Are you happy with the ATS-V?

I was about to pull the trigger on an M3, but the allocation game got tiring. Then I remember the V2 CTS-V, but when looking for that the ATS came up. It was not even in my radar, so like they say the rest is history and I have had a black raven for about 3 weeks. Yes I am happy with it, sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing but the more I drive the car the more I like it. Comparing it to the M:
Positives:

1. Lower profile, I love the sleeper personality and got away from the BMW fan boy, snobbish aura. I think the car lines are crisp and classy.
2. Hell of an engine and overall package. Tuners will do wonders on this platform.
3. Rides better than the M (w/o the adaptive suspension). The M is a lot more nervous and has a stiffer ride. The magnetic suspension is wonderful.
4. Less $$, although at the end not such a big decisive factor.
5. I like the fact that is made here, and BMW's are not well known for being reliable.

Negatives:

1. Bimmers have a much nicer interior for the same $.
2. The car could be a couple of inches bigger
3. Time will tell how well put together this thing is, for now I am happy I rolled the dice. Once I put a tune on it I know I will be a lot happier

I'm on my 2nd car. The first was returned under the GM "buyback" program for the rattling/chattering wastegates. The new one has the same problem.

That aside, my biggest gripes are with the CUE system and cheap looking, fingerprint prone black plastic in the console. I also get slightly annoyed at the paddle shift delay, and see the paddles as more of a gimmick than a useful tool as a result. The replacement for the SRX (forget the new name) has replaced the plastic with leather, and it looks fantastic. I would hope to see that in more vehicles, including the ATS.

I also find the gauge cluster to be subpar, especially compared to what you get in the CTS-V.

So, except for the rattling wastegates, I pretty much agree with every journalist who has reviewed the car.

I do love the chassis, brakes, engine performance, gas mileage, and exterior look of the car. I'm also glad I leased, because I would expect the new 10spd dual-clutch transmission to make it's way into the vehicle by 2018, along with a CUE redesign and (hopefully) a gauge cluster similar to the CTS-V.

As for the noisy wastegates... I fully expected issues with a first generation car. I also fully expect GM to play the "that's normal behavior" game until enough owners complain. But it does diminish the experience. Quite simply, it sounds like sh*t. It's annoying and I can't see any engineer finding that acceptable in a car with this price tag.

So, I give it a 7 out of 10. It will go to a 9 if and when GM acknowledges it is a problem and issues the recall to fix it.

SEATSV said:

I'm on my 2nd car. The first was returned under the GM "buyback" program for the rattling/chattering wastegates. The new one has the same problem.

That aside, my biggest gripes are with the CUE system and cheap looking, fingerprint prone black plastic in the console. I also get slightly annoyed at the paddle shift delay, and see the paddles as more of a gimmick than a useful tool as a result. The replacement for the SRX (forget the new name) has replaced the plastic with leather, and it looks fantastic. I would hope to see that in more vehicles, including the ATS.

I also find the gauge cluster to be subpar, especially compared to what you get in the CTS-V.

So, except for the rattling wastegates, I pretty much agree with every journalist who has reviewed the car.

I do love the chassis, brakes, engine performance, gas mileage, and exterior look of the car. I'm also glad I leased, because I would expect the new 10spd dual-clutch transmission to make it's way into the vehicle by 2018, along with a CUE redesign and (hopefully) a gauge cluster similar to the CTS-V.

As for the noisy wastegates... I fully expected issues with a first generation car. I also fully expect GM to play the "that's normal behavior" game until enough owners complain. But it does diminish the experience. Quite simply, it sounds like sh*t. It's annoying and I can't see any engineer finding that acceptable in a car with this price tag.

So, I give it a 7 out of 10. It will go to a 9 if and when GM acknowledges it is a problem and issues the recall to fix it.

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How soon did the rattling start? I have less than 300 miles on mine and haven't noticed any rattling but I'm getting out of a Camaro 1LE as my daily where I kept the dual mode open all the time so maybe I just don't notice much? I hate the look of CUE and the black plastic, I did a drive event in SoCal a few weeks ago which made me move forward with getting my coupe and I concur that the inside of all the other cars in the brand look much upscale, not sure if the issue is that the base ATS price point is so much lower than the V's that they don't want to upgrade them all but they can just slap some actual carbon or even aluminum trim instead of the same black plastics I have in my CTSV2. I think CUE looks better than some of the systems in other GM products but the packaging of the surrounds need to feel more expensive to match the price point and competition.

cmhurd said:

How soon did the rattling start? I have less than 300 miles on mine and haven't noticed any rattling but I'm getting out of a Camaro 1LE as my daily where I kept the dual mode open all the time so maybe I just don't notice much? I hate the look of CUE and the black plastic, I did a drive event in SoCal a few weeks ago which made me move forward with getting my coupe and I concur that the inside of all the other cars in the brand look much upscale, not sure if the issue is that the base ATS price point is so much lower than the V's that they don't want to upgrade them all but they can just slap some actual carbon or even aluminum trim instead of the same black plastics I have in my CTSV2. I think CUE looks better than some of the systems in other GM products but the packaging of the surrounds need to feel more expensive to match the price point and competition.

Click to expand...

you can't miss this sound, it gets more pronounced in sport/track mode. it's a shitty sound man, you'll notice it when it comes on, if it comes on. at 300 miles mine was much more faint than it is now.

i agree that carbon fiber would be a nice replacement for that plastic. and we should get a cool gauge cluster. i mean come on, make the car properly compete in the segment. the quality is without question short of what you get with bmw/mercedes, so you need to make it as cool/high tech as possible. the digital part of the gauge cluster is fine, informative and easy to use, but the tach, speedo, etc are almost in "are you f*cking kidding me" territory. there's nothing cool about gauges that look like they came out of a malibu. the car is at the forefront of technology everywhere else, so why skimp here? give us what you get in the CTS-V.

CUE is getting redesigned. i hope they get it right. every single reviewer of the ATS-V mentioned what a weak point it is. and this is the upgraded version! i had an ATS Premium before this... that version was maddening. i had gotten used to it, and think the upgraded version in the V is a huge improvement. but the design just needs to go. it's too fingerprint prone... just like that fugly plastic. people want dials, not an ipad.

its not enough to just be the best at the track.

i think the separation thing from the V3 CTS-Vs is on the money. i just don't see why there wouldn't still be separation even with the changes we are talking about. and the gauge cluster difference is too much separation if you ask me.

if they did these things, they could justify the price point and wouldn't have to discount them so much to get them off the lot.

but hey, it's the first year. i think they'll listen to the auto journalists. and that 10spd dual clutch is insane. i'm sure it will replace the A8 in a few years. the A8 is great until you use the paddles.

I love my 2016 ATS-V Coupe. I've put 20K miles on it.

I looked at the C63AMG and the M3/M4 before I made my decision. Sure, they're all great cars but the German cars don't "pop". There are SO many of their lesser models on the road that their upper level models don't turn heads.

My ATS-V coupe still gets thumbs up and others swiveling their heads to figure out what that bad ass car is.

On the road, there are few cars that can compare/contend. It's a win/win in my mind. Then again, I'm biased as an owner.

Hell, I was at Advance Auto today replacing a battery for my Acura TL-S and I had people in the parking lot as well as the AA staff coming out to check out my V.

Yes, I'm happy with my choice.

My biggest gripe was the sound system. I added a powered sub and it's all good now.

There is no car comparable for the $$$.