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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  First Birthday - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By topdeadcenter - July 22 - 3:16 pm

  Have had this car for a year now. This car is just plain fun to drive. My wife and I are very happy with or ATS

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  Fantastic Sport Sedan - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By jhatfie - July 12 - 2:10 am

  What a fantastic car Cadillac has made. I traded in my 2012 Audi A4 Prestige S-Line for my ATS and could not be happier. The A4 was a great car (with a few problems), but the ATS is just so much more willing to get thrown around and feels so much livelier and nimble. The 3.6L has plenty of grunt and thus far with about 3k miles, I am averaging almost 24mpg in mixed 50/50 driving, which is just under the what my Audi got but the ATS does not need premium fuel. The interior is top notch and CUE has been easy to figure out. So far I have had 0 issues. I was a little concerned giving Cadillac a try, but I am so glad I did!

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  2009 nightmare - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By jdpax16 - July 11 - 1:12 pm

  I have had this car about 2 years. While under warranty it was awesome. Now at 52,000 miles it has needed timing chains, and now a whole new tranny and transfer case. One owner,52k miles. This is ridiculous. I had a 1992 merc grand marquis with 176k miles that had original tranny and drivetrain. I have lost all faith in GM and their craftsmanship, quality, and customer service. Steer clear of these cars. Has now been in shop for two weeks with no end in sight. I have always been a automotive enthusiast with a deep passion for American muscle and performance but this experience has really tested my faith and trust in American auto makers

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  Gas nozzle clicks off continuously - 2013 Cadillac XTS
  By hampstead - June 26 - 9:47 am

  I have two Cadillacs a 2010 SRX cap gas tank and a 2013 XTS a cap less design and yet I cant fill them both up at the same gas station because the nozzle repeatedly clicks off. After I contacted the dealer, and GM TAC I was told that its operating as designed. Dealer and GM smart guys say its the station pump pressure and the vapor bellows on the nozzle and go to other gas stations .. real nice solution!

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  Excellent car! - 2001 Cadillac Catera
  By car5car - June 18 - 3:53 am

  It is a good car. People never change timing belts, check oil and antifreeze and then complain about engine failure. Some other problems, which were solved are very common for other cars: ignition coils die all the time on Fords and Nissans, valve cover gaskets need to be replaced on Toyotas. All reliability problems were solved by GM by 2000. 2000 and 2001 are reliable cars.

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  Best car on the planet, IMO - 2011 Cadillac CTS
  By fitchburgjohn - June 15 - 8:40 pm

  When I was 10, my dad bought a used 73 black Deville. We were poor and had no business having a yacht like this but it was my dads dream and what a car. Like father, like son in 2009, I bought my first cadillac...a 2006 DTS and loved it every day until 2 weeks ago when I traded it in for a used 2011 CTS Premium, black raven with 26k miles, a real cream puff (I never buy new). It was way above my expectations and I fell in love all over again. This machine seriously performs and while its much tighter than the DTS, it still feels and drives like a Cadillac, only better! Im so impressed every time I get in and out of it. Couldnt be happier!

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  CTS V-sport premium - 2014 Cadillac CTS
  By james85018 - June 15 - 4:26 pm

  I comparison shopped/drove quite a bit before buying this car in June 2014. Handling and the engine performance are superb--better than the E550 and 550i. The interior may be a smidge behind the Germans in terms of fit/finish, but it is a minimal difference. The CUE system isnt intuitive, and Id prefer just knobs and a straightforward information management system. It took me about three days to feel like I had the hang of CUE. My car has the upgraded Kona wood interior, which is absolutely beautiful I dont know that Id pay for it, however, if not for the $6000 in incentives GM offered ($3000 rebate + $3000 "conquest" cash) and dealers willingness to negotiate.

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  ELR beats Tesla S hands down!! - 2014 Cadillac ELR
  By rowley123 - June 13 - 8:08 am

  I wanted a luxury electric car and thought Tesla was the way to go UNTIL I saw the CADILLAC ELR. This car is the way to go if you are looking for a high end electric car that is fun to drive and practical. The all electric cars concerned me since you HAD to plan a long distance trip around charging. The ELS, however has a 9 gallon gas tank there to power the generator to make more electricity- how awesome is that!!! (It is NOT a hybrid with a gasoline engine). My only fault is with the rear seat size - but lets face it, the population that drives an ELR is not running kids to dance lessons - you are way past that! (or have a mini van for the "family car".)

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  Nice SUV, Terrible navigation system - 2015 Cadillac Escalade
  By fred188 - May 16 - 6:13 pm

  We really like the styling.

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  As good as anything from Europe - 2009 Cadillac DTS
  By martyt2 - May 8 - 10:32 am

  I am a Cadillac fan. The DTS that we have now rides as well as anything from Europe, is very smooth and powerful. It has more features and options than a sensible person needs. The Bose system is top of the line. Styling is a matter of opinion. I think it is a pretty car. The interior is very luxurious.