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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  Overall, an excellent car - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Richard J. C. - April 30 - 2:19 pm

  Ive got about 9,500 miles on my 2004 DHS. Its very powerful so it accelerates onto freeway with absolutely no problem. Its ride is a little firm - but maybe that is why the handling is so good. Its very secure in turns. I feel safe and comfortable in this car. All the bells and whistles work well. MY complaint is that you cant program the navigation system when the car is moving. So if youre on the freeway, you have to pull off if you want to impute a destination. My mileage - in city driving only (Ive never taken it more than 70 miles from home) is about 17 to 18. If I use the freeways much, Im usually in the 18 - 19 mpg range - which I consider excellent for a car this big.

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  2005 Cadillac XLR - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By BobJ - April 30 - 1:55 pm

  My 2005 Cadillac XLR has been better than I expected in terms of being fun to drive and the build quality. I have not had any problems with it at all at all after six months of ownership. Heads turn constantly when I drive by. This car is faster than I can go, quicker than I need, and turns and brakes better than my last Porsche. My oonly problem with it, and this is a minor gripe, is that when backing out of a parking space, the roll bar partially blocks my view.

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  My first Cadillac - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Carlos Couto - April 29 - 12:11 am

  In my 30 plus years of driving I have driven all makes and some of the best cars in the world including Rolls Royce, and I have never seen a car so confortable, safe and tecnicaly advanced as my new STS. I truly enjoy driving it. Be aware that you lose your privacy, wherever you go people just keep looking at the car and driver (I think I like it). What a great buy I have made.

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  First Caddy - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By B. Drubin - April 28 - 4:12 pm

  Generally well pleased. Had one computer problem, but roadside (OnStar) was great & battery leakage, again roadside-(On-Star) was right on the ball, installed new battery, but this problem caused corosion under rear seat. Cadillac fixed this in one day.

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  SRX review - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By herproudmom - April 28 - 12:31 am

  This vehicle is very comfortable while sporty at the same time. The third row seat and DVD system rocks as my little girl so frequently says. The traction control and stability system is great. I really cant say anything bad....

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  New Cadillac SRX - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By del rae - April 27 - 11:41 pm

  The wife and I love this truck. The only thing we think they could have do better on the door interior door panels should have a leather trim or some thing we looked at a inf and a Lexus but not happy with the lack of power. I drive a 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup 1/2 ton hemi and love it as you can see the wife likes power.

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  Make sure you dont mind the AutoStart feature - 2016 Cadillac CTS
  By Danny - April 27 - 7:00 am

  The Auto Stop/Start is terrible. It may not bother everyone (I cannot fathom how people don’t mind this), but it is annoying and distracting every time you stop the car. The car shakes and jiggles at every stop sign and stop light. My passengers are incredulous when they’re first taken for a spin. It is not only annoying, but also distracting. Your mind goes to it every single time you stop. You can turn this off every time you start the car, but it is not possible to turn this feature off permanently. Almost all the 2016 Caddys have Auto Stop/Start (I think the XTS is the only one that doesn’t) and they take the fun and relaxation out of driving. Make sure you thoroughly test drive them before buying. When test driving, make sure you do some city/urban driving and turn the A/C off (it doesn’t kick in when the A/C is chugging at a decent rate). Like I said, it won’t bother everyone, but will bother many. Enough so that GM put out a couple bulletins on the subject. These are for the ATS and CTS, but I would think it applies to all 2016s with Auto Stop/Start. Check out #15-NA-033 “Normal Characteristic – Slight Bump, Jerk or Rough Engine Startup [Oct 15, 2015]”. It says “Condition: some customers may comment that there is a slight bump, jerk or rough engine startup during an AutoStart event”. Then it says, “Correction: This is a normal condition”. I guess they said it was unusual, then had to correct it and say it is a normal condition!!! Directive #16-NA-071: Diagnostic Tips for Stop/Start and Auto Stop Operation [Mar 4, 2016] says, “Condition: Vehicle does not engage in Auto Stop mode and Vehicle automatically restarts during an AutoStop event”. It goes on to say, “It is imperative that the customer be well informed about the unique features and operational characteristics of their vehicle equipped with Stop/Start. For the sales team to be fully prepared, they should use the Getting to Know Your Vehicle guide as an outline when presenting the vehicle to the customer”. Cadillac knows this is a terrible and they are not notifying their customers. Other cons: the run-flats are a poor ride; they’re loud and you can feel everything. The 2016 CTS models don’t come with a spare and instead have run-flats. The tactile sliders/”buttons” are over-engineered. Just give me a knob for the radio volume; ditto for the A/C fan speed. Also, a little more difficult to get out of than previous CTS. Pros: trunk is larger than previous CTS; nice and roomy. The panel that comes up in the dash is a cool storage area (and lockable). Cool feature that lets you program the radio so you are notified when your favorite band is on XM. Bluetooth with phone is loud and clear.

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  Check out this car - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Eric - April 27 - 1:54 am

  The Cadillac CTS is comfortable, has great performance, and has great looks. Anyone looking for a sports sedan that doesnt want to be cramped should check it out!

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  Escalade is awsome - 2000 Cadillac Escalade
  By tammy - April 26 - 12:29 pm

  The Escalade is an awsome ride. The gas is better traveling then short distance and the back door windows you can see or no winshield wiper to clean window because it has two door. But, I love it. I like all the people staring and telling me everywhere I go that I have a nice ride. I had a Jeep and a Durango R/T model that I traded. The best on insurance because of its loaded features. Cheaper than my Durango on insurance.

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  What a car - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By the bug - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Face it, the car is awesome. I love the way it handles in tight curves. Its a great highway cruiser with comfort to boot (once you find your set settings), speed and excelleration are pretty decent. This car really turns heads. I have people of all ages making compliments, many at stoplights are questioning cost. A few with BMWs & MBs are checking it out while parked. I just love to drive it. Cadillac has hit the mark