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:

• 

  Dream Car Nightmare - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By Sad CTS Owner - December 5 - 12:01 am

  I am so disappointed with my car that I can hardly stand to drive it and am considering simply not paying for it anymore. I spent months reviewing the car and even got advice from a coworker who has the car and is a GM family member. It has been one issue after another and is constantly at the dealership. I finally had to go to GM and threaten to stop paying for it to get their attention. After repeated trips to service, I had to use my phone to film a problem that I still have with the stereo sound not powering up. The front end shakes and is out of alignment again, it idles to high and the transmission feels rough and can be felt in the gear shifter. Dealer service quality is very poor.

• 

  Im lovinit - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By shawano - December 4 - 7:22 pm

  I was a Buick man till I got the great deal on this used 2002 dts. Under $10K. Gripes: 1-power steering pump quit 3 months after purchase. 2- heating element in top 1/2 of drivers seat doesnt get warm enough. Other than that, I love it. ride is better than my old park avenue and lesabers. I accept the lower mileage as a trade-off for the comfort and great ride. Some portions on the instrument panel and nav system are hard to see if the sun is behind you though.

• 

  CTS - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By pifender - December 4 - 10:00 am

  So far so good. The wife loves it. I have owned BMWs but wanted something different. I have the luxery sport. The car handles well on the road.

• 

  A near hit. - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Brian - November 25 - 2:04 pm

  Although this model looks better than the previous generation, I still like the BMW styling more. The sharp lines in the hatch dont look good on this type of car. This car is way overpriced and cant compete with Lexus, Infiniti, Acura when the only engine option is a whimpy 3.0 V6. Why did they take out the V8? Also, the way the windows slope down in the two rear windows looks dumb and takes away blind spot visibility. My Pacifica has a bigger engine, more interior room, but gets the same fuel economy. Buy a Ford Edge and youll get a car with better resale value for $10k less.

• 

  Lemon - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By jsmith - November 25 - 1:56 pm

  Got this car for my wife and ended up with a boat load of problems. At 157,000 The passenger side CV Axle, Left Front Bearing & Drivers side Hub Assembly, Heater Core and sensors showing probloem with Torte Converter Lock-up and Fuel Level Sensor. My advice stay away from this money pit.

• 

  Not Alone - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Pboss - November 24 - 7:43 pm

  I have had my CTS for almost two years. Overall, I am mostly happy with my purchase. Pros: AWD handles great in Alaska Winter weather. Styling is beautiful and have power to spare. Cons: Squeaky brakes since day one! Most irritating: rattle from steering column. Both were deemed "normal" by dealer service department. At $15,00 maybe these things are normal. At almost $50K they should not be. As much as I love this car, with the constant "normal" rattles, I will not be buying another GM luxury car.

• 

  In The Shop - 2009 Cadillac Escalade
  By Mark - November 22 - 2:06 pm

  I came back to GM after having a std poor experience with Range Rover 2 out of 2 were Maint nightmares within 6 months. I have my 2009 ESV in the shop for the second time in 6 months, first was an electronic issue and yesterday my tranny went out with only 13k miles. This isnt looking good. I hope i am done at the dealership.

• 

  My Baby - 1992 Cadillac Fleetwood
  By DaddyOk - November 20 - 11:40 am

  I loved this car!!!! Had 135k miles when I bought it and 243k when I hit the dear. I am very thankful I was in my cad and not my wifes low hood tinny metal car. I love the ride and had up to 28mpg on highway after chainging the front calipurs, they were hanging up robbing my milage. I love driving in the snow and this car was GREAT for that, with good traction. Im going to miss her. Now looking for an other caddy to replace my baby! Im not sure about changing body styles though but looks like I have no choice if I get a newer model.

• 

  Car Seat - 3rd Row - 2009 Cadillac Escalade
  By trk003 - November 20 - 8:35 am

  We purchased this vehicle to accommodate our family size. Since the original purchase GM has redesigned seat belts in the 3rd row. Seat belts that accommodate a car seat will lock when pulled completely out to safely secure a car seat. 2008 ESVs had the ability to place car seats in 3rd row with a seat belt but in 2009 the belt was redesigned and includes 2010. Car seats can only be secured in the 2nd row. Please note the second row also has anchors for securing. Only 2 car seats can be secured in an Escalade ESV. Kind of a waste for vehicle size.

• 

  1 Year Update - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By CTS - November 18 - 11:39 pm

  This was my dream car. Or I thought it would be. So many things have gone wrong with this car. The battery died stranding us 4 times. The steering wheel squeaks been taken to dealer twice. Steering coulum replaced. It still squeaks. The cooled seats broks. the lumbar support broke, There are some rattles. The key stopped working. The brakes squeal. For a 53k car none of this should happen. Dont get me wrong this is a beautiful car. The interior is top notch. Even though there is too much lumbar support on lowest setting. The interior/ exterior design is amazing. The speakers, navigation, leather, panoramic sunroof, heated/cooled seats are great. Great car, way too many problems for price.