NHTSA Tests New Crop of Vehicles

A host of 2014 vehicles have earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's five-star rating in crash tests, perhaps most notably the redesigned-for-2014 Cadillac CTS.

Both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the CTS got an overall score of five in NHTSA's safety ratings. Both earned fives in frontal-crash tests and side-crash tests, and fours in rollover tests. Meanwhile, its compact sibling, the 2014 ATS, earned fives across the board for both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions. Both the front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the 2014 XTS also earned an overall five-star score, with fives in frontal- and side-crash ratings and fours in rollover tests.

Other 2014 models joining NHTSA's five-star club earned fives in frontal- and side-crash ratings and fours in rollover tests. They included:

Cadillac Takes Self-Driving Tech to the Streets

Cadillac has tested its semiautonomous technology, Super Cruise, on closed courses and driving simulators, and now it could be coming to an interstate near you. Not for public use, of course — the technology won't be that far along until at least later this decade — but to take testing to the next level on real-world roadways. The automaker said that by the time testing is complete, researchers will have accumulated hundreds of thousands of driving miles in varied environments, including day and night, and weather and traffic conditions.

Super Cruise is capable of semi-automated driving, including hands-off lane following, braking and speed control under certain driving conditions. It is designed to ease the driver's workload on freeways, in bumper-to-bumper traffic and on long road trips, but still requires the driver to respond to external factors when prompted. The system uses lane-centering technology that relies on forward-looking cameras to detect lane markings and other sensors to recognize curves and other road characteristics; it also incorporates a series of alerts to communicate with the driver.

2013 Cadillac ATS at Roebling Road Raceway Video

Cadillac's new compact sports sedan helps redeem the brand from such misses as the Catera and Cimarron from the 1980s and '90s, says Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder. With the 2013 ATS, Cadillac put an emphasis on handling and powertrain and it shows. Wiesenfelder put the ATS through its paces at the Roebling Road Raceway just outside Savannah, Ga. The turbocharged 2.0-liter impresses with a sub-6-second zero-to-60 time, though the manual transmission could use some refinement, Wiesenfelder says.

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2013 Cadillac ATS at Roebling Road Raceway: Photo Gallery

Cadillac's new compact sports sedan is quick and agile — a combination that puts it right at home at the Roebling Road Raceway just outside Savannah, Ga. Cadillac boasts a sub-6-second zero-to-60 time for the 2013 ATS, and Cars.com made every second count around the track. Check out the Cars.com photographer Evan Sears' pictures below.

Cadillac CUE to Get Update in March, Includes Apple Siri Integration

Cadillac's advanced multimedia system, called CUE for Cadillac User Experience, is about to get its first update since its 2011 introduction. The system, which centers around a large touch-screen with a haptic response "bump" when touched, has been both celebrated and criticized for its operation. In some vehicles it seems to work quite well, yet in others, testers have found it to be slow.

Whatever one's experience with it, it remains one of the more advanced systems on the market, and it is about to receive its first update, according to Wired magazine. But Cars.com has learned that the update is more than just a speed and performance enhancement. New functions will also be introduced to the system.

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Despite some midlist musical chairs, this week's most-read reviews played a familiar tune. The 2013 Toyota RAV4 and 2013 Ford Explorer held their ground at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The 2013 models of the Toyota Avalon, Acura RDX, Subaru XV Crosstrek and Ford Escape simply rearranged third through sixth place. Meanwhile, the 2013 Ford Fusion entered at No. 7, bumping the Nissan Altima to No. 8; the 2013 Mazda CX-5 ascended one spot to No. 9, forcing out the Honda Accord to make room for the 2013 Cadillac ATS in 10th.

Check out what was popular this week:

• 1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
• 2. 2013 Ford Explorer
• 3. 2013 Toyota Avalon
• 4. 2013 Acura RDX
• 5. 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
• 6. 2013 Ford Escape
• 7. 2013 Ford Fusion
• 8. 2013 Nissan Altima
• 9. 2013 Mazda CX-5
• 10. 2013 Cadillac ATS

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Cadillac ATS

The 2013 Cadillac ATS just captured the title of North American Car of the Year title here at the 2013 Nother American International Auto Show in Detroit. In his review of the ATS, Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder says the sports sedan is a formidable competitor against the likes of BMW and Audi. Read the review to see if Wiesenfelder's findings and all the awards are deserved.

2013 Cadillac ATS Review

Top 10 Most-Watched Videos of the Year

The end of another review- and video-packed year at Cars.com is approaching. Our most popular video of 2012 comes from sister-site PickupTrucks.com and features the Ford Raptor SVT and the Mopar Ram Runner duking it out in the desert. In the video, professional off-road racer Chad Ragland and PickupTrucks.com editor Mark Williams test the trucks' limits on the rugged terrain of Ocotillo Wells, Calif., in a first-time duel to determine which would emerge victorious once the dust settled.

Check out that video above and see what other videos were popular in 2012:

1. Raptor vs. Ram Runner: Head to Head
2. 2013 Ford Fusion
3. 2013 Honda Accord Coupe
4. 2013 SRT Viper First Live Exhaust Note
5. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
6. 2013 Nissan Altima
7. 2013 Cadillac ATS
8. 2012 PickupTrucks.com Midsize Shootout
9. 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
10. Mopar Ram Runner: Sights & Sounds

2013 Cadillac ATS Joins NHTSA's Five-Star Club

Cadillac's new luxury sedan, the ATS, is the latest vehicle to be awarded the top rating of five stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2013 Cadillac ATS earned a perfect score in NHTSA's crash tests.

The composite score for the ATS comprised across-the-board five-star ratings in the different areas of crash testing. Those test categories include: overall vehicle safety, frontal crashes, side crashes and rollover.

The long-awaited ATS gives GM's luxury brand a competitor to America's best-selling luxury car, the BMW 3 Series. Both the all- and rear-wheel-drive versions of the ATS received five stars in all crash tests.

Also joining NHTSA's five-star-rating club was the 2013 Dodge Challenger, which earned mostly five stars in the different crash-test categories; the Challenger scored a four out of five in its rollover rating.

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2013 Cadillac ATS: Car Seat Check

With its striking good looks, nimble handling and tech-centric CUE multimedia system, Cadillac's new ATS should appeal to gadget-savvy car shoppers looking for a just-right blend of luxury and performance. Will some of those shoppers be families? Sure. The ATS' backseat had enough room for two child-safety seats, but getting them in won't be easy—hidden Latch anchors complicate installation.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.