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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  remarkable car - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By ls8 - October 20 - 12:30 pm

  Have the 2.0T with CUE, etc. Have been driving it in the city and have been very impressed, but drove it for first time in N Ga mtns this weekend and was amazed. Rather than fighting tight curves, it dives into them. Scary fast acceleration to pass with no lag or hesitation. Easy to pass someone on a two lane and look down and see that you are doing 100 all within a couple of seconds. CUE took about one day to get used to and now I wouldnt want to go back. Interior makes my previous BMW interior look like the 80s. Functionality and sound quality on the CUE stereo is outstanding.

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  Nicely done by Cadillac - 2012 Cadillac CTS
  By rodrigo2 - September 24 - 7:34 pm

  Performance is very impressive and the look is great. Handling is very good. Mileage average is 21.5 mpg measured over ten fill-ups. Rear window visibility a bit difficult and there is a paint blemish that should have been caught by quality control. Otherwise, the cars design and exterior fit and finish are good. Interior leather is well-fitted and the interior finish is excellent. Accent lighting is just right. Bose sound is excellent. Chose this car from among four in the class manufacturers I had narrowed it down to.

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  1996 Deville Issues - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By newportbill - September 13 - 9:14 pm

  Inherited this vehicle from my in-laws and have spent the last few months getting in working order. Oil leaks that are cost-prohibitive to repair along with occasional over-heating (despite flushing of cooling system). Also, only about 10-12 MPG in city despite several fuel system treatments. Finally, electronic fuel display that jumps up and down several gallons within minutes.

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  xts first ride review - 2013 Cadillac XTS
  By ofcc63 - September 12 - 8:32 pm

  purchased 2013 xts premium 500 miles ago, so far so good. inside all materials are of premium quality. cue system was a little tough, now very user friendly, very quiet and stable ride, and i feel it has plenty of power, i dont see where you would need more performance. it really gets up and goes, and am getting 28-30 mpg highway. have had many new vehicles in past 5 years, and this is as good or better than any hi line import vehicle including mercedes or audi. technology is far better than any, and the price for what it is, is a real bargain hands down. if you are looking for a great deal best car in the segment, drove all competitors.

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  Car of the year? - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By jimboc240 - September 8 - 7:53 pm

  I owned the CTS4 with every option since new. (as well as many many other vehicles) I was generally happy with it, especially how it ran in the snow. You cant beat AWD. For a V6, it can move pretty well. The navigation and Bose sound system is probably its best point. It seemed to do everything well, but nothing stands out. I love our country, but the Germans really are on top in the quality department. On the surface, the interior looks nice, but the leather is thin, and everything else is just cheap plastic. The drivers seat broke. They wanted 1200 to fix it. It came with "heated windshield washers" but they disengaged it due to failure after 1 year. With no fix possible.

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  Fantastic car for the price - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By ryannel2003 - September 8 - 5:47 pm

  This is my 2nd Cadillac and I gotta tell you its been a fantastic car so far. Paid $5k for an 04 with 106k miles. Talk about a steal. Car has a wonderful, smooth ride and bumps no longer exist. Plenty of room for friends or to just stretch out. Northstar V8 has plenty of power and gets decent fuel economy on the highway. Stereo is great and has plenty of power. Tons of rear seat and trunk space as well... Wow! Styling is conservative yet clean and elegant. Love the LED taillights. Handling... well there isnt so much of that LOL. Its not a Town Car but you can certainly tell you are driving big car. Really enjoying this car so far.

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  King of the road - 2009 Cadillac Escalade
  By motorcity11 - August 31 - 11:41 pm

  I bought the truck new in 2009, 4 years and 60k later I have not had a single issue, this is in part cause I take extremely good care of her. I read all these negative reviews on here. it has been my experience that most people are cheap when it comes to vehicle maintenance and to rough when operating them ,when something goes bad they blame the make or model when its really the driver that caused the issue.

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  new owner of 93 nstar - 1993 Cadillac Allante
  By cobalt23 - August 30 - 6:03 am

  Just joined in on the fun with everyone. Please will some one out there take moment to console me on HOW to properly work the convert top, at the moment I fold down I hear this horrible click noise that drives you crazy and the back rim bar gets stuck on the rear hook ? I think I need to fold top up close together before I drop down Help Thanks to all, otherwise just love my PININ

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  Excellent First Effort by Cadillac!!! - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By oshkosh49 - August 13 - 8:10 pm

  Ive had this car for a few weeks. And its everything I was hoping it would be, and more. Ive been reading for the past 30 years in Car & Driver and Motor Trend about how great the driving experience of the BMW 3-Series was. During all of that time I was hoping like crazy that either Cadillac or Lincoln would develop and produce a direct competitor to the German entry level sport sedans. Lincoln hasnt yet, Cadillac finally did. Kudos to GM for not dropping the development of this model during their bankruptcy. The ATSs handling and steering feedback is just amazing. The ride is what you SHOULD expect from a compact sport sedan. Hey, its not your Grandpas land yacht!!!

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  Cadillac ATS 2.5 troubles with rough idle - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By dior97 - August 12 - 6:33 pm

  I have Cadillac ATS 2.5 4 cyl. that shakes, trembles during a routine stop lights during a stop. I have taken the vehicle to the dealer for software fix/updates but the problem is still there. . I"m very disappointed in this vehicle , in Cadillac and in GM. So much technology in the Cue, the radio but a vehicle that trembles and shakes is extremely annoying and gives The Cadillac ATS a sour tastes. so far, NO fix yet, NO response from Cadillac or GM. i will re post if update.