LOS ANGELES -

Total Car Score released its newest automotive ranking this week, ranking the class of 2013 entry-level luxury sedans. It awarded the top spot to the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

To earn the hands-on ranking, Cadillac’s model excelled over the BMW 3-Series and the Infiniti G in the review, said Total Car Score editor-in-chief Karl Brauer.

“After getting hands-on driving experience during the 2013 Cadillac ATS road test, and then driving it back-to-back against the BMW 335i and Infiniti G37 Sport, we find it to be the most compelling compact luxury sedan on the market right now, and one of the automotive stories to watch in the new class of vehicles coming to market,” said Brauer. “The ATS has an overall edge versus the BMW 3-Series, and there is yet more distance between itself and other cars in the entry luxury segment.”

Entry luxury sedans represent the first tier of automotive luxury, Total Car Score noted, and provide many of the same high-end features and ownership experiences found in larger, more expensive luxury models.

The BMW 3-series, refreshed last year, did enjoy a razor-thin edge over its competitors in driving dynamics in the Total Car Score testing, the company said, including a capable suspension and highly-intuitive steering feedback.

“However, the fact that the ATS has essentially matched the 3 Series dynamically, and is more compelling in terms of interior design, overall layout and technological interface, makes it feel like a more advanced car,” said Brauer. “The ATS’s 3.6-liter V-6 is attached to a brilliant transmission. It is exceptionally capable in its ability to downshift and upshift at precisely the right moment, even without driver input.”

As for the Infiniti G, Brauer noted compelling performance, but said the car is dated with regard to interior design, styling and drivetrain refinement.

The complete Total Car Score review is available at www.totalcarscore.com.

The Cadillac ATS will be unveiled to a global audience during the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics on Friday, the company noted, and will go on sale in the U.S. in August.