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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  Dissapointed - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By dissapointed - June 17 - 6:32 pm

  I am a long time Cadillac lover and although this is a pretty nice car I am very glad I bought it used instead of a 40 to 50 grand sticker new the 300 horse does not feel like 300 horse well thats at the crank anyway. Reliability is ok but I wouldnt take a long road trip without worrying of maxing out a credit card in repairs on the way parts are expensive not owner friendly maintenance . I should have stuck to the 94 mark vii 170k ran like a champ and not hard to work on and way more power. I have lost faith in gm. I have been turned to Ford. For performance and reliability very disappointed

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  5 yr Owner - 1999 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Eldorado Lover... - June 11 - 11:41 am

  I have owned my Eldorado now for 5 1/2 years and had a few problems with it, however it has been an amazing car to drive. Fast, fun, and comfortable. I would buy another one in a heart beat. it now has 141,000 and runs like a top. I would suggest to put synthetic oil in it though.

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  Do Not Buy - 1998 Cadillac Seville
  By Pittsburgh Boy - June 6 - 8:53 pm

  This car is great and fun to drive. My sls has the rain sensing wipers and power steering wheel that edmunds says the sts has. but Ive had it almost a year now and the problem list continues. never trust the 4.6 northstar unless its after 05. The thing overheats due to a head gasket problem which is a common problem with the 4.6 liter and even the 4.9 liter DHOC V8. the Bose system is amazing though. the trunk lid light doesnt work (also common). Also the radio doesnt save my stations and the final problem and reason Im selling it is that the other day i got in it, put my key in, and instantly all the windows went down by themselves (lucky it wasnt raining)

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  Good American car - 1990 Cadillac Deville
  By Markusa60 - June 5 - 2:59 pm

  I like Cadillacs because they hold up well. I have owned 3 and all three have done well. One went to 100,000 miles with only a exhaust repair and fuel injector repair. Now as far as foreign cars. My BMW 5 series 99 model went to 100,000 miles and by that time I had spent over 7,000 dollars on repairs, not including normal maint! Same thing happened with a Jag I owned. These foreign cars also cost more to own, purchase, so dont go telling me they are cheaper and hold up better. Regarding my now gone BMW, yes the engine and ride was great, but everything else was junk after 50,000 miles. Those are the facts I learned about domestic and foreign cars I have owned.

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  Nice Car - 1994 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Crock - June 3 - 8:34 pm

  This car is a sleeper. Very quick 40-85 mph. Decent fuel economy for a V8. Engine runs hotter and has led to problems such as leaking head gaskets and oil burning. The design of the seats is amazing, passengers will be stunned by the comfort. This vehicle handles very well.

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  Way To Go GM! - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Matt - June 1 - 7:23 pm

  I recently purchased a fully loaded Performance SRX without all-wheel for my wife and couldnt be happier, no buyer remorse here. In fact, Ive NEVER wrote a blog on any topic on the web, but felt like I had to on this one. I currently own 3 series BMW for myself and when my wife needed to get a car I had to take a look at this car since it was the styling that first caught my attention. However, what I found was that I was blown away by the comfort of the ride and all of the features the car has. It truly is a well thought out car. Happy to say my wife loves it too. Funny thing is that when i go to the garage I find myself pausing for a good minute before I decide which keys to grab.

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  Nice Care - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Ike - May 19 - 9:24 pm

  After two year - Im happy. Sorry to report that I had to have brakes and rotors replaced @ 43K. Bought with 16k - so no reason to replace the brakes - tires a still good for another 20k. Rides nice, all the bells and whistles are cool. Overall not bad except for the brakes. Recommend to someone looking for a nice car, great features, and class. Drove 1100 miles in two day and felt great getting out of the car. Ave 28 mpg - very good for an AWD, 6 cyl. I do get a lot of road noise when driving on concrete. Other then that - nice.

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  Unsure What to expect - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Edder - May 19 - 11:32 am

  I bought this car 6 days ago. I traded my high mileage Taurus SES in for it. It is 7 years old and has 44K miles, one owner. I had a pre purchase inspection done on it and my mechanic found a leaking oil sending unit and leaking valve cover gaskets, $700 to fix. I got the dealer to reduce the price by $1000. The car has new brake lines because it was a recall item. On the sixth day I was going to visit family and while sitting at a stoplight it just died and wont start. I had it towed to my mechanic and I am currently waiting to hear what it is!!!! I just sunk over $3K in the last year on my last car..... I bought a newer one to get away from repairs. Irony

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  Beautiful looking - but has issues - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By Pat dp - May 14 - 3:53 pm

  gas guzzler squealing brakes oil consumption problem rumbling in engine when climbing hills replacement of brake brackets and pad at 4500 miles! Nothing but problems. Shorted out wire car broke down within 12 hrs. of pick from dealership had to be flat-bedded back - a big red flag from day one! Gorgeous looking car but many problems! Hard to believe that there is no "low engine" light on the dash board - what were these engineers thinking?

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  Looks arent everything - 2008 Cadillac Escalade
  By cbloomers - May 9 - 1:09 pm

  Brought an 08 escalade drives OK not to clever around corners, and auto box has problems keeping up with engine sometimes. Build quality was the down fall and the reason I got rid of it, went for a LR3 Land rover instead much nicer to drive