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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  Poor Car - 2016 Cadillac CT6
  By sd - May 7 - 1:41 am

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  Broke down mountain - 2016 Cadillac SRX
  By Bob Reinherz - August 26 - 7:17 pm

  Within 2 days of lease, after having driven 517 miles, the vehicle suffered a severe internal transmission failure. The transmission was rebuilt and failed a second time. We told both the dealership and G.M., we did not want the car back. They refused a buyback!

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  5 Years Later - WARTS come out - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By Julius - June 21 - 6:49 am

  Like a bad case of herpes - that night with that attractive someone later came back to haunt. Purchased a low miles (35K) 2007 3.6L sedan based partially on my local mechanic stating that the 3.6L engine was bullet proof. I purchased from a Cadillac dealer (Val Ward in Ft Meyers FL) in 2012. It was an attractive car that rode extremely well with decent acceleration and very good handling and braking. Checked all the blocks by checking reviews, car fax, prepurchase check with independent mechanic. Within months I started having problems. First the ABS started going off (intermittently), making braking horrendous and dangerous. Then noticed the engine started eating oil. There was no (blue) smoke from the exhaust, but my mechanic suspected the emissions system (CAT, etc) was absorbing the oil leaking out prior to the bypass. [Note - I should have cut my losses and sold this thing at that point, but the wife loved the car & the Mech thought it wouldnt get any worse.] Later the check engine light came on. Code said it was a Cam sensor - which was replaced (not cheap). The light later came back. Heres where it gets bad -- in year 5 of ownership at 100,000 miles the engine essentially went. (All kinds of noises that was most likely timing chains / guides and perhaps other bad items from the crank case. Keep in mind this car was driven easy by a female and I believe the first owner was elderly.) Replacement REMAN engine is over $5K installed and rebuilding the existing engine with duel Cams is about the same. Trade in value without major problems is currently extremely low around $3,000 thanks to Cadillac flooding the market with these vehicles. My Mech (who sold his SRX with the same engine) said that Cadillac knew about these engine problems and has done nothing about it other than quietly fixing the problem in a later model year. He also believed fairly early that Val Ward knew there was a problem with this vehicle before selling it. Careful sleeping with this pretty babe.

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  Money Pit - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Rafael - June 7 - 1:57 am

  I bought this car when I was 18, 7 years ago. Its been a money pit ever since I got it. Poorly made. Engine seized up 9 months after I got it (is always made sure oil changes were ahead of schedule). Luckily the warranty covered it....cool. It started making a noise in transmission, so I had to replace the flex plate and torque converter. Now my check engine light turned on and I have multiple cylinder misfires. Awesome, had to fix that. Now due to all the rain weve been getting, Im finding at least 2 leaks and theres water EVERYWHERE! Now I have to drain all the water out and clean all the mold thats growing in my trunk and passenger side. Stay away from this car! You might have the same bad luck like I did.

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  Buyer beware - 2010 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
  By mother8 - May 19 - 2:59 pm

  The electrical system has gone out four times in 6 weeks. This means no power steering, power brakes, gas etc. No power! This makes the vehicle a liability on the road. I am getting very little support from the dealer to resolve this issue. This vehicle needs to be taken off the road before someone gets hurt or even worse killed. Traveling at a high speed on the freeway without power as I experienced was quite frightening to say the least. Every time the system has failed I was traveling in traffic. Not sure if this is a Hybrid, Cadillac or Escalade issue?

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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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  Huge Disappointment! - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By Nicole Van Meter - August 17 - 11:28 am

  My mother-in-law purchased this car used (1-2 years old 8k miles). She is a senior citizen and wanted a reliable car for her remaining years. She had several Cadillacs in the past and always liked them. From the beginning it seems like this car was always in the shop with electrical and emissions issues costing my mother-in-law a lot of money (fixed income). She has maintained this car perfectly and always brings it to the Cadillac dealership for all work including oil changes. She has just turned over 80,000 miles and after hearing a "knock" brought the car in yet again and was told (by 2 mechanics) the low end of the motor is ready to blow! The dealership wants $6,600 to replace the motor. Wow.... really? It doesnt even have 100k on it.... What a hunk of junk! I personally will never purchase a Cadillac after her experience. If 0 stars was an option, thats what Id give!

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  Dont trade for a Cadillac with over 50000 miles - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By Christopeher crouch - July 23 - 12:01 am

  Junk after 50000 miles

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  Too many repairs - 2014 Cadillac SRX
  By Evelyn - July 9 - 4:17 pm

  I bought this car over a Range Rover Evoque, a BMW x5, and an Audi Q5. What a mistake. Based on my experience with this car I will never buy an American car again. I have less than 20,000 miles on the car and I have had it in the shop at least 8-10 times for various issues. Warning lights come on when theres nothing wrong with the car. Drivers window has failed three times, in that without any warning it will not go up; instead it goes half-way up, grinds around, and goes down again. The motor has been replaced and prior to that the gaskets around it were replaced. Taking it in tomorrow for the third time. The equipment in the cargo space is useless if you want to partition it off with the provided adjustable bar. The bar is not solid, and items that you want to protect will slide through. The temperature controls are supposed to be easy but theyre not; you have to figure out the right touch on a flat surface, or you have to slide your finger across a very small area. All while taking your eyes off the road. The navigation system is very disappointing. The maps are difficult to adjust, and the routes provided by the system are often the most confusing or the longest routes possible. Again, I deeply regret buying this car and will trade it in as soon as the drivers window is fixed.

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By jojo324 - June 29 - 2:00 am

  This car is most definitely the worst car Ive ever owned. Within the first week or so of owning it, I began to have problems with the vehicle. It has been in the shop frequently. This SUV purchase was a mistake!