[BlackGTP]

This weekend the sidewall of the front passenger side tire blew out, my first "experience" with the run flat. I was driving on smooth pavement and all of a sudden the car starts shaking, so I pull over and see a huge bulge on the side of the tire, though I still had full air pressure. I continued driving, knowing I had the run flats, after 5 minutes or so the buldge blew and I lost all air pressure, but had no change in the drivability. Pretty neat how the tire works, I assume I may have had control issues if it were a normal tire as I was on the highway when it blew.

Either way, I have the extended tire and wheel warranty through my dealer, they will replace my tire at no cost! They gave me a loner, a comparably equiped 2015 ATS with the luxury package like mine. The biggest difference is I have the 18 inch rims while the loaner has the 17's.

What a big difference the increase in torque and recalibrated steering make! I wasn't expecting to be able to feel such a difference in the power, but it is noticable, especially at partial throttle, it really accelerates with authority (and it's not like my 2013 is a slouch). It feels much more immediate than mine, where I feel like mine sometimes needs a good downshift to get going, this just goes.

The steering is also noticable - it is much firmer. I could see older folks not liking it as much as it required more effort, but I really like it!

I also mentioned it the other week when I had an ATS loaner to repaint my front quarter panel - what a difference in ride quality between the 17 and 18 inch rims. Were I to buy a new ATS I'd probably go with the 17's - they are a lot more comfortable on the cratered highways I drive on.

Any questions? I wont have the car long - got it this morning and will pick my car up at the end of the day.

 

[BlackGTP]

When are you going to trade for a Coupe? ��

I was looking at one last week. Very tempting!!!!!! Last November I went for an oil change for my Malibu and walked out with an ATS, anything is possible!!!

 

[BlackGTP]

How much effort does it take with the firmer steering?

It's a hard thing to describe, but in normal driving it is firm. Not like you need to lift weights to steer, but you aren't going to be driving with your pinky either. It kind of reminds me of my old Grand Prix GTP's (1994 and 2002) that both had "heavier" steering, though the ATS has a lot more feedback and immediacy. It's heavy enough that I don't think a 70 year old woman would be happy with it.

 

[BlackGTP]

My friend, nothing could be firmer then my 1957 Ford, with NO POWER STEERING.

In fact, all the cars I used when I learned to drive, had manual steering. Of course I had the same result when my wife didn't pay attention to the check power steering fluid on our CTS. Don't Ask what that repair cost.

Ha! Very true, nothing firmer than no power steering! I must make a correction, when I turn my ATS off while in sport mode, when I turn it back on it defaults back to the tour setting. The 2015 apparently doesn't do that and it was in sport mode, which is considerable firmer at low speeds than my 2013. But the tour mode is a lot easier to use, similar to mine.

 

[BlackGTP]

What other differences have you noticed?

Otherwise most of the car was the same. CUE seemed a little different - startup graphics, but overall materially the same. I didn't get the sunroof on mine, the loaner had one. GM did a nice job on the sunroof with aerodynamics - pretty quiet when open on the highway, something I couldn't say for my Malibu. If I wouldn't take a bath on depreciation I'd trade my '13 in for a '15.

One comment to GM is that they need to do something about the Bluetooth microphone over the drivers head, it has a slight rattle in my car, this 2015 loaner and the 2014 loaner I had a few weeks ago.