Technology Of The Year - Telematics: Cadillac CUE

At first sitting, the Cadillac CUE system was shocking in the XTS. After all, this car replaced the DTS and STS sedans, whose average age buyer was north of 60 years old.

With hardly any traditional buttons, the system takes design inspiration from smartphones like the iPhone, tablets like the iPad and Internet browsers. While we were shocked initially at the contrast with Cadillac's previous vehicles and systems, we quickly warmed to it after we synched our phones to CUE, which incidentally stands for Cadillac-User-Experience.

CUE uses an 8-inch fully capacitive touch screen with an optical lens that provides what is known as "haptic" feedback. That means you feel a pulse when a specific command is selected just as if you had clicked a button or switch.

The screen is mounted on a motorized frame, allowing the faceplate to move up and reveal a handy 1.8 liter-sized storage area for a phone, wallet, or whatever. There is also a USB dock in the cubby.

As fingers approach the screen, the touchscreen senses that the driver is about to engage and the appropriate icons appear. The driver can program favorites to appear below the stereo screen, such as a command to navigate home from wherever he or she happens to be; a shortcut to the Pandora music app, etc. Up to 60 "favorites" can be stored within CUE.

The driver can control the screen like on an iPad, swiping, flicking, etc. No surprise then that Caddy gives every buyer an iPad. Nice touch.

CUE is upgradable over the life of the car, which is the way of the world now. Thank goodness. We also found the natural-language speech recognition worked very well. That's not always the case with these systems. We called out a dozen different songs on our phone and it worked 100% of the time. We synchronized phone contacts, and the hands-free dialing worked perfectly.

We believe the following: When a prospective Cadillac buyer sits down and starts going through the system, they will have to be ready to spend some time parked in their driveway learning to get used to it. That's okay. Hey, you just spent $40K plus for this car, or in the mid-$30ks if you just bought the ATS with CUE. Spend some time getting to know it stationary, rather than going 80 mph. In a few weeks, you will feel comfortable and find that you are as at one with your CUE as you are with your smartphone of choice. At least we think so.

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Cadillac ATS Wins Urban Car of the Year Award

DETROIT –The all-new Cadillac ATS today was named 2013 Urban Car of the Year by Decisive magazine. This award is part of the Urban Wheel Awards held annually each January at the North American International Auto Show.

The ATS was chosen in part for its performance when tested in urban environments for comfort, ease of maneuvering and technical sophistication. The Urban Wheel Awards judging panel spent several months determining the most stylish, practical and attainable new vehicles for 2013 before settling on winners for car, truck, and green vehicle of the year.

"The ATS is the latest and most significant step in Cadillac's long-term mission to return to being the standard of the world,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “That makes it especially rewarding to have ATS recognized by experts on the leading edge of cars and culture."

Each of the Decisive magazine Urban Vehicles of The Year will be featured in the winter issue of the magazine, which will also be online at www.decisivemagazine.com.

"The renaissance at Cadillac shows no signs of abating,” said Randi Payton, founder of the Urban Wheel Awards, now in its 17^th year. “With the good-looking and fun-to-drive ATS, Cadillac is wading into one of the most competitive automotive segments in the market with a very strong contender."

A compact sport sedan, smaller than Cadillac’s centerpiece CTS product line, the new ATS is the lightest car in its class with a unique architecture designed for nimble driving performance. The new ATS is offered in rear- and all-wheel drive versions, with a choice of powerful and efficient four and six-cylinder engines.

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Cadillac ATS is Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year

LOS ANGELES –The all-new Cadillac ATS has been named the 2013 Car of the Year by the Motor Press Guild, the largest automotive media association in North America. The ATS was chosen from a field of six finalists in part for its safety, quality, performance and technology.

“In many ways, the ATS is a breakthrough vehicle for Cadillac,” said Laura Burstein, president of the Los Angeles-based Motor Press Guild. “Our members remarked that the ATS is capable on both the street and the track, offers a well-made and attractive interior, is replete with the latest technology, and – perhaps most importantly -- is fun to drive.”

“The ATS is the result of an extensive, all new, ground-up mission to deliver a segment-winning vehicle,” says Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “It is especially rewarding when our efforts are recognized and awarded by a large and influential panel of automotive experts.”

A press conference to present the award will be held on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 during the Los Angeles Auto Show press days.

To be eligible for the Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year award, models must be all-new or substantially changed from the previous year and available at dealerships on or before Jan. 1, 2013.

A compact sport sedan, the new ATS is the lightest car in its class with a unique architecture designed for nimble driving performance. In October, its first full month on the market, ATS started on its mission of expanding Cadillac’s brand to new customers. Of buyers who traded in another vehicle for an ATS, 70 percent were new to Cadillac.

Thank you for the kind review, Leonard!

"In all the years that I have been driving a caddy this was by far the most pleasent experience I have ever had. Ken was very professonial and curtious sales person I had ever dealt with. " - Leonard B.

Cadillac ATS Wins Popular Mechanics Honor

NEW YORK –The all-new Cadillac ATS won the 2013 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award in the “Luxury” category, editors of the magazine announced today. The ATS was chosen for its performance and value within the entry-level luxury car segment.

The full package is available at PopularMechanics.com and in the December issue, which hits newsstands today.

“The ATS was developed as an all-new, ground-up approach to deliver a segment-winning vehicle,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “Because of this, it is rewarding to be recognized by one of the premier publications for science, technology, and automotive innovation.”

The yearly Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards recognizes 10 vehicles based on functionality, style, performance, technology, and driving character. Cadillac’s new sport sedan was chosen from a field of the world’s finest new luxury cars.

“The ATS is the first Cadillac to fully assault the entry-level luxury sport sedan class long dominated by German brands,” editors of the magazine wrote. “Cadillac delivers this substantial sedan for under $35,000. That’s one of the best luxury sport sedan deals of the year.”

A compact sport sedan, smaller than Cadillac’s centerpiece CTS product line, the ATS is the lightest car in its class with a unique architecture designed for nimble driving performance. The ATS is offered in rear- and all-wheel drive versions, with a choice of powerful and efficient four and six-cylinder engines.

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Thank you, Stuart!

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 "Great customer service from Kelly Krall the moment I walked in the dealership. She arranged to pick me up at the Rohrich Honda dealer where I dropped off my leased Honda Accord and had the Caddy ready for me drive way when I arrived. She went over the features in detail. Chuck Lucci treated me like one of the family" - Stuart.

2013 Cadillac XTS

General Motors presents the all new 2013 Cadillac XTS full size sedan and hopes very much that we, as in you, like it because it is a significant vehicle for the luxury brand.
And it’s a big car at over 4,000 pounds and nearly 17 feet long, more than 6 feet wide and almost 5 feet tall but it doesn’t handle like a big car at all.
Outside, there is the modernized but rather familiar Cadillac front chrome grille and narrow vertical headlights which flow neatly into the sedans handsome but more contoured sheetmetal.
The large foot print translates to a spacious and comfortable passenger compartment as well.
Our AWD Premium Edition had generous head, leg and rear dimensions and the general fit and finish of a luxurious, finely crafted automobile.
There’s plenty of technology onboard too starting with the touch screen entertainment and information system called CUE or Cadillac User Experience.
The set up incorporates audio, navigation, phone and OnStar functions with an 8-inch screen.
It’s takes a little getting used to but the functionality is broad and highly configurable without feeling overly “techy” or difficult.
High end leather and wood trim give the greenhouse a rich, European feeling and workmanship and materials including the microfiber suede headliner add to the opulence.
All XTS models are powered by GM’s 3.6 liter V6 engine tuned to produce 304 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque and paired to a six-speed automatic transmission driving either the front or in our case all four wheels.
The result is good fuel economy and a nice power supply that helps the large sedan move from zero to sixty in just under 7-seconds.
All wheel drive combined with a magnetic ride control program, a strut front suspension and air suspensions in the rear yield a very satisfying ride quality and gave us the sense that we were in more of a sport sedan than a high end country clubber.
There are a variety of state of the art safety features on the XTS including collision, lane departure, blind spot and traffic alert programs, rearview camera, a full complement of airbags and ABS with braking programs.
Pricing was not available at review time but we did find an online quote of $57,510 for a new XTS AWD Premium like the one we tested.

Another great review for Rohrich Cadillac!

"My salesman, Tony Cardone was very helpful, knowledgable and friendly. he deserves the ratins shown above. This was probably my most pleasant car buying experience and the price was fair." -  Nick C

2013 CADILLAC ATS - 3.9% APR for 60 months

2013 CADILLAC ATS
3.9% APR for 60 months for qualified buyers. Monthly payment is $18.37 for every $1000 you finance. Example down payment: 0%. Some customers will not qualify. Take delivery by 01-02-2013. Residency restrictions apply. See Dealer for details

Cadillac ATS vs The World | China | The Tunnel Story

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Listening Helps Cadillac ATS Shape Interior Acoustics

DETROIT – The all-new Cadillac ATS sport sedan employs high-tech electronics to manage interior noise, following a simple piece of parental advice – “Listen!” 

The new ATS contains three microphones inside the cabin that carefully monitor, and then adjust, interior sounds to create a proper environment for Cadillac’s sport sedan.

Active sound control technology proactively monitors the ATS’s cabin for unwanted noise and works to eliminate it. Alternately, passive sound-deadening in the form of covers, foams and other materials built into the vehicle absorb, block and eliminate vibrations, wind noise, and noise from passing cars.

Working together these technologies reduce the ATS’s overall sound levels by 3 decibels while idling, or the equivalent of making the vehicle nearly 50 percent quieter.   

“Not all noise is unwanted, especially in a vehicle like ATS,” said vehicle performance engineer James Murphy. “While wind rush penetrating a closed window is undesirable, the driver does want to hear the vehicle respond with power during spirited driving.”

On the “active” front, Cadillac sound engineers worked with audio experts from Bose to create sound management technology that offsets low frequency “boom” noises between 40Hz and 180Hz.

“Imagine the feeling that goes through your chest at a rock or hip-hop concert when the bass hits you,” said Kent Ting, noise and vibration engineer. “That is similar to the ‘boom’ noises the Bose Active Sound Management system addresses by providing a cancelling noise signal.”

Three Bose microphones constantly monitor sound quality and deliver a counterbalance of noise through the vehicle’s speakers to cancel unwanted noises. The microphones are strategically placed above the interior door frame on the front driver and passenger and rear driver’s side to listen to the same sounds the occupant would hear.

“Passive” noise cancelling materials are woven into the vehicle in unassuming places, following the attention-to-detail-approach taken by ATS engineers. Some examples include:

• Roof – between the roof’s base sheet-metal and the interior lining, the ATS is treated with sound- deadening material that lessens noises like rain hitting the vehicle.
• Windshield and front side windows – Instead of traditional tempered glass, the ATS features acoustically laminated glass, which is made up of a sheet of sound-absorbing laminate sandwiched between two layers of glass. This limits the sound of wind rush and other traffic while driving.
• Rocker sections are injected with sound-absorbing foam that reduces noises made by the tires on varied road surfaces.
• Undercarriage – An underbody aero shield and wheelhouse covers serve a dual purpose of blocking road noise while driving, and trapping powertrain noise at idle.
• Powertrain – The ATS’s engine uses laminated steel, acoustic covers, isolation, and glove-fitted foam materials that contribute to reducing noise and vibrations under the hood. All of these materials are especially helpful in minimizing noise from the high pressure Spark Ignition Direct Injection system, which typically produces a “tick-tick-tick” diesel engine type of noise when the vehicle is idle.

Monday Maintenance Tip: How to Protect Your Car’s Interior

Try to add up the hours you spend in your car. It’s a lot, isn’t it? Commutes, errand runs and road trips can have you sitting in those bucket seats for hours on end, and during that time, you and your passengers are actually living in the interior. That means smudges on the windows, scratches on the dash and food in the seat crevices accumulate and leave you wondering what happened to the spotless interior you swear it had when you first bought the car

A Quick Clean

 Luckily, it’s not that difficult to keep a car’s cabin from looking a little too, well, lived in. First things first, get something to stuff your trash into. Just use a plastic bag or a container you don’t use around the house and throw it in the backseat. You can even affix a temporary hook to the door or seat to keep things even neater. Every once and awhile, take it out and relish in the fact that you haven’t spent an hour cleaning up. Keeping trash off the floor also preserves your carpets, which can get stained from any number of items.

The idea of taking a rag to your dash and leather seats is made easier if you have them on-hand. The key here is to just use a little bit of soapy water to wipe the surfaces of your car – some cleaning products contain alcohols that prematurely dry and age the materials by reducing the flexibility in the vinyl. Store a small spray bottle of your homemade cleaning fluid and a rag under your seat or in a storage bin for access when you’re waiting for your kids to get out of school or sitting in that crazy-long drive-through line. This will also come in handy when an emergency spill happens. Lastly, keep your car smelling like roses (or at least a laundromat) by adding dryer sheets under the seats.

 

Weather Resistant 
You can’t discount the impact weather has on your vehicle either. In summer, sandy feet can quickly make a mess of an interior, and dare we mention the destruction caused by mud and snow? If you spend a lot of time ducking in and out of the elements, you might want to grab some all-weather floor mats. They’re easy to clean and do a great job of keeping the muck in one place.

The sun’s rays can also wreak havoc on your car’s surfaces, causing vinyl to crack over time and materials to fade. A simple solution is to regularly put a sunshade on the windshield. They’re inexpensive and help to keep your interior looking new.

Saving money on repair work and cleaning comes more easily when you take the time to make preventative care a priority. Not only will these tricks make your car a nicer place to be, keeping grime out of your ride will cut down on large maintenance costs in the future and will help to retain its value over time

Great work, ken!

"Ken has turned "car shopping" from a dreaded necessity, into an enjoyable experience for us. Kens relationship with us does not end with the sale. He continues to communicate and assures impeccable service any time the car needs attention." - Susan and Leo.

Cadillac Professional - 2013 XTS Livery Sedan Competitive Comparison

New Models Create Cadillac Momentum in U.S.

DETROIT – Two all-new models and momentum in key markets like the West Coast drove a 37 percent increase in U.S. sales for Cadillac’s rebuilt car lineup in October.

The new XTS luxury sedan sold more than 2,000 units for the third consecutive month while the new ATS sport sedan started to gain momentum in its first complete month on the market. 

Among initial buyers who traded in a vehicle to purchase an ATS, 70 percent are new to Cadillac. In the crucial and often trend-setting state of California, Cadillac retail sales rose 70 percent in October over the same month last year, and are up 13 percent year-to-date.

 “We are building momentum with our new sedan models and it’s being led by increased demand in the leading regional markets in the U.S.,” said Chase Hawkins, vice president of Cadillac U.S. sales.  “We’re taking a very long-term approach, but the initial feedback is very strong as ATS creates an entryway into the Cadillac brand for new luxury consumers.”

Cadillac reported October retail gains of 15 percent compared to October 2011, and 11 percent total sales increase year over year. October was the brand’s fifth consecutive month of retail sales gains.

The SRX also had its best October sales month ever, up 19 percent over September.

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