Kia Rondo Replacements

[Bob]

321 HP in 3400 lbs is like LS1 F-body fast.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/201 ... est-review

Ran a 14.0 @ 102 in C&D. Probably would run pretty even with the Elise from a roll. This further exemplifies how far things have come when my "slow" choice for a daily driver in 2017 is basically as fast as my performance car that I bought in 2006.

I like this comment from the article.

While the grip levels provided by the ATS are a touch lower than major competitors’, every last bit of its lateral traction is within easy reach, bolstering real-world confidence.

The ATS’s FE3 suspension (also part of the top Premium Collection package) provides tour and sport damping modes, plus a third position for slippery conditions. In every setting, body motions are tightly controlled and the ride is surprisingly firm over Michigan’s lousy pavement. The payoff is the most immediate and agile steering response we’ve experienced in any compact sports sedan. Snap the wheel a handful of degrees, and the car changes direction like a hummingbird. There’s no hesitation, and body roll is minuscule. While the electric power assist provides less feedback than we’d like (roughly the same as the 3-series), this steering is at least quick and nicely weighted. The same magnetic dampers that help optimize ride and handling also keep the car flat during hard braking. The left pedal is properly calibrated to deliver additional stopping force for each increment of pressure, and feedback is strong.

[Bob]

I think I might like driving the ATS as much as the Vsport or SS, due to the lower weight and good agility. The biggest downside is the small back seat.

[kevm14]

Ran a 14.0 @ 102 in C&D. Probably would run pretty even with the Elise from a roll. This further exemplifies how far things have come when my "slow" choice for a daily driver in 2017 is basically as fast as my performance car that I bought in 2006.

I know speed is not your #1 criteria, and it is also far from the main criteria for the mission of the Elise, but don't forget one of the high water marks for acceleration that you owned for that time period. The $30k sedans you are shopping are still not as fast as even the 2001 C5 Z06. I guess the V2 is.

[kevm14]

I guess the Premium is 3561 lbs according to C/D. Does that mean a base Performance is really under 3,500?

[Bob]

The SS and Vsport are knocking on the door of my 01 Z06. According to C&D, the 01 Z06 ran 12.7 @ 113. The SS and Vsport were identical at 12.9 @ 111 in C&D (although that seems to be on the fast end of times for those cars).

[Bob]

I guess the Premium is 3561 lbs according to C/D. Does that mean a base Performance is really under 3,500?

Possibly. Maybe with the 2.0T, the car is lighter than with the 3.6L.

[kevm14]

Would you give up 100lbs for the Premium if the price supported it?

[kevm14]

According to cars.com, this is the curb weight of a base 2013 ATS Performance: 3,358 lbs.
And the Premium RWD: 3,358 lbs.

So...that's clearly not right as 3,3xx is reserved for the RWD 2.0T. I don't think any V6 ATS is under 3,400.

[kevm14]

From Edmunds:

Make no mistake, the 2013 Cadillac ATS is a completely brand-new, from-scratch rear-wheel-drive design (all-wheel drive is optional). True, the three available direct-injected engines have been seen before in various iterations, and the fantastic CUE infotainment system debuted in the XTS . But as a whole, this is a brand-new Caddy.

And it's light. There's lots of high-strength and ultrahigh-strength steel, and the chassis is scalloped out and utilizes lightening holes to shed pounds where possible. There's also an aluminum hood, magnesium engine mount brackets and aluminum front suspension arms. End result? The base model tips the scales at 3,315 pounds, while the 3.6 V6 test car comes in at 3,461. The last BMW 328i we tested, which utilizes a 2.0-liter turbo engine, hit the scales at 3,427 pounds.

That V6 model was a fully loaded Premium. So I dunno. I like the sound of 3,4xx a lot more than 3,5xx, but it doesn't matter much.

[kevm14]

Acceleration testing on a pre-production ATS Premium 3.6 at an unfamiliar test venue resulted in 60 mph in 5.7 seconds (5.4 seconds with a 1-foot rollout as at a drag strip) and the quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds at 101.9 mph.

Very similar to C/D. I guess I feel comfortable with the 102 trap.

For Bill, 13.9 @ 102 means that if I lined up next to an ATS in my CTS-V and I was in the wrong gear (either didn't downshift enough or didn't downshift soon enough) or from a launch I left the line very softly, I might struggle to make that up, unless the race was long enough.