Cadillac's first compact two door, the 2015 ATS Coupe, is a stylish, rear- and all-wheel drive performer with nimble handling, standard rearview camera and a starting retail price that's less than $39,000.
Buyers of the more expensive and nearly identically sized BMW 4-Series Coupe have to pay extra for a rearview camera, and the BMW base turbocharged four cylinder produces less power than the turbo four in the base ATS.
Indeed, the new-for-2015 ATS Coupe can seem like a luxury sport coupe bargain. Even the base model has Brembo brakes, carpeted floor mats, 295 foot-pounds of torque and Bose audio with Active Noise Cancellation and nine speakers.
Unfortunately, Consumer Reports puts ATS reliability at worse than average.
The tester moved with poise through slalom maneuvers, and the belt-driven, ZF steering system had quick response.
The ATS Coupe is lowered about an inch in height from the sedan, and passengers drop down and look up at trucks. But front-seat passengers don't necessarily feel constrained in the nicely appointed interior.
Last month, Cadillac announced a safety recall of 58,698 ATS cars from the 2013-2015 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted the “Slide” and “Tilt” control buttons for the cars' power-operated sunroofs are not recessed. Someone might unintentionally activate the sunroof auto-close feature, which could lead to injury, NHTSA said.
