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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  Cadillac for luxury and performance - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By Buy American - March 23 - 5:01 pm

  This SLS is my 3rd Cadillac, and by far the best car Ive owned. Ride comfort on long trips is unsurpassed, as is fuel economy for a car this size. The Northstar engine is really amazing in that it has incredible power, yet gets 30 mpg on the highway. Around town it is nimble while soaking up rough pavement in stride. Cadillac has a proven winner with this generation Seville with reliability of a Swiss watch. Or should I call it the Rolex of cars.

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  CTS - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Jacksonville - March 23 - 6:46 am

  I bought my car in 10/04 and so far I love it. I receive compliments everywhere I go.

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  Stay Away - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By Stay Away - March 23 - 4:51 am

  Two weeks after I bought the car I found out the heat on the passenger side didnt work. went to get it fixed needed to replace valve cover gaskets bcuz of oil in the spark plugs $1,000. Rear caliper went out over $400 to fix, regulator in rear windows went out $800 for parts alone, short in electrical system moon roof opens and closes when it wants to. Radio and interior lights only work when key is in off position. All of the screws on the entire car have fallen out (i.e. the backs of the seats have fallen off the front bumper had to be re-screwed on the fog lights have fallen out some sort of blower has fallen out, the screws allowing the glove box to open and close has broken) contd next box

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  love it - 2000 Cadillac Catera
  By Love it !!! - March 22 - 10:31 pm

  Well Im 16 years old and I drive a 00 white Cadillac Catera. I love it everything about it is good. I wish they still made the Cateras. When i told everyone i was getting a caddy they all assumed it was going to be a big boat. But of course its not, its a great size and has a lot of room in it. Its very good for being a 2000.

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  ED39206 - 1999 Cadillac Seville
  By ED39206 - March 20 - 4:47 pm

  My mother bought this vehicle after my dad died in 99. Thank God for warranties. When it ran out, let the fun begin. They use cheap quality parts and is not equal to the price you pay. Last night, March 20, 2008, the bolts and lug nuts broke off the front tire, leaving only one to hold the tire on, the other one that was on was loose. Today they tell me the hub assembly for the opposite wheel needs to be replaced. WHAT! This car only has 60,000 miles!!! Not to mention the oil leak that was reported back in December 07. That will cost about $6,000. The price you pay for a cadillac is not worth the value.

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  Caddy-lac - 1992 Cadillac Seville
  By Gangster - March 20 - 1:03 pm

  This (was) a pretty great car. I sold mine 2 years ago because it had 175k miles on it. It still ran but was near the end of its life. Even at the end, this car cruised along surface streets and highways a like, in a smooth, comfortable manner. I had problems with the thermostat and subsequent overheating problems. But other than that, there were never any serious problems. The V-8 could really get up and go, especially considering the weight of the car, and even got 25+ mpg on the highway. Very impressive. Handling past 90mph became worrisome as the car began to sway. But this car was never meant for out running cops, it was meant for cruising in comfort, and it did that very well.

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  PMCaddy - 2008 Cadillac DTS
  By Phyllis Milne - March 20 - 12:46 pm

  Very reliable, luxuriously comfortable, excellent handling, very low mileage car.

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  Great Ride - 2008 Cadillac Escalade
  By DTR969 - March 20 - 1:15 am

  My wife just loves the car. We added 22" aftermarket rims on it at 1/3 the cost of what the dealer wanted and it looks much better. No mechanical issues experienced as noted by several previous postings. Its fun to drive and does exactly what I expected when I bought it - looks great, drives great, and hauls as a big rig!

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  My new caddy - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Richard - March 19 - 1:56 pm

  For the first time in years, I not only considered, but bought a cadillac! Did my research and leased a 2008 CTS fully loaded. So far, so good. The car is fun to drive, has good acceleration for a luxury sedan, and handles great. The interior is well designed, well built, and beautiful. Sharp exterior. Only problem is the CTS seems to be everywhere. The dealer has been very responsive. Ive only had the car for a couple of weeks, so the honeymoon isnt over yet. If things start to go south, I will return to this forum, with additional info.

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  Nav/Radio Total Failure at 50 miles - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Rita - March 18 - 6:12 pm

  The navigation/radio system in my new CTS failed at 50 miles. It has been at the dealership for nearly 4 weeks and neither Cadillac nor the dealer can tell me when a replacement system will be available. Last response was that Cadillac would have to manufacturer more units.