Cadillac ATS: Reimagining A Classic For A New Generation

Cadillac AtsNot Your Mother-in-Law’s Caddy

Girls are told that they grow up to be their mothers. I may be the only person who became her mother-in-law.

Admittedly, this was only for a week, when I drove the 2014 Cadillac ATS. My mother-in-law has traded in her Cadillac for a new one every 2 or 3 years, always choosing a red sedan and that was what I drove.

But this is not your mother-in-law’s Cadillac – or, least, MY mother-in-law’s. The sporty ATS is more luxurious than anything she would choose, and so loaded with technology that I wonder how the older generation of Cadillac buyers will react. My mother-in-law still cannot figure out Skype, and our video chats with her reveal just her chin or forehead.

Cadillac Cue
CUE infotainment touchscreen

CUE the Touchscreen

But the CUE (Cadillac User Experience) infotainment system is designed for the touchscreen generation, with easy access to different screens by tapping, dragging and flicking. Connecting my iPhone to the car, using Bluetooth, literally took seconds.

I never realized how greasy my fingers are until I spent a week scrolling through Sirius SX stations, adjusting the climate control (the poor Caddy had to work overtime in the polar vortex, but the car started instantly and the vents defogged the windows quickly) and getting real time traffic info from the GPS.

Heads-up Display

Cadillac
Even on a rainy day the Cadillac ATS stands out

By far my favorite feature of the ATS is the heads-up display, in the windshield, of your speed and the direction you are heading. You can keep your eyes focused on the road and ease up on the gas when you start to speed.

The heads-up display also helps if you want to keep the fuel economy up. We got 26 mpg on the highway, even with the car fully loaded.

 

What We Loved

Premium leather seats that cradled our bodies

Solid, solid feel; we drove to Boston in heavy wind and felt totally secure

Illuminating door handles so you can get into the car easily at night

Windshield wipers that sense moisture and automatically turn on

Cadillac Ats
Luxurious matching leather seats & trim in the ATS

Easy to use CUE infotainment system

 

What You Need to Know

4 year, 50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty

Cadillac takes care of you; price includes 6 year, 70,000 mile roadside assistance and courtesy transportation

Standard price: $48,195; the red obsession tintcoat brought the price up to $50,115

 

Note: Cadillac provided the car for our test drive. Opinions expressed are my own.

Judy Antell
Judy Antell

Judy Antell, who is TravelingMom.com's Free in 50 States editor, lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and three daughters. Between road trips to visit colleges, travel sports and seeing East Coast sights, she spends a lot of time on the road for a city girl.

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