- COMPARO. CAR AND DRIVER. MAR/2017
Inviting the entire group back allows us to give the Giulia the
necessary context to accurately place it in the segment. At least
that’s the case we made in the editorial meeting. Actually, the
truth is we wanted to play with all of these cars again. So we
headed to the vast emptiness of Death Valley to exercise them and
in the course of a few days drove 1100 miles. It took every bit of
that distance to find a winner, because superiority in this segment
is a game of inches.
- CADILLAC ATS-V
Last place is now becoming too familiar to
Cadillac’s ATS-V. As before, it proved supe-
rior to the German sedans in ride and han-
dling. Cutting up through the mountains
that surround Death Valley, the ATS-V is a
hero. Cadillac’s magnetorheological damp-
ers balance both wheel control and comfort
better than the A MG and the M car. The
steering feel earned top marks, there’s big
grip from the Michelins, and the brake
pedal balances effort and travel, providing
the right bite when you misjudge a corner
and dive in too deep. We didn’t find a road
in our travels that the ATS-V couldn’t mas-
ter. So why didn’t it finish higher?
We call the 3.6-liter twin-turbo V- 6 to
the witness stand.
There’s no denying it has the power. In
acceleration tests, the Cadillac passed 60
mph in 3.9 seconds and went through the
quarter in 12 .2 seconds at 117 mph. It’s a
snap to launch, too. Simply put your left foot
on the brake and your right on the accelera-
tor, raise the revs to 2000 rpm, and release
the brake. No need for launch control here.
W here the six falls short is in the experi-
ential details. At wide-open throttle, there
are 83 decibels’ worth of gritty moan. If the
ATS-V is the only car you drive, the sound
isn’t that offensive, but next to the enchant-
ing Mercedes V-8 that also powers A MG’s
GT S or the thundering Alfa V- 6 derived
from a Ferrari engine, it’s apparent that this
engine has humble roots. In another life
without turbos, the ATS-V’s six might have
lived out its days in a Chev y Colorado. Even
though it’s not quite as powerful as the
ATS-V’s 3.6, we’d love to see how the
Camaro’s 455-hp 6.2-liter small-block V-8
would act in the ATS-V. We’d guess it’d
work the same magic in the Cadillac as it
does in the Camaro SS.
It’s not only the engine that lets down the Cadillac. The interior
elements fail to impress. Too many different materials collide
inside; leather, carbon fiber, fake suede, and piano black don’t play
well together. And while the CUE touchscreen is now familiar
enough not to seem so obtuse, the colors, fonts, and general
appearance look low-rent next to the sharper and more sophisti-
cated designs of the others. The ATS-V also has budget analog
gauges that would be just good enough for a Chev y Spark, but here
20 17 Cadillac ATS-V A peace accord between ride and handling.
Cramped rear seat, hard to see out of, True Grit V-6. Holds its
own but lacks the refinement and space to rise to the top.
The ATS-V’s chassis tuning and steering are top-notch, even in this group. But it’s let down by a cramped interior and an uninspiring, though powerful, engine.