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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  Cadillacs Worst Car - 2000 Cadillac Catera
  By anonymous - August 14 - 3:21 pm

  This car is terrible. The one good thing I got out of it was that I could warn other people like you to NOT buy this car. Ive had problem after problem with this car. It is always at the mechanic. Seemed like a good buy, but I spent so much more money repairing it. Some of the problems I had were my door falling apart, power windows stopped working, my ABS and traction control stopped working, and my speedomotor hasnt worked in months. My car randomly broke down once on my way to work too. This car is a PIECE. DO NOT buy one. Cadillac made a terrible car, I would never want anyone to have the problems I had with this car. It might look cute and nice on the outside, but it is terribly made.

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  Blown ENGINE at 46K - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Hammer - August 2 - 5:19 pm

  Just over 46K on this car and it needs a new engine! There was no warning that it had burned all the oil up. After reading more reviews Im not the only one. I was just out of my warranty, but GM did try to help saying they would pay for 50% of the replacement. Not so fast! Turns out they have to replace the motor the "GM" way, the dealer wouldnt even quote me a price. After asking again he said that it could run more than just putting in a new motor. Thanks, but no thanks! Ill put in a new motor, hows that for BILLIONS of bailout money? Im sure our kids/grandkids are very happy with our investment. GM should have DIED, dont buy a Caddy.

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  very poor service - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By doris haskin - July 13 - 1:26 am

  worst car i have ever owned, not worth the money, leather cracked and peeling at 3 yrs old. the interior is poorly constructed with very little space. the service is poor at the dealership. i was informed that my exhaust system needs to be replaced because i must have hit sometime underneath because there is a small scratch on it but no scratch on the rear bumper, how is that possible. poor service and poorly constructed car. car was cheap, with a high price tag

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  WORST CAR EVER MADE!!! - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By GNico09 - July 3 - 5:22 pm

  Alright, Ever since I was in highschool, I loved this car. Finally found one and have spent more than I purchased it for ($4,500) on repairs. Its an electrical and mechanical nightmare. The engine is basically shot (needs new heads) Body control module (brain of the car) is shot, control arms are shot, differential is shot. Misc. electric options cease to work. The a/c barely works and the heater doesnt work at all even though ive spent hundreds of dollars trying to remedy it. Its over-heating and low oil pressure (more than likely b/c of the heads). And all that is just to name a little!! The sad part is I bought the car certified and have pampered this car with no love in return.

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  high maintenance - 2001 Cadillac Seville
  By covergirl - July 1 - 12:35 pm

  this car is high maintenance. this is my second cadillac and they both leaked oil. the low profile tires are horrible for chuck holes and the winter months. i dont get good "premium" gas mileage because of the engine. whenever you get repairs done its extra because a lot of the parts are "cadillac" parts. it takes more oil and more of everything. and i always end up paying for new parts that wasnt even broken. but they have to take out to fix the problem.

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  I will trade SRX when select the new car - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By Aleksey Toporkov - June 23 - 2:51 pm

  Steering wheel can not be adjusted towards driver. If you like to have steering wheel close to you and you are tall, knees will push against the dashboard and keys. Seating is rather sports car than SUV (legs will be very high). TERRIBLE leg room for the front passenger - check the narrowing on the left. Navigation system is lousy: touch screen is very non-responsive, route (pink) is colored almost the same as the other roads (red), very frustrating - trying to find something on map manually with assisting windows popping up w/o need and making the search area narrow. 3rd row seating only suits small kids. 2nd row mid seat tall passenger bumps head against switches. Resale value - disaster.

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  Didnt Cadillac stand for class? - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By No Good - May 4 - 1:53 am

  Second owner car only had 40K on it. within the first 2 months both rear windows when out. At a year or so the ignition when out ($500 bucks at the dealership) and now at 57K the crank position sensors($320 at pep boys) when out. Dont buy cadillac unless it come with a warranty, you extra cash to throw away and /or you love hanging out at the auto shop.

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  My First and Probably my Last Escalade - 2016 Cadillac Escalade
  By K. Dowling - May 1 - 10:42 pm

  I traded in a 2008 Lincoln Navigator for the 2016 Escalade. I love the styling and the technology, but that is about it. Comparing the 2016 Escalade and an 8 year old Navigator, the ride in the Navigator was superior. In addition I think the drivers seat in the Escalade is probably the most uncomfortable car seat I have ever sat in. For almost $90,000 I was expecting a lot more comfort.

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  An Example why GM needs bailout money - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By Marco Man - April 27 - 8:54 am

  After my wife totalled our 2002 Mitsubishi Montero (which she drove for 7 years without 1 issue) we decided to buy the SRX. Why? It ONLY had 52k miles on it, and it had a 6 year 100k warranty. So here is where the fun begins (not really). 1st week, both rear windows stopped working, rear seats ratted, engine light came on, outside mirrors stopped working and engine was making weird noise. Luckily it was all covered under warranty. In the end, 11 parts were replaced INCLUDING 2 timing chains. Remember this car had only 52k miles on it and was certified pre owned. In the end, seats still rattle, and outside mirrors still dont quite work right. COME ON GM, make a car like the Japanese.

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  Almost there, but not quite yet. - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By omegafiler - April 24 - 3:03 pm

  I purchased a fully loaded 2008 CTS w/ DI brand new and ended up trading it in about 5k miles later. So you can see where this is going. Overall the car was great, fun the drive, and looked very nice. But after 6 dealer visits and a few annoying issues unresolved, it had to go. The big issue with this CTS and ALL of the CTSs I tested was poor build quality and materials. Every piece of plastic squeaks in the car from the center stack, to center console, to the cheap "chrome" bezel on the IP. Like rattles? Plenty of those around the sunroof, doors, etc. This is not what I or anybody expects from GMs best car they are offering for sale right now. If GM can fix that, they might survive.