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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  Cadillac DTS 2006 - 2006 Cadillac DTS
  By sdi206 - February 16 - 8:17 pm

  I put 126k miles on 2006 DTS and engine failed with cracked engine block. I got breaks done once a year because break pads just wore out. I had to replace tires every 10k miles. Stability track warning light always came on. Continuous problems with arm bars and tire rods. Gas guzzler. Arm rest broke. Overall just a cheaply made care...Not impressed. Glad I bought a Lexus this time. Service at Caddy is bad and fails to compare to Lexus. Never again.

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  GM definitely stands for Government Motors - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By grant21 - February 8 - 6:58 pm

  Wow, I am well into my 40s and have easily owned as many cars in my life but it doesnt get any worse of a car than this. I have owned my one owner 2007 DTS for about 16 months now and have had it in the shop for many repairs (exactly 33 times) 3 brake jobs, 2 water pumps, heated/cooled seats motor replacements, sunroof leaks, low oil pressure sensor, etc..etc.. the list goes on. I will never own another GM vehicle of any sort after owning this and having a better look at everything on this car and a real eye opener to GM autos in general. Two Really Big Thumbs Down...( & thats only because i cant post profanity on this site).

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  The people from government moters should be sued for producing a bucket of junk - 1999 Cadillac Seville
  By steve470 - February 2 - 1:51 pm

  I will never buy another Cadillac for as long as I live they are a hunk of junk and the people that make them know it...JUNK

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  Worst Car I Ever Owned - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By nestornajwa - January 17 - 1:54 am

  I bought a new 97 Catera in late 1997, thinking I was getting a good deal with discounts/rebates. Catera was not without its virtues. It handled very well, had a fun sport suspension setting and was pretty comfortable. I overlooked the bland styling. None of these things mattered when the car began falling apart within weeks. First, the gas tank was removed to fix a broken sensor. Soon after, a gasket blew. Then the fuel pump died. The most persistent problem was with the door locks, which malfunctioned often and prevented the doors from closing. Lindsay Cadillac service (VA) was terrible, with many return visits for door locks. All of this happened within about 16 months of purchase.

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  2008 CTS Junk Buyer Beware - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By techtwou - May 21 - 4:00 pm

  This car is Junk, I purchased one with 38K miles on it, drove nice for about 3 weeks, and then it started pinging/knocking, the vehicle has been at the dealer now for 6 weeks they cant figure out whats causing the problem, called GM Customer Service they had a Field Engineer go to the dealer and he stated it was fixed, Not so its still Pinging, Now with additional problems, that they caused (Main Motors Anoka, MN) Now GM customer service is giving me the side step along with the Dealer, people save your money Please dont buy this car in any Year. I am not a disgruntle buyer I have owned 4 Cadillacs before but I will never buy another one ever.

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  Government Motors Crossover Failure - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By chesterpres - May 14 - 2:32 pm

  I have had my 2011 SRX for over one year and to say that it is a disappointment is an understatement. It is far too heavy for its small 260 hp engine. It is cumbersome to drive. I went from an Acura MDX to the SRX and every day, I miss my MDX which had much more room, but was much more agile than the SRX. I have already had transmission problems. The cargo space is miniscule. The only positive I have to say about the SRX is the electronic features it has. The navigation system is very good and the stereo is top of the line. Everything else is a disaster. I hate this car and cant wait to get rid of it.

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  3 Weeks in The Repair Shop!!!! - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By mkzgirl - January 10 - 12:16 pm

  We will never own another CTS ever again! My husband and I purchased this car used in Feb. 2010 from a GM dealer. What sold us was the low mileage & excellent warranty. My husband has a long drive to work and wanted something fun and comfortable from the domestic luxury market. He fell in love with the styling and handling, that was until he was left stranded not once, not twice but THREE TIMES over the same problem which the dealership, several engineers & technicians direct from GM HQ could not pinpoint after three weeks, they had never seen the problem before! The key was stuck in the ignition and would not start or release the key so they had to replace the entire ECM to get it to start!

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  Poor craftsmanship - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By airforcdinstar - October 28 - 7:42 pm

  I purchased the car Certified Pre-Owned with 68000 miles. It has been in the shop 4 times for Wheel bearing, hubs, fuel sending unit, transmission leak,engine valve cover gasket and some other things. I purchased this car thinking Cadillac was a step up from some of the poor quality Chevrolets I drove. WOW I was wrong. I traded in a brand new 2011 Ford Taurus that I couldnt affford so I traded down and Paid 15,500 for this car. Thankfully its under warranty, however Cadillac service center managers are very aggressive and challenge me on all the repairs, thankfully I am a mechanic for the Air Force and I know a little bit about cars. This car is a nightmare and Cadillac service is horrible!

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  european - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By gcandler - August 25 - 9:46 am

  This is the first American car I have owned in twenty years. Now I know why. The engine is awful and sounds like a lawn mower. It has zero power and has horrendous gas mileage. The transmission hunts when slowing down and is jerky. The suspension has no give, making all road imperfections a nightmare. All my previous cars were European and I ask myself why Cadillac did not hire some of the talent from their European subsidiaries to design a decent engine and transmission. Its back to the drawing board for Cadillac, and another ten years before i buy another one.

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  Car from HELL - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By newregal - July 6 - 8:50 pm

  I purchased a new 04 cts which was my 15th new auto. It came from a Stephen King flick i think. Everything was changed out on it but the paint job and it had to be redone. I never had a car that had the instrument panel replaced before. I gave GM so much trouble they even made a monthly payment for me. Cadillac is the most overpriced car made. I would not buy another Cad at ANY PRICE. I dont have time for the problems. The dealer kept it more than i did. After 40,000 I finally justified getting rid of my problem. I traded the car from HELL. It actually made it to the new car dealer that i traded it to.