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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  Complete Lemon - 2013 Cadillac XTS
  By richzand - April 10 - 11:39 am

  I have a very bad back so I always drive a big heavy car. The XTS has coach work 2nd to none. The problem is Ive had the car back to the dealer nine times. Service is supposed to be available at your preferred dealer. But if you have a legitimate problem, and the dealer doesnt have a fix they will blow you off because you arent going to give them a perfect survey. Im currently on my 3rd dealer. Getting Cadillac involved doesnt help they tell you dealers can refuse service if they choose to. I bought my car in July, and to date the vehicle will unlock the doors at least 25% of the time. When you are trying to get out the power seats, and mirrors will start moving. No heat, at times. Bad

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  Northstar engine bad design - 1999 Cadillac Seville
  By johnr24 - April 7 - 9:53 am

  The Northstar engine until about 2002 had lugbolts that were too short. So it blows a headgasket climbing hills. $3500 to repair with new longer bolts. No old high mileage Northstars ,only dead ones. Engine not considered rebuildable. A Cadillac engine design mistake (30 yr Cad owner)

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  Great Car - 1995 Cadillac Seville
  By tamerz - April 4 - 8:01 am

  I just bought a 95 STS. This car is amazingly comfortable and great ride. It is powerful engine rolls this huge car well. I am very impressed with it and working on getting the stereo and other parts upgraded to my specifications. Looking to get white rim wheels for it at some point if I find ones that fit the bill.

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  Black Beauty - 2013 Cadillac SRX
  By tom384 - March 31 - 12:38 pm

  We went to the dealer in Orlando Fl after we had some figures from edmunds and other dealers. This being our third cadillac we qualified for the $1000. loyalty rebate. We received an excellent price out the door with our trade-in so there was not any hassles or game playing.

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  Cadillac ATS 3.6 RWD with FE3 magnetic ride - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By m3nomore - March 30 - 1:03 pm

  I have owned two M3s and an S4 among other cars. But after test-driving the 3.6 ATS and comparing prices, the Caddy ATS won hands down for me. For handling, ride comfort, and braking, ATS beats the others. Yeah, M3 is quicker by .7 sec to 60 ... not a big deal unless you take your ride to the track every weekend. Mileage: 19mpg city, 29 highway(!), 24 combined so no complaints there especially as compared to M3. This car is a pleasure to drive with its great handling, and it feels good to have finally cut the cord to those overpriced Germans. CUE is not perfect but is far from a deal-breaker. Overall: this car is a winner and I have NO regrets with this purchase.

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  great car - 2013 Cadillac XTS
  By tommyycar - March 27 - 11:02 am

  I like to wait until I have driven a new car for a thousand miles before I review it. I must say that this car is a dreamboat! It has been written about as the new definition of the American luxury car, and I think that that is apt. It is not an attempt at a European or Japanese clone. Its its own thing, and I like it a lot. Its big enough to feel luxurious but not so big it feels clunky on the road. Its great to drive. I traded my 2012 BMW X5 for this ( I hated the electronic shifter in the BMW) and before that I had a Lexus LS460. I like this Cadillac far better than either of these.

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  BMW Convert - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By csrmax - March 25 - 3:03 pm

  Having owned several BMWs, I thought Id never own any other brand(especially a Cadillac). When my last BMWs lease was up in Dec 2012, I looked at both the 535 and 335.... lease prices were insane! Additionally, I had a hard time telling the 3 from the 5 series, and interiors were blah! After reading several reviews of the ATS, I decided that a test drive wouldnt hurt, my expectations not being high, I was pleasantly surprised, and, frankly, somewhat stunned how well the ATS drove! After several more test drives(2.0T AWD vs. 3.6 AWD) I now an ATS in my garage!

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  Happy Owner - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By majsharan - March 23 - 9:24 pm

  I have owned my Cadillac CTS since 2008 when I bought it fully loaded during the bankruptsy and employee pricing wars for $35,000. At that point the 09s were out so I also got rebates for buying the old model year. I have been generally very happy with purchase. A couple of issues mostly relating to fit and finish. The car has some spots where the wood accents arent quite large enough to fill the space they are in so there a couple of gaps here and there. Also, the car has a pretty bad paint job for a luxury car. It was like they only put one coat of clear on it. The car also has some interior rattles that seem to come from the bowels of the dash and cant be held down to be stopped.

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  Cadillac produces a WINNER!!!! - 2013 Cadillac ATS
  By golddog1 - March 14 - 10:10 am

  I recently leased a Cadillac ATS and have been very pleased with this vehicle. 3.6 AWD has returned 21.4 mpg. The overall ride is very comfortable and composed. Plenty of power with the 3.6 and the brakes are stellar. The run-flat tires can be noisy but that depends on the pavement. Overall quietness is very good. The CUE system, for me, is extremely easy to use. Not sure why so many reviewers, including the experts, are having such a difficult time with it. Controls are all well laid out and easy to access. Overall, a comfortable, fun, technology packed vehicle that makes driving fun again.

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  I miss my Pontiac Grand Prix, which as a better built car. - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By originalsoul31 - March 13 - 10:43 am

  For 10 years, my dream car was the CTS. My Pontiac Grand Prix GT suffered a blown head gasket. Sold it for $600 and used the money as a down payment for the 03 CTS. Test drove it, loved it. The same day I left the car lot, problems arose. The oil pressure light came on, but that turned out to be a wet sensor. The next week, the check engine light comes on, its a bad gas cap, fixed that after a few weeks of troubleshooting. Last week it shuts down on the freeway suddenly. Two months in and I still cant trust this car. Hopefully once I can get it right, Ill love it. But right now, its making my 99 Grand Prix and 84 Toyota Tercel seem like better built cars.