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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  Hmph - 2000 Cadillac Seville
  By Warning - March 3 - 3:41 pm

  if you buy one of these out of warranty youre gonna wanna put about $4,000 in a safe for that rainy day when your head gaskets or cylinder heads fail you. Youre also going to want to set aside $150 semiannually for replacement of the front door Bose subwoofers. And youre going to want to put aside $70 weekly for gas because the car breathes it in. Youre going to wonder why your engine shuts off at a stoplight the day after a rainy day. Youre going to want to put your hazards on so the hasty driver behind you wont beep their horn when the light turns green after yours shuts off. Youre going to want to change that dexcool annually, forget what the manual says. Three years later youre going to wonder why you bought it.

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  Worst Car Ive Ever Owned - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By Joe - February 8 - 8:28 pm

  This is the worst vehicle Ive ever owned. It has had too many problems to list, but they include the audio computer programed for a CTS, the wrong seat installed, water leaks, power window failures, etc. I cant believe Cadillac put its name on this car. Too bad because I love the looks both inside and out. Its comfortable on the highway and very pleasant to drive anywhere. It could have better gas mileage, though. Its the right size and has good storage capacity. Ive had lots of people admire it and ask how I like it. Too bad I have to tell them what a lemon it is.

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  Verdicts Still Out - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By First Caddy Owner - January 30 - 10:56 pm

  I bought this vehicle in April 06. I loved the new style. The remote start and remote lift gate are great! Navigation and XM radio also great. I also love the climate-controlled front seats, heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. GM still cant figure out flat folding 3rd seats though! And no auto up windows? Come on! Also, I hate that it has no telescoping steering wheel. My driver door had rattle since day one. I have been to dealer five times, and they cant stop it. Now I have a vibration in the front dash, too. And, the brakes squeak terribly in cool, damp weather! The dealer looked at them twice and says nothing can be done. This is my fourth GM vehicle, but first with squeaky brakes - and its a Caddy. Overall, I like the vehicle, but am not sure that Id get another one

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  OVER PRICED EQUINOX - 2016 Cadillac SRX
  By Thomas Mulligan - January 20 - 2:27 pm

  Ive owned this 2016 Cadillac SRX for one week and its stopped running while my wife was 150 miles away from home. I spent upwards of 40k for a car that malfunctioned with less than 300 miles on it. I dont know what the dealership (Barton Birks Chevrolet in Newburgh NY ) did to prep this car for delivery but obviously something got missed? This is not the outcome I expected after trading in a Honda CRV that never needed anything other than oil changes and tires. The dealership where the car was towed advised that the code read "throttle body assembly". This car just came out of the factory!!! I bought a new car so I could trust that when my family was away from home that the car we bought would keep them safe. Perhaps this is why they push the extended warranty at purchase.

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  2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By david saylor - December 20 - 9:06 pm

  I have had problems with chopping the outside edge of the front tires. The tailgate on the EXT just falls open. The edge at the back of the tailgate is higher than the gate itself, a design flaw.

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  Not What I Expected - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By niki - December 17 - 9:22 am

  Well I have been driving an Escalade for seven years now and love it! Ready to try on the new 2007 model, I drove to the dealership to pick it up! Cadillac is well aware of my disappointment, I called them! This is a $65,000 - $70,000 truck and I felt the interior quality was significantly lower than in years past! You can see dramatic cuts they made to make it seem more roomy! The seats are less comfortable and the cup holders, ha! The windows dont power up! The automatic back hatch is awesome though. At least thats an improvement. But bring back my confy seats! I think I want my 2004 Escalade back!

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  2003 Cadillac CTS - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By FrankM - December 8 - 10:00 am

  The car is really fun to drive, but the cabin is extremely noisy. Noises are everywhere- dashboard, seats, windows, doors, you name it! Within the first three weeks I had the car, I had to send it back to the dealer for service. Other than these "little" problems, the car has a comfortable ride (although the rear has very little leg room), performance is fine, and the engine is really powerful. The dashboard controls are very easy to access, too, sompared to similar models.

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  Nothing but Engine Problems... - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By Bill - December 6 - 11:17 pm

  After many times in the shop and finally a blown head gasket I sent this car to the junk yard. The mechanic at the dealer told me "this is the worts car they ever made" Germany with an Opel engine.

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  Lots of Problems - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By Cassie - December 4 - 8:19 am

  I have owned a Catera for about two years and its been in the shop almost as long as its been on the road. It has had several problems, including overheating and electrical.

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  This is the Best GM Can Do? - 1997 Cadillac Seville
  By John - November 13 - 7:39 pm

  This is the worst car I have ever owned. I took impeccable care of it, yet the engine head gaskets failed starting at 70,000 miles. They would have cost almost $5,000 to fix. I decided to sell the car to mechanic who ended up replacing the engine. At 40,000 to 70,000 miles I had to replace both rear window motors, water pump, radiator, alternator, the dealer had to pull engine to fix oil leaks, two struts failed, and a host of other problems. Some repairs were covered under warranty, no wonder GM cant make a profit on its cars. Many others are have the same problems. This is GMs flagship vehicle? No wonder people are switching to the Asians. My Infiniti has not had any problems in 70,000 miles.