“Esquire” just named the 2013 Cadillac ATS its 2012 Car of the Year. Do you agree?
So Esquire Magazine, the grandfather of metrosexual men’s manuals, just released its annual list of the American driver’s top rides. And the 2012 Esquire Car of the Year winner is (drumroll…) the 2013 Cadillac ATS.
“It is perhaps the single most important thing Detroit has built in years, and it is one hell of a car to boot,” the magazine says.
The car definitely is a risk for the company, which has thus-far faltered a bit with its small car attempts. The 2013 ATS is Cadillac’s first true compact sedan and is designed to go head-to-head with BMW. In fact, it’s been touted as being a sport sedan similar to the BMW 328i. It’s got a lighter chassis that lends itself to better acceleration and handling; an electric assist speed-sensitive steering rack designed to save fuel by eliminating the traditional hydraulic pump; three engines to choose from including a direct-injection 3.6-liter V6; and six-speed transmissions on all ATS variants, the favorite being the Hydra-Matic 6L45 torque-converter automatic with tap-shift control.
Options include the performance-tuned Rear-Wheel Drive or the all-weather capable All-Wheel Drive; race-inspired Brembo front brakes featuring a patent-pending brake-coasting process for an incredibly consistent performance on any surface; and CUE (Cadillac User Experience), an in-dash tablet-like system featuring several industry-first technologies to combine vehicle controls, entertainment, safety, navigation and communication all into one touch-screen system. All that for a base price of $33,990.
So what do you think? Did Esquire make the right choice? Or do you have a different Car of the Year pick? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
