Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2015 Infiniti Q50 VS 2015 Cadillac ATS Near Phoenix, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti Q50 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Cadillac ATS Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Q50 Premium/Sport offers an optional Around View ® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The ATS Sedan only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Q50 and the ATS Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Infiniti Q50 is safer than the Cadillac ATS Sedan:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in the IIHS moderate overlap frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, roof-crush crash tests, an “Acceptable” rating in the newer small overlap frontal crash test, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q50 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2014, a rating granted to only 49 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The ATS Sedan has not been tested, yet.

The Q50 comes with a full 4 year/60,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24 hour roadside assistance. The ATS Sedan’s 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty expires 10,000 miles sooner.

The Q50’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the ATS Sedan’s (7 vs. 6 years).

The Q50 has more powerful engines than the ATS Sedan:

As tested in Car and Driver the Infiniti Q50 V6 is faster than the Cadillac ATS Sedan:

On the EPA test cycle the Q50 Hybrid gets better fuel mileage than the ATS Sedan 2.5 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Q50 gets better fuel mileage than the ATS V6:

Regenerative brakes improve the Q50 Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The ATS Sedan doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Q50 Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The ATS Sedan doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Q50 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the ATS Sedan (17.8 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Q50’s standard fuel tank has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the ATS Sedan (20 vs. 16 gallons).

For better stopping power the Q50’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the ATS Sedan:

The Q50 stops much shorter than the ATS Sedan:

For better traction, the Q50’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ATS Sedan (F:245/40R19 & R:265/35R19 vs. F:225/40R18 & R:255/35R18).

The Q50 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Hybrid) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the ATS Sedan, it requires you to depend on its optional run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Q50’s optional drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The ATS Sedan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q50’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the ATS Sedan (112.2 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Q50 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the ATS Sedan.

The 3.7 Q50S handles at .95 G’s, while the ATS Sedan pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 3.7 Q50S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the ATS Sedan (25.8 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 26.7 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

The Q50 offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The ATS Sedan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the Q50 is rated a Mid-size car by the EPA, while the ATS Sedan is rated a Compact.

The Q50 has 11 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ATS Sedan (101.9 vs. 90.9).

The Q50 has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the ATS Sedan.

The Q50 has a much larger trunk than the ATS Sedan (13.5 vs. 10.4 cubic feet).

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Q50 offers cargo security. The ATS Sedan’s non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

The Q50’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The ATS Sedan’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left down on the Q50 the driver can raise them all using the key in the outside lock cylinder. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from outside the vehicle using the key in the outside lock cylinder or the keyless remote. The driver of the ATS Sedan can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q50 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and fuel theft. The ATS Sedan doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Q50’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The ATS Sedan’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the Q50’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the ATS Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Q50 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Intellichoice estimates that the Q50 will retain 49.48% to 53.59% of its original price after five years, while the ATS Sedan only retains 42.84% to 49.05%.

Both the Infiniti Q50 and Cadillac ATS Sedan won an award in Kiplinger’s 2014 car issue.

The Infiniti Q50 outsold the Cadillac ATS by 19% during the 2014 model year.