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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  Lux SUV - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By jack cosgrove - May 11 - 11:51 am

  The vehicle is nothing less than spectacular. I bought it for my wife who is totally enamored with the looks, ride and performance. I opted for the 20" wheels, which saved acouple of bucks, and were a little unique, a good mix for ride quality.

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  Had to get my SRX back! - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By Back to SRX! - May 2 - 9:29 pm

  Had an 05 SRX and thought I needed a bigger rig to hall the kids so I got the Yukon XL Denali and then I knew I missed the fun, exillerating drive of the SRX. So Im back. Got the fully loaded V8, all the toys! Rides like a dream, corners like a sports car, hauls the kids with fun. Open sky with both roofs, and AWD for the NH snow! Black on Black...head turning! I think Cadillac missed the call to market this exciting crossover. Fun to drive, quality build, upscale materials, power to spare! Youll love driving the V8. Now go out and get your Caddy SRX and take to the highway. Its a fun sporty crossover.

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  Awesome Car - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By Doc Doo-Wop - April 30 - 3:15 pm

  This car combines the best of the European driving characteristics with the best of American luxury features to give the driver, and the passenger, a fine balance of automotive performance. Cadillac has developed a vehicle that will serve the needs of both young and senior drivers.

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  STS Purchase - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By JT - April 29 - 7:01 pm

  I traded in my CTS from an 2006 STS last year and have been very pleased with the purchase to date. Ive had no issues with this vehicle. It has been extremely reliable. I compared with a BMW 5-series before purchasing my STS, and in my opinion the Cadillac offers much more value for the money. The touchscreen interface is very intuitive and easy to use, and in my opinion far superior to the German systems.

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  Love My CTS - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By PaulCTS - April 29 - 11:03 am

  Just bought my 2005 Cadillac CTS, moonstone/ebony, with every option except navigation. I am very happy with my purchase. I also drove the Mercedes-Benz C320 (too small), the Infiniti G35 (too cheap an interior), the BMW 330i (again too small) and found the CTS to have the most power, the most room, and the most unique look. And since not everyone has one, there is some exclusivity to having one. I traded my 2003 Deville DHS, gave up some room, but gained a lot more sport.

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  My new CTS - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By John - April 27 - 10:44 pm

  Just got the CTS last week. Got a 2fer. Luxury sedan and sports car. Great power and cornering ability in a trim body with very comfortable seats and a good ride. Cant wait to take it on a road trip this weekend.

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  CTS REVIEW - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By ROBERT GLASSON - April 27 - 10:00 am

  LOVE THIS CAR. GREAT HANDLING WITH 17" TIRES AND WHEELS, PERFORMANCE SPORT PACKAGE. BEST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. PEOPLE STILL TURN THERE HEADS SINCE THIS CAR STYLING SEEMS UNIQUE IN THE MARKET PLACE.

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  The best of all worlds - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By Charles from Canada - April 27 - 8:30 am

  I replaced my BMW 325xi with the SRX V8 fairly fully loaded. I wanted something fun, sporty to drive yet that would have the space for both passengers and stuff for the growing family plus that I could use for visiting business customers. The SRX which we recently got has really blown us away on all fronts. Outstanding interior, comfort and the driving experience for a car of this size is just a hair less dynamic than the BMW - quite amazing really. Fuel economy is so-so, but I expected that. At least it takes regular fuel so there is savings versus premium on most comparable vehicles. This vehicle has the best of all worlds - comfort, performance, fun, luxury and utility!

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  Shes a keeper - 1998 Cadillac DeVille
  By Arlene - April 27 - 4:10 am

  That this vehicle Runs fantastic, very comfy. and good as gas milage goes, Ive always drove Lincoln, & Cadillacs, and prefer the Cadillac,, with the fancy grill and her Landau top she is a looker, quiet running heated seats all the goodies, Shes a keeper

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  Great car - 1997 Cadillac Seville
  By bfdf101 - April 26 - 3:33 pm

  I have been very happy with my Cadillac. It has 120,000 miles on it now and I had to replace the a/c pump. Car runs good on open road. Love the sound system. Handles very good. 24.7 on the road at todays highway speeds.