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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  Great On All Roads - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By John Morookian - August 20 - 2:17 am

  Im retired. Other than local driving, I take long trips with one or no passengers. My CTSs sport suspension, Stabilitrack, traction control, 17" Wheels, etc. make it handle great on Interstates and secondary roads. The seats allow comfort for 8 - 10 hours behind the wheel. I drive from Prescott, Arizona to both Southern and Northern California often. I have enjoyed separate drives to: the Canadian Rockies, Branson MO, Durango and Salida CO, Washington, D.C., Roswell NM, and Tombstone, AZ. I have installed a dashboard mounted GPS Navigation Unit that has proven invaluable. The fold-down rear seat-backs allow me to carry my Mountain Bike to nearby bike trails. It does what I want it to!

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  CTS is a Great Car! - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Jeff - August 19 - 8:57 am

  I wanted to buy American but haved owned Mercedes, BMW, and Audi in the past. I shopped all those but purchased 3.6 CTS with the sport and lux package. What a great car! The center stack is a little odd, but truly functional. The stereo needs autospeed adjustment. Those are the two little problems that I have with this car, other than that it is great. Its quiet, firm, and has a good ride at speed and around town. Its edgy looks and Cadillac emblem now command interest among all ages. I wish it had external speakers so it could broadcast Led Zep while driving down road. Good job Cadillac and GM! Dont be surprised, this car uses synthetic oil.

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  BMW 330 DESTROYER!!! - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By CADILLAC - August 19 - 2:00 am

  I can say you can not get a better deal for the money. It is a sports car and a luxury car at the same time and nicely balanced. I drove a 330 and C320 and CTS is way better. It offers a spacious interior alot of luxury features and has handling of a Corvette.This is the best Cadillac ever.THIS IS A TRUE LUXURY PERFORMANCE CAR. IF YOU BUY IT YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

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  Amazing - 2006 Cadillac SRX
  By marlin - August 15 - 3:05 pm

  This car is amazing, it runs very well. It has lots of room for my family and has a huge sunroof.

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  My Caddy - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Cathleen Snyder - August 13 - 11:37 pm

  I have enjoyed every minute of driving my Caddy. I took it to Pennsylvania last week and it handles the road beautifully. I am completely satisfied. Other perople come to me and ask me about its performance. Others that own a CTS come and tell me how much they enjoying owning this car. This is a beautiful car. I am just thrilled that I have it. My friends like riding in it too.

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  XLR, Best of the Breed - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By GoVols - August 13 - 7:04 pm

  This is the most commented-on car I have had since I owned a 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 in the 70s. It has power, performance, comfort and (most of all) style. From its front angles it looks like the Batmobile. I am very happy with the car. The only problem is the touch screen for audio/mav/etc. is unreadable with the top down on a sunny day.

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  XLR Update - 2007 Cadillac XLR
  By twathen - August 13 - 8:39 am

  The Cadillac XLR is the most enjoyable and fascinating auto Ive ever owned, including Ferrari and Mercedes. It is responsive and truly a quality built auto. It is the best vehicle ever owned.

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  Its a Cadillac - 2001 Cadillac Seville
  By On my 3rd Northstar. - August 12 - 5:27 am

  Like the age old ad says its the "penalty of leadership." All of these Sevilles are based on the 1998 design. Compared to all other makes no one was this progressive. Sure the car is a bit heavy, expensive to own, and expensive to repair, but all in all its a superlative motor car. Overall Ive had minimal problems with this car for the amount of technology involved. The seat heaters were replaced under warranty, it had a vibration at 65 mph fixed under warranty, and the valve position sensor had to be replaced. Otherwise this is a start it up and go car. Not to mention it can pass anything else on the road quite effortlessly. Bottom line, if you want to drive GMs top of the line expect some minor problems. Overall it is luxury at its best!

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  This is a True Beast - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By hodrod guy - August 10 - 11:01 am

  I just got this puppy in May of this year...so far so good. Its funny how I ended up in this car being that I was looking at a 91 Corvette and a 2003 Mustang GT. Not to mention I was getting out of a 1999 Trans Am...needless to say Im into fast, agressive cars, but my main goal this time around was to get the most bang for my buck and the Cadillac SLS beat them out. Its really fast and solid as a rock. I love the way the back end of the car looks, but the front end is the only thing Id change. It is just a little farty. I tend to forget that when I get behind the wheel and hit high speeds in no time while feeling like Im sitting on the couch in my living room. I recommend this car for anyone who grew up as a gear head. Im 25 years old.

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  The Most Car for the Money - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Mark Moran - August 10 - 8:01 am

  The car rides somewhere between a Lexus and a BMW. It is firm and responsive, especially in sport driving mode (or manual shifting) with the performance transmission setting. It really zips along.