. The ATS is the only Cadillac with a low center console.

 

[Mrob]

Don't do it... I owned a CTS and traded for a brand new 2013 ATS Premium all wheel drive 3.6 and I love the car, still have it. BUT, the back seat is not useable for adults as far as I'm concerned ( compared to the CTS anyway ) and the heat issues. Google heat issues in ATS and see what I mean. Every year I have to fight with heat and Cadillac claims they know nothing about it... tell google that. Look, its a great car, hugs the road while hugging you but don't if you plan on carrying adults in the back seat and hopefully the year you buy doesn't have heat issues. Great car, fast, terrific traction but... good luck

 

[bdtodd50]

If you are over 6' tall, you may have issues. I am 6'1" and my hair rubs on the head liner. Bugs the hell out of me. (seat is as low as it will go)

 

[rsingl]

If you are over 6' tall, you may have issues. I am 6'1" and my hair rubs on the head liner. Bugs the hell out of me. (seat is as low as it will go)

Which trim level/seats do you have? I am 6'2" and have a sunroof in mine which slightly lowers the headliner but it is fine and I know what you mean about cars with limited headroom. I do have the driver's seat almost all the way down with a slight tilt to the rear which improves clearance, all the way straight down doesn't provide quite as much headroom. I bought my Corvette Z06 with the transparent top instead of the regular because the transparent top doesn't have a headliner and gains about an inch of clearance which was the difference between my hair rubbing and not.

 

[Hibar]

A small cabin for sure I am 5'7" no sun roof with base model drivers seat OK ,passenger seat limited adj and not comfortable to get in and out [wife hates it think in 4 years she has out grown this car] unless its a late model manual bear in mind most if not all have been consistently redlined ,hello future issues near the bottom in depreciation and long term reliability JMO

 

[FurnitureMan]

I have a 2017 ATS 2.0T Luxury trim. For me its a really great car. Handles and performs great. Back seat is very small, but I do not have any one to ride in the back, so its great to throw stuff there on trips. Trunk should hold two sets of clubs, if not the rear seat backs come down. I have hauled a single 2x4x8' in the car. I highly recommend the safety package with the rear radar and vibrating seat. If you are parked nose in between just about any other car, its the only way to safety back out. Cadillac CUE is not so hot but it supports Android Auto and Car Play which work great in the car. Beware the front cup holders will not fit two medium coffee cups from Dunkin Donuts!

 

[Pezman]

Which trim level/seats do you have? I am 6'2" and have a sunroof in mine which slightly lowers the headliner but it is fine and I know what you mean about cars with limited headroom. I do have the driver's seat almost all the way down with a slight tilt to the rear which improves clearance, all the way straight down doesn't provide quite as much headroom. I bought my Corvette Z06 with the transparent top instead of the regular because the transparent top doesn't have a headliner and gains about an inch of clearance which was the difference between my hair rubbing and not.

I'm 6'1'" and can't fit in the wife's 2013 ATS Lux with sunroof without my head rubbing on the ceiling. I think it has more to do with where is your height actually is - legs or torso. At any rate, the ATS will never be accused of having a big back seat OR having lots of headroom. Pez.