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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  Love My Car! - 1993 Cadillac Eldorado
  By OpenReddoor - September 21 - 2:43 pm

  Ive owned and loved this 1993 Eldorado since it was new. Its difficult to let it go! The quality of the leather, paint, etc. is remarkable. It has no rust and no tears. This car isnt nickel-&-diming me to death! It runs great under all conditions with great V8 pick-up and with astonishingly economical gas and service, when needed. This is a solid car for your loved ones...Ive always felt "safe" in this sporty but full size wheel-base auto. Find the right one for you and you will have many years of reliabible luxury transport!

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  My Car - 2000 Cadillac Deville
  By richard fricano - September 19 - 10:15 am

  The DeVille is a good looking car and it is fun to drive. I have not had any major problsms with it yet.

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  Caddy Fun - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By mike - September 18 - 6:39 pm

  My Catera has a quiet ride and Cadillac quality. It would be even better if it had more horsepower, but overall it makes a great graduation gift and after all, it is a Cadillac.

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  My 05 STS V-8 with 1sg package - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Robert - September 18 - 5:13 pm

  The performance of the vehicle is outstanding and transmission shifts so smooth you do not feel it shifting. Exterior and interior fit and finish is is up to par if not better than all other autombiles.

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  STS - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Gene - September 17 - 9:24 pm

  This is a very nice car that is fun to drive. I love the keyless entry and navigation system. Thanks GM, Cadillac is BACK.

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  Great Car, Love It - 1994 Cadillac Seville
  By howard haas - September 16 - 6:07 pm

  This is my second Cadillac. I have loved the body style of the 94 Seville STS for years and finally bought one. My car is white diamond and man does it look good in that color. The car has great performance and is fun to drive. The only drawback is the cup holders stink, they are too small and too short.

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  Love it... - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By LEK - September 16 - 6:00 pm

  The new 50/50 body distribution of the Escalade makes for great handling and it stops on a dime. The third seat air curtain is great for those who are carrying extra passengers. The Escalade even has a number of color options. It rides as smoothly as a sedan...

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  Finally a real competitor - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Aeryc - September 16 - 10:10 am

  Already owned 2 Cadillacs and had no intentions of replacing my 2004 CTS with another Cadillac. However, my dealer called me when the 2008 came in and insisted I drive it. Needless to say I feel in love and I couldnt pass up the deal. GM finally blew me away with this car and kept me as a customer. Purchased a fully loaded Crystal Red with the 3.6 Direct Inject engine. This is truly an amazing car and far succeeds the previous models and certainly is a competitor to BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, etc.

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  The Best - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Dave - September 16 - 7:48 am

  The 2006 Cadillac STS is the best. It provides great performance, is fun to drive, and has had absolutly no problems.

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  2003 Cadillac DeVille - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By John E. Herman - September 13 - 3:41 pm

  At 15,000 miles, my car was burning a quart of oil every 900 miles. Cadillac refused to install a new engine, but rebuilt the old engine instead installing new pistons and rings. My car now has 35,000 miles and runs okay but the gas mileage dropped considerably from what it was before the overhaul. I will never buy another Cadillac and probably wont buy a GM car again. Im currently considering some high end Japenese cars.