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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  Psuedo Luxury Car - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By Bob - August 26 - 4:22 am

  For the cost, one certainly can buy a better car. Road noise, wind noise and seat comfort should be hallmarks of a luxury car. This car fails each catagory. The Michelin tires are the wrong tire for this car. They wear poorly and are virtually impossible to balance properly. If the car has a problem they cant fix, they treat you like the plague instead of admitting the problem - a fatal GM flaw. Engine is totally underpowered. It does get good gas mileage.

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  Katts car - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By Kathy Spray - August 26 - 12:26 am

  My Cadillac SRX is the best car that Ive ever had for the instant go power. It accomdates the get up & go that I love to have. With all wheel drive and traction control combined with magnetic suspension the car really sticks to road in those tight curves. So many creature comforts that I cant remember them all. My SRX is the most powerful and fun car that anyone could want.

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  Good Ole GM - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By ooouch! - August 26 - 12:12 am

  GM had a recall on water pump and pulleys on this vehicle. At 44,000 miles this was done by my dealership. The failure occured at 61,000 miles. Cadillac said sorry for your luck but it is only warranted for 12 months. I think it would probably have lasted longer if they didnt do the "fix" (and then charged enough to do both repairs). Not a good marketing ploy. My wife wants a new Caddy but itll be an import now. Thank heavens for Japanese automakers.

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  Fun Cadillac - 1990 Cadillac Allante
  By DAMON - August 25 - 8:42 pm

  The Allante is a unique car and a lot of fun to drive. The Italian body is timeless and looks just as good today as it did 15 years ago. The car needs to pampered, yet I drive my almost every day. Not unusual to get over 21 mpg in combination of highway and city driving.

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  Great Car Again - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Jack - August 24 - 6:33 pm

  Owned a 2000 and bought this at the employee price. Only reason to change. A great ride, comfort and safety. Sorry the name is disappearing in 2006.

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  My first Cadillac - 2001 Cadillac Catera
  By Sams Catera - August 23 - 2:32 pm

  Well I just bought this car and so far so good. I love the color, the ammenities and everything that Cadillac is legendary for. I am having some issues, the front end shimmies and one of my fog lights have blown out. The dealership is fixing it, even though they do not have Saturday hours.

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  Happy choice to replace Acura TLs - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By w.j.bridges - August 20 - 2:29 pm

  The Cadillac STS is a great road car. Fuel mileage (overall) 21 mpg but engine not yet broken in with 1,000 miles. Leather seats could be softer but quality is good. Only dissatisfaction is with glove box which is rediculously designed and much too small. Good storage between seats helps. Previous 3 cars were Acura TLs which were great cars, but just as satisfied with STS.

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  What a Ride! - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By Mike - August 20 - 2:48 am

  I bought my 2002 DeVille STD Sedan on E-Bay used. What a deal! The car is extremely smooth. Im always finding an excuse to dive the Cadillac over my other cars. Its just a fun ride! No problems thus far. Luxury at a fraction of the cost. There are advantages to American cars that dont hold their value despite being built just as well as those German and Japanese cars...They are much cheaper used!

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  Excellent Cruiser - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Cadillacboi82 - August 20 - 2:08 am

  Ive only had this car for 2 weeks and Im loving it. Im 23 years old and had 2 other Cadillacs,a 1993 Eldorado Touring and 1997 Seville STS. I loved both, but not as much as my 2005 DTS. Ive had it custom made with power folding mirrors, a power rear sunshade, adaptive cruise control, xenon headlamps with intellibeam, and adaptive remote start. This luxury liner cost me near $72,000, but it was worth every cent. It drives great and filters out the bumps on the New York City streets. It is quiet, roomy, and gives great gas mileage for a V8. I got it in white lightning exterior paint. Im gonna keep it for a looong time.

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  Goodbye BMW, Hello Cadillac - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By John Gordon - August 18 - 6:47 pm

  I own both a 2004 BMW M3 and a 2000 BMW M5. Due to poor reliability (the M5 spent more time in the shop than on the road) I decided to try an American car and bought a Cadillac STS. Although the handling is not as tight as the BMW. The ride and technology in the STS is superior. The STS holds its own in performance.