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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  Excellent - 2010 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Richard - April 8 - 8:33 pm

  Overall very pleased. I do a lot of highway and city driving, and the the EXT belies its body-on frame truck body as it is a dream on the highway and is more then manageable in the city. Tow and 9500 Pound trailer and the engine never strains at all, its very easy to forget youre towing anything.

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  --- - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By JJJJJJJJJ - April 8 - 10:00 am

  Awesome car!!POWER HAVE NEVER SAW A BETTER CAR IN MY LIFE

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  Great Car - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By RobNC - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Love it no problems yet!!!!!!!!!

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  You Should Road Test a 2016 - 2016 Cadillac ELR
  By SAM - March 28 - 6:24 am

  There are great deals available. The ELR is discontinued and will certainly become a collectors item. As battery technology improves, it is conceivable ELR battery replacement will become available. This is a car to keep... My 2016 Sport is fast, comfortable, provides great MPGe and is an overall thrill to drive all the time. Cadillac has no idea about marketing and have made a huge mistake by ending its life. I took it to a Cadillac event in NJ recently and everyone was incredibly impressed. Every new Caddy should have a plug-in option and offer technology upgrades as they become available, similar to Tesla. Also, the idiot auto bloggers and journalists havent a clue when it comes to what people want. It is not always about 0-100. There is not 1 test on a 2016 ELR I can find.

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  RTview - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By RWT - March 25 - 10:00 am

  tremendous handling capabilites, lots of whistles and bells.

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  Alans Car - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By armcclur - March 18 - 10:00 am

  This car is the most fun car to drive of all the new cars I bought in my lifetime! The handling is superb! The fit and finish is also the best ever.

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  A Cady lives up to its name - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By HWW - March 3 - 4:13 pm

  Accelerate like a Porsche. Ride like a Mercedes. Turn like a Miata. Own all the cars mentioned here. Dont be fooled by made in USA

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  A Dream - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By VeryBZ - February 26 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my CTS for 4 month and I love it more every week. The two tone interior is a great retro contrast with the techno exterior styling. It has been extremely reliable with no problems yet. It gets looks everywhere I go. The navigtion system has already saved my many unecessary miles. I had looked at Cadillacs before but never bit. As soon as I saw the CTS, I knew they had finally gotten my version. Summary - Its damn fun to drive.

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  Fun 2.5L standard Caddy - 2016 Cadillac ATS
  By Red - February 3 - 1:12 am

  Handling is excellent and makes this car fun to drive. Using the new 8 speed transmission in manual mode makes it easy to keep the 2.5L within its power band. The engine has 202HP (naturally aspirated) with no extra turbo parts to worry about. I prefer long term reliability rather than a quick 0-60 time. Also, this car is rear wheel drive with a longitudinal engine and a 50/50 balanced weight ratio, that is hard to find these days in a 4 door sedan.

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  luxurious caddy - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By franklin busby - January 27 - 6:25 am

  the ride is very comfortable. has all the bells and whistles inside! Can pull boat or trailer with ease! Only con is gas mileage!!!!