In the left corner, we have the Buick Regal — the Tri Shield brand’s copy of the Opel Insignia — Opel’s flagship (sport) sedan. The Regal rides on the short wheelbase variant of GM’s Epsilon architecture, is driven by the front wheels, and offers Interactive Drive Control in some trim levels.
In the right corner is the Cadillac ATS — a compact rear-wheel drive thoroughbred that has been engineered to run with and beat the king of the compact performance-lux segment — the BMW 3 series. Riding on its own platform dubbed Alpha, the ATS offers GM’s coveted Magnetic Ride Control (MRC), a choice of two four-cylinder engines (one of which is boosted) as well as one six-cylinder mill, while the Regal provides a range of four-cylinder-only offerings, including a 2.4L mated to GM’s mild-hybrid eAssist system as well as two different configurations of the turbo-charged 2.0 LHU — one configured for a more moderate output (Regal Turbo) and one with a high output (Regal GS).
| MEASUREMENT / VEHICLE | BUICK REGAL | CADILLAC ATS |
|---|---|---|
| PLATFORM | GM EPSILON | GM ALPHA |
| LAYOUT | FF (FRONT-ENGINE, FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE) | FR (FRONT-ENGINE, REAR-WHEEL DRIVE) |
| POWERTRAIN | 4-CYLINDER RANGE: 2.4L EASSIST MILD HYBRID, 2.0T (HIGH & LOW OUTPUT) | 2.5L 4-CYLINDER 2.0L TURBO 4-CYLINDER 3.6L 6-CYLINDER |
| SUSPENSION SPECIALTY | IDCS – INTERACTIVE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEM | MRC – MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL |
| AVAILABLE AWD? | NO | YES |
| BASE PRICE | $29,015 | $33,990 |
One is luxury midsizer with sporting intentions, while the other is a luxury compact developed from the ground up to run with the world’s best. Which form of sport luxury sedan would you pick, and why? Vote in the poll below and then tell us why you made your pick in the comments.
Comments
ATS all the way. The Regal/Insignia is nice, but it’s redundant in the Buick lineup now that the Verano is available. Buick should stick to comfortable luxury and leave the sporty angle to Cadillac. That’s not to say that they should make boats…
Love that Cad ATS, saw one in person and it has presence. RWD makes it a real performance car. Base model wheels look great too.
No such thing as a FWD “performance car”- I’ll bet that trans gives up at 60K miles. GM has never made a FWD trans that can handle any HP without self-destructing. Plus, what’s the weight distribution on that Buick- 70/30?
I don’t know if that applies anymore, Michael. While I’m still a fan of a properly-balanced RWD layout, vehicles like the Regal GS, Focus ST, and a few other powerful FWD-based vehicles are still fun to drive. Their weight distros are a mess and they’re nowhere near the same kind or amount of performance as a Camaro ZL1, but it’s performance and a sporty experience nonetheless.
On top of that, GM’s engineering of FWD vehicles has come a long way. I haven’t heard of any powertrain and specifically transmission problems with the new range/generation of Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon-based FWD vehicles. Perhaps they were problematic in the 90s with the old-school FWD applications (W body, etc.), but that’s not the case today.
I’m cynical about GM FWD trans’s having paid to replace more than one at 65K miles. It doesn’t snow in CA so there is never a reason for FWD. I’ll bet the Focus GT is fun, I think FWD works better for those lite zippy cars, but once the torque kicks in, it seems to rip them up. Love that ATS though!
Those FWD transmissions you replaced… what year/make/model were the cars?
As luck would have it, I’m currently driving the Focus ST… it’s a great car (outside a few annoying squeaks and rattles) and is very, very fun. The torque steer is real, but are we men — or ladies who can’t hang on to the wheel whenever power wants to pull it away? 🙂
We considered the ATS before we purchased the Buick Regal GS. We have owned a CTS and felt the ATS body style was too much like the CTS and was somewhat dated.
I would go with the Regal GS. FWD is better for the winter months and more practical up here in MI. I also like the design of the Regal better. The Regal GS is fun to drive, rides smooth, and quiet. I think its the perfect blend of power for the street, lets face it most people aren’t going to the track or strip with their car. On the Regal GS you can accelerate through a few gears before breaking the law. Not to mention the insanely short stopping distance. While it does not have the Magnetic Ride Control, it does offer the Intelligent Driver Control System that changes the suspension on the fly. I love the interior design in the Regal as well. I just think its a much more street able car than the ATS. The way the rush of the Turbo power hits is great, and you can buy a relatively cheap tune and flash your ECU for more a lot more power! (although I’m sure the ATS will have some out soon too for its 2.0L)
With stability and traction control the FWD winter argument is moot. I’d rather go with the car that handles best on the 95% North American driving conditions. The FWD better in snow rumors came about when the only affordable rwd cars were crappy iroc camaros and fox mustangs with 62/38 weight distribution, summer tires and open differentials. Not the case for RWDs of today.
Rear wheel drive is still slower to get going from a light, in light snow maybe its not as much of an issue, but I am a salesman and I’ve driven almost every car built in the last 5-10 years. Stability control still doesn’t change the laws of physics. Drive a RWD on the highway with a few inches of snow on it, and tell me then you are as comfortable in the RWD. If the back end starts to squirm when you change lanes you know you can the the FWD a little more gas and keep the front end forward, with the RWD, you need to hope your steering or stability control will be enough to save you. Maybe I’m just biased because the FWD ability has saved me when I was whipping sided to side and at one point completely sideways going between lanes on the I75 highway at 60mph. If I were in a RWD I couldn’t have used the front end to pull me out of it.
Joe, I wonder how ATS will do in ice and snow…especially on hills….on dry roads, I am sure it is great..
Joe, if you were in RWD with proper tires, you wouldn’t have started to squirm to begin with. A balanced chassis with equal weight on front and back won’t do anything too unpredictable if you are driving it smart… And they program stability systems on the ice and snow, so either way I trust it completely, and DO have experience with it.. It WORKS, and very well I might add. With FWD if you are sliding and you hit the gas, then your front will start sliding as well (understeer). It really is a pointless argument. No matter what you are driving in the snow, you need good tires. Another thing, even if I was driving an Audi with AWD, I wouldn’t be going 60 down the interstate in winter conditions… That’s just not smart.
With proper winter tires they make a huge difference, I just prefer the FWD for the conditions around here. As for 60 on the highway in winter conditions like that, when you are driving what would be a 3 and a half hour drive on a dry day to go skiing, you don’t want to take 6 hours and lose most of your day by going extra slow. For me the trade off just doesn’t make sense to go to a RWD with better balance to lose some confidence in the winter when its going to be my only form of transportation. I just don’t push my car that hard on the street. For me the GS is a fun car and I don’t need that little extra bit.
Common argument that RWD is just for performance… This couldn’t be further from the truth. All things being equal, in a RWD car, you get a lighter front, you have better braking, better steering geometry, and a softer front suspension (while maintaining equal or better handling and better resistance to body roll than it’s FWD counterpart) Read: Ride quality. Yea with FWD you get a bit more trunk space, and 10% more forward traction if you aren’t accelerating hard in slippery conditions, but for a 30k car, I’d take the one with the advantages I listed above… There is a reason that BMW’s and Mercedes’s mid and upper models are not FWD. Also in the dry conditions, one can’t argue against the fact that RWD has better forward traction… Up hill as well in all conditions because of the CG shifting toward the rear.. My Malibu is a great car, but when I try to accelerate even somewhat hard, even in the dry, it likes to lose traction on that inside front wheel… All of the weight is shifting away from that wheel when making an accelerating turn, and it’s a waste of tires and slows me down. That’s what I miss most about my G35… It stuck to the pavement when I accelerated hard. (6mt RWD model). Career change caused me to have to get something cheaper…
True dat!
I’m split on these two vehicles giving the ATS the slight edge….I just want to make a quick statement on the whole sport car thing when you purchase and then go on to drive your vehicle the most engaging driving you will do is on the highway or in the burbs because of the twists I’m tired of all the blogs saying this car can’t do this and zero to 60 times all you need a car for is to take you to work and your other daily routines I don’t see anyone on rush hour traffic burning rubber just a thought
Mike……yes, I don’t know of anyone who drives a car as race drivers would…although the car could be used that way once in awhile….either would be great for most anyone most of the time……
I completely agree with Mike, who is weaving in and out of traffic at 100 mph testing every dynamic of their ATS or Regal GS and BMW… It’s nice when you need it, but really another reason why I don’t get people’s infatuation with over spending on a car just for identity and status, total BS… Buy what you need to get to work and for whatever utility you need… That said Regal GS for me…
I’m happy you were open minded enough to see my point of view I mean to have the extra power is nice but its just ridiculous on how we benchmark a vehicle down to quarter miles I really like the ATS from the styling and the luxurious amenities if I had the money to blow I would purchase a ATS were in a down economy and as a smart consumer I would purchase the GS interior and exterior are pretty nice to look at and it’s a fun car to drive to Publix lol
Yabadabadoo…you just know some fool with be speeding around doing insane racecar tricks in taffic somewhere. in the ATS like that Justin Beiber? HHHHHHHHHHaaaaa. Well, hopefully no one will be hurt from it all 🙂
If cars were just for utility, and not for fun, something nice to drive, something nice to look at, something comfortable, and something to add a “fun” element to getting back and forth to work, then we should all just drive Prius’s.
If that’s the case I would take a volt…..
I own a 2012 Regal Turbo. My wife and I owned the Cadillac SRX and got rid of it (cost) for a 2012 GMC Terrain. The problem with cadillac is this: The base price is in the mid $30K range. As soon as you put options on it (that most people want), the price goes into the mid $40K range. A lot of times taking the price into the low $50K range. Meanwhile, the Regal GS fully loaded is in the mid $30K range. I wil likely replace my Regal Turbo with a Regal GS when the time comes. I can’t justify spending $15K more.
Jeff…..Cadillac is expensive for what is offered……$40k for an ATS?????? That is a lot of $ for most of us, I’d say……………… and for that I don;t know if fog lights would even be in the mix…………………..Buick is a better deal for sure.
Jeff…just thinking of ATS…maybe at end of year that $40k ATS will be $29k after the drop for first year depreciation…just a thought anyway or, maybe the new year model will finally give the base the common-sense standards?
Front Wheel Drive vs Rear Wheel Drive… hmmm
took me a millionth of a second to decide the ATS.
Tough choice, I like them both very much but I’d choose the ATS because GM has spent so much more time with the ATS and that it honestly beats the 3-series, just on GM’s first try, too.
Apparently though the Regal has some stylish wheels –
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/04/2013-subaru-xv-crosstrek-new-york-2012/
http://www.roadandtrack.com/auto-shows/geneva/2013-bugatti-veyron-16.4-grand-sport-vitesse
http://www.roadandtrack.com/auto-shows/geneva/2013-bugatti-veyron-16.4-grand-sport-vitesse
Oops, the last one was supposed to be this – http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4368892
The GS with 20” wheels comes with SUMMER ONLY tires. I have a set of BBS wheels and Blizzak tires from Tire Rack to make it a little more snow worthy.
It will be a test this winter living on Lake Ontario. If the GS has problems with the snow my wife can drive my AWD GMC Yukon Denali that is equipped with winter Blizzak tires and LSD and we will keep the GS in the garage.
By the way this GS is one fun car to drive after you learn how to drive it and give it a tune.
Lots of people start to drool over an affordable rear drive car, aping the words of performance-trained drivers from automotive magazines, that it is in some way superior to a front drive model. The fact is that the vast majority of drivers around the world will perhaps never drive a modern front or rear drive car in a way that it will truly show an advantage, one over the other. I think Audi has put to rest the notion that a front drive sedan cannot compete with a rear drive one. That said the rear drive mystique, for what it’s worth, sells cars. Period. So if putting the driven wheels behind the driver sells more cars than if those wheels were ahead, then by all means, make it so. For me, I couldn’t care less. Both the ATS and the Regal are gorgeous cars. I would be happy to own either one. The Regal has better styling to me, but the Cadillac brand is my favourite. I tell you what…whichever one comes with a diesel first is the one that I will be patronising…
Both are fantastic cars, with fantastic driving dynamics and fantastic features and amenities. So…
Tail happy RWD makes me happy. End of story for this battle.
The ATS is not tail happy… It is tuned to be balanced, graceful, and safe for the average driver. Not all RWD is created equal, as most FWD loving drones would suggest. It actually understeers a bit at the limit.
I can guarantee the rear end will easily kick out on the 2.0 and 3.6 models. Just because a car is balanced, with a sophisticated MRC suspension, doesnt mean it cant/wont go into opposite lock.
And of course it understeers, momentum of the car dictates this. FWD cars are just prone to more understeer since there is a loss of traction when the front wheels are both turning and providing power.
And if you arent talking about acceleration through a turn and just dive bombing a turn and hoping for some reason RWD will keep you in check and prevent you from plowing straight on, then RWD vs FWD has no bearing.
Changing spring rates, camber, alignment, sway bars and rigidity components, tires, etc, will completely change a car in turns.
How you approach, apex, and exit a turn can dictate how the car behaves at frictional limits. Weight transfer, lifting off the accelerator or breaking can put you in trouble too. Lift off or break in a turn transferring weight to the front and any car can oversteer.
Unless your tires are literally connected to the road you will face understeer at speed.
It’s quite easy to break frictional limits and therefore get a tail happy, RWD, car.
So Andrew, I guess 10-15% more weight on the front axle won’t have anything to do with the front wheels reaching their traction limits sooner, acceleration or not? In racing, one major advantage of RWD is that it CAN enter corners faster un-accelerated than AWD or FWD counterparts. AWD can claw out harder and sooner, but RWD can enter it faster (while braking later), because of the less weight being on the front. Just put a 45lb weight in the front of a shopping cart and tell me that doesn’t affect the way it handles when you are coasting and not accelerating. With the systems turned on, I bet my 401k that you wouldn’t be able to make the car go into opposite lock, firewalled throttle.
I was referring to a balanced car as you did. So 50:50 weight distrib, whether FWD or RWD.
You do realized traction control can be turned off.. Right? And I bet, just like in my CTS that stability control can be turned off too by holding the button. Or even just put the car into sport mode.
Also, not sure what you mean, because increasing weight over the front wheels will increase traction (clear example is adding weight to the back of the bed in a pick-up during winter). However the extra weight up front will also increase understeer do to the kinetic energy of that extra weight’s placement which will “drag” the extra weight straight (Newton’s First: inertia). Just like adding weight in the rear of a truck can increase the rotational moment when turning, which means oversteer, but not power [assisted] oversteer as I’m talking about in the ATS.
50:50 on both then yea it makes no difference obviously.. but no FWD car has 50:50 that I know of on the public streets, my argument still stands that RWD is better unaccelerated in a turn than is FWD and most AWD. And I’m talking about lateral traction, not forward traction. FWD pushes the front tires to limits of their lateral traction sooner because of the inertia you speak of. On a 50:50 the front and rear have equal forces so it’s an even division of labor which makes better use of each tires lateral traction limits. About stability/traction control; Of course I know it can be turned off, but for people worried about safety and RWD, they assume it will fly off the road backwards and spinning just because it’s RWD. I say with these systems on (as 99% never turn them off, or know they can turn off), it’s a non issue. Also if they didn’t have these systems, it STILL won’t be a problem to control. You don’t even need to be an expert driver to handle a rwd car without stability and trac (there are none today tho, 100% of them have stab / trac control) if you are smart enough to know that less gas in a turn = less likely to fishtail. It’s really a simple concept, and tires are good enough today where unless you are dead floored, you aren’t gonna fishtail, trac or not.
Fishtail no, oversteer/opposite lock yes.
And no doubt a front heavy fwd car will understeer due to inertia. Accelerate out of a turn with FWD, the weight shifts to the year, makes the front lighter and the tires lose traction and you understeer.
A FWD car should enter a turn fast and trail brake to force the weight forward. Wait until almost fully through the turn before accelerating again to reduce the chance of understeer (from the weight transfer)
RWD car has the advantage, that while yes when throttle is applied weight is shifted back and the front becomes lighter so you loose traction up front just like in FWD, you can use the power to help rotate the car through the turn.
So how about that 401k? The ATS will most definitely go into opposite lock; hang the rear end out, even with T/C on. It just needs to be encouraged properly. And I dont just mean turning with the throttle matted.
You can get the rear end to kick out on a little 4cyl Corolla too.
What are you talking about? You didn’t prove anything A, and B, you won’t get it to fishtail with trac / stability on period. At most it will jump for a second, then bang, system turns on, dulling everything into a straight line.
I don’t need a video to tell me about driving dynamics. I race road course and autoX.
And that video is exactly what I said: “And I dont just mean turning with the throttle matted.”
I’m not talking about fish tailing, at all. Fish tailing is completely different. Fish tail will develop if you over correct your oversteer swinging the rear end back out the other way.
Stabilitrak and T/C are great when you want them to do their job. But if you are purposely trying to overcome their ability it can be done.
And like I said, you can always just turn them off, car now becomes tail happy as I originally said.
GS for sure. Caddy looks nice but frankly is a little on the small side. The GS is just large enough for my liking. Asl not sure if the caddy comes with a stick or not but love that the GS comes standard with it. Lastly I know I will see a ton of ATS’s on the road soon enough just like I now see a ton of CTS”s (love the coupe by the way) and i LOVE not seeing a GS on every corner. Makes it a much more unique ride. That said I love my GS and I am sure the ATS will be a great car too.
I bought the GS. I have driven a supercharged Magnum SRT8 in the snow and it was to say the least a intense drive home. That same drive made in a FWD Escape Hybrid was far less intense. So when I went looking for a new car the GS made sense to me. The GS is my daily driver with the right balance of price, power, luxury, and performance. I don’t think you can go wrong with either car. It depends on what you want.
If it were me, I would rather have the Buick Regal GS. I am not crazy about Cadillac, and I can’t stand the look of the ATS. Now the current CTS, in my opinion, is one of the nicest looking Cadillacs ever.
Boy Jackson loves to hang from the nuts of rwd cars. Must have an old hooptie rwd and can’t afford a new buick or caddy.
I drove both cars this week. There are still some new 2013 GS on the lots. The ATS is about 400 pounds lighter and you feel it seat of the pants. It is about .500 second quicker to 0-60. The GS is German through and through. Look at the German websites for the Opel Insignia they are identical. The ATS has the same engine (Opel) and it’s simply faster. I choose the GS because I don’t need the swagger of the Cadillac and I prefer the old school buttons on the dash over the trend to have everything be like a smart phone. 2013 Buick GS for me. It’s less money too…