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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  My first Cadillac - 2000 Cadillac Catera
  By MY FIRST CADILLAC - August 14 - 12:43 pm

  This car has been a dream to have. I have been through a lot of cars but this car takes the cake. I get a lot of offers from people to buy my car. it handles the road great. Its a eye catcher for sure. Ive never seen a Catera like mine. Before purchasing this car Catera was the last thing on my mind to drive. When the salesman showed me the car and I test drove it I was in heaven. It have 62,000 miles on it in April of 2008 which sweetens the whole deal. Authentic Cadillac rag top. Maroon with 17" chrome Cadillac rims. Sunroof with OnStar. The only thing this car lacks is a spoiler they but if you ask me i think the spoiler lacks the car. Im forever committed to Cadillacs. CTS-V HERE I COME!

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  Good but good be better - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By jjnewlife - August 14 - 12:08 pm

  Our CTS has been mostly reliable save for the electronic dash that seems to go black every so often. Shutting off the car for a few minutes brings it back. Check engine light came on once. Dealer could not find the fault. Reset and been ok since. A car of this price should have more than an ugly black plastic dash. (something GM changed in 2008) Minus? Depreciation. The worst I ever experienced. This 3 year old car is not even worth 40% of what it cost new. Seat belts are awful. No passenger grab handle. Quite an omission in a $45,000 car. Overall the CTS is a very fine $25-30k automobile. But $45K? Forget it.

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  Embarrassed - 2006 Cadillac DTS
  By JONES199 - August 13 - 11:27 am

  I am embarrassed I like this car do much. Looks great, mileage is surprising, the cooled seats are off the chart. My friends all make fun of me for driving the "old mans car" until they rise in it. I now get stuck driving lots of places. The Cadillac dealership however could learn from the high end imports.

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  Scott - 1998 Cadillac Eldorado
  By SCOTT - August 12 - 9:21 pm

  I have had this car for about 1 1/2, and had numerous problems. I had to replace my water pump then the radiator, and now dished out 1600 to fix the head gaskets. I think they messed up with the design of this engine because every mechanic I ask almost all of them refused to work on them including the dealership. It has great horsepower and good on gas, but seems like if you have any problems you should just junk them. There too expensive to work on them, and any major work you got to drop the engine just to get to the source.

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  One Great Vehicle - 1999 Cadillac Escalade
  By adam12 - August 12 - 2:23 pm

  This has been one great vehicle. I bought my Escalade when it had only 6000 miles on it. It now has almost 120,000 miles on it and I have not had a single maintenance issue with it. I always get the regular routine maintenance done and as a result this vehicle is still like brand new both inside and out. I get it detailed every six months and people often mistake it for a brand new Escalade. I am going to drive it for another 10 years. I am sure it will last that long.

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  CTS Very Nice! - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By Jamey Talnet - August 12 - 1:59 pm

  Just took delivery of the first dealer sold 2009. Waited for the 2009 for resale value purposes as they werent really dropping any solid incentives on the 2008. So far we are completely happy with the car.

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  Great Ride - 2001 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Char Kar - August 11 - 5:48 am

  I love the car from its northstar engine to its beautiful look. This car has impressed me as I have had a lot of sports cars and this has to be the smoothest ride out of all. People that have never rode in a Eldorado are just as impressed as I was my first ride, They are over taken by the smooth fast acceleration it has and so quiet it seems to be on a cloud.

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  A nice car - 1996 Cadillac Seville
  By I LOVE MINE - August 10 - 9:25 am

  Ive always wanted a caddy but never could afford a new one. So I found this one on Craigs list and fell in love with it. The power is amazing and all the features work well, with the exception of hesitation of the drivers side power window. Maybe Im a lucky one but this car uses no oil between changes. It has aproximately 129,000 on it at this time. Im glad they depreciate as they do, otherwise, i would not be able to own a car this nice.

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  Refined American - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By JD - August 8 - 5:11 pm

  I waited for 8 months for this car to come out - I was looking for a 4 door sports sedan and after reading all the product info. I was hoping it would live up to the hype after the long wait it exceeded it & I was not disappointed. This car is awesome. I also own a 2007 Corvette and truly believe the CTS handles if not better, then at least as well as the vette (but obviously not as fast!). The CTS is really quick though, refined, handles great, and with great mileage. I avg 22 in town and have gotten as much as 32 on the highway while driving 70 & 80 mph.

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  A True American Contender - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Al and Rene - August 7 - 9:50 pm

  After considering the Mercedes C350, Lexus IS350, Infinity G37S, and the BMW 5 Series, my wife and I decided on the 2008 CTS. The ride, the looks, the interior ergonomics and options were great. The quality of fit and trim, along with the value of the available features, trumped the competition. We decided that we wanted a vehicle that did not look like anything else on the road and this 2008 CTS does just that with the looks it commands from passersby. It truly is a car that “turns us on when we turn it on”!