Looking Good & Driving a Cadillac

Cadillac today announced a multi-season partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in support of the first-ever New York Fashion Week: Men’s. The partnership adds to Cadillac’s continued commitment to the growth and unification of the menswear market by supporting both emerging and established designers. Cadillac will also continue as the presenting sponsor of New York Men’s Day (NYMD) for the second consecutive season.

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“The rise of menswear in the world of style provides a great opportunity to celebrate those who are true risk takers and innovators,” said Melody Lee, director of Brand Strategy & Planning, Cadillac. “As the presenting sponsor of New York Men’s Day and a supporting partner of New York Fashion Week: Men’s, Cadillac will play a significant role in unifying the world of men’s fashion and further enabling those who dare greatly.”

Cadillac began to develop its roots within the men’s fashion space as a partner for the first NYMD in 2013, providing a platform for menswear designers to showcase during the traditionally women’s wear-oriented New York Fashion Week. Since then, the brand’s involvement has evolved into a deeply valued partnership that provides a unique platform for emerging designers pushing the boundaries of style and design.

New York Fashion Week: Men’s will take place at Skylight Clarkson SQ, where Spring 2016 collections from 28 designers, including Thom Browne, Public School and John Varvatos, will debut from July 14 to 16, as well as 15 additional designers presenting off site. NYMD will be held on July 13 at Industria Superstudio with morning and afternoon sessions showcasing the collections of 12 designers, including David Hart, Cadet and Chapter.

“We are very pleased to partner with Cadillac on the inaugural New York Fashion Week: Men’s,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. “The partnership is a natural fit given Cadillac’s commitment to design.”

Red 2013 Cadillac ATS Premium for the Wife

My Wife and I ran out to Tyler, Texas to look at a 2013 Cadillac ATS Premium 2L Turbo / Red / Sunroof for sale there.  I did a quick walk-around with pics of the ATS and the RPO (Regular Production Order) codes below.

My Wife either wanted a new Prius, or was willing to consider a used Cadillac ATS, since they were in a similar price range.  If an ATS, she wanted Premium, Red, Sunroof.  This example had just over 5K miles as offered.  It originally retailed for $53K in 2013, and includes all target options and the Driver Assist package.

2013 RPO codes are all shown here.  The main ones of interest in this case are:

  • Y43, Premium Package,
  • Y66, Driver Assist
  • FE3, Sport Suspension (Magnetic suspension)
  • QFN Tires, P225/40R18 front 88W and P255/35R18 rear 90W, blackwall
  • R1ZWheels, 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) front, 18″ x 9″ (45.7 cm x 22.9 cm) rear, polished aluminum

Here is info from the brochure in driver awareness and driver assist:

The all-new ATS connects you to some of the most advanced safety innovations available on a compact luxury sport sedan. Using strategically placed cameras, short-, mid- and long-range radar technology, and numerous other sensors, the ATS is ever-vigilant. The available Driver Awareness Package includes the Safety Alert Seat that pulses, giving you instant, tactile feedback to alert you of select dangers on the road; Forward Collision Alert; Lane Departure Warning; and RainSense windshield wipers. Going a step further, the available Driver Assist Package adds Front and Rear Automatic Braking, which works in concert with other advanced safety systems to apply the brakes and help avoid certain low-speed collisions; Side Blind Zone Alert; Rear Cross-Traffic Alert; a full-color Head-Up Display that projects customizable key driving, entertainment and safety features at eye level; and Adaptive Cruise Control that maintains your selected speed and a preset distance between you and the vehicle in front. This new high-tech approach to safety is yet another example of Cadillac leading you confidently down the road ahead.

 

After a quick test drive, we worked out the pricing, connected the bluetooth to her iphone for music, set the home destination, and we were off.

More info as we go, but we are now a 2 Cadillac family.

 

Go Buy a Cadillac ATS and have FUN!

The new Cadillac ATS is not winning comparison tests for acceleration.  The 3.6L V6 with 321 hp will get the ATS from 0-60 in around 5.4 seconds, which is pretty quick.  But some competitors can do better.  The 2L Turbo, 272 hp  ATS does 0-60 in under 6 seconds — Cadillac says 5.7 seconds.  Again, competitors for the 2L are quicker.

Cadillac ATS interior

Cadillac ATS interior

No one who writes for a magazine, newspaper, or website seems to like CUE (Cadillac User Experience), except perhaps me.  Cadillac designed the interface to be just like your tablet or phone, so you can squeeze this and swipe that.  CUE is not instantly responsive in all cases though, so that makes it something to criticize.  Okay.

Yet the magazine writers keep concluding that the Cadillac ATS is more fun to drive than competitors.  Let’s think about that for a minute.

The Cadillac ATS is MORE FUN than a BMW, or a Lexus, or a Mercedes, or an Audi.  You know an even more interesting thing?  I have read more than one V-Series owner suggest an ATS with a manual transmission was as MUCH fun if not more fun than their CTS-V!

Cadillac ATS roadtrip test -- ready for anything

Cadillac ATS roadtrip test — ready for anything

Isn’t MORE FUN the most important thing you want in a luxury sports sedan?

Here’s my suggestion for Cadillac’s new Ad campaign:

Cadillac ATS — It’s Fun to Drive.  It’s Fun to Own.
Go Buy a Cadillac ATS and have FUN!