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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  FANTASTIC CAR - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By PHANTOM JIM - September 13 - 2:00 am

  WHEN I TEST DROVE THE CAR IT WAS ALMOST AS MUCH FUN TO DRIVE AS MY CORVETTE BUT MORE PRACTICAL FOR DAILY USE AND IT WOULD GET ME THROUGH IN THE WINTER! I TRADED MY 2003 DENALI AND HAVE NEVER HAS SO MUCH FUN IN MY "WORK" CAR.

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  Terrific - 2016 Cadillac ATS
  By L. Taylor - September 11 - 12:27 pm

  Comfortable, well appointed, great handling, terrific braking, and REALLY FAST. Very fun to drive.

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  Smooth Criminal - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Carl S - September 11 - 10:00 am

  This is by far the smoothest, quietest car in the category I drove. In the running were the Mercedes 240, Audi A4 and BMW 3 series. This car far outshines them all. I picked up my CTS (ordered especially for me) on 5-1-02, and I have yet to be disappointed. Cadillac did their homework on this one.

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  NC Dale Caddy Daddy - 2016 Cadillac CT6
  By NC Daley - September 11 - 6:26 am

  Where has Cadillac been. ? Finally a quality full size car that exudes style and performance . The 335 hp v6 with 8 speed tranny is smooth and very responsive . A Super quiet and roomy ride with an understated style that compares favorably with anything on the road today. Handles like a much smaller vehicle and the fit and finish is world class. Just an all round beautiful car. Too soon to determine reliability but so far I m very very impressed.

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  2002 Cadillac Seville STS - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By lemko - September 11 - 2:00 am

  This is my third new Cadillac. I bought it to replace my 1994 Cadillac DeVille base model. What else can I say but that the Seville STS is easily the most attractive luxury sedan on the marker - foreign or domestic. The performance of the 4.6 litre Northstar V-8 is legendary. The Delco-Bose stereo system alone is worth the price of admission as it sounds even better than my home system. The car feature som many nice amenities theres not enough bandwidth to list them. I had considered a Lexus LS430, but the Seville offers better styling, performance, and value.

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  2001 Cadillac Deville - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By Ms2di4 - September 4 - 2:00 am

  This is a great, sharp looking, dependable car! It is comfortable and powerful on the highway, and gets great gas mileage!

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  great car - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By ken s - September 3 - 2:00 am

  It is a great vehicle. I would buy another one when its time to. Love it. I got a fully loaded one w/ xm radio and navigation and onstar and sunroof. Lots of power and I always get a look from people when driving it. Very cool car.

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  Cadillac vs Lincoln - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By MJJ - September 3 - 2:00 am

  My last 3 vehicles were Lincoln Town Cars and I thought they were the best riding vehicles around until I got my Cadillac DeVille and it beats the Lincolns, hands down. The on-star system is awesome. I will be driving this vehicle for a very long time!

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  Best Car I Ever Owned - 1992 Cadillac Seville
  By karl Dahlen - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Fast, powerful, timeless styling (my 92 has been taken for a 97 or 98), roomy, fun to drive.

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  Beautiful Ride - 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood
  By mikeh - August 31 - 2:00 am

  I managed to get a clean, low mileage sixty special at a great price. This car has loads of power, and is quiet at the same time. Tons of room, comfortable seats-everything youd expect out of a cadillac. I dont think there is any other car on the road today at this price that would even remotely compare to the comfort, power and style of this beauty.