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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  Wow!! - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By chaz_praz - April 16 - 2:00 am

  Im a 28 year old bachelor, never in a million years did I think Id be driving a Caddy. Thank you GM for making your products competitive in a crowded market, it feels good to get behind the wheel of an American car. As for the vehicle, tons of value for the money over BMWs and Audis. Fast, nimble and has a great purr when you throttle it.

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  Burns oil - 1995 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Ron Faria - April 15 - 2:00 am

  Car is fast, reliable, economical and fun to drive. I think that its styling is still is better looking than any car in the market place even today. We still get a lot of compliments about it. Problem, the north star engine is notorius for burning oil. Most dealers wont admit it but I have talked with many northstar owners and they all tell stick and have to be cleaned out by their special process but at a cost of $450.00. It worked pretty well but now it gets 900 miles per quart. I was told that another cleaning will do the job. Now that is $900.00 to take care of a problem that shouldnt happen in the first place .

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  BRENS CADI - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By jaelin - April 13 - 2:00 am

  Prior to purchasing my cadillac deville I admired every deville seen on the road. After about a year I visited the dealership just for fun. I had no idea I would return home with my cadillac. I absolutely love everything about it.

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  best truck out - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By ralph d - April 13 - 2:00 am

  i love this truck

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  MyCorvette - 2004 Cadillac Seville
  By BlondeLion - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Mine is a 2003 STS. I love this car. It has power and elegance at the same time. It is comfortable, drives like a dream and when I hit the gas pedal, I know I am out there. I feel safe in this car with the extra protection that is built in. 90 miles an hr. feels like 50.

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  Esclade Super SUV - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By RSC - April 10 - 2:00 am

  After owning SUVs for the past 16 years, I have been very impressed with the Esclade. Good power, Good handleing, Great Brakes, Good vision and did I say GREAT BRAKES!

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  Enjoy the ride. - 2001 Cadillac Seville
  By Edward Hothan - April 9 - 2:00 am

  Excellent handling vehicle. Especially appreciated on mountain type terrain. Holds the road very well at high speed and handles dips and curves without concern. Love the ride. Engine power is balanced well in just the right range. Would have liked one more gear, like an "overdrive" on this car. Have had this vehicle well over 100 mph on a couplke of occasions, piece of cake. Smooth as silk, great rideing vehicle.

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  Great Car! - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Bob - April 9 - 12:56 am

  WOW! I love the styling, comfort and performance of the 2005 Cadillac CTS. I have the 3.6L engine with the manual transmission and no other options. This cars MSRP was $32,545 and I received $7,750 in incentives from General Motors. The manual feels faster than the auto and is much more fun to drive.

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  My Caddy - 2000 Cadillac Deville
  By Snuffy72 - April 7 - 2:00 am

  Excellant maintenance and repair experience so far. ONLY a tie rod replacement at about 24000 miles ruins a perfect performance.

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  BEST CAR FOR ME - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By shibby da dib - April 7 - 2:00 am

  this car was amazing to drive, fun for my kids, in fact i bought my twin sons them for there sweet 16