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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  Too Good to Give Up - 1999 Cadillac Escalade
  By SedaliaSue - June 23 - 2:18 pm

  After owning many a car including over 24 other classic autos, Ive never been as happy with the comfort of this SUV. It had a few flaws in it that Ive had to deal with...the CD player not working, turning the brake drums for a smooth ride, attaching the battery cables better on a side battery and a rattle that was found as a broken plastic piece in the cowl area. Small stuff for a great ride, of course, these days I wish it would have better mileage, but with its weight and its performance it was a quality product.

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  Solid Performer - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By RW - June 23 - 11:09 am

  Had some problems in the first 35,000 miles, but not since then (now at over 70,000 miles). Its been reliable since then and still fun to drive.

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  My new one - 2008 Cadillac DTS
  By aboutmuny - June 22 - 6:35 pm

  I purchased a 2008 DTS (double espresso) I like the performance on this one better than the 2004 I traded. The 2004 had better interior and sound system. I like the H.I.D. headlamps, the remote start and quietness on the 08. It could have had nicer rims and higher quality sheet metal. (the trunk and lower rear quarter panels seem very cheap. I dont like the cloth on the side of my seats. It should have had a 2 -tone interior for the $33,006

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  Sweet Cadi - CTS - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Carlos D - June 22 - 1:25 pm

  Wow, this car has exceeded my expectations and you must drive the direct inject V6 with 305 HP to truly appreciate it. Ive owned new BMW 5, new BMW 3, and new Audi 6 and the new 2008 CTS not only belongs in this class but outshines them all with ext/int design and features. You definitely get more and more for your money. The direct inject 304 hp engine is there to perform when needed. The sport suspension package with 19" wheels has the CTS hugging the road and gives it the tight feel. I love this car...its the best 4 dr sport sedan Ive owned and if Cadillac continues to deliver quality and VALUE theres no reason to go back to BMW, Audi, or consider others like Lexus.

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  Cadillac CTS - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Michael Honigfort - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Great car. My wife and I both love it.

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  Everything is better than the previous CTS - 2016 Cadillac CTS
  By Next2pool - June 22 - 2:59 am

  If you owned a Gen II CTS, this one will be better in every category. The new V6 is very strong and Im averaging about 26 MPG in all around suburban driving. The interior is very quiet but the road noise from the front is the only complaint I have. There is almost no wind noise. The interior material quality is excellent and the fit and finish is superb. I am disappointed in the autostop performance. When it does activate (when is hard to predict) the engine has an annoying shudder when it stops as well as restarts. I have driven other GM models that are much better. The transmission shifts very well and doesnt seem to have a problem managing 8 gears. Although I like the hard inside cover for the sunroof, the roof itself does not seem to open as far as the previous version and it looks a bit clunky from the outside when open. The Cue system is much faster than before I have no problem with the controls at all. I did expect the Navigation system to have a more colorful display and I cant see how to name a route for future use. The gooseneck trunk hinges seem to be a step backwards from the articulated system of the Gen II model. The front seats are better than before but still not all that great for longer trips. Overall, I am very satisfied by this new CTS.

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  Driving the 2008 STS - 2008 Cadillac STS
  By Samlh - June 21 - 11:53 pm

  I bought the V8 style, because adaptive speed control was not available on the V6. I traded in my 2005 STS, and got a great deal on the purchase. To this point, I am very pleased with the car, although gas mileage has not been good. Hopefully, it will get batter as I put more miles on the car. Although my 2008 is still very new,I believe it is a big improvement over the 2005. The car looks and rides better. I believe I made a good decision in purchasing the 2008 STS.

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  1998 SLS - 1998 Cadillac Seville
  By TaxNBowl - June 21 - 9:53 pm

  Bought this from a proverbial "little old lady" with 60k miles. Shortly after air ride went out - a $4k fix. Installed Strutmasters passive shock system instead, $800. Maintenance is constant and interior fabrics and knobs, etc do not hold up. After constant service, at 93k miles A/C is bad, check engine light is on, rack and pinion is leaking and motor mounts are broken. Thats just sad! Ive had 4 Northstar Cadillacs and the motor mounts have broken on each. Too much torque in these cars for the weak mounts! I recommend against this model unless they got a lot better in 01-02. Just bought a 04 Deville with 42k miles. Well see how this turns out/

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  Try a Mercedes before buying this. - 2008 Cadillac STS
  By Neville - June 19 - 12:24 pm

  This is the worst car I have ever bought. I only have 56k miles on it, and have had many electrical issues, some of which have made the car unusable. The dealer service is expensive and incompetent. The car itself, when it works, is pleasant enough, but is totally unreliable. No wonder GM went broke making rubbish like this. Update: my local independent mechanic has repaired most of the electrical issues, and apart from minor issues which appear and then apparently fix themselves, the car is now relatively reliable.

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  Its Finally Gone - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By Unhappy Owner - June 18 - 2:55 pm

  The SRX was sold last week with absolutely no regret. We were very excited when we originally bought the SRX because of its looks and performance. Both of the attributes held to be true to the end. Interior finish was awful and build quality was about as bad as it could get. The dealer tried to make things work but Cadillac was very uncooperative. The sunroof would not function at times and creaked and rattled all of the time. The engine burned 5 quarts of oil in the last 8k miles driven and Cadillac said that was in tolerance. The final straw was the sunroof began leaking with water pooling under the third seat. It really is too bad that the car had to be dumped on the market.