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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  Buy Two for The Parts You will Need - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By caddyattack - December 19 - 2:00 am

  This is a great driving car and still looks good. It is the worst mechanical nightmare ever designed. The engine has been rebuilt 2X by Cadillac at no charge after the warranty because they were so embarrassed. Every repair is serious, frequent and costly. Truly an engineers disaster. Should never have been made.

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  Needs improvement - 1997 Cadillac Deville
  By ferrman - December 15 - 2:00 am

  Cadillac has a long way to go to be considered in the same class as European automobiles. The soft ride and mediocre handling, although improved, do not bode well for Cadillac to seriously compete with other luxury marques. Dealers do not seem very helpful, which is unfortunate, since Ive spent quite a bit of time there.

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  Not Worth It - 2004 Cadillac XLR
  By Vaffanculo - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Hello my name is Frank, I just wanted to tell everyone that if you are looking for style, comfort, and the finer things in life, and have $75,000 to buy it, then this is your car. On the other hand, it basicly has the same engine and my 1996 Mustang Cobra 4.6L 8cyl 5 speed and I payed a lot less for that car then I did this one. So in my opinion its not worth the price, I only payed for the Cadillac symbol on the front grill.

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  caddy - 1990 Cadillac Deville
  By Portia - October 14 - 2:00 am

  It is a pretty good car overall but it woulnt have been my first choice.

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  bad motor - 1995 Cadillac Deville
  By jerry moore - October 4 - 2:00 am

  From 1991 to 1997 cadillac had a bad crankshaft the motors would only last 100,000 miles. unfortunately I bought two of thier cars and also replaced two motors and have since replaced one of those. No more cadillac for me

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  Expensive Lemon !!!!! - 2000 Cadillac Deville
  By Wally&Claire - October 2 - 2:00 am

  At 15,000 miles,all 4 rotors had to be turned, a NJ dealers fault.The car uses 1 qt of oil every 1,000 miles. Dealer said this is normal.At 52,000 miles the crankshaft sensors failed.At 57,600 miles a wheel bearing and hub assembly failed.At 62,000 miles a motor mount failed.At 64,000 miles the water pump failed.At 75,000 miles the battery started to leak and had to be replaced. At 80,000 miles the transmission failed and had to be repaired.All this at a cost of over $3,100 for repairs, not including normal maintenance, on a new car just 3 years old. Is this what GM calls quality in a $40,000 car?

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  not all its cracked up to be - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By itsonlyme - August 25 - 2:00 am

  it looks good. gas mileage sucks. the ride sucks. costs too much for the profile only. rides tight. the inside is great. but, over all, its just not worth it.... trying to get rid of it now with no luck.

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  Served me well....until warranty ran out - 1995 Cadillac Seville
  By brenda clark - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Was treated royally by dealership until warranty ran out. Air conditioner problems were "treated" with the most expensive options and finally solved with an $89.00 outside temperature sensor. Now the temperature adjusts to the setting rather than blowing out hot air at a 65 degree setting. Have had blower motor replaced twice and compressor twice, both not the solution at my expense of over $3,000, as I was told this would "fix the problem". Not so...the $89 part fixed it. Dont go to dealers with your problems.

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  DTS - 2000 Cadillac Deville
  By Jerald Foster - July 23 - 2:00 am

  I was shocked and disturbed to find that this premier car with the Northstar engine burns a quart of oil every 3000 miles. Also within 50,000 miles the CV drive was totally coroded and had to be replaced. The front engine mount was torn. Not a very impressive vehicle and one that I could not honestly recommend.

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  Not Cadillac Quality - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By Coveman6 - July 22 - 2:00 am

  My second Escalade.I am disappointed 3.5k miles and plagued with problems. Exhaust chimes after driving 5 miles and parking as it cools. Seat heater button is too close to the power window button. Turns on heat when you try to operate window. Air conditioning has quit. Service stability alarm has come on seeral times. Cargo door needs a gorilla slam to avoid a door ajar alarm as you are driving down the street.Exhaust is mucher louder than 2002. Except for air conditioner, dealer claims these are normal and I have to live with it. Not at $50,000 I dont.