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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  Catera- its a terra! - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By micar - September 11 - 11:26 pm

  When running, my Catera looks and drives well. It loves visiting the mechanic though. The strangest things go wrong almost weekly. I expected better from Caddilac / German engineering!

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  DeVille DTS - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Carleen - September 7 - 6:58 pm

  I had a 1995 DeVille for 10 years which was better designed, and more comfortable than my 2005 DeVille. The bucket seats sink in the middle, with hard edges - 21 inches from front to back -- pressure on sciatic nerve in right leg causing numbness! The seat belts cuts across my neck (Im 55")creating an irritating hazard. The seat belts and side air bags are attached to the seats (very poor design). This is the most uncomfortable car Ive ever owned. Cadillac needs to rethink this design! Id never have bought it, if I had tried it first. It was purchased from an out of state dealer by my dealer. Dealers were out of cars, due to employee discount. Salesmen didnt know that DTS stood for "sport performance" car. Great for the under 40 6 tall guy.

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  Dont buy Catera or any other GM product - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By Alex - September 1 - 7:45 am

  This car has been absolutely terrible. Although the car is a nice drive when running right it rarely runs right. Lucky I bought an extended warranty that has paid more than $10,000 in repair costs. My problems range from a faulty seat heater to a broken transmission and bad control arm bushings. Also, during my frequent dealership visits I have received crappy service. Dont buy this car or anything else GM makes.

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  Rebuilding a 1996 Cadillac Seville SLS - 1996 Cadillac Seville
  By GoldenRod - July 26 - 6:52 pm

  I bought this car used with 65k miles on it. 3k miles later the engine needs to be replaced at 69k miles at a cost of $3,000. I also had to fix two window motors $600, ignition switch $400, alternator $600, and fuel line split (covererd under recall). Things that broke that I refuse to fix: transmission currently at 100k for $4,000 and air conditioner for $1,500 plus another dead window motor for $300. The new motor has roughly 35k on it and burns oil. I will NEVER buy a Cadillac again, and I honestly question the entire GM line up for quality. This car has been nothing but a constant stream of dealer drop offs.

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  The Most Uncomfortable Caddy I Ever Owne - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By e.s.jursek - June 20 - 12:20 pm

  The drivers seat is extremely poorly designed. I am 511" and I cannot get comfortable in the seat. The seat does not rise high enough for me to see well over the dash. The back of my seat periodically folds back to a horizontal position without my desiring it to do so. This is my 5th Caddy and, by far, it is the worst I ever owned. The drivers seat belt root is too far in the midline so that when you want to strap yourself in you find that your back is laying on the belt and you have to twist yourself to get it. As an older driver (77 y.o.) this is a contortion that is uncomfortable. The gear shift indicators are too small and almost impossible to read.

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  Take it back - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Scott - June 15 - 1:21 am

  In the 15 months Ive owned this car it has been in the shop over 45 days. The large sunroof rattles. Replaced it and still not good. Im on the 3rd. radio. Still bad. Dead battery problems. The wipers squeak. Dealer cant fix it. There is a burning smell in the car and GM states there is no problem but they suspect the hoses. Amazing. This car is nothing but a rattle trap. Ive had more problems with this car than any other car I have. I have an attorney and am going for the Lemon Law in Michigan.

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  From a Cadillac Technicans Point of Veiw - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By DRB - June 13 - 10:49 pm

  The 2005 Cadillac XLR has great perforance, with only a slight under steer at 130 mph. With the ground effects the chassis does a nice job sticking you to the road. The slap stick / shifter is pretty cool with the HUD system and the cruise control great. With this system, the XLR matches the speed of the slower car ahead of it until either you switch lanes or the slower car ahead of you speeds up, then your set speed on the cruise control returns to your set speed. How cool is that! The downfall is with the top down ther is very little room in the trunk, no place for those golf clubs to go with the roof down. I have seen a lot of folding top repairs already and miss aligned rear quarter glass misfits. Aftermarket wheels seem to mess up the ride.

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  Cadillac DeVille - 1997 Cadillac Deville
  By Tim Wilhelm - June 4 - 2:37 pm

  I now have 135,000 miles and have been fairly satisfied with this car. Major problems did not start until I had reached 100,000 miles. After that time something "broke" about every 3 months. The biggest complaint is with fit and finish - a lack of detail in the interior design.

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  Many repairs - 1991 Cadillac Seville
  By chevy - May 9 - 4:04 am

  Ive had to make lots of repairs to my 1991 Cadillac Seville for a car with 125,000 miles. The fuel injectors went out @ 120,000 miles..$1,200. I replaced front strutswent at @ 11,0000 miles-$400. The exhaust went bad @ 122,000 miles - $250. The drivers side power window is not working - not repaired. The rear speakers blew @ 115,000 miles - not repaired. The rear air ride shocks are leaking - not repaired. The interior is cracking on door the panels and arm rest. It gets poor gas milage - 13.5 in city.

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  Shop before you buy - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Rays cts - May 3 - 1:50 pm

  I leased a 05 CTS and have numerous problems with the dealer as well as the vehicle itself. Rear end differential replaced at 800 miles due to a howling noise at approx 45mph. Passenger reading lamp out as well as passenger temperature toggle not working. Its a shame as I love the looks of the vehicle but would suggest that buyers beware, I dont think the quality of this vehicle matches the price range. I am currently working with GM for resoultion to all the problems, it will be interesting to find the outcome.