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:

• 

  Nice Ride, needs work - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By LDT - September 9 - 2:00 am

  I have never bought a Caddy, but knowing this car was designed to compete with European cars made me take a closer look. Even though I do not have the sport suspension, it still handles quite well. I also do not have the Bose stereo, but it still cranks out the sound. What I do not like is the cheap boom box center stack. GM just cant seem to figure it out. The climate control is also poorly designed. They used the same controls that was in a Buick I rented last summer. Guess it was a cost saving thing.. but if you want to compete with the real sport sedans.... The info center is also hard to read and the controls are poorly laid out.

• 

  A good deal for the $$$ - 1997 Cadillac Deville
  By gm owner 4 ever - September 8 - 12:30 pm

  I bought this car last year and have only put about 5K miles on it since. It is used mainly for long trips. The car only has 74k miles on it. I have had no problems other than the power ant stopped working and now I have to hand wash the car. Very smooth ride and strong V-8. I paid $4100 for the car and never looked back.

• 

  So far so good - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By daveb - September 8 - 11:22 am

  Had the CTS for over a month and so far its been awesome. Lots of fun to drive. Averaging about 21 MPG. No issues so far. I was considering a Lincoln MKS but this car is so much more exciting Im glad I chose it!

• 

  So Far, So Good - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Mark - September 8 - 10:43 am

  Former Lexus owner. Shopped against BMW 5 series, Audi A4 and Lexus 330. BMW dealer compares CTS DI with its 220 hp 3 series -- not even close unless you like stripped down, slow German cars. Lexus 330 was close, but is a lot more conservative looking and $3,000 more. With all the bells and whistles, none could come close to the Cadillac. I thought I was too young for a Cadillac sedan, but this car has exceeded my expectations and draws compliments from friends and clients.

• 

  performance on the cheap - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By tommy - September 8 - 9:24 am

  What can I say this car is the Corvette for those of us over 6,5" (6,7") spirited acceleration with a growl of 300 hp and the smoothness of cruising on the highway @80 mph running lo rpm and quiet watching the estimated remaining miles to empty rise, city driving terrible like a big SUV since we have heavy feet syndrome but once on the highway my dts avgs 29- 32 mpg and the light platinum color which is liquid silver if you love your car glows endlessly day or night. A low mileage 32,265 off lease for $20k with tax and a 4 yr extended warranty this purchase cannot be beat, for $5k more or less than the std base deville this beauty is well worth it and only my third Cadillac off lease purchase

• 

  Awesome! - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Matt K - September 7 - 4:44 am

  I just hit the 200 mile mark on my CTS. I have only had the car for 1 week. This is truly the best car I have ever owned. The car handles OUTSTANDINGLY, rides GREAT, and looks FANTASTIC! My car has the performance package, luxury 1 and 2 and polished wheels. You really dont need to spend the extra money for the Nav. The interior lighting looks unbelievable. And the best part is that the car was so much less then the BMW 3 series, Audi A4 and the Mercedes C class. GM really did a tremendous job on this car. I would highly recommend this Cadillac to anyone in the market for a luxury midsized car.

• 

  Like it but a little let down - 1998 Cadillac Seville
  By Hamsterfan - September 6 - 7:04 pm

  First the good things: nice engine, looks, wheels, interior. Great highway cruiser. Also, the oil-losing problem you read about online is overblown. Yes, it uses oil. I add a quart about 2000 miles after the oil change, and that seems to keep the light from coming on. Its not a big deal. Just buy a case of oil. Now the bad: All the little pieces are falling apart. The right headlight assembly fell out: $800, but instead we fixed it with clear duck tape, which looks crappy. The plastic at the bottom of the seats is breaking. The engine backfired a few times and needed a fuel pump. Too many things are made out of flimsy plastic or metal that corrodes, and with time they break.

• 

  Low cost to maintain - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By Rich - September 6 - 12:02 pm

  This car cost me less to maintain over these past 10 years than any other car I ever owned.

• 

  Not Pleased - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Maregaret - September 6 - 7:00 am

  I have enjoyed my SRX and like any other car it needed to be serviced, but this one has been in more than I had hoped. I believe Cadillac makes sound vehicles, but need to improve the quality of their dealership mechanical services. I was in 5 times just for a seat belt issue. The car also blew a cylinder at about 20,000 miles and the dealership failed to replace the oil in the vehicle when they repaired it. Had to bring it in again. They blamed it on me. Used 3 different dealerships over the so far and was not happy with any. Never had this type of problem with other makes of vehicle that I owned. Wont purchase another one because of the dealership service.

• 

  Wow! What A CAR! - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Matt K - September 4 - 1:43 pm

  I look at every make from BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Cadillac. It was a no brainer to get the Cadillac. The car was either the same or outperformed all the other cars. The layout of the cockpit is fantastic. The car rides great and people notice the beauty of the car as well. My car has everything expect for Navigation and the Moonroof. With Onstar I felt I didnt need the Nav. That saves you a lot of $$. I would recommend this car to anyone in the market for a luxury high performance car. Definitely get the DI version. Matt.