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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  Fun to drive - 2015 Cadillac ATS
  By Harold - December 9 - 12:13 am

  We leased the ATS because of its great looks but was pleasantly surprised by the excellent ride and handling. I would say the ATS actually drives better than a 3 series BMW. We do not regret leasing this fun to drive car. Only complaint is the rear seat is not designed for large adults and difficult to enter and exit but once you get in it is comfortable enough for moderate trips. Highly recommend.

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  2001 for $2000 - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By Mike E. - November 25 - 1:45 am

  I just recently bought a 2001 Deville in the typical "old person" color of tan. I needed a cheap car to get to and from work. It has 160xxx miles on it and cost $2000 So far it has not impressed me but for such a low cost, what can I expect. I was leasing a 2015 Kia Optima and this beater Caddy actually rides better than the brand new car. I was told prior to purchasing it that it will need a torque solenoid thing but the mechanic assured me that it could be replaced a little later on. I too have experienced the horror of the power windows not working. Currently the driver side front is the only one working but again... $2000

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  It returns the favor - 2014 Cadillac SRX
  By Melissa - November 17 - 7:49 am

  Remember the commercial...when you turn your car on, does it return the favor? This one does! Couldnt quite pull off the luxury package so we got the base and I do love it. Loved it from afar from the first time I saw it. My only issue is blind spots...they take a bit to get used to. If I had to do it over, would have for sure gotten the rear camera. Even with the base model, it is quite luxurious. Great interior, easy to use and fun to drive. Great gas mileage around town (over 17) and handles well in the snow and ice. Feels sturdy when driving - we drove a few of the competitors which felt light weight and unstable - this one just felt safer when driving. Interior - the black seemed to be the only model that had "matching" interior. Did not care for one color dash, different color seats, different color carpet...then the wood accents...a little too pimpy for this lady. Went with the black...black seats, dash and carpet and carbon fiber (rather than wood) and that did the trick.

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  Front end clunk when accelerating from a stop. - 2008 Cadillac Escalade
  By Ray gloria - November 16 - 6:04 pm

  I have an 08 escalade thats awd with a 6.2 when putting it in drive and taking off or accelerating from a stop I hear a clunk in the front end. I already replaced the u-joints in the rear but I have not got into the front. This is my first awd vehicle. Also the guy at discount tire said that my front tires look like when I brake they the front tires are fighting directions because of the wear.

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  Loved it at first, but fatal flaw... - 2014 Cadillac XTS
  By David Wang - October 24 - 7:13 pm

  I recently had this car for an extended rental covering nine days and 1200 miles, so I hope my review holds some weight. When I first got on the road in this Cadillac, I was thoroughly impressed and thought GM has come a long way since the last time I had regular use of another GM vehicle in the late 90s. This Cadillac had good power, good braking, decent handling and road feel. The HID headlights light up everything on the road, but get used to the flashing from oncoming cars thinking you have your high beams on. The 6-speed transmission is good but is no match to an 8-speed ZF transmission. The interior is very nicely appointed, but the infotainment/climate control is extremely cumbersome. Buttons would not register depresses or would be delayed. Adjusting the audio volume with buttons that had a delay couldnt be more annoying. The large LCD screen showed fingerprints all over and there is color banding if viewed thru polarized sunglasses. The hidden compartment behind the controls was too easily opened when inadvertently touched. The Bluetooth connection also intermittently would not play audio from an iPhone and would require an effort to disconnect and reconnect. Which leads me to review the worst design flaw of this vehicle: the "smart" key. The locking algorithm of the car allows the user to lock the key inside the car with no ability to unlock the car. I experienced this when I had the key in my hiking backpack, walked up and opened the trunk where I placed said pack and key inside the trunk and closed the trunk. Doing so, locks the trunk without alarm and does not unlock the trunk and/or doors. No other smartkey equipped car Ive experienced would allow the user to do this, and I cannot believe GM engineers did not think of this all-too-common scenario. Even a 2007 Toyota Prius would unlock the cabin doors if it detects the user closing the hatch with the key inside the hatch. Overall, this was a nice effort by GM in producing a luxury vehicle to compete with the Japanese and German manufacturers, but it still misses in the fine details that make a good car a great car.

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  Sexual white chocolate - 2012 Cadillac SRX
  By Amanda - October 18 - 9:26 pm

  Let me start off by saying this vehicle is gorgeous! A real looker, and there arent too many of them out there alongside all of those Ford Edges and Nissan Muranos. The interior is impressive, even though we dont have the large nav screen, it still looks great. Expensive looking. The leather is high quality and the reason we bought the 2012 is because it really doesnt look worn at all.. Weve only recently figured out why it doesnt look worn - its very uncomfortable!! Im 60 and had to sit in the backseat for 4 hours, and honestly it was less comfortable than an airplane for me. My head kept hitting the roof, i couldnt put my knees straight out, and for some reason this models back seats dont recline (thought that was standard but it may only be for Performance models) so youre literally sitting stick-straight the whole time and the seats dont give in any way. The front seats are much more comfortable than the back, but still less comfortable than our 2013 Jetta SE. If its beauty youre after, and something with a sturdy interior that will last, then this car is for you. If comfort is priority, look elsewhere (we test drove an MKX and it was very very comfy all around).

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  2 for 1 and did my homework - 2012 Cadillac SRX
  By JC - October 4 - 6:21 pm

  I traded in my 05 Infiniti q45 and 04 Chevy trailblazer in for the Srx. I wanted all the same features both vehicles had together. I look at the Lincoln, Mercedes , Infiniti and BMW. But for the value you could not beat Cadillac. I am a 63" male thats sits comfortably inside and do not have a problem getting in or out. Cadillac services or will maintain the vehicle for the next 3 years all free. I test drove a 2015 but settled on the 12. Didnt want big car payments. Plus the only difference is the navigation radio system but everything else is the same. It has 22000 miles and certified pre-own. I had it a month a get 21 mpg around town and 25 on the highway. This is great compared to my last v8 and v6 engines. And it takes regular gases. The dealer also washes it at every service a sweep as give you a brand new loaner. I do recommend you test drive.

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  So Far So Good - 2015 Cadillac SRX
  By JT - October 1 - 11:22 am

  My first American Car in over 30 years. Mostly a Lexus and Infinity owner in this class. After test driving, took the leap. So far So Good. Impressive.

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  Over 100000 miles and it still performs - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By David Graham - September 29 - 1:05 pm

  Just got back from a 1000 mile road trip with my buddies and the Escalade did not disappoint. Ride was smooth, power was great and even though the 2015s completely changed the look, this car still looks great. We purchased the car used with 35000 miles and its had some minor repairs. (motor mounts, door handles power liftgate motor, power mirror motor) My main gripe is the lack of an aux jack or USB jack. We thought the rear aux jack could be used to connect an IPOD but that doesnt work.

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  Platinum Bargain! - 2011 Cadillac DTS
  By JimBo - September 24 - 10:12 pm

  Searched for this platinum edition for over 4 years...makes an incredible used car buy given all the stats on reliability and safety, combine that with inlaid wood and cadillac logos on the upgraded leather seats with alcantara headliner and courtesy lights...the perfect chauffeuring car for taking friends and family out to dinner or cruising down the highway is where it really shines! You will probably think the ride is a bit rough for such a big luxury car, but getting it up to speed smooths things out. Bought my 4 year old DTS with 32k miles at about 1/3 the MSRP...BARGAIN!