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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  Looking good at a price. - 2009 Cadillac SRX
  By J fiordimondo - May 17 - 6:16 am

  Great car expensive to run. More to fix. Overall you get what you pay for I guess.

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  BAd audio - 2012 Cadillac CTS
  By mel - May 9 - 7:29 pm

  The audio system is terrible. I swapped it out and now they say they cant reset the security alarm for it because it is not factory. What a crock [non-permissible content removed]. Im moving to a foreign made vehicle.

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  Great buy, a few minor issues - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By cpatterson - May 8 - 1:16 pm

  I bought my 08 CTS in August of 2008 as a demo car, so it already had about 5k miles on it. Have had no major problems or defects. The DI engine is awesome, especially when you use premium gas. There are a few rattles that come from the dash and the drivers seat does do some squeaking, especially when the leather is cold. My only complaint has been the brakes, which started squeaking about a month after I bought it. Dealer tells me its because of the parts used and GM should have a replacement out by January 09 - but its May and still no way to stop the squeaking. Brakes work fine though. Overall, very happy with my purchase - its a beautiful car, fun to drive, and a really good price.

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  US and quality, just does not exist - 2001 Cadillac Catera
  By SrMast - May 8 - 10:01 am

  I bought this car because it was built in Germany. Shortly after I found out that many components have been altered to fit GMs US-requirements, which do not include quality. I have the same issues as many posted here, electrical issues (US version has an extensive OBD-II emission system which is not even cleaner than Europes)and mechanical issues (rough running engine, stalling).

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  Im IMPRESSED - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Cadillac - May 7 - 4:51 pm

  I like this car. Great in the snow with Eagle GT RESPONSEDGE tires. Very confortable and fun to drive long distances..Im sold on the GMC warranty. Class and Style. Im very happy. Love the sunroof. I will upgrade to a 2007 for the dash improvement. GPS requires some getting used to.

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  Best car I ever owned - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Vetteman1971 - May 6 - 2:47 pm

  I bought my Caddy with 22000 miles on it. I live in the Chicagoland area and it is great in the snow. I have about 30000 miles on it now and Ive had to replace the brakes and thats it. The dealership is the best Ive ever been to as well. I will never own anything but a Cadillac for a daily driver ever again. The one small issue I have is the leather seats could be of a better quality leather but I think they addressed this already. GREAT CAR!!!!

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  Great Car - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Rich - May 6 - 1:08 pm

  I bought this car just over a year ago. Love the 40 gig hard drive, and nav system with the traffic reports. The car is very comfortable to drive, and handling and acceleration are better than average. The CTS is a sharp looking car inside and out, and the build quality is better than my last two cars, a Mercedes and a Jag. One of the best cars Ive owned.

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  Still love mine - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By David Hord - May 5 - 1:18 pm

  I bought my Caddie in 2001 with 34000 miles on it. I know have 16000 and hope to make it to 250000. I still love this car. My occasional repairs have been expensive, but worth the investment. I hope to luck into another one in a few years.

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  Absolutely the Worst Car Ever - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By olive - May 4 - 10:25 pm

  i bought this car in May of 2008 with 114,000 miles. First day i got the car, drove to someones house, go to leave, car wouldnt start. Needed new starter, $334.Within a 11 months... rear main seal, $700. New battery, $100, new alternator $400. Cylinder missfire, $910. Speedometer and odometer went out. Power steering went out. Everytime i braked, steering wheel would jerk and pull car all over the road. Sometimes couldnt pull key out of ignition, have to keep shifting till it came out. Slow coolant leak. finally car would start again, engine problems. just parts estimated $1500. im junking the car. The list goes on. Do you need any more of a reason to NOT buy this car?

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  I love this car - 2016 Cadillac XTS
  By DAN NEINAS - May 4 - 3:58 am

  A steep learning curve is needed to understand all the functions and capability this car offers. Once mastered it is a beautiful car that has a lot to please.