Overview & Reviews

Owned by General Motors, Cadillac is America's most prestigious domestic luxury automaker. For most of its existence, the company was known exclusively for its cushy, senior-friendly sedans, but in more recent years the automaker has revised and expanded its lineup in a successful effort to attract a new, younger generation. Cadillac's roster now includes SUVs (its Escalade is a favorite of both rappers and suburban moms), a crossover and even a high-performance wagon.

Born in 1902, Cadillac was founded by Henry Martyn Leland, a manufacturer of automotive components. He named the company after a noted French explorer who discovered Detroit in the early 1700s. Leland helped create one of the company's earliest offerings -- the Cadillac Osceola, noted for being the industry's first concept car and the first closed-body car made in America. Only one Osceola was made, but it helped spark a trend; closed bodies caught on and spread like wildfire through the industry.

Cadillac quickly gained a reputation for specializing in precise craftsmanship and for using standardized parts. The success of early Cadillacs like the Model A and the "30" made the brand a sales success, so much so that the automaker was purchased by General Motors in 1909. The marque became GM's luxury division, and its list of innovations grew. Cadillac was the first U.S. auto manufacturer to produce a V8, the first to use thermostatic control of a cooling system and the first to offer dash-controlled headlights. During the 1930s, the brand earned a strong reputation for producing powerful and smooth V12 and V16 engines.

Soon after World War II, Cadillac history hit a high point as its tailfinned and chrome-laden cars became the epitome of American postwar automotive style. Cadillac's tailfin took its cue from Lockheed's P38 Lightning Aircraft, and was the brainchild of designer Frank Hershey. Vehicles like the Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood El Dorado made Cadillac a staple in upscale neighborhoods and among the Hollywood set.

By the 1960s, Cadillac's flashy tailfins had given way to a new styling cue: vertical taillights. This attribute was in evidence on one of Cadillac's most successful new cars of that decade, the Fleetwood Sixty Special. The Fleetwood offered luxury features that were cutting-edge for its day, such as fold-down writing tables, footrests and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel.

The gas crunch of the 1970s, however, started a downward trend for the company. Cadillac's Titanic-sized behemoths that ruled the highways in previous decades were increasingly out of touch and out of favor. Cadillac responded to the changing times by downscaling the dimensions of many vehicles in its lineup. Despite this smart maneuvering, the automaker's fortunes suffered in the late '70s when it unveiled a diesel engine that quickly earned a reputation for spotty performance.

The 1980s saw the redesign of the Seville, a vehicle whose unique bustle-back styling sparked a trend and inspired its share of imitators. That decade also witnessed the rollout of the Cimarron, a small car that was essentially a rebadged Chevy Cavalier, the latter an economy car not exactly known for excellence. Understandably, the Cimarron never caught on with the public. Things got worse when Cadillac launched a series of underpowered, unreliable V8s during the first half of that decade that, along with the notoriously unreliable diesel, cost the automaker thousands of customers, millions of dollars and immeasurable damage to its reputation.

By the early '90s, Cadillac started a major turnaround as it brought out redesigned, stylish models with vastly improved engines. Shortly after the new millennium bowed, the company adopted its "Art & Science" design philosophy. With styling cues that included sharp, almost severe lines and stacked headlamps, Art & Science was first seen on Cadillac's 1999 Evoq concept roadster. By the mid-2000s, this bold new look had reinvigorated the company's sales, and was seen on hits such as the Escalade SUV and the CTS sport sedan.

This fresh styling, coupled with improvements in performance and overall product quality, has done a great deal to help Cadillac recover much of its previous status. Today's Cadillacs, which include coupes, sedans, crossovers and SUVs, are known for offering powerful engines, chiseled lines, sharp handling and a full accoutrement of luxury features.

User Reviews:

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  This car is junk - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By Do Not Buy Deville - April 25 - 1:37 pm

  This car has been nothing but problems. Odometer now reads 94K. Replaced AC system, radiator, thermostat, hoses, coolant reservoir. The fan for the heat and A/C has a mind of its own and usually decides not to operate. The drivers seat cushioning and leather surface has failed, needed complete seat re-conditioning. One quart of oil every 1000 miles. GM should be embarassed about the quality of fit and finsih on the car interior. The carraige roof rattles above 65 mph. The antenna motor has failed. Must carry replacement bulbs. I strongly advise anyone considering this car to proceed with caution. There is nothing about this car that would encourage me to consider purchasing a General Motors car ever again.

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  Glad its only a Loaner - 2016 Cadillac CTS
  By Robert - April 18 - 3:33 am

  I received a 2016 CTS base model with 4 cyl as a loaner while my 2013 XTS Luxury is being serviced. I love the XTS, the most comfortable car Ive ever owned, ad thought about downsizing to the CTS Luxury as i like the exterior. Appearance is great, the interior is basically the same look as my XTS however it is more cramped and the quality is a bit less, but being a downsize from the XTS i was not put off by that. The ride is horrible!! Its like driving an old pick up. You feel every pebble, the engine noise is annoying. The front seat is very comfortable though, I am 6 ft. so had the seat back almost all the way, making the backseat behind me useless. Not a big issue for me, but thought id point it out. The biggest problem with this car is the price. They want more for a CTS and my XTS which is roomy, comfortable and rides like a cloud.

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  CTS is really a Chevy - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By FloridaJohn - March 24 - 10:00 am

  This car is more than a disappointment. I have had over 40 new cars and this is one of the worst. The car cannot stay in alignment and already have had six new tires in 10K miles. The car is noisy and the whine or howl in the transmission is getting worse. The dealer says it is comes from the rear end and Cad has no fix at this time. I have a 2004 Toyota Solara and a Lexus and they both put this car to shame. GM must do better to keep my business.

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  Terrible Nightmare - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By Cadillac Catera - March 14 - 10:26 pm

  This was the worst car I have ever owned. I have had nothing but problems with it. I have had to replace every part imaginable on it. I came from a Toyota Camry and I am going to hand deliver this Catera back to the dealer. Do not buy this car, ever!

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  This Car is Junk - 2001 Cadillac Catera
  By This is No Cadillac - March 2 - 1:57 pm

  I purchased this vehicle and it has been in the shop more than on the road. Even the people at the auto parts store said, you didnt buy one of these. Its not a Cadillac, its a piece of junk. Everything is going wrong with it, and it has cost us just about as much in repairs as the car did to begin with. And today we found out that a oil sensor is bad, but they tell us that if they try and replace it at the Cadillac dealer, there is a chance that it will mess up the entire engine, and the engine will have to be replaced. And Cadillac does not cover this, even though it is a design flaw. Do not buy this car. I have had other Cadillacs, and by far this is the worst.

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  Big Piece of Junk - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By earle - February 22 - 5:48 pm

  This was the worse vehicle that we have ever purchased. During the time that we owned this SUV, it was in the shop for repairs constantly. Unfortunately, after this experience, we will never purchase another GM car. We just purchased a new Lexus RX400h and love it. There is a huge difference in quality and it is worth the difference in price.

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  Caddie Junk - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By JimB - February 8 - 11:46 am

  My Catera was in the shop numerous times. I quickly learned to hate the car. GM did nothing to help.

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  Thin Plastic Seems to be in Style - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By Kriller - January 13 - 4:48 am

  I havent sold my 04 Escalade yet and I cant wait to get rid of my 07 model so that I can sit comfortably again. How could GM switch the comfy seats for these cardboard-ones? I got tired after driving for an hour, bumping around on roads I used to think were smooth, having my thoughts drowned in the engine, road, wind, and interior-noise! The Cashmere interior is too bright and will look old in six months.. It still has no flat folding 3rd row seats. And it still has no telescoping steering wheel.. Even though the styling is generally improved (mostly in the exterior front, the back looks like any GMC-truck) the over-sleekness of the interior came with a price - loss of personality. The engine sounds impressive, but lacks the power to impress. Overall this truck has a cheep feeling.

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  Could be Better - 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Chad Mollenhauer - December 3 - 12:03 pm

  I really like my 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT until I started to have issues with it. With only 12,000 miles I had had problems with the seat controls, navigation system (x2), rear differental, and cruise issues with wiring. So it to recap it has been less than a good ownership expierence.

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  Try again Caddilac :( - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Caddilac_Man - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems with my Caddilac. I was the proud owner of a 97 DeVille and regret the trade. This CTS has been in and out of the shop numerous times already. The airbag light keeps on flashing. The plastic cupholder molding cracked. The passenger side glove compartment hinges broke. Its terrible. This is worse build quality than my winter beater car Chevy Cavalier. Thumbs down to GM. Now as far as the engine, its smooth as silk, but underpowered. Ive never driven a car this underpowered. My Cavalier feels gutsier. Caddilac, give me a V8 next time. Ill never buy another one. Im getting rid of it next month.