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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  XLR Turns Heads - 2006 Cadillac XLR
  By wily - July 7 - 9:56 pm

  The XLR is the perfect car to cruise the boulevard and turn heads from young and old alike. We just like to drive around and watch people watch us. So many come up to us when parked that we have made new friends all up and down the east coast. It sounds like a hot rod and doesnt disappoint on performance. The car has all the luxury features one could ask for though cabin storage is really non-existant.

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  Loaner car while 2015 Escalade in for service - 2017 Cadillac XT5
  By Body shop car guy - July 4 - 9:12 pm

  Escalade in for minor overnight service, I was given a xt5 as a loaner. Not expecting any thing special I was very surprised with the vehicle. I dont drive a midsize SUV daily but found I enjoyed this experience. As a body shop owner I have the opportunity to drive most brands and found this to be one of the most engaging rides in its class. The BMW X3 , Audi and Lexus have there merits but for comfort and performance this caddy tops them all.

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  Great Design Sub-Standard Paint Job - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By JERRY - July 3 - 4:47 pm

  I love this car. It has a unique design and distinctive performance. It is super! Now for the cynical part of me: My unit has the "Diamond White" optional exterior paint, which cost $995 retail $860 GM Employee price. As you know, the factory robotic spray paint booth does its job flawlessly. From 10 feet away, the car is very nice and pretty. From 2 feet away, the exterior white paint is rippled (like waves on a lake) and the final clear coat paint is noticeably dimpled. Not a world-class effort, IMO. I did not appreciate paying extra for a sub-standard simple white application. A much smoother paint job could have been programmed into the robots.

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  Great - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By bill joe - July 3 - 10:00 am

  wonderful Car i love it want another for my wife

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  Peppy STS Beats the Old Seville - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Ron Lessley - July 1 - 1:19 am

  Trying to program the memory features was a real chore. It took 2 dealer techs 2 hours to get the job done. The old Seville came with VHS instructional tape and a handy card. This new STS is not user friendly in that respect. The glove compartment is next to useless, being so shallow and the return of standard cigarette lighters and ash trays is not a welcome addition. The buyer gets more "toys" than he can keep track of, so eventually forgets all but the most used features. The tires and brakes could be a little more high-performance but are only adequate as they come from the factory. The coffee cup holders have only one purpose: to hold coffee cups.

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  STS review - 1994 Cadillac Seville
  By guy jones - June 29 - 4:51 pm

  best front wheel drive sedan I have owned.

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  Great - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By Happy in IL - June 29 - 4:13 pm

  This car is wonderful. It rides like a dream, smooth, quite, and with plenty of room. It has wonderful features like heated seats in the front and back, air vents in the back, a pop hatch in the back arm rest for easy access to the trunk contents, wood grain dash, and smart system that tells you gas mileage, rmp, % of fuel, oil, and windshield wiper fluid life left. And many many other features.

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  World Class - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By SteveB - June 29 - 3:55 pm

  While many would argue that buying a Cadillac vs. a Lexus is crazy, the simple fact is that I purchased a car based on the enjoyment I recieve while driving it instead of considering only the "re-sale" price for the next owner. The CTS handles very well (this from someone that used to race Camaros in SCCA autocross), it has plenty of power for normal (and somewhat spitited) driving and fits the driver like a four door Trans-Am. The rear seat provides plenty of room for "adults" vs many competitiors that provide onlly enough leg room for pre- schoolers. In other words, if you are considering a BMW, Mercedes C-Class, or Lexus ES or IS, you would do well to drive a CTS before buying.

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  Cadillac a winner - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Cadillac done right - June 29 - 3:46 pm

  I have had many new cars, this is my first Cadillac but will not be my last. I am very satisfied with the ride and performance. Everything works and works well. I looked at Audi, BMW and Benz models in this price range and they did not come close to ride, roominess or smooth performance.

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  Traded a Town Car - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By J.Stiles - June 29 - 3:25 pm

  Fun Car! The seats a little hard. Two faults: trunk very limited and glove box stinks. Missing some things that we were used to: auto trunk close hidden accesory plug for radar detect or phone that closes down with ignition. Overload on computorized settings. (my wife is still scared to touch )