Photo: Autos.ca
The Canadian journalists had the chance to drive these 2 sport sedans for a couple of weeks in the harsh Canadian winter. They tested everything, from engines and power delivery to WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) which seems to be a pretty important factor these days.
The BMW 3 Series have long been top of their class. Nobody disputed that. Whatever other car manufacturers tried to throw at the 3er, nothing managed to take away its crown. Worthy opponents like the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class are notable but even they fell short of the mighty Bimmer.
This year, an American opponent showed up. Cadillac ATS is the American's answer to the 3er and it seems to be making waves at the moment. Some journalists even said they like it better than the 3 Series but they are too few in numbers to be taken seriously.
Both cars are fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine. The BMW delivers 245 HP and and 350Nm of torque whilst the Caddy holds its own with a little more power, rating the engine at 272 HP and 352 Nm of torque. The cars are pretty evenly matched in this regard and they both have 4WD systems and automatic gearboxes. The Caddy has only a 6-speed gearbox whilst the Bimmer has the famous 8-speed automatic.
Going for a ride you'll find the Cadillac to have a harder suspension, not as comfortable as BMW's but that's needed in order to make the ATS sporty and agile as the American company pretends it to be.
The BMW is still the same sporty sedan you're all used to. The new styling make it even better looking and the feel hasn't been changed that much. The fact that many customers complained that, for a sedan, the suspension was a bit stiff, made the German engineers develop a better, more comfortable one, without taking the sporty feel out of the car.
Bottom line, even though the WAF decided that the BMW had a weird engine noise and the iDrive was too complicated, the end result kept the crown on top the Bimmer's roof.
Cadillac did a pretty good job, for a first stab at a sporty sedan but you just cannot take away the 3er's legacy just like that. The 3 Series BMW remains top of its class for now and for many years to come, as well, we're sure.
Source: Autos.ca
This year, an American opponent showed up. Cadillac ATS is the American's answer to the 3er and it seems to be making waves at the moment. Some journalists even said they like it better than the 3 Series but they are too few in numbers to be taken seriously.
Both cars are fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine. The BMW delivers 245 HP and and 350Nm of torque whilst the Caddy holds its own with a little more power, rating the engine at 272 HP and 352 Nm of torque. The cars are pretty evenly matched in this regard and they both have 4WD systems and automatic gearboxes. The Caddy has only a 6-speed gearbox whilst the Bimmer has the famous 8-speed automatic.
Going for a ride you'll find the Cadillac to have a harder suspension, not as comfortable as BMW's but that's needed in order to make the ATS sporty and agile as the American company pretends it to be.
The BMW is still the same sporty sedan you're all used to. The new styling make it even better looking and the feel hasn't been changed that much. The fact that many customers complained that, for a sedan, the suspension was a bit stiff, made the German engineers develop a better, more comfortable one, without taking the sporty feel out of the car.
Bottom line, even though the WAF decided that the BMW had a weird engine noise and the iDrive was too complicated, the end result kept the crown on top the Bimmer's roof.
Cadillac did a pretty good job, for a first stab at a sporty sedan but you just cannot take away the 3er's legacy just like that. The 3 Series BMW remains top of its class for now and for many years to come, as well, we're sure.
Source: Autos.ca
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