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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  Wow - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By teresa - March 6 - 2:20 am

  Great car all around. Ive been looking for 4months, BMW, MB, Lexus and this one beats them hands down! Performance, quality, and value. This is my first Caddy and Im proud

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  Loving It - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Little Caddy - March 5 - 9:19 pm

  I absolutely love everything about this car. It is very durable, dependable and has power to it. The only negative factor is the rear seats do not fold down and passenger seats are not power.

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  Fun to Drive! - 1999 Cadillac Catera
  By Siren - March 4 - 10:10 pm

  I really enjoy this car. I bought it from someone who had already fixed all of its little problems (lol), so I got a great car for the money. It handles great and rides like a Caddy.

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  Rons Cadillac - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By rons cad - March 3 - 10:25 pm

  This is my first Cadillac. It is a great handling automobile. I chose the black color. It is very good looking, better than a BMW or Mercedes, in my opinion. The brake performance is excellent, but has a squeal problem. Dealer service has been wonderful so far. I will buy one again.

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  Excellent Car for Intl Market - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Johnmitchel12 - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Lincoln LS first, now Cadilac have both convinced me American engineers can lead the world on price/luxury/performance/cost of ownership curve. Its also interesting to find the BMW 7 Series designed by an American. We will see how my service is beyond the first year, but so far GREAT.

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  great car annoying problems - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By bru - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I have the luxury sport model with NAV. Overall the car is fun to drive but has been in the shop many times for (3 times )a coolant leak which they cant seem to find, and just recently I was 200 miles away from home and the check engine light came on and the car wouldnt go over 55 mph. So I called onstar through the safe and sound deal in the car and they diagnosed it over the phone while I was driving. It turned out to be a fuel pump sensor failure. It wasnt recognizing the speed of the engine to supply the right amount of fuel to the engine. The onboard computer finally compensated the problem and I made it home.

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  Cadillac Impressions - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By Paul Elzey - March 2 - 1:43 am

  Since the day of purchase, I have been very pleased with this automobile. The styling is simple beauty, the performance via the Northstar engine is superb without sacrificing fuel economy, which runs about 23 mpg avg. The interior has a very high level of luxury and one can drive this automobile all day without tiring.

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  Very Reliable - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Tom Grohl - February 28 - 7:42 pm

  I have had my 2005 SRX for two years and have driven over 30,000 miles. I have only returned to the dealer for oil changes and tire rotation. This is a very reliable and pleasurable vehicle to drive. The build quality is excellent. I would recommend this car to anyone seeking a luxury crossover.

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  WOW!!!!! - 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
  By escaladelover - February 28 - 11:00 am

  What a beautiful SUV!!!!! Such a nice and luxurious exterior and interior. The fuel economy for a hybrid is unbelievable!!! My escalade averages around 21.2 MPG for city and around 20 MPG for highway which is magnificent for a vehicle this size!!!!

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  SRX - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By Gary - February 28 - 9:10 am

  One day after we got the SRX, a snow storm hit. The SRX got around in 6" snow without any problems. The vehicle is very comfortable to drive. It has much more interior room than the CTS we traded in. Its gas mileage is not anywhere near the sticker numbers, but it is improving.