GM's Cadillac luxury line was slick and cool and, most of all, young ... back in its "Mad Men"-era heyday. After the late 1960s, the brand slowly and gradually began to gray. BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes became the "in" cars for those not close to being on their way out.
GM's first attempt at rejuvenation happened back in the late '90s with the Cadillac Catera, a quick rebadge of the Opel (European GM) Omega. It was pitched as "the Caddy that zigs." It was more youthful than a vinyl-roofed, wire-wheeled sedan Cadillac deVille. But it wasn't a BMW 3 Series. Still, it was a step in the right direction.
The next step was even better: the CTS sedan. Cue Led Zeppelin singing "It's been a long time since I rock and rolled." Those with a pulse and without a pacemaker began to notice. Some began to buy.
Today, some 20 years after the first tentative steps at changing course, Cadillac has come full circle and is once again a happening brand.
Have a look at this ATS, for instance, Cadillac's entry-level sedan (and coupe).
The base price is $34,595 for the rear-wheel drive sedan with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. You can upgrade to all-wheel drive for $36,595.
A top-of-the-line Premium Performance trim with the V-6 engine and RWD has a sticker of $46,995. There is also an AWD-equipped Premium Luxury trim (with the V-6) that has a slightly smaller sticker of $45,995.
What's New
All trims now come standard with a stronger 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and Cadillac's LCD touchscreen, which was previously optional in the lower trims. It includes 4G Wi-Fi capability.
What's Good
It has the strongest standard and optional engines in its class.
Manual transmission is available.
Styling befits a latter-day Don Draper.
What's Not So Good
Manual is only available with the four-cylinder engine and RWD.
The back seat is really tight — less legroom and headroom than several rivals.
The Cadillac User Interface, or CUE, takes some getting used to.
Under the Hood
The standard engine for 2017 is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that was the mid-range engine last year. It has 272 horsepower and 295 foot-pounds of torque.
The RWD version, which is the quickest, gets to 60 mph in about 6 seconds flat and carries an EPA city/highway rating of 19/30. With the optional slightly more fuel-efficient eight-speed automatic transmission, mileage upticks slightly to 21/30.
The optional 3.6-liter V-6 has 335 horsepower. You can go RWD or AWD, but this engine only comes with the eight-speed automatic. It gets to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds, and gas mileage is nearly as good as the 4-liter's at 18/28 with RWD and 18/26 with the optional AWD.
On the Road
If anything, the ATS may be a touch too youthful.
It's a car that makes 14-year-olds grin when the automatic seat belts cinch tight as you drift through a corner at 60mph, the rear tires smearing the asphalt with molten rubber.
The tested Performance trim, which is available with the V-6 or the 2.0 turbo engine, comes with staggered-sized Bridgestone Potenza 18-inch low-profile sport tires (225/40s on 18-by-8-inch rims up front, 255/35s on 18-by-9-inch rims out back) that have no side walls and absolutely no lean.
The downside is the ride is pretty stiff. You'll want to be sure you can live with it before you commit.
The Premium also gets you auto-adjustable shock damping and run-flat Potenzas on those 18-inch rims. In addition, there's a heads-up display that projects your speed and the speed limit with a holograph in your line of sight, so it's not necessary to glance down at the gauges to scan the info.
At the Curb
The ATS has the upper-class ambiance essential to success in this class today. The slit-eyed swept-back headlight assemblies, distinctive lattice grille treatment and aggressively arched and angled body panels give the ATS a modern "Mad Men" vibe.
Inside we see cut and sewn panels; crushed suede and wood trim inlays; metal paddle shifters; a three-window LCD main gauge cluster; and a tablet/smartphone-style touchscreen display in the center stack.
The ATS is somewhat more compact than rivals like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, not necessarily overall — the BMW 3 sedan, at 182.2 inches, casts virtually the same shadow as the 182.8-inch long ATS sedan — but inside.
The sedan's back seat has 33.5 inches of legroom and 36.8 inches of headroom compared with 35.2 inches of legroom and 37.1 inches of legroom in the Benz C sedan; and 35.1 inches of legroom and 37.7 inches of headroom in the back seat area of the BMW 3.
The Caddy's trunk is also very small — just 10.4 cubic feet versus 13 cubic feet for the BMW 3 and 12.6 for the Benz C.
The Rest
The Cadillac User Experience touchscreen takes a little getting used to if you're not used to pinch/swipe cell phones.
The bottom line: This Caddy does zig!
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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