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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  POWER WITH CLASS - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By diannb - May 9 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I went into the dealership to look at Escalades. We fell on love with something called the SRX. I had not even seen a Cadillac ad for this new model. We are very impressed with the handling,looks and speed. We are so pleased with the purchase and all the high performance. Cadillac needs to advertise this car for the younger buyers.

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  My Caddy - 2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Nelson Alves - May 9 - 2:00 am

  the vehicle is great no complaints other than its a juiced up chevy avalanche which is half the price...haha but it needs more torque and take off.

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  Awesome Vehicle - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Tracink - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I just bought this vehicle and after owning several Pontiac vehicles this Cadillac is unbelievable....I love everything about it inside and out

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  cts 2004 - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By anne kauffman - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I had a 2003 I lloved it but the suspension and motor niose was little to desire. I just purchased a 2004 what a difference cadilac really improved the engine noise and suspension I liked the interior better then the bmw.

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  MeAmour - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By black diamond - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I was a non GM owner before i purchased MeAmour (2004 CTS). My intentions was to buy a Lexus, but after GM introduced MeAmour to the world, i was mezmerized with the bodystyle and determined to have the hottest looking vehicle on the road. It is chic and suave, and it handles really smooth yet approaches like a panther. Thats why i call it MeAmour (english and french for my love)IT IS AWESOME

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  owner - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By dhs - May 7 - 1:38 pm

  The car will stop running and everything shuts down even the OnStar. I get no help from the dealer or GM. The car has been towed in 5 times. Also when the trunk is opened you can smell battery acid. I am very unhappy with this car and will never buy another GM product.

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  They did Good - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By L.Englander - May 7 - 12:38 pm

  I like the looks and performance and I got the car loaded with just about every piece of optional equipment. Its nice to have people stare and compliment me on the car and maybe some day Ill figure out how to use all the gadgets.

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  Love it - 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Rod - May 7 - 12:40 am

  The vehicle is stunning. A real head turner. I love the ride and quietness. I previously owned two Avalanches and there is no comparison. I do miss the captains chairs and the storage theAvalanche had with all the cubby holes etc. I dont like the center console setup of the Escalade.

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  Great Drive and Performance...But - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By J.Dillon - May 6 - 8:16 pm

  Many areas of concern. Navigation/Radio/Dic system is a mess. Poor lighting-impossible to control. No compass. Clock-temperature characters are too small. Needs to be completely redsigned. Cant program so that doors wont lock when in gear. Very dangerous. Front seats are very hard and uncomfortable. My passengers share this view. Cant open back window which is a design flaw. Rear hatch door is heavy. Should be able to "pop" it open. Would like to have true keyless entry like Ford products with combination numbers on exterior of car. Car drives and handles very well. If GM fixes the above issues I will trade for another. If not, I will trade for a Ford product this fall.

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  15 months and still Loving It - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Tom - May 6 - 1:05 am

  Weve owned our 6-cyl. AWD SRX for 15 months now and absolutely love it. The look and design are real head turners, and the ride and performance are awesome. Some minor glitches had to be fixed inthe first year (software recalls), but mechanically the vehicle has been wonderful, fit and finsh excellent. Best features are the superior ride, tight handling and great ultraview sun roof. Basically its my wifes car, but I love getting to drive it on the weekends.