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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  Very easy to live with - 1993 Cadillac Deville
  By JayKinFL - July 15 - 7:37 am

  Cadillac introduced an all-new front-drive Deville for 1985. The car received an extensive update for 1989, and another mild facelift in 1991. The 1993 model was the last year before the 1994 re-design. Acceleration is remarkable for a large front-drive vehicle, and the interior room is hard to beat. Drivers of all sizes should be able to find a way to get comfortable. The overall design has held up very well, and the 91 - 93 Deville still looks contemporary today. Composite front fenders have found themselves to be prone to cracking, and rust through on the A-pillar (particularly at the front-door hinges) is something to look for. Because of a long model run, used parts are plentiful.

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  Great STS - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By The Maj - July 14 - 3:37 pm

  I have owned Lincolns, Pontiacs, and Buicks, but this STS is the best vehicle I have ever owned, from styling to the ride comfort, this car is the best and if you like bells and whistles, no car out there can match it. But I would definitely get a warranty, too many things could go wrong. I see why Cadillac owners are always Cadillac owners

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  Good looks only! - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By 2005 STS - July 14 - 10:06 am

  Our car has been a lemon! Same tire thump as others reported & tires were replaced after about 4 trips to the dealer. Tires also after were replaced did not wear well or last long since can not be rotated. Power steering lines have been replaced. There was a burping noise coming from vents that was horrible as it sounded like someone was passing gas. Again after a few trips to dealer, some type of ventilation computer part was replaced. My car has been in the shop over a dozen times in 2 years. The problems were all "odd" and could not be diagnosed easily so there were many return trips. As other reviews have said when you buy a Cadillac you are not treated as if you buy a Lexus.

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  Traded - 2003 Cadillac Seville
  By nh resident - July 12 - 2:32 pm

  I just traded the car after two years. It had the most beautiful interior of any vehicle Ive ever owned, but constantly had things going wrong after the warranty ran out. The water pump went at 51K, the seat warmer at 53K, the seat control at 57K and a sensor in the transmission at 66k that would cost $2K to replace (dont think anything was actually wrong with transmission). This last one was the final straw, and I sold it. For two people though, it was a wonderful road cruiser.

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  My SRX - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Diane eigner - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Ive never enojoyed driving a car so much. I feel like Im in a sports car but have the versatility of a SUV what can hold 7. I get oohs and ahhs wherever I go.

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  LOVE IT! - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By lottowinner1 - July 12 - 10:00 am

  WE have had our SRX for almost three Months and LOVE IT

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  Great Looking car with Feature Issues - 2007 Cadillac STS
  By mlpjlk - July 11 - 10:01 am

  Like most people on this forum are stating, this car looks great, rides great, preforms great, stops great, etc... Mechanically, this car looks and performs head and shoulders above its competition. Where the STS falls short of everyone else is in the creature comforts that make a luxury car a luxury car. GM went cheap and misses the mark on these items. Bluetooth only certified to work on phones older then 2007. May work with newer ones, but they are not 100% Bluetooth compliant. See Suggested improvements below for more.

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  Timing Chain Repair at 70K miles=$2500 - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By rcwilbur - July 9 - 1:05 pm

  I love driving this car. When purchasing I opted for the 3.6 liter engine, in part, because it has timing chains that are supposed to survive the life of the car, as opposed to the 3.2 which the owners manual suggests replacing at 100k miles. The owners manual even states that if you dont replace the timing belt on the 3.2 liter you risk severe engine damage. Well the timing chain broke on my 3.6 CTS at 70K miles and the dealership estimates that the repair costs will be about $2500. Dealership also told me they had another 3.6 CTS in at the same time, for the same problem.

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  Too bad for BMW and MB - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Minoz - July 9 - 2:00 am

  32 year old, happy with the CTS. Wanted the BMW 5 series, or a Benz, but neither were budging. The interior of the CTS is similar if not better then the BMW, for less money! Ride and handling is fantastic, both sporty and luxury.We get looks everywhere we go. I love the fact there is no chrome, or cheap pieces to fade on the exterior. I cant wait to tint the windows. Highly recommend the vehicle, even though, I love the fact that there arent too many out there, like the BMW, which you see at least ten a day! And if you dont mind the driving a Cadi Sopranos(were in NJ) jokes, you wont be dissappointed.

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  Great fun! - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Brian M - July 9 - 2:00 am

  This is the most fun I have had in a car since the 60s. It is definitly not your fathers caddy.