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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  Great SRX! - 2006 Cadillac SRX
  By Lance Elliott - June 22 - 9:06 pm

  This is my first ever SUV/Crossover and I am very happy with the SRX. It is fun to drive, like a car, it is very comfortable and with the ultraview sunroof open and windows down it feels as if you where in a convertible or a Jeep! Having driven very flashy cars over my life time, I was worried that the SRX may not get the looks I was use to. But having bought black on black, it gets attention everwhere I go, so I highy recommend the SRX when life tells you the desire for a two seater has past, but you still do not want a boring box on wheels.............simple visit your local Cadillac dealer. I am sure you will agree the SRX will make you still feel young and sporty. It was my 36th B-day gift.

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  When will I learn - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By Steven - June 21 - 9:41 pm

  My last three cars have been a Dodge, a Lincoln and now General Motors. What a disaster! The Escalade is a nice truck and it rides well, but the rearview camera has not worked right from day one. "Service rearview camera" flashes on the screen when going from park into drive. The service staff at my Cadillac dealership are totally clueless and pretty much dont care. Maybe they will care when GM gets my survey. The truck only has 250 miles.

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  Poor quality - 2006 Cadillac DTS
  By Madbuyer - June 18 - 12:36 pm

  The deflector on my DTS fell off on Route 95 going 75 miles per hour. I thought the front end of the car was falling off. I am still waiting for parts to fix it. My car had 800 miles on it when the problem occurred.

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  Vadillac STS - Better than a new BMW or MErcedes - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By JARED LENNTER - June 17 - 11:31 pm

  This car rides and handles better than our 2 year old BMW 7-Series. Its seats, braking, steering, and power "or a 6-cyl. are unreal. We could not be happier with a car. I am thankful America is producing strong quality for a reasonable price, $44,000 loaded.

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  Glad I waited for the 2004 - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Kempster - June 15 - 10:00 am

  version the 40 more HP makes this car truly fun to drive. I got mine loaded with all the options except the Nav System and I absolutely love it.

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  love it! - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By scalz327 - June 15 - 10:00 am

  i love the handling and power behind this young mans caddy.. this isnt your grandpas caddy anymore...

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  My escalade - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By 03blackescalade - June 15 - 10:00 am

  WOW!! is what i can say... i drovethe BMW X5 4.4i and this thing has to have it almost beat in handling.... for a vehicle this size it sure did suprise me ALOT!... power there is lots i hit it from a yield sign and the downshift sure givesu whiplash..... i lovethe suv but w/ it being an SUV comes SUV gas mialage... but.... i love it

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  Avoid at all Costs - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By AVOID AT ALL COSTS - June 14 - 2:09 pm

  Ive had this car 3+ months, it only had 67,000 miles when I bought it. I have already spent $900 for a new radiator becuase an electrical short caused the fans to quit, causing the radiator to fail. Ive put a new battery in it, costing $150. Today, I am spending $600 on new brakes, rotors, and sensors. Possibly more once they have had to look at the back brakes. The AC doesnt work, power steering fails on twisty roads, and there is a short in the electrical system causing the radio and interior lights not to work unless the key is in the off position. And the vehicle now only has 71,000 miles. Not to mention the heated seats are out as well. Whats next, Im working two jobs just to pay for repairs.

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  Total Beast - 1991 Cadillac Seville
  By Simon - June 13 - 5:28 pm

  My 1991 Cadillac Seville drives like an absolute beast and floats on the freeway. Its suspension is fun, but be careful with speed bumps.

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  Never again - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Jeff - June 10 - 9:20 am

  I thought this car would be fun and practical. I have the STS 4, all wheel drive. I have owned it for 7 months and have already made four trips to the dealer and the issues are still not corrected. I have had on-going problems with the all wheel drive and leaks, seals, etc. It has excessive wind noise (which is a a joke for a $60,000 car, my Honda is much quieter). My car has a horrible issue with its acceleration / transmission and the engine nearly seeming to stall out when I want to accelarate on turns and corners. It has a poor HVAC system. It would take a librarian 6 weeks of reading to figure out all the electronics on the car and how to use them. The interior is way too small. Plus there is no back seat space. I am not happy.