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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  CTS 2003 Must buy Warranty - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By yperkins10 - January 4 - 12:47 pm

  brought my CTS 2003 certified car. Once warranty runs out get rid of car unless you have money to spend. check engine lights keep coming on, dealer state thermostate need to be replaced $1260 because thermostate is on belly of engine and not on top of radiator. Class action suit need to be brought against them for making sure car repairs would be so expensive. Not enough leg room for little kids. car looks like a winner, drives ok. In last 2 mo I have paid out $1500 to correct "steering wheel sensor" $1260 for "thermostat that should have cost 1/3 of that price. I will never take my car to another dealership. If I can find a warranty co I will take it. I d0 NOT recommend this car

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  2003 CTS Total Lemon! - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By TLT - January 3 - 6:19 pm

  About 5 months after I bought my Sports Luxury CTS, its lived in the shop. I still own it today (2010) but am so ready to put it to sleep! If I had known this, I would have never brought this car!!!

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  All That Glitters Is Not A Gold Cadillac - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By Vincent Roane - January 2 - 3:46 pm

  First let me say that I have always admired Cadillacs since I was a little boy. All 4 of my uncles owned a Cadillac at one time or another. A beautiful car to drive and be admired in. However, repairs can be expensive for a domestic car. I strongly suggest purchasing an extended warranty immediately. It burns alot of oil. And takes 8qts to do an oil change. Which the dealers all say is normal. At 100,000 the selonoid transmission started to go bad. And the oh so dreaded sensor modules always tend to fail on all cadillacs at some point which costs between $500-$800. Other than all of that. Its a beautiful car to drive and look at, but no fun to repair. Keep $500 on hand at all times.

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  DONT BUY - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By notafan - December 30 - 8:06 am

  This car was in the shop all the time I lost count. Literally on the road for no more than 6 months straight before the next repair, timing belt, radiator, transmission work, water pump these are the ones I remember. Love the look and handle of the car but its not worth the headache!

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  32 year old get a Cadillac - 2003 Cadillac Seville
  By Jason - December 22 - 1:40 am

  My first luxury car, and I think i picked a winner. At first I must say the car had some build issues, speakers, driver side heated seat, driving sensors, lets just say I got to know what a Cadillac dealership shop looked like. But I must say the staff where always helpful, friendly, and very knowledgeable. Once I got all the bugs worked out the car has been great. Taking this car on a road trip is a dream, the performance/comfort ratio truly lives up to the Cadillac name.

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  Too much fixing - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By Nash - December 16 - 7:11 pm

  I recently to have a look at a used car it turned out 2 be a 1997 catera. I fell in love with this car the moment i saw it..it was so beautiful inside out and in great condition 4 a 1997. The owner was selling it 4 $3500 and he was sad..so sad because he kept repeating how much money he spent on it to keep it running. I am sorry for him and glad i didnt buy it.

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  2006 Cadillac CTS-Decent car - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By TimD106 - December 13 - 8:58 pm

  This is my first ever owned luxury car and I am in some ways, very disappointed. It isnt as luxurious as expected for the base model CTS. It has a very underpowered 2.8L v6 engine in it, and the gas mileage is bad (i average with conservative driving about 16.5 MPG city.)It hasnt given me any problems though, it is comfortable to drive in, I like the exterior design and I get alot of respect just because I drive a cadillac.

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  $55,000 Peice of junk - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By 05escalade - December 10 - 10:58 pm

  I replaced the fuel pump at 61000 miles.Speedo Doesnt work anymore.and at 84000 miles i just got to replace the transmission.over car looks and feels great but has alot of issues.

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  Hopefully a keeper. - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By tsenior - December 8 - 1:25 pm

  I looked at several vehicles including Highlander, Venza, Audi, Acura MDX and Acadia. Im still not convinced I made the best choice. Believe it or not my final choices were between the SRX and the Acadia..2 different autos, I know. I really like the space, utility and styling of the Acadia. I really liked the features and styling of the SRX. For starters the SRX ride is too stiff. I can sense the power struggle with the weight of the SRX. At cold idle the engine isnt as quiet as it should be. Seat adjustments are difficult because of the lack of space between the door and the seat...poor design. If the sunroof is open while on the freeway...excessive noise... more than my Ford F-350.

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  SRX - Return of the Station Wagon - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Albert - December 7 - 4:13 pm

  I bought a Cadillac SRX because of its style and because I didnt want to get another Lexus SUV. The SRX is a dream to drive. It is more comfortable than a Lexus and it has superior handling (no fear of rollover on turns). But, I miss the Japanese common-sense engineering. The location of the AC, heater, and rear window wiper controls on the SRX require your full attention (eyes off the road) when adjusting. You cannot avoid rubbing the backs of your legs on the rocker panels when exiting the car (this gets them very dirty when raining or snowing). There is no remote gas cap lid (you have to buy a locking gas cap like we did in the 70s). Lastly, the second row seats do not fold flat.