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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  Over 200,000 miles and going... - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By BigJJ - September 11 - 8:40 pm

  I just past 200,000 miles!!! Ive owned this Caddy for almost 7yrs. Bought with 1684miles...yes, 1,684! Regular oil changes & tune-ups and Ive had one issue... At 154,320miles I had the transmission go out. I had it rebuilt. Now at 201,140 there is a ticking thats coming from the engine block and I have a torn drivers side seat. The car is going to be my sons after the ticking sound is looked at by Cadillac. I am now looking for another 2007-2010 DTS!!!

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  XTS VSport Platiunum -best interior for the price! - 2015 Cadillac XTS
  By NormV - August 28 - 7:14 pm

  Best interior for the price and 32.2 mpg on multiple hour drives with Adaptive Cruise Control set at 65 mph....with AWD! I cant say enough how nice it is to drive this can I bought used with 40,000+ miles on it. Not only does it drive nice but it turns heads at every corner.

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  CUE the chorus, "We Love Our XTS VSport Platinum!" - 2013 Cadillac XTS
  By NormV - August 19 - 7:29 pm

  The XTS VSport Platinum impresses everyone insight or it. It has the fuel economy on the highway(32.2 mpg, two way average for 6 hours each direction with cruise set at 65 mph), beautiful ride, but firm enough to throw it into a turn and the hydraulic steering holds the intended course. The power is phenomenal and always available when you need it. The amenities are the cherry on the cake, including the flawless CUE. Currently working on an ecu tune close to 550 lb-ft through its AWD. The fiancé says, "it just goes!".

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  Love this Caddy! - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By CaddyLove - August 8 - 6:50 pm

  Ive owned my 2011 SRX Luxury since May 2011. Regretfully, I will be selling it soon. I have loved this crossover and have never had any issues. Aside from a few minor recalls, this vehicle has been virtually maintenance-free! I have to admit that after 4.5 years I have racked up a meager 33,000 miles (mostly city driving), but have had the opportunity to take it for a couple of long road trips. Except for sluggish acceleration, it drives like a dream. I have the pop-up Nav screen and the sound system is awesome! The interior is beautiful and the ambient lighting (at night) is a nice touch. The seats are comfortable and the ride is very smooth. My major complaint is the lack of room in the back seats. We have a massive car seat for my son, which only works in the middle of the backseat. With another on the way, it has come time to get a larger vehicle. If it werent for needing more room, Id drive this until the wheels fell off, which Im sure would be a very long time from now at the rate were going! One thing I think could be improved is the vents...I live in Houston, Texas and the summers here are brutal. Im sure it didnt help that I picked a black SRX with charcoal interior...but the A/C system was a little too slow to cool the vehicle some days. I ended up using the Onstar remote start feature a lot to get the car going and cooled off early. All in all, I would definitely recommend this Caddy and I would consider buying one again (once the kids are older and in smaller booster seats)!

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  what a comfortable ride - 2015 Cadillac XTS
  By dennis hamlin - August 2 - 7:36 pm

  this is designed for crusing with no exterior noise . a great sound system and 3D navigation which i like . not desgined to be fast like the cts but if you want to shut out the noisy outside world this is a winner. very large trunk and interior space is 2nd to none in this category

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  Luxury ride with good performance - 2015 Cadillac XTS
  By Dana Basney - July 28 - 3:56 pm

  Great leg and head room. More gadgets and electronics than you can imagine.

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  RICH MANS CAR FOR WORKING CLASS MONEY! - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By Dave Edwards - July 24 - 7:31 am

  The reality of these fine cars, is that the market has not been kind to them. But that is a good thing for a guy like me, who is on a budget, and wants a nice, classy car. My 2004 Deville Base cost $35,000.00 + new in 04, but in March, 2015- with 107k on the odometer, it cost me $4,000.00 out the door of the dealer, with all taxes and fees, and smog paid. I have since fixed all the things that were known issues at purchase. I put on new General Altimax RT tires, new cross drilled and vented rotors and ceramic pads all around, and a new heater blower motor. Buying all the parts on Ebay- NEW for about half the price of a local auto parts store... and my costs are at about $5,200.00 YES, I then had a drivers door window regulator failure! EBAY- NEW AC Delco Motor, 61.50, and regulator- 30.99 Labor- 75 bucks. The REAL reason these regulators fail, is because GM used nylon/ plastic guide wheels. If they were made of aluminum, there would have been far less problems. If you encounter regulator failures BUY ON EBAY. Ive heard that dealers can charge as much as 500 bucks to replace one. After seeing my mechanic do the job, I know I could do it myself. $168 is quite reasonable, Id say. A note- the dealer I bought from, was DRIVING this car from Reno, to Tahoe daily.... because he dug it that much. Now, its my turn. This car, is by far, the most classically handsome Cadillac of the last 30 years, in my opinion. It handles like a sloth. I dont like that so much, as I drove high performance cars all my life. That said- the great angry song of the Northstar V-8 when you get on it is a joy to hear! Mileage so far has been as bad as 18.0 city, and as good as 21+ highway. Havent taken it on a long highway trip yet. It is about the same as my Nissan Pathfinder. HEY! I bought a Cadillac, not a friggin hippie Prius! Im a very big man- 6-3" and large framed. This is the most comfortable, roomy car Ive ever owned. Im also a bass player. My whole rig, two small speaker cabinets, two bass guitars and stands, a seat, and an amp head fit in the trunk, no problem.

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  Awesome Vehicle - 2014 Cadillac SRX
  By Nana - July 7 - 10:11 pm

  If you want great performance and modern technology look no further! The Cadillac is The Cadillac of all vehicles.

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  Love my CaddyO. USA, USA! - 2011 Cadillac CTS
  By texastownhall - April 27 - 12:37 pm

  For less $$ than entry level new Accord, Camry or Altima, I bought a used 2011 silver Cadillac CTS. And I love it! It had 18K miles, looks great. Didnt get the extended warranty (the car still had 11 months of factory warranty remaining). Nice simple yet elegant interior design, exterior looks great too. Radio backup camera are nice. Heat seat warmer works fast as well as the air and heater. Now the new CTS looks even better. I did had a chance to drive the 2014 CTS last year. However, CUE touchscreen was not my thing (hard to touch the right button while driving).

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  Great All-round Vehicle - 2012 Cadillac SRX
  By firetoice - April 16 - 12:30 pm

  I purchased this vehicle in September, 2011, replacing a 2010 SRX. Super for longer trips comfortable, quiet, solid, efficient. Fuel economy through 50,000 miles of mixed driving: 24 mpg. Unfortunately, this model has increased in price by ~$7,000 since I purchased my 2010, though I still believe it is a good value.