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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  Love my Car! - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By Shannon - January 23 - 1:34 am

  I feel that Cadillac hit a home run with this car! I took it cross country last summer and it felt like a brand new car. It just holds up so well. I would recomend this car to anyone and at an average of 23 mpg how can you go wrong?

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  Awesome Car - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Barbemm - January 22 - 5:13 pm

  Having had five previous Cadillac DeVilles, and one DTS, this STS all wheel drive is by far the most fun to drive. It handles and corners with unbelieveable control. I love driving this car. It is so quiet, I open the window to listen to hear if the engine is running. It is air tight, you dont hear a sound. The stereo is awesome. It still feels weird not using a key, but I am sure I will get used to it. The only three things I can compain about are the glove box is too small (I cant even fit the owners manual), the trunk space is not only limited but hard to get things in an out of, and the voice activation function is a joke. It doesnt understand perfect English, I say "windows down" and it says, "pardon, defrost on?"

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  Bought Fathers Car and Love It - 2003 Cadillac Seville
  By MR. CADDY - January 22 - 5:05 am

  I bought my 2003 Cadillac Seville STS from my father. I previously had a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. It had more miles than his car, so I bought it and sold my Jeep to my sister. Her Jeep belonged to my mother first. I miss the all-wheel drive and the navigation but, the Caddy had less miles, and more warranty. Overall I am happy with the caddy, but miss my Jeep.

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  Luxury and Performance! - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By CML - January 21 - 12:54 am

  My CTS is an amazing performance vehicle! What a great combination of luxury and performance! It is definitely the most fun car Ive ever driven. It has incredible "pick-up" and gets out of the way of everyone rapidly. I get comments from even strangers regularly about "what a nice car" you have.

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  Test Drive this Car! - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Clarence. E. Schutt - January 20 - 5:54 pm

  My 2006 Cadillac STS V8 car replaces my 1997 STS, which I was reluctant to part with, even after 100,000 miles. I am stunned by the improvement in high performance drivability, such as shifting on curves, and high speed maneuverability in traffic. The music system is superb, and satellite radio is a plus. I dont see why so many Americans buy a Lexus or BMW without putting this car to the test.

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  Three years of Joy - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By John - January 18 - 11:32 pm

  I cant tell you how much I have enjoyed this car. Im six feet tall and long waisted so the head room was one of the great features. The ease of driving and ride are also very good. It is the only car that I am comfortable in on a trip. Ive had three back operations and still can sit with ease when I drive. I get 26 mpg highway miles and 16 in the city. My wifes 2005 PT Cruser doest get that.

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  Luv my Caddy - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By Denise - January 18 - 7:24 pm

  I needed a car with some good comforts for traveling as I drive long distance about 8 hours a day, 3 times a week. I had been driving other cars and noticed how stiff I was after getting out of the car. When I first got my Cadillac I noticed that my back no longer hurt. Oh what a relief, that alone was well worth me getting this car. I am looking forward to my next Cadillac.

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  This Car Saved My Life - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Angelo - January 18 - 11:13 am

  I loved the 2006 Cadillac CTS from the day I took delivery of it, but this past Sunday I loved it even more. My son and I were in a major accident and this car saved our lives. I slid on ice and hit a pole on my drivers side door with the pole falling down on top of the car. It bent the car in half, blew out most of the windows and smashed the roof. The impact of the pole was by my pelvis and legs. To my amazment my son and I did not have a scratch. The side curtian airbags deployed as did the airbag in the seat. This saved me from any trauma. The pole hit the drivers side window smashing it, when the side curtain airbag deployed it was between my head the glass and the pole. My family thanks you GM.

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  Poor Drivers Seat Design - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By Lester Butler - January 17 - 1:18 pm

  My wife has experienced a leg cramp problem when driving our Cadillac SRX for more than one hour. Recently, we went to view the 2006 SRX to look for some kind of improved seat design and saw no change. The salesperson even told us that someone just last week had to return a 2006 SRX with only 1,500 miles because of the same problem. We will not be buying a new SRX as our next car.

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  Delighted - 2006 Cadillac DTS
  By B - January 16 - 10:25 pm

  Were delighted with our 2006 Cadillac DTS and would gladly do it again. It has a large trunk for hauling gifts to children and grandchildren was an important feature for us and this car delivers on that. Weve been surprised and delighted at how good the gas mileage is on the highway - 27+ mpg. Everything about the car has been great, and it compared extremely well price-wise and feature-wise to other luxury cars.