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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  TERRIBLE QUALITY... - 2009 Cadillac Escalade
  By Tim - July 14 - 9:17 am

  ... for something aesthetically pleasing. At the end of 2014 I purchased a used CPO 2009 Cadillac Escalade with ~53,000 miles. It was fully loaded. THANKFULLY, it has had all repairs still under warranty, However, the warrant expires in a month and I am seriously considering selling the car to avoid costly repairs. Since I have owned it for almost a year the following repairs have been needed: heating and ventilation front driver seat repair, front struts needed replaced, cables to and from battery replaced due to complete electrical system failure while driving, lumbar support drivers seat repair, right drivers side CV boot leak, side cover for moon roof replacement, tire pressure monitoring system constantly going on/off, and now battery draining overnight and auto-up/down on driver side window malfunctioning. The complete electrical failure while driving was the scariest. We experienced a complete electrical system failure while driving twice (i.e. NO POWER STEERING, NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, NO INJECTION OF FUEL INTO ENGINE). Thankfully, my wife and I were able to pull the vehicle over before an accident occurred. Cadillac replaced the cables going to and from the car battery which has seemingly remedied the issue. There are tons of forums of this occurring and how the NHTSA has not recalled the car because of this boggles my mind. Overall this car is a prime example of poor mechanical engineering. DO NOT PURCHASE this car if you value reliability or quality craftsmanship. Unfortunately, it was my wifes dream car, but it has been in the shop for more often than not and she has been unable to showcase its most valuable asset: aesthetics. I cannot imagine the cost that we will incur once the CPO warranty expires. For example, the cost to repair the drivers side heated and ventilated seat was just over $1,000. The Cadillac dealership near us charges $150 just to diagnose an issue. I guess this is what you get for a "luxury" vehicle. In comparison, I have owned a 2004 Lexus ES330 currently with 130,000 miles and the only maintenance I have performed are oil changes and new tires. I have owned it for 3 years when I purchased it with ~90,000 miles on it. Good luck Cadillac owners. I feel your pain

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  This is the worse SUV ever! - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By depe3131 - June 23 - 1:57 pm

  I havent had this suv a year and its by far the worse suv I ever owned. I have taken this suv in 10-15 times due to the idling. Every time I stop I get a horrible shake. I bought the suv because it was a CPO and no one seems to be able to know whats going on. I will get rid of this crappy suv this summer. Horrible Horrible Horrible!!!!!!

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  VERY UNHAPPY WITH PURCHASE - 2006 Cadillac SRX
  By theresas3 - May 2 - 1:30 pm

  I bought this car October 2013. 2 weeks after the motor blew. Fortunately we were able to get GM to cover the costs of replacing the motor. then i was back in again to have the entire strut assembly replaced, not long after that i went in to have wheel barings replaed (i was ok with that) then again back in to have the water pump replaced. ive only owned this car 6 months. Now i am having some issues again that the service techinicians cant seem to figure out. I had my oil changed on March 6th. On April 23rd i took my car back in do it acting weird and find out i only have 1 qt of oil in it although i had 6 qts put in it 1 1/2 months before... they have no idea what wrong now... very unhappy

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  2013 CTS Coupe the worst car ever - 2013 Cadillac CTS
  By aptiva1 - January 20 - 9:51 am

  Bought a CTS Coupe 2013, it was the worse car ever. The car didnt drive straight. The trans was very sluggish. The steering was too lose. The CTS was the worst car I ever got. Dtay away from this car, its a mess.

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  engine breaks fast - 1999 Cadillac Seville
  By drivinitsoftly - January 3 - 6:47 pm

  owned the car 3 years had engine rebuilt ($5k at 50K miles), followed 2 years later by a cracked casing which was going to cost another 2k. this car is a money pit. avoid at all ALL costs.

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  Dont ever buy or lease a cadillac from Moss Robertson Cadillac in Gainesville, GA - 2011 Cadillac CTS
  By donnaraef - December 31 - 12:52 pm

  Two weeks after leasing what we thought would be a wonderful car the cadi started making a terrible knocking noise when started! Brought it back twice and was told BOTH times that it was manufactured that way and for us to just DEAL WITH IT! Tried to turn in our cadi for another model and Nick Jones, our original sales rep, did NOT even have the courtesy to call me back! So disappointed with this dealership in ALL regards. We turned in the Cadi and r now driving a 2011 ES 350 Lexus!!Guess what! We turned the car in and now own a brand new Lexus ES 350! So disappointed with this dealership cannot even put anything else into words except that they need to be ashamed of themselves.

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  This Vehicle Might Become Your Casket - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By nothappy2010 - December 14 - 11:38 am

  My Navy son was involved in a serious 5 car collision involving my 2005 CTS. The AT-FAULT driver hit my son from the rear, causing him to hit 3 more cars. ALL safety features failed, causing injuries to my son. NONE of the airbags inflated and the seat belt failed to restrain my son. General Motors will not return emails and/or calls-after spending countless hours with my car. They are skirting the accident, which is why I filed a formal complaint with the Consumer Safety Division. Now GM will be required to supply my family with answers. Had my son been hit a mere 10mph faster - he may have suffered severe injury, maybe even death! Thank God he is okay.

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  Worst Car Ever - 1999 Cadillac Catera
  By floridacollegestuden - February 13 - 10:55 pm

  I bought this car for $5000 with 60k miles on it or so.10k miles later I was forced to get rid of it for $100. It has been on the market for so long and no longer would run. I kept pouring money into it and it never would work. Worse car I ever owned. The Catera isnt even Cadillac. The Cadillac dealer in my town refused to work on them. They said it wasnt a real Cadillac. I will never buy any GM car again.

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  Unreliable vehicle - 2016 Cadillac XTS
  By silver - July 28 - 1:16 am

  I bought this gorgeous, classy, luxurious and very expensive 2016 Cadillac Platinum top of the line Caddy. After five months and 6000 miles it is sitting in my garage unused waiting to be traded in at a major loss. Serious maintenance problems include a complete loss of power overnight while sitting in the garage. Roadside service had problems starting it with his power pack and finally had to jump start it with an old personal truck that he used. The dealer service department could not find a fault after keeping the car overnight to trace the battery drain. A few days later while on a local drive, the transmission failed! It would not move forward or reverse. The beautiful car sat on the side of the road until road service showed up to tow it to the dealership. The dealer determined parts were needed to repair it and it took almost a week to get it repaired. The transmission is now shifting rough but dealer test shows no fault. Being an elderly owner, I have lost all confidence in the vehicle and do not dare drive it on long trips. I am now using my wifes reliable Honda CRV for long trips. Very embarrassing to tell friends, family and neighbors why this beautiful vehicle sits in the garage unused. Buyers must heed the below average consumer reliability ratings for Cadillac. Beware.

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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.