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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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood
  By David W Boscola - March 17 - 4:41 pm

  Besides being a very elegant looking car, the performance of the Fleetwood with the LT1 engine is amazing. At 70 MPH she still has a passing gear. Its fuel economy is over 20 MPG. Its ashame Cadillac discontinued this model. Once they did that they lost me as a customer. Its new models are ugly in comparison. I currently have 67 and a 70 Fleetwood.

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  From BMW to Cadillac - 2007 Cadillac STS
  By beamerman - March 16 - 4:13 pm

  I am 60 years old and a car nut. I have owned 5 BMW cars and a friend said to drive the STS. I have not owned or leased an American car for 40 years. I drove this car and fell in love with it. I received an abundance of rebates and leased this car for 36 months with only paying taxes for 420.00/month. GM sent me a 2000.00 off certificate as well. The car handles smoothly, I can feel the road. The V6 is plenty powerful and I didnt lease based on the $46,000 MSRP. The car is tight, beautifully equipped and rides like a dream. I have OnStar, my own voice activated phone etc. If GM could get people to drive this car they would buy it. Kudos to General Motors for getting their act together.

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  Still Strong After 11 Years - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By Ken - March 11 - 11:17 am

  I cannot believe how strong of a runner this car is. I purchased it from the original owner. Every option still works! It has a lot of power for the ride. I am very pleased with my purchase.

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  Sport Mode - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Steven Russo - March 11 - 8:26 am

  For the dollar, I feel that the Cadillac CTS is untouchable. After reading the other reviews, I noticed that no one has mentioned the ability of this car set in Sport Mode! Next to the gear shift display it has are two buttons. One is for driving in the snow and the other to place the car in the sport mode. The sport mode changes the configuration of the transmission. Test drive the car and push the button to sport mode. You will leave all competitors behind. The salesman at the dealership thought it changed the suspension, but this is not true. Its absolutely incredible how this automobile performs in this mode. It is not recommended for normal driving, for your gas milage will decrease dramatically. Test drive it!

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  1991 Touring Coupe - 1991 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Gar - March 10 - 9:28 am

  I bought this car from a private owner (2nd) he used it it travel from SC to IL once or twice a year. I used it the same way, from SC to NY a few times a year. It gets 27 mpg for me. It has lots of power, is fun to drive, and handles great.

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  Satisfied Customer - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By J Scott - March 9 - 12:13 pm

  Ive only had my STS for two months. I read the reviews here before buying it and I am very pleased with my decision to buy the 2006 STS. It is more of a sports car than I expected. The V6 engine has plenty of power for the car. I got it loaded and I am enjoying it very much. I think any complaints you may read here are overblown. You will be glad you bought this car. I just cant comment about the long term reliability because I have only owned it for two months. Its fuel economy has been 23 mpg highway / 14 mpg city.

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  First Cadillac a Homerun - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By John - March 7 - 9:13 pm

  This is my first ever Cadillac and have been driving for 40 years. It amazes me there are not more DTSs sold. The ride, comfort, and feeling of security makes me wish I had purchased a Cadillac before this.

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  Its a Wow! - 2007 Cadillac XLR
  By Bonnie Hudson - March 7 - 1:53 pm

  What a fabulous looking car! I had five Jags before this one and they cant compare to the new XLR. It has a beautifully appointed interior with burled Ash wood trim, leather that is color co-ordinated with exterior and interior and a suede headliner. It runs like a dream and does everything for you, especially the adaptive cruise control which means you can literally take your foot off the pedals. I LOVE the way the hard-top folds (like a piece of origami) into the trunk. I also love the color (a subtle purple), the automatic locking doors on both sides, and the heads-up driving feature is just fabulous! Its made so beautifully. This car simply has it all!

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  Cadillac STD Sedan - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By Eugene DuValeus - March 6 - 7:44 am

  Ive only had this car for two weeks, but I think its going to prove to be the finest auto weve ever owned. It takes you down the road effortlessly and rides like youre floating on air. It has a beautiful design and its black color shines like a diamond! I traded in a low miles 03 Grand Marquis for this 04 DeVille with 21,000 miles on it. I got it for HALF of what a new DeVille would have cost me. I am thrilled with the swap, so far. The power in the Northstar engine is impressive, too. I think this is going to be a great car for us for years to come. Oh, and this is a certified Cadillac and it is fully covered end to end until July, 2010. Beautiful!

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  Best Car! - 1996 Cadillac Eldorado
  By manhattanpaul - March 6 - 7:00 am

  I bought my car off of eBay for a great price. I slapped some 19 inch staggered rims on it and that was all I needed to do to it. I have owned 3 Mercedes, 2 Fords, and currently I also own a 2003 GMC Denali. I prefer driving my used Cadillac any day over my $50,000 truck. This car screams elegance. Its shape is timeless. Maybe just the headlights could use some updating.