This is unfortunately a great review. As badly as I'd like to buy American, after having driven both an ATS 3.6 and the BMW, I ended up going with the BMW (335i M Sport, manual).
What's very hard to convey in an evaluation like this, is the feeling a car imparts when driven. As an "overall" package, the BMW is simply a better car. The reason is the fact that BMW sweats the details; I felt like I was driving a $55k car. The Cadillac just couldn't compare when it came to otherwise insignificant details like their gauges and switchgear, the former appearing as if they were borrowed from a 1999 Impala. Don't even get me started on things like steering column stalks, etc.
These are the reasons that Cadillac can't truly "catch up" in comparisons like these, they think my aforementioned details are unimportant and mean nothing to consumers.
Options don't define cars, it's the overall package that matters more than anything else. My car will never see a racetrack and will never be on a skidpad or for that matter run through a slalom. I would have still gladly paid $55k if my car could only manage 7 seconds to 60 mph, and only produced 225hp; facts such as these are incomprehensible to Cadillac.
It's amazing to me how many of these posts equate speed to "better", or the fact that you can buy a faster car for less money. There's a reason BMW sells 10's of thousands of 316's, 318's, and 320i's every year.
Although the BMW was fastest in this comparison, it's an irrelevant fact, as it was far more importantly the better car.
@fortstring: its funny, I've always been taught that red does not look good on computer monitors so avoid it, but the IL designed pulled off red perfectly.
Right there are lots of buyers like you who are going for the "je ne sais quoi" that some luxury brand brings. That said this is a motor website and many of us while we like the luxury feel also wants the reach down your pants feel when
I'm pretty surprised at Mike's comments about the ATS's chassis. I had a RWD 2.0 Premium for about a week and felt it could really dance, and I really liked the steering feel and feedback. I think GM succeeded in chassis control, suspension compliance and driver involvement.
Where I think the car falls short is the powertrain and driver interfaces. The 2.0T engine is a let-down and CUE's processing delays are annoying. It can be a frustrating system, although the voice activation is surprisingly good. But things like the gauges, seats and other interior bits don't all measure up to the class standards of a low flash, well-constructed premium interior.
///Truuust me I know what I'm talking about when i say: BMW will continue to dominate these comparo(s) until its competetors offer ---*more powerful engines(LEXUS IS: 205hp --really? and fix the rear end--looks like you guys got lazy in the L-finess language/a drooping "anything" is not sexy/sleek/sporty). Better guages(Cadillac ATS: whhhhho in the heLL green-lighted the IP???! and whats with the dated front end --the caddy needs a deeper fascia and more character a la 2014cts) don't reserve character for the ats-v you're forfeiting sells ....and now BMW 3(which i am a fan of and especially the "bangle" design era--i miss you chris) fix your front-end tooo -unless you get the m-sport trim the front-end sucks and the rear lower diffuser needs more character(toooo grey and lifeless).
I've had some seat time in the 328i and let me tell ya that turbo 4 is one hell of a little engine. The sound isn't that good but it gets the job done on both performance and efficient side, paired with the 8 speed auto it just makes you think, "why pay more for a 335i?".
These car reviews are getting ridiculous. First, Edmunds chooses the 250 version of the Lexus, even though the 350 can be had for around the same price as the BMW. You can pick up a Cadillac 2.0T base model for $35,000 and slap on some better wheels. But no, we get the $45,000 overpriced version so the BMW doesn't look so expensive. Then, I'm hearing about how numb the Cadillac steering is. Meanwhile, I just read half a dozen other reviews praising the caddy for its steering and handling. And at least that many disparaging the lack of feel and suspension slop in the F30 BMW. WTF?
Face it, these "editors" are probably single guys who relish the BMW image for its help with the ladies. I have owned 3 BMW's and they're great cars, but I despise these fixed "comparisons". A
And why the insistence on ranking them? How about just describe and rate the attributes and let us decide? Why is one car's larger trunk less important than another's stereo? Geez, this was terrible.
Let me start by confessing that from my early childhood years I have had a deep love for Cadillac that began with the Fleetwood 60 Specials and Coupe De Villes of the 1960s and extends to the lovely, new ATS.
As an enthusiast who travels and rents different cars over long distances twice a month or more, I have enjoyed testing everything from Ford C Max Hybrid to BMW X3 to soft-top Camaro SS; and well you get the idea.
I am blessed that I have a professional life that has enabled me to spend several hours behind the wheel of a wide variety of cars and live out my own auto tester fantasies.
Before I spent much time driving BMW products I agreed with our friend realitycheck3. I believed that Edmunds, as well as other motor journalists, were very much biased in favor of the BMW 3 Series.
Over time what I learned is that you simply cannot understand the true value and character of a great car from simply reading an Edmunds comparison, reviewing what car has how many horsepower, its options and how much cars cost.
To know and understand a car you have to spend a good bit of time and drive each car in such a way as to be able to objectively compare one car to another. A test drive at your local dealer simply cannot achieve this objective.
My very first drive in a BMW 328i began in Key West, overnighted in New Orleans, and ended in Dallas, TX. I found that BMW 328i had the longest legs of any sedan I had ever driven. I drove slightly more than 1,000 miles in the first leg and found that those highly regarded BMW sport seats were every bit as good as I had read that they were.
When I got out of that BMW in New Orleans at the end of that first day’s drive my 54 year old back was fine and I was not nearly as tired as I should have been. And early the next day I was looking forward to another long day’s drive to Dallas, TX. I could not wait to get going again.
A month later I drove a 328i from Plano, TX to Carmel, CA. On the way, in a safe location on a remote, controlled desert road I experienced the 328i in a sustained 145 m.p.h. cruise.
Just prior to reaching the end of that drive I hustled that bug- covered 328i down one of California’s most spectacular driving roads, Carmel Valley Road.
As I look back on the journey I now regard it as one of the most enjoyable cross country trips I have ever experienced because of the amazing depth and breadth of the BMW 328i abilities.
Yes there are cheaper, fancier, and better equipped sport sedans out there. But if you want a car that can comfortably and safely cross the United States at high speed, is eager to chase any sports cars up and down most any curvy mountain or coastal road, is a hoot to drive even in traffic, but can settle down and smoothly, quietly ferry clients back and forth to lunch, or your wife and children off to grandmother’s house for Christmas, there is nothing in the world quite like a BMW 3 Series.
In conclusion, I still love Cadillac and I think that the ATS is a huge leap forward for GM. And I sincerely hope that Cadillac continues to develop and grow the ATS until it is a true world beater.
After having driven and compared the BMW 3 Series to its competition, to include Cadillac and Mercedes, over long distances under a wide variety of conditions, I learned first-hand that the writers at Edmunds are not biased in any way. I am able to personally declare that the BMW 328i is every bit as good as Edmunds reports it too be.
You forget that anyone spending around 50k for a car wants their car to look GOOD. The 3 series does not. Its disgusting inside and out. This 3-series here looks older than the 99-2004 models esepcially from the rear, has a terriblly boring and old as phuck interior design and the outside is just bland and stodgy. The fact that it has no features makes it worse.
Also, the 3-series is the Camry of sport sedans---base 3's are everywhere!!! Here in SoCal if u drive a 3 series its like a driving a Corrolla or Camry, every clueless moron has one, they are not special in anyway, and they are hideous on top of that. The Caddy is clearly the best as many other publications have pointed out, and the Lexus is slightly less ugly than the BMW.
I'm over it all. With the 2.0 platform being so popular with tuners, its my first choice. They already have the 2.0 ATS recorded as the worlds fastest. Check it out, Anchor Text
I'm over it all. With the 2.0 platform being so popular with tuners, its my first choice. They already have the 2.0 ATS recorded as the worlds fastest. Check it out, Anchor Text
"Oh, and this. We had an E90 3 series. In just what way (besides minor gains in fuel economy) is the F30 a better car?"
Beats me; my wife bought a CPO E90 a few months ago and I much prefer it to the F30s I have driven. My son's E85 has more steering feel than an F30, and my E36 track rat(dead stock) is so much more engaging that it defies comparison. In fact, I find the new 3er to be even less entertaining to drive than my Mazdaspeed 3 work beater- if that's possible...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Automobile mag writes in most recent issue that BMW consistently UNDER reports HP of their engines. Your review seems to support this, reporting that that 328 outpowered the ATS despite supposedly being down 32 HP. Anyone on the testing team care to comment?
once again, 3 series haters keep hating. guys wake up every car publication (car and driver,Motor Trends ECT) not just Edmunds has put the 3 series on that japanese junk Lexus, and the AARP Senior Citizen cruiser Cadillac. TOO bad if you can't handle the truth. The BMW 3 series is still the Benchmark. Cadillac is second best, just go back to superbowl commercial, Cadillac even said the 3 Series is the Worlds Best.
I don`t understand why car evaluaters are always rating by these 4 tests which, for me, should not be a reason why one will choose a brand of car or another. I`m talking about 0-60 mph, quarter-mile, breaking 60-0 and slalom. I can understand why slalom and breaking are important to see how the car will handle in emergency situations but hopefully one does not drive like that at all times otherwise he better carry puke bags in the glove compartment. If you drive carefully you may never have to use those `ratings`. For the 0-60 and quarter mile, sorry i never drive like that. Why not emphasize the comfort and fun to drive which are probably what most of the people are looking for? I own a 2009 IS250 RWD, I`m ready for a change and I am looking at the ATS and the IS350 2014. I`ll choose after I do the road test on both of them and see which one is funnier to drive and the quality of the interior because for me they are the most important factors.I have pushed aside the BMW since my wife has a 2011 328xi and I find the steering too heavy and the dash too plain. She and i prefer to drive my IS. But the main reason I don`t want a BMW is the dealers in my area suck. They are too independant and will treat you like s.... because you `just`have a 3 series.
I guess everyone knows by now that the mag most associated with pumping BMW, gave the nod to the IS 350 F Sport over the 335 M Sport and the Caddy. (They fix it so the BMW 3 loses a comparison about once every five or six years, but they make it up to them the next year.)
But Lexus has only itself to blame for its poor showing in the lower-priced versions of the autos. (Doesn't it seem like only a few years ago that almost all serious BMW enthusiasts bought the high-end model with the serious power, leaving the low-end model to losers who just want to be seen driving any BMW? The price of the 335 just soared.) It's ridiculous that Lexus would leave the puny 200 hp engine in that car. What that says, I think, is that they know the IS 250 is really bought by grandparents who just want to be seen driving (the cheapest) Lexus.
Also, how could the conservative Asians have dreamed up that hideous front grille? In a couple of years Lexus will put in a new engine and "tweak" that nose and they may have a car competitive with the 328, especially if price is considered.
I drove a 528 for almost ten years. Fine automobile except absurdly underpowered. A mid-level luxury "sports" sedan with 192 hp? One of the good things about my BMW dealership (Rallye, Long Island) is that they are very free with loaner cars. (One of the bad things about my dealer was trying to charge me $400 for a replacement battery.)
I was given as loaners a 335, a 328, and even a new 535. The 335 was a fine automobile, but 95% of my driving involves commuting to work in stop and go traffic and running errands to the local pharmacy. I never got that "fun" feeling.
For my needs, buying a 335 at its inflated price over other sports sedans that cost eight to ten less and equal the BMW for the driving I do would not make any sense unless I wanted to impress people.
It is typical as far as I have ever experienced that the CADDY appears on the BOTTOM as AUTOMOTIVE JUNK FOOD! The GM engines are NOISIER than they should be, and no matter how GM pads their SPECIFICATIONS, still no match for REAL GERMAN engineering! Why was the AUDI line- up NOT included in these tests! The AUDi should out perform the BMW as well as the others. GM still cannot get BALANCE and proportion together in ONE vehicle! Their BRAKES are OVER DONE and still tend to propel you through the WINDHSIELD! They "FEEL" Off balance in other ways too! BMW leads with EUROPEAN steering and suspension angles! It GLUES you to the road the FASTER you go! the UPCOMING Mustangs will be this way as well, and the CADDY engine does NOT have OIL SPRAY JETS ( DOES IT?) yet. and GM is TOO secretive to tell you where their TRANSMISSIONS actually come from! Or their engines EITHER! You have to RESEARCH it for yourself! MANY come from AISIN of JAPAN and then made in KOREA! The 2.0 is an AWD car??? Try AUDI for this! They are the MASTERS of it, and know EXACTLY how to blend front and rear for PERFECT balance and EXCELLENT economy! BEST interiors of the whole pack as well! and PRIZE WINING Navigationi systems with it!
I always find it amazing that people get so upset that BMW always wins any sport sedan comparison test. This is what BMW does and does best. The Cadillac ATS and new Lexus IS are now just starting to get close to outdoing BMW. Both those companies are masters of building luxury, not sport luxury. They are getting closer, and the fact that they are even so close to passing the almighty 3-series show that those companies are really starting to build some amazing machines. Look at Cadillac 10 years ago. If you had told me then that they would ever build a car that could evenly go head to head with a 3 series, I would have laughed. I applaud both Lexus and Cadillac for finally getting the recipe right....or almost right. BMW is going to have to work hard if they plan to stay on top, but don't hate them, or any other auto reviews if they do.
Comments
But yeah, 40 comments after this much time is nothing to write home about. I miss the ol I.L....
You are entitled to your own opinion, but NOT to your own facts!
BMW gets better mileage, is more fuel efficient than the Caddy, contrary to your statement.
What's very hard to convey in an evaluation like this, is the feeling a car imparts when driven. As an "overall" package, the BMW is simply a better car. The reason is the fact that BMW sweats the details; I felt like I was driving a $55k car. The Cadillac just couldn't compare when it came to otherwise insignificant details like their gauges and switchgear, the former appearing as if they were borrowed from a 1999 Impala. Don't even get me started on things like steering column stalks, etc.
These are the reasons that Cadillac can't truly "catch up" in comparisons like these, they think my aforementioned details are unimportant and mean nothing to consumers.
Options don't define cars, it's the overall package that matters more than anything else. My car will never see a racetrack and will never be on a skidpad or for that matter run through a slalom. I would have still gladly paid $55k if my car could only manage 7 seconds to 60 mph, and only produced 225hp; facts such as these are incomprehensible to Cadillac.
It's amazing to me how many of these posts equate speed to "better", or the fact that you can buy a faster car for less money.
There's a reason BMW sells 10's of thousands of 316's, 318's, and 320i's every year.
Although the BMW was fastest in this comparison, it's an irrelevant fact, as it was far more importantly the better car.
Right there are lots of buyers like you who are going for the "je ne sais quoi" that some luxury brand brings. That said this is a motor website and many of us while we like the luxury feel also wants the reach down your pants feel when
Where I think the car falls short is the powertrain and driver interfaces. The 2.0T engine is a let-down and CUE's processing delays are annoying. It can be a frustrating system, although the voice activation is surprisingly good. But things like the gauges, seats and other interior bits don't all measure up to the class standards of a low flash, well-constructed premium interior.
BMW will continue to dominate these comparo(s) until its competetors offer ---*more powerful engines(LEXUS IS: 205hp --really? and fix the rear end--looks like you guys got lazy in the L-finess language/a drooping "anything" is not sexy/sleek/sporty). Better guages(Cadillac ATS: whhhhho in the heLL green-lighted the IP???! and whats with the dated front end --the caddy needs a deeper fascia and more character a la 2014cts) don't reserve character for the ats-v you're forfeiting sells ....and now BMW 3(which i am a fan of and especially the "bangle" design era--i miss you chris) fix your front-end tooo -unless you get the m-sport trim the front-end sucks and the rear lower diffuser needs more character(toooo grey and lifeless).
Face it, these "editors" are probably single guys who relish the BMW image for its help with the ladies. I have owned 3 BMW's and they're great cars, but I despise these fixed "comparisons". A
And why the insistence on ranking them? How about just describe and rate the attributes and let us decide? Why is one car's larger trunk less important than another's stereo? Geez, this was terrible.
As an enthusiast who travels and rents different cars over long distances twice a month or more, I have enjoyed testing everything from Ford C Max Hybrid to BMW X3 to soft-top Camaro SS; and well you get the idea.
I am blessed that I have a professional life that has enabled me to spend several hours behind the wheel of a wide variety of cars and live out my own auto tester fantasies.
Before I spent much time driving BMW products I agreed with our friend realitycheck3. I believed that Edmunds, as well as other motor journalists, were very much biased in favor of the BMW 3 Series.
Over time what I learned is that you simply cannot understand the true value and character of a great car from simply reading an Edmunds comparison, reviewing what car has how many horsepower, its options and how much cars cost.
To know and understand a car you have to spend a good bit of time and drive each car in such a way as to be able to objectively compare one car to another. A test drive at your local dealer simply cannot achieve this objective.
My very first drive in a BMW 328i began in Key West, overnighted in New Orleans, and ended in Dallas, TX. I found that BMW 328i had the longest legs of any sedan I had ever driven. I drove slightly more than 1,000 miles in the first leg and found that those highly regarded BMW sport seats were every bit as good as I had read that they were.
When I got out of that BMW in New Orleans at the end of that first day’s drive my 54 year old back was fine and I was not nearly as tired as I should have been. And early the next day I was looking forward to another long day’s drive to Dallas, TX. I could not wait to get going again.
A month later I drove a 328i from Plano, TX to Carmel, CA. On the way, in a safe location on a remote, controlled desert road I experienced the 328i in a sustained 145 m.p.h. cruise.
Just prior to reaching the end of that drive I hustled that bug- covered 328i down one of California’s most spectacular driving roads, Carmel Valley Road.
As I look back on the journey I now regard it as one of the most enjoyable cross country trips I have ever experienced because of the amazing depth and breadth of the BMW 328i abilities.
Yes there are cheaper, fancier, and better equipped sport sedans out there. But if you want a car that can comfortably and safely cross the United States at high speed, is eager to chase any sports cars up and down most any curvy mountain or coastal road, is a hoot to drive even in traffic, but can settle down and smoothly, quietly ferry clients back and forth to lunch, or your wife and children off to grandmother’s house for Christmas, there is nothing in the world quite like a BMW 3 Series.
In conclusion, I still love Cadillac and I think that the ATS is a huge leap forward for GM. And I sincerely hope that Cadillac continues to develop and grow the ATS until it is a true world beater.
After having driven and compared the BMW 3 Series to its competition, to include Cadillac and Mercedes, over long distances under a wide variety of conditions, I learned first-hand that the writers at Edmunds are not biased in any way. I am able to personally declare that the BMW 328i is every bit as good as Edmunds reports it too be.
Also, the 3-series is the Camry of sport sedans---base 3's are everywhere!!! Here in SoCal if u drive a 3 series its like a driving a Corrolla or Camry, every clueless moron has one, they are not special in anyway, and they are hideous on top of that. The Caddy is clearly the best as many other publications have pointed out, and the Lexus is slightly less ugly than the BMW.
Anchor Text
Anchor Text
Beats me; my wife bought a CPO E90 a few months ago and I much prefer it to the F30s I have driven. My son's E85 has more steering feel than an F30, and my E36 track rat(dead stock) is so much more engaging that it defies comparison. In fact, I find the new 3er to be even less entertaining to drive than my Mazdaspeed 3 work beater- if that's possible...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
But Lexus has only itself to blame for its poor showing in the lower-priced versions of the autos. (Doesn't it seem like only a few years ago that almost all serious BMW enthusiasts bought the high-end model with the serious power, leaving the low-end model to losers who just want to be seen driving any BMW? The price of the 335 just soared.) It's ridiculous that Lexus would leave the puny 200 hp engine in that car. What that says, I think, is that they know the IS 250 is really bought by grandparents who just want to be seen driving (the cheapest) Lexus.
Also, how could the conservative Asians have dreamed up that hideous front grille? In a couple of years Lexus will put in a new engine and "tweak" that nose and they may have a car competitive with the 328, especially if price is considered.
I was given as loaners a 335, a 328, and even a new 535. The 335 was a fine automobile, but 95% of my driving involves commuting to work in stop and go traffic and running errands to the local pharmacy. I never got that "fun" feeling.
For my needs, buying a 335 at its inflated price over other sports sedans that cost eight to ten less and equal the BMW for the driving I do would not make any sense unless I wanted to impress people.