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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  Nice Car - 1994 Cadillac Seville
  By Rudophb - January 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car used about one and half years ago with 82000 miles now the car has 94000 miles. Use the mostly for long trip since it is more comfortable than my newer cars. It is a used car and I will be getting new brake pads and tires this year.

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  Phat Ride - 1991 Cadillac Brougham
  By Phugoid - January 8 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love my 1991 Brougham. I waited 18 years to own a big Caddy, and after 14 months of driving my car the novelty has not worn off. My Brougham has the 305 CI engine and I get 20 mpg...not too bad for a 2.5 ton vehicle. The car rides like a dream and has only needed routine maintenance.

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  Eldos report card - 2002 Cadillac Eldorado
  By bchristenson - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I owned four red Eldorado Cadillacs. A 1995,1997, 1999, 2001. I finally traded my 2001 off for an M3 BMW. I got tired of the Eldo not holding its value. This is because cadillac does not upgrade from year to year. Very little difference between the 95 and the 01.

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  First time Caddy Buyer - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Epiphone - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Just took delivery of a CTS. THis is my first time in a luxury Sedan. Ive always owned Coupes before this. The ride and finish is superb. The leather seating surfaces are well stiched and should be rugged enough to last a lifetime. This car will turn heads and people will ask to see the inside at gas stations.

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  top performer - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By lrm - January 5 - 2:00 am

  great ride, excellent performance and road holding ability in snow, rain and icy weather conditions.

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  POWWWEERRRR - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By thacaddydaddy - January 3 - 2:00 am

  This is THE BEST suv out there. We tried the h2 but it was so underpowered. Now this beast is far from underpowered. Even the 2WD model is a little speedy, but if you want a FAST and POWERFUL suv and you dont wanna pay for a euro $60,000 sport ute that cant tow, THIS IS THE ONE. TRUST ME.

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  99 Catera - 1999 Cadillac Catera
  By rvhjr - January 2 - 2:00 am

  My 4th used Cadillac- first catera. We wanted a smaller car than the Sedan deVille. Excellent fit and finish and fun to drive. Great stereo although I havent completely figured out how to use it. 27,000 miles and almost 4 years old when I bought it. We will put 60,000 on it in 4 years and then trade.

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  Goo quality nice to drive - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By DASSASON - January 2 - 2:00 am

  Nice car to drive, very stable on the road specially in bumpy road as in NY The DTS is exceptionally has good ride on wet road and even on heavy rain, you can also feel the different between this car and any Mercedes when raining or snow my friend has Mercedes E55 more the $75000 car he even could not move in the snow when my Cadilac moved like princes, I am driver with more the one million mile I had Mercedes BMW and all luxury cars I never drove a car with excellent performance in the rain as the DTS, it is very important to fill safe on wheat road, it is not so quite when pushing hard the gas but this car behave on the road as European car and

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  The best car Ive ever owned - 1994 Cadillac Deville
  By Moms car - December 31 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. It always started and was a great road car for commuting. We used it as a family car and it literally saved my life one snowy night on the Central Artery in Boston. A smaller car in a similar accident resulted in a fatality the trooper told me. The Cadillac Deville never budged when muscled by a 10 wheeler truck. 160,000 miles and headed for 200,000.

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  Outstanding American Luxury - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Richid - December 31 - 2:00 am

  This is an absolutely fantastic vehicle. I traded in my Corvette for this car and the DeVille performs almost as well. Its also one of the most comfortable vehicles Ive ever driven. I recently drove from Rhode Island to Florida non-stop(averaging 27.1 mpg) when arrived in Orlando, I felt like I had been sitting on my couch at home for twenty hours. I have had a few problems however. The heating system needed to be fixed, but this was under warranty. There is also significant nose-dive during heavy braking. All in all, I love my DeVille and would recommend it to anyone seeking a safe, reliable, and well-performing luxury sedan.