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:

• 

  Not Happy - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By brian burka - November 29 - 2:03 pm

  There are a few important things that I dont like about the 2006 STS. The foot-well is so cramped that if you are like me, 6 feet tall, your right knee will rest against a very uncomfortable sharp hard-padded bolster. The glove compartment is too small for such a large car...once the owners manual is in, there is no room. The trunk acess is poor. The dash design is bland and could be much more luxurious.

• 

  Be careful of Cadillac Certified Vehicles - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By Harry - November 15 - 6:31 pm

  This is my fifth Cadillac and will probably be my last. It was supposed to be a Certified Pre Owned vehicle but within a week, it was in the shop for three weeks. They had to replace the dash and auto headlights (they are still broken). The traction control can not be turned off (they say its a computer prob, but cant fix it), there is a pronounced vibration at over 60 mph (the shop says its a characteristic of the car and they cant fix it), and a host of other small problems. I bought the car because it was certified and am sorely disappointed. I always liked Cadillacs but their customer service, at least at my dealership, is horrible. They just dont seem to care one whit. Theyve sold the car now so to heck with the purchaser. Sad, aint it.

• 

  Not very welll built - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By Greg - August 30 - 6:23 pm

  I wouldnt buy another Cadillac. My 2002 Seville has been in the shop for 3 major fixes and now that it is no longer under warranty I worry all of the time about the next system failure. Each failure resulted in over a week at the shop and would have cost several thousand dolalrs if not for the warranty.

• 

  Psuedo Luxury Car - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By Bob - August 26 - 4:22 am

  For the cost, one certainly can buy a better car. Road noise, wind noise and seat comfort should be hallmarks of a luxury car. This car fails each catagory. The Michelin tires are the wrong tire for this car. They wear poorly and are virtually impossible to balance properly. If the car has a problem they cant fix, they treat you like the plague instead of admitting the problem - a fatal GM flaw. Engine is totally underpowered. It does get good gas mileage.

• 

  Cadillac CTS - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By demetria - July 10 - 9:04 pm

  My 2003 Cadillac CTS has been having problems every since I brought it in 2002. Now its having engine problems. I bought a lemon.

• 

  Beautiful Junk - 1998 Cadillac Seville
  By juniorbarnes - May 22 - 11:42 pm

  If only the reliability was there, it would be a great car. All of those electronics keep failing and for example, the various computer modules cost $500 and up, and they keep failing, one-by-one. If you set aside three or four thousand a year for repairs, youll be fine. It is fun to drive but I keep thinking of whats going to break next, so I grit my teeth, just trying to make it from one point to the next without the car conking out, and it takes all the fun out of driving it.

• 

  stay away !!! - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By zohar - April 9 - 6:56 pm

  Beside computer problems, my 2005 Cadillac CTS has problems with its OEM tires. The CTS wears out tires after less than 15,000 miles. The dealer experts says its normal, sorry not for me.

• 

  Typical Big American Car - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By JWW - March 5 - 10:04 pm

  I rented a Cadillac DeVille for a weekend trip to Montreal from Ottawa. What a horrible riding car. Our 2002 Altima is far more comfortable and way easier/more responsive to drive. This car cant even come close to competing with the quality of high-end autos from Europe (Mercedes-Benz, et al) or Japan (Lexus, et al).

• 

  Devil Vehicle - 2001 Cadillac Catera
  By Chris - December 25 - 4:25 pm

  The 2001 Cadillac Catera may be the most poorly built car of all time. I had two seperate lemons involving the A/C and engine. Honestly, I loved it the first few months I had it, but the dealership and frequent problems with the car turned my feelings in the other direction. This car is total garbage.

• 

  I HATE THIS CAR! - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By I HATE THIS CAR! - November 13 - 5:56 pm

  I purchased this car in Oct. 2003. In a year, this car has been in the shop 7 times. It first started out as "little" non-mechanical problems. The remote keyless entry quit working. Stereo has been replaced twice. Car was stuck in park (related to a problem with the brakelights, go figure!) Back carpet soaked from air conditioning drainage. Now car having problems starting. Dealer had for a week and couldnt figure out what the problem was. Said we needed to wait for it to become "more broke". Now besides the starting problem, car dies at traffic lights. Totally unreliable!! Have been stranded 5 times in the last week! Has depreciated $10,000 value in 1 year. Ridiculous!