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 Vehicle that Ive Owned - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By First Caddy - September 6 - 9:19 pm

  I love my Cadillac SRX. Driving it through the north Virginia mountains with the roof open in late spring was a great vacation.

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  Lots of Great Car for the Price - 2006 Cadillac DTS
  By Larry H - September 5 - 7:30 pm

  I am very pleased with this big sedan. It is smaller than the Lincoln Town Car. Recently redesigned with a great looking exterior, the DTS caught my eye when it first came out. I even traded my Jaguar XJR to get one. The Caddy has better acceleration, is quieter, and is a good car for clients - comfortable, smooth, easy to enter and exit.

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  Glad To Be Back In A Caddy - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Vic - September 5 - 1:07 am

  Cadillac has finally come out with a destintive looking car. I love the design. Inside and out this is a head turner. I get excellent gas milage on the wide open roads of Nevada. I was so impressed with this car that I traded in a 2006 Nissan Altima and took some loss on it.

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  03 Escalade - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By R & D - September 2 - 5:48 pm

  After my first week of owership I became very disappointed for about the next three months because it turned out that we wound up with an Escalade that had a lemon differential. Once the service department figured out what was wrong with the car and totally replaced the differential with a brand new one, my truck started spending more time with us instead of in the shop. Although it was fun driving all the different "new lenders" they gave us to drive while the car was in the shop.

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  Great Car - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By PhilP - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Great Vehicle! No regrets at 3,000 miles

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  cts - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By sillievo - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Definitely a overall fun car with the needed space for some people. I was going for the 350z but ended up buying the cts. It is obviously not as fun as the Z but for the space and comfort it offers, its a good trade off.

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  Great 07 Vehicle - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By Makon - August 30 - 8:30 pm

  I have driven many Cadillacs in this series over the years like the Concour, Performance DTS, etc. I especially like the upgraded styling, performance, and new xeon lighting.

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  EDQ SRX - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By EDQ - August 28 - 10:00 am

  This car is my first luxury car purchase. I absolutely love it. The car is extremely fun to drive. It is extremely stylish, turning heads everywhere that I go. i have absolutely no regrets with this purchase!

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  Great Car to Drive - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By dennispalmer - August 28 - 8:46 am

  The Cadillac CTS has very good quality. Cadillac has done it right with this vehicle, from the styling to performance. The ride is very comfortable and there is easy access to all of the technology. I have had no problems what so ever with this vehicle would reccomend it to all.

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  Fantastic Vehicle! - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By Anthony - August 27 - 10:43 pm

  I must say that Cadillac and GM got their act together when designing the new Escalade. We have the ESV model and nothing can come close to it. So far I can only say great things about this truck! It truly defies its size the way it accelerates and drives. It sounds like a muscle car from the outside and the 6.2 liter V8 loves to rev. The 6-speed auto is actually pretty good on gas on the highway. Its a bit thirsty around town but understand we are talking about an 8-passenger 3 ton vehicle here. If you need the room and are looking for a first class SUV there is nothing that compares to the Escalade! Write the check and get one!