Cadillac ATS 2.0T vs. BMW 328i: Test Drive and Review

BMW Blog pits the BMW 328i against the Cadillac ATS 2.0T. Read this excerpt to learn why they didn’t choose BMW as the winner:

THE DRIVE

This is where it will be won or lost. Though as we discovered, it wasn’t a clear cut decision. Each of these cars do different things well. The BMW starts out from behind. Both utilize a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but the BMW only makes 240 hp and 255 lbs ft torque compared to the ATS’s 272 hp and 260 lb ft. Our 3 Series tester came equipped with xDrive, allowing it to power all four wheels at the cost of 222 lbs to the rear-drive ATS. The BMW’s only victory on the stats sheet is its 8-speed automatic transmission. The ATS makes due with only 6, but it was surprising how much impact that difference made.

The ATS’s engine should feel more powerful, but it doesn’t. With more cogs, the BMW can have shorter gear ratios. Shorter gears mean more opportunity for the engine to stay at peak output. The result is that the BMW feels more responsive in real-world driving. The ATS is bogged down by its longer gears. It has no trouble keeping up in a straight line, but the engine just feels dead compared to the BMW’s. The ATS’s saving grace is how it handles. Both cars use electrically-assisted steering, but the ATS is more precise and offers more feedback than the BMW.

The Brembo front brakes on the Cadillac are nothing short of perfect. You’d need the front brakes from the sportier BMW 335i to get this kind of stopping power, and even then you won’t get the same pedal feel. The ATS Performance Collection also has sport suspension keeping the car planted to the road, a feature that xDrive BMWs aren’t afforded. It’s easier to drive the ATS quickly because the car inspires confidence. If you need to stop, you know that you can. If you need to change direction, there’s a better understanding of how the car is reacting. These advantages can’t be underestimated. Any margin that the BMW gains from better use of its engine is lost in the next corner.

THE VERDICT

Let’s get something out of the way now. If you own a Cadillac ATS, you can’t be too disappointed. Without 40 years of experience, Cadillac has built the most competitive 3 Series fighter to date. Conversely, if you own a BMW 3 Series, chances are that nothing can be said to make you feel like you’ve bought a bad car. When we compared the 328i to the Audi A4, we reached a point where we could say the Audi trumped BMW for luxury but the BMW was a a better drive. The Cadillac ATS doesn’t challenge the BMW 3 Series on luxury or comfort, it challenges it on performance. With that, a real verdict.