Vehicle Overview

Cadillac's long-awaited ATS gives GM's luxury brand a direct competitor to the BMW 3 Series, which is still the best-selling luxury car in America. It's something Cadillac has lacked ever since the brand enlarged the CTS for 2008. Cadillac says the ATS weighs less than 3,400 pounds — less than the minimum weight of the 2012 Acura TSX (3,400 pounds), BMW 328i (3,406) and Audi A4 (3,505). That's an impressive statistic from GM, a company whose cars often show up heavier than the competition.

The rear-drive ATS will have three engines — two four-cylinders and a V-6 — with manual or automatic transmissions. All-wheel drive is optional. The ATS comes in base, Luxury, Performance and Premium trims.

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    Starting Procedure
    1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to START. If the vehicle has the keyless access system, push the ignition control knob in and rotate the knob to the START ...

    Manual Mode
    Driver Shift Control (DSC) or Tap Shift Notice: Driving with the engine at a high rpm without upshifting while using Driver Shift Control (DSC), could damage the vehicle. Always upshift when ...

    Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check
    WARNING When you are doing this check, the vehicle could begin to move. You or others could be injured and property could be damaged. Make sure there is room in front of the vehicle in case ...