Les

My DD since 2001 has been a WRX, which has been a great car for me. I still enjoy driving it and it's in excellent condition with low mileage. I mention that because it's not like I'm necessarily looking to get out of it. However, the wife and I are talking about taking some long distance road trips and for that reason we're considering a car more suited for that purpose.

I know I won't be happy with something that's not a true driver's car. I'm not interested in the CTS-V, but the size and overall performance of the ATS-V has me very interested. I love canyon carving type driving and I live in an area that offers that as soon as I leave my driveway.

I'm looking for info from anybody who either has first hand experience with driving the car or knows somebody who has. I've read the reviews and watched the available videos about the car, so I'm not altogether uninformed.

I did see one review where the guy mentioned that it gets hot when driven hard in hot climates. He's the only one who has said anything like that. That's a concern to me and, in fact, it's one of the reasons I've eliminated the CTS-V from consideration. Any info from you guys about that or any other part of driving the car would be much appreciated.

senah

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...-series-forum/

JerriVette

I've heard 11 grand. Off MSRP on new ATS v is rampant.

Awesome four door or two door although I migh buy a camaro SS if four doors aren't needed.

I would suggest your purchase of the as v would be a great choice considering the discounts available.

Manual or automatic....it's a nice sports sedan

Very well received by the automotive media. I don't know anyone personally who bought one so I can't help there...


Good luck

Les

Thanks. I have poked around on that forum but it's a bit light on technical content and any detailed analysis. Seems like it's more likely to have rambling, friendly BS sessions. Also, downloading a page is painfully slow for some reason. I do appreciate the link though.
Thanks for the info. I know they have shut down production of the 2016s and will start building the 2017s fairly soon. The discounts must be on remaining stock- $11K off of MSRP would be a killer deal. Unfortunately there's not that much inventory left and there's not a car anywhere near me that has what I want. I expect to wait for the new model release and figured I'll just keep researching until then.

JerriVette

I think I would travel for 11 grand off...

The cars cool ...the only downside that I've heard from the media is that the sound of the v6 turbo is not as cool as the LT1 6 th gen camaro with the npp exhaust.

Looking at your signature I'd test drive the new camaro 1LE or ZL1 ....which if your not shopping price...would be the car to get.


If you need a more mature look for business.....then the ATS V would be the way to go...

There are still brand new 2014 ,2015 ATS v s on the car dealers lots across the country....which huge discounts...

11 grand off? New cars? If you have a gm card ....these are still new cars....

These are sweet rides that just aren't hot on consumers minds....

The average buyer in this segment is m4 M4 or new M2 lovers....even though the ATS v is a superior performer.....in acceleration, handling and braking....

The street crediationals and reputation makes the ATS require a huge discount even though from a performance standpoint the ATS v is superior....and you can save thousands.....

I would never pay msrp for an ats v at this point.....and as a Cadillac and corvette owner....let me tell you up front....depreciation is not your friend....


I recommend traveling to get huge discount ....and you can ship it to you if your busy...although the ride home would be a cool vacation...

JerriVette

As a Cadillac owner who has been very pleased with my purchase decision..., a gen 2 AWD fe2 304 hp cts.....I watched the new ats v and it's a great car....

For my family needs I have to have AWD for the wife so I just put a deposit down on the new tesla model 3 and figure with two motors , AWD automous mode and zero to sixty ludicrous mode performance in the 3 second range for 60 grand I'll be happy...

Because the ats v doesn't t offer AWD it's out for me...

That said...the cars reviews are excellent....id highly recommend it.

Here is the article I read three days ago that will give you better insight on pricing....

http://jalopnik.com/brand-new-cadill...s-n-1781877603

Acts v inventory is available and will be for some time.


Cts v sold out....while the 464 hp ats v is still available during 2016 ...

MVR 155

While I'm not an owner...... if I lived in your area (AWD is not a concern or need) and was not concerned about abundant room in the back seat, the ATS-V is definitely an all around winner!!!! The reviews are rave about driving dynamics and the performance on paper is impressive. There are deals to be had that are far from MSRP...... Great car!!!! With that being said..... I live in the burbs of Chicago and deal with a fair share of crap weather so AWD ended up being a must for me. I looked at the entire segment and ended up with a new Audi S4 back in 2013, absolutely awesome car but if I lived in an area where snow wasn't a concern I would be driving a RWD car year round. I have a young child (14 month old daughter) and while I would love the dynamics of the smaller car like the ATS-V I would likely end up in the CTS-V. We are talking about having a 2nd child now so I will likely be moving to an Audi S6 in the near future as I'll need more room. If inclement weather was of no concern a CTS-V would definitely be in my garage.

FAUEE

One thing to consider... the ATS overall has been a total dud. They literally can't give them away, despite all the auto rags being paid off or whatever.

They have an ATSV Coupe at our Caddy dealer that they can't get rid of. 11k off MSRP isn't a whole lot of help when the car is 80K or more. And it's TINY! For my money, I'd save a ton of money and buy a Chevy SS, with a proper V8 and a lot more room. Plus, it's NOT a Caddy so you don't look like a geriatric.

MRANT212

ATS-V is a bargain vs its competitors. Lot of value in that car especially with the deals on them. Kick it up a notch and get the best bargain performance Cadillac....CTS-V Sport with AWD. I had a 2012 CTS-V and got rid of it back in December of last year. Was going to get a new CTS-V but they were priced high and not easy to get. Almost bought V-Sport CTS but then decided on a CPO 2014 Audi S6. Amazing car! Good luck with your search!

MVR 155

From what I have seen/read, I don't believe the CTS-V sport is available with AWD???? If it is, it's definitely a car I would consider next time around. As of now, I will be going to a new Audi S6 from my current 2013 Audi S4. I will be needing more room as we are planning on having child #2 soon. I absolutely love my S4 but it's not roomy enough for 2 children when one of them is in a rear facing seat. I have already test fit the seats in the A/S 6 platform and the extra room is significant over the 4. My other DD vehicle is a 2015 Yukon Denali so that is no problem.

QUIKAG

Drove all 2016 versions of the ATS and I'm a huge performance guy, so love the ATS-V, CTS-V, and I had a loaded 2012 CTS-V for 3 years and loved it. While, we were deciding on which ATS to get, we made the mistake of driving a fully loaded 2016 Camaro SS 8-speed automatic. We never looked back at the ATS since my fiancé loved the styling and was cool with the two doors and small back seat. With her seat adjusted and mirrors adjusted the visibility is fine and the cockpit feel is fun. Visibility issues are blown way out of proportion, especially after you drive it for a while.

$20k isn't a deal breaker to me either way, but I just flat didn't see the value in the ATS-V relative to a loaded Camaro SS. The SS sounded way better, ran just as hard, turned just as good, looked at least as good, and was $20k cheaper. It was a no brainer for us. Only upsides for Cadillac is the longer warranty (GMPP is cheap, so no worries there) and Cadillac dealership is a bit better. Plus, 4 doors if that's your thing.

I've never liked Camaros at all until we drove the '16. It's in a different league than the 5th gen and any other Camaro ever made honestly. If you can do a 2 door, it's worth a test drive for sure.

MRANT212

My bad on the CTS-V Sport being AWD. You can get the geezer XTS-V with TTV6 and AWD. They used to make that in V Sport form but don't anymore. If you find a used XTS-V you'll be buying it for next to nothing. They depreciated like a rock thrown in water. Huge inside but I'd get the S6. Love my S6.... Get the rim/tire protection if you drive on potholed roads. Mines in the shop waiting a new rim. Should get it back tomorrow. Audi interiors are amazing and their fit and finish is top notch. You know since you have an S4. Here's a couple of pics of my S6. The car is the best civilized street sleeper!

Les

First of all, I appreciate all the comments and info. The last 1.5 weeks have been hectic, so I haven't had enough time to sit and catch up until now.

Good points- and yes, I know depreciation isn't pretty even under the best of circumstances. I do like the new Camaros but that's not really what I'm looking for. The wife and I looked at the ATS-V coupe at our local dealer and realized that you need to be a world class contortionist to get in and out of the back seat. It would be fun to watch folks that you don't like struggle with that but they're never going to be riding with me anyway. So, it's a 4 door for us. I'm in no rush to buy right now and the reviews of the CUE system are just bad. Rumor has it that there may be some improvements for the 2017s. I can wait to see how that plays out.
Thanks for the link. I had found that while doing research. As for AWD, I purposely located at about 2000 ft. so snow & ice are rarely a concern.
The ATS-V reviews praising the chassis dynamics and overall performance drew my attention to the car. That's pretty much right on the mark for what I like.
The ATS-V is actually just the size car I want. Nobody in my family needs a big seat or a bunch of elbow room. As for looking like a geriatric- no concern here for impressing others one way or another. If I like my cars and enjoy driving them, that's what counts.
Thanks. The CTS-V is a helluva car! I've had my eye on them for a few years. It's just a little more car than I need and really more than I care to spend. I kind of have more than I really need in my garage already, so I want to keep it reasonable for the wife's sake.

Les

How did I miss your post? Don't you have a pretty blue "P" car you want to give me? If you do that I can probably get by without the Caddy.

QUIKAG

haha, that P-car isn't going anywhere. I think I'm going to keep it forever along with the ZR1

The '16 Camaro SS is my finance's daily driver. So, since you don't prefer the Camaro and the 2-doors, I agree with the guy above to at least check out the CTS V Sport. We test drove that along with every version of the ATS and it was awesome. It was a used '14 CTS V-Sport with like 15k miles on the clock and they were selling for mid 40's.

The depreciation curve on the V sport is BRUTUAL apparently as the loaded V Sports sticker new around $70k. Car drove like new and was very comfortable and nimble. The engine had a nice sound and pulled great. 420hp, so not quite the 464 on the ATS-V, but it's the same basic engine. I liked the high rpm pull. Impressive. Pulled nice and strong to above 5,000rpm and then there was an extra surge of power to redline. For a daily driver, occasional canyon carver, a certified pre-owned CTS V Sport is worth a strong look.

We almost bought it, but my fiancé didn't like the side profile as it's a bit long for her taste. She's younger and felt the styling was a bit more mature. I thought it was fine, but I understood her point. Either way, I think it's a clean and nice looking car. Good rear seat room too, superior to the ATS.

silversport

I've not read anything good on the XTS V as a drivers car...if the ATS meets your size requirement, go that route. It's a great platform (new Camaro thinks so too) ... I went the Chevrolet SS Sedan route but that's because it met what I wanted and I didn't want to swing the CTS V Sport or V price of admission...

thanks for the feedback on the CTS V Sport...I never got the chance for a test drive on that...nice to have choices...

Good luck with your choice...

Bill

TerryL

How is the cabin quietness in any of these Caddys?

MVR 155

A good friend has a brand new CTS 4, it's a great mannered car in terms of comfort and sound level. I'd say interior sound level is on par with any of the luxury versions of high end cars out there. Get into performance models (S, M, AMG, V models of any of the heavy hitters) with bigger wheels, low profile tires/performance tires and you are likely going to deal with some added noise levels.

lionsfan5454

QUIKAG

Love the Chevy SS, but it's definitely last generation on the interior, LS3 engine, etc. Not a bad thing, but not the latest interior finishout and gadgets and powertrain, etc. Either way, I think it's sweet and I'd own one for a DD no problem.

However a gently used certified pre-owned CTS V Sport for very similar money to a new SS is hard to pass up IMHO.