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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  Awesome car - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By eots44 - June 30 - 12:06 pm

  First of all there is more than one trim level and engine option. I have the top trim level one with the upgraded 3.6 L and all wheel drive with the gold emblem package. Love every thing about the car I have bought other cars since this one but love it so much I kept it and still use it. Here 9 years later and about 180,000 miles she is still running strong and fun as hell to drive. I remember when I first test drove it I was in disbelief it was a caddy. Ive owned and remember the devilles, sevilles, and fleetwoods big floaty land yachts, but this is small and sporty, something I used to think wasnt in Cadillacs vocabulary.

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  Lemon - 2008 Cadillac SRX
  By apovolotski - June 21 - 11:19 am

  8 months into the purchase, I begin to believe that Ive got a lemon. Currently, it is broken down and has been here and there throughout the tenure. Here is the chronological order of things that broke down: 1. Handle holder on the roof (the one that you hold on to to get in and out of the car) -- was hammered in -- easy fix. 2. Front seat plastic backing was hanging -- clamp was off -- easy fix. 3. Muffler was rumbling, weird noise level up -- clamp was off -- easy fix. 4. Engine chugging -- spark plug replaced. 5. Back seats rattling wildly and violently at high speeds -- wheel balancing did not solve the problem -- still rattle. 6. Power steering and pump failed. 7.Chugging bad

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  Of the Town. - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By mrcadillacman - June 19 - 10:57 pm

  DeVille, literally translated from French to English means "of the town". All I want to do is drive this around town. Ventilated Cooled Front seats, heated seats, heated steering wheel, XM Radio, OnStar, integrated turn signals in the side mirrors, hands-free calling, And parking sensors just to name a few of my favorite features. I am a 20 year old male and I love LOVE driving this beautiful machine. I am proud to say "Thats my Cadillac" My second DeVille and I will buy another Cadillac soon, after all, Cadillac is the new standard of the World, Right?

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  Overall good car, but has its problems - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By cts_owner1 - June 18 - 9:31 pm

  I bought this car two years ago with 123,000 miles on it, and it now has 155,000. Overall, pretty reliable as I do a lot of traveling back and forth to school. Ive had to replace the timing belt, gas cap, brake lines, rotors, ball joints, drive shaft, bearings here and there and probably more that I cant think of. All are pretty expensive fixes and sometimes I wish I had a cheaper car. But gas mileage is great compared to any other on the market.

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  Not perfect, but reliable as the sunrise, and fun to drive! - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By usa4me - June 12 - 10:43 pm

  This car is an absolute dream to drive. It has a firm, yet compliant ride, handles great at high speeds through the mountain pass I drive through twice a day to work and back. Acceleration is brisk, and the top end is terrific for such a big car. Room galore inside for six, large trunk, and killer looks make this a very sane car in comparison to even some V6 foreign cars. I average 24 MPG including a 15 minute climb of 4500 feet 2X a day. I have averaged 27+ on a 2.5 hour drive via highway. Phenomenal mileage for a V8 with loads of power on tap at any speed.

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  ATS V6 AWD Performance - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By thomas78 - June 7 - 10:03 pm

  This is a great car, period. Is it a great value? Compared to a similarly equipped 3 series, absolutely. I was ready to "pull the trigger" on a $56K 3 series but couldnt justify its value, especially with that pathetic plastic screen sticking up out of the top of the dash board, really? CUE, like your first smart phone or new computer operating system, needs understanding. However, its appalling to see Consumer Reports slam ATSs rating because of CUE--shame on them. The ATS is fun to drive, the sound system is outstanding, cabin noise is non-existent and it handles like a dream--better than a 3 series. A small trunk, tight rear seat and stiff ride are justified minor complaints.

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  Unreliable Nav System. - 2012 Cadillac SRX
  By tweeder - June 3 - 6:36 am

  While I enjoy all the reasons I chose the SRX (ease of entry/exit, style, seat comfort, handling, etc), the expensive Navigation system is a joke! The map display is fine, the audible prompts are OK, the way it works with POIs is confusing, but the main reason for having a GPS system (guiding you to a destination) is totally unreliable! I, like so many others I now discover, have, in only a few months of ownership, experienced numerous incidence of inaccurate directions. Apparently the map database used is woefully out of date and inaccurate. To compound the disappointment, GM knows its bad and offers no fix! Back to Japan or Korea for next car!

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  LOVE the car but its had its problems - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By ideal_dreams - May 30 - 7:00 pm

  My parents bought me an 03 luxury model CTS for my 16th birthday and Ive been driving it for two years now. For 10 years old, it still looks great and in style, however it has had its share of problems. I have had to replace the rear O2 sensor. The camshaft and crankshaft position sensors on the engine also both went bad, which made the car stall randomly after running for a while. It was also leaking fluid onto the exhaust manifold which caused a bad burning smell when the heat was on, which was an expensive fix. Handles OK in the winter, but I wasnt able to make it up a snow covered hill. Great car but its showing its age under the hood.

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  wont start - 2013 Cadillac XTS
  By cappy12 - May 30 - 5:18 am

  after sitting for 4-6 days the battery goes completely dead. dealer says nothing wrong . after returning from a 7 day vacation the battery goes completely dead. I have no faith in this car and am afraid to park for a few days . the dealer charges the battery, I could do that. gm is still the leader in unreliability ,dont buy this car until they come up with a fix for the cue. I believe this is a lemon

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  Cadillac Delivers Excellence, GM does not. - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By darkmatter - May 28 - 6:53 pm

  I purchased my 3.6L v6 STS fully loaded for $10,000 after my previous Cadillac, a 2000 Deville DHS, was totaled from hail damage. I needed to get a new car quickly, and I had my first Cadillac for so long with no issues I wanted to stick to the brand. When I first sat in the vehicle the overwhelming number of "intuitive" features was extremely intimidating. Overtime, they grew on me, and the immense customization became a tool from the vehicle to optimize a perfect driving experience. However, with all the great number of features and beautiful styling of the car I found it was easy to overlook the mechanics. One week after I purchased the vehicle, I noticed a "clicking" noise. Continued: