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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  Caution, CTS may not be for you!! - 2010 Cadillac CTS
  By Gary - February 9 - 8:28 pm

  I purchased my CTS Premium AWD Cadillac two weeks ago. I traded a 2008 Cad.DTS. Would take my old vehicle back immediately. The seats are hard, the ride is so horrible my wife and I felt Ill when we drove from the dealer to our home (70 Miles).The cruise control will not hold within 3- 4 miles per hour.Service dept. said "thats the way the way it is" there are..no adjustments. The grille- bumper assembly on the front of the car does not clear the road by more than 3 to 4 inches. My wife turned off a main highway onto a service road, small dip, damaged and broke "plastic grille". Only 200 miles on vehicle. The position of this assembly is actually a safety problem in my opinion.

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  THE -LAC... - 2000 Cadillac Deville
  By bigtimer78 - February 3 - 6:41 pm

  Ive owned my 2000 deville since 03 and love it. It does burn oil but thats normal. Its got 112,000 on it and has been great. Just now having to really put money into it. Power steering pump and hose goes out at this millage. Over all great car and will buy another one.

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  Cadillac no longer means quality. - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Hate to love my CTS - February 2 - 8:51 pm

  Bought it used in Dec 2008 with 26000 for a DEAL. 6 speed manual, limited slip diff and luxury package for under 13000! 22 in the city, over 30mpg highway even in the smokey mountains in much lower gears than necessary! The perfect car...1 week before warranty went out took it to dealership in jacksonvilel NC, they said car was in tip top shape, 2 weeks later the water pump seals blew out, water pump seized up & the synchros for 1st and reverse stopped working. GM said sorry, this happens, a cadillac that was 4 years old and had 32000 miles on it that needed over 3000 dollars worth of repairs. but the dealership offered me an extra 50 bucks on trade for my trouble.

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  Very satisfying, but not without issues. - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By Darkness - January 28 - 6:56 am

  I purchased this vehicle with 26,600 miles in September 20009. Previous car was a 2004 Mitsubishi Galant. My particular example has had some issues. Two weeks after purchase, engine started misfiring but only at under 5 MPH. Replaced plugs, wires, etc. didnt fix it. At this point Ive gotten used to it and dont want to put more money into it. Keyless entry stopped working for no reason. The car gets poor fuel economy (probably related to the misfire), around 10 in the city and 19 on the highway. Still, this is a very satisfying car to drive. Plenty of power and space for 5 adults (front center position is a squeeze). Trunk is immense.

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  Outstanding All-Around Family Vehicle - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By Leonard - January 26 - 12:12 pm

  I was a little concerned about buying a used SRX, having read about many owners negative experiences. However, after driving this car once I knew it would be ours. This is a spacious and comfortable SUV-wagon-crossover- whatever but it drives like a sport sedan! Im a big guy that is used to driving a new full-sized Chevy pickup, but the SRX fits me like a glove. After putting a few thousand miles on the car and a couple long rides hauling both people and cargo, I have to admit there isnt much more I could ask for. The V6 is surprisingly powerful, quick-revving, and can deliver decent MPG if you behave yourself. For a used AWD luxury vehicle, this was an amazing value.

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  Lousy Quality - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By kolber - January 21 - 4:51 pm

  I bought 2005 SRX for my wife who always wanted a caddy. I also owned 2006 STS at same time. Have had many problems over and over again with with electronics with car. Now timing chain has broke according to my local garage due to low oil pressure. Since buying this caddy I traded in my STS due to poor quality with all the gadets in the car. The SRX is a great example of nice car not built well. Engine makes lots of noise, and uses oil. When you buy a cadillac you expect a car above the rest! I have owned at least five different cars over past few years and will NEVER buy another cadillac again new or used. Im now waiting on GM to see if they will take any responsiblity for poor quality car

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  Not much power, youre paying for luxury - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Annette - January 19 - 7:48 am

  This review is based on a rental for two weeks while my Mitsubishi was in the body shop. The bottom line is that you are paying for the "toys" in this vehicle rather than performance. I expected a vehicle priced this high should have some pep when it comes to the gas pedal. Its pretty sluggish when it comes to shifting. In automatic mode, it was revving at 4500 rpms before it shifted into 3rd gear. You are basically paying for the goodies & gadgets inside the vehicle. Is it really worth it or would you rather have good performance?

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  Stiff Ride - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Dick Anthony - January 8 - 1:38 pm

  We test drove a basic model,front wheel drive with 18" wheels and purposely drove over bad roads. The ride was excellent. However we wanted and purchased the Premium model with all the options. The first drive in it I knew we made a mistake because of the handling. It is to stiff and noisy over uneven surfaces, nothing like the model we test drove. I inquired when ordering the car if we could get it without the sport suspension and 20" wheels, but you could not. But I thought "oh this a Cadillac, it must ride nice". Mistake!! All the other features of it are excellent. Warning, test drive the actual model you will be buying.

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  My First Car - 1993 Cadillac Seville
  By Skumpy - January 8 - 11:31 am

  Ok im a teen driver and its my first car and in my opinion it is most definitely a great car if taken car of. However if it isnt, things start falling apart left and right, and due to the mess of features available for this, its an expensive fix and a pain to find parts. A lot of power i think, and the turning is extremely comfortable. Inside is a little cramped at times but the all digital display is pretty cool. Very low to the ground so you need to be wary of where you are driving and slightly careful. Only downside is the size, which is only a problem due to parking. The size of the hood and the height make it hard to see the spaces around you, which is a pain in parking lots.

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  2009 DTS Review - 2009 Cadillac DTS
  By floy - January 6 - 10:30 pm

  Overall, I like my 2009 DTS. It has a good warranty coverage and is a good riding car. I traded in a 2000 Deville for this 2009 DTS. Quality of interior material of my 2009 DTS, although good, is a step down from the quality of material in the 2000 Deville. My 2009 DTS cabin is not as quiet as was the 2000 Deville. Front headrests in the 2009 DTS are rigid, positioned awkwardly, and obstructs rear view when backing up. 2009 DTS gas mileage is poor and the bucket seats are not comfortable for a big man. Other than the aforementioned issues, everything else seems to be okay.