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 American! - 2007 Cadillac STS
  By Browser - January 4 - 9:15 am

  This is my first American car in over 20 years. I trade in cars every 3 years due to my business. Driven, Nissan, Lexus, Infiniti, Jaguar and Mercedes. I have to say this is STS was the best value for my money. I got a lot more than what I get with any of the others, including the Certified 6- year 100K warranty as my STS was a demo with 5K miles. Finally, nice job Cadillac with all the refinements, technology, ride, etc.

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  Pleasantly Surprised ! - 2007 Cadillac STS
  By Bill - January 2 - 4:10 pm

  After some very expensive minor repairs and service to our Mercedes E320, My wife and I started researching alternatives. We have owned mostly German and Honda cars for many years. (Except for my jewel- like 94 Vett). She thought the CTS was too "edgy" but was totally taken by the STS. I was a little skeptical until we took it for a test drive. It was really impressive and comfortable. The first 1000 mile trip yielded 25 mpg on regular gas. Some of the controls are a little unfriendly but well worth the time to master. Last night I started the STS from inside a restaurant which turned on the heater & seat heaters during a snowstorm. The warrenty and OnStar are great.

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  Not worth $54,0000 - 2007 Cadillac STS
  By Tony - January 2 - 3:37 pm

  I have now driven this car for a sold year. The car looks great and handles well. There are some problems that you should not have with this price range. I have noises in the power stearing. The gas cover is cheap and is just spring loaded. I get less than 14.5 miles a gallon in the city. I do like the style and handleing. There is somthing about a caddy that has a dual exhaust that is streamlined. All n All this is not a $54,000 car. This is more like a $40,000 car. If you were to compare this to the Lexus or Benz in the same price range you might sway away from the Caddy but the Caddy have much better lease deals. I was able to lease this luxury car for nothing down and $599 a month!

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  Its a Cadillac! - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By J BYRD - January 1 - 4:26 pm

  Ive had the 2010 Cadillac Luxury, Premium turbo and now own the Performance model. The Luxury was front wheel drive and I wanted the AWD with all the features, so I got the Premium model with the 2.8 turbo. It was great with nice acceleration and all the features...fully loaded with entertainment package. I then saw the Performance model with all the same features except the 2.8 turbo and econo mode; however, I liked it better because it uses regular gas, not like the turbo, which requires premium gas. I liked all 3 SRX s...but the Performance model 3.0 meet all my needs and is Cadillac Luxury in every way. Edmunds website was very helpful in the research to fine the perfect car for me.

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  Our best car yet! - 2008 Cadillac SRX
  By ROJO340 - December 31 - 10:39 pm

  We traded a 2005 Escalade in on this car. I was very pleased with the Escalade and was hesitant at first with the SRX, but wow. We got the magnet ride, and it cant be better. Cadillac is missing the boat by not advertising this car as much as the others. We tested the Enclave and the Acadia. Go with the Caddy.

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  Old Fashioned American Luxury - 1990 Cadillac Deville
  By Jolena911 - December 31 - 6:11 pm

  Id noticed the Devilles for a long time and really was attracted to the styling. Its a timeless design and my 1990 still looks very contemporary. The paint has held-up well and it still looks impressive. The car gets great gas mileage about 22mg total, and nearly 26mpg on the highway. The interior is comfortable, but dated-but it has a vintage feel, so I love it. The handling is amazing as far as the rear end refuses to budge, but it does tend to lean, body roll, in curves. All-in- all, this car was a great value-younger people (Im 38) dont want these cars, so you can get them with low miles and in great aesthetic shape. We call mine "Herman" and I hope hes got another 100,000 in him

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  Disappointing STS-V - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Disapp STS-V - December 30 - 12:35 pm

  I have had 4 major failures repairs to date. Purchased in July 06. 1. Front end rack and pinion failure- two occurences 2. Wheel bearings in both front and back 3. Park gear sensor in transmission replaced-computer does not recognize that car is in park. 4. Im afraid #3 has caused a problem with the transmission as the car does not have any "impulse" power when put in drive. 5. Overall very disappointing automobile so far. I would definitely not recommend purchasing. I certainly will not make this mistake again. BMW and Lexus much better for the money. I have owned both. Tried to go with American car maker this time around. Extremely disappointed. Good Luck.

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  My first SUV / CUV is also American - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By 3dobuzz - December 29 - 6:55 pm

  After being with Audi, Mercedes, and Infiniti for the last 16 years, the SRX is a great find. We picked up a slightly used SRX4 with just under 1,600 miles for $11K under list. We also opted for the Cadillac certification so we have 5 years of $0- decuctible bumper-to-bumper warranty on it. I have already brought it in to address a couple of items like the sunroof being slow/stuck and the clock being noisy (sunroof motor and clock replaced w/o questions). The interior is just about as luxurious as the germans, my 12 year old likes curling up in the 3rd row after tiring sports, and the V8 performs. If it only got 25 mpg, it would be perfect.

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  Great Performance.but will not repeat - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By healthguy - December 28 - 10:25 pm

  This car reminds me of the NY Yankees. On paper, it just cant be beat. On the road, and day to day there are some glaring misses. Unless this is fixed in the next model year, I will not buy again. Now my detail: A great handler. Excellent solid feel of the road. Beautful look and touch. Quiet and smooth ride. Now the problem 1) Terrible heat and air control for back seats. 2) No button to open the hatch, you have to use the remote, and that takes practice. 3) with the rear ent system, you only get 1 cd/dvd. Just one, whats the deal with that? 4)3rd row electric seat is a death march and not simple either. Nothing like waiting 3 minutes in the rain for a seat.

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  I Love It, but Cant Enjoy It! - 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Angelena - December 28 - 12:30 am

  I love my new Escalade, but these gas prices are really killing my buzz.. Its hard to enjoy is when you know that any real outing is gonna cost $50 or more in gas. The truck is beautiful and comfortable, but I liked it a lot more before gas was over $3 a gallon.