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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  Sexy Ride - 1993 Cadillac Eldorado
  By djeray - February 17 - 2:22 pm

  This definately has been the most reliable car we have ever owned. No mechanical failures or problems in 13 years. We have enjoyed all the luxuries of most every other newer cars all this time. Now with the advent of Nav systems and other toys it is time for us to get a new one. Hate to dispose of this sleek black beauty. If I had garage room I wouldnt.

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  05 STS fun To Drive - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Rick - February 17 - 12:44 am

  What a beautiful car. Fun to drive. The most quiet car I have ever been in. The power in the V-6 is more than needed. Buyng a V8 would be a waste. Or you just want too much power. You cannot feel the trany shift. Smooth as silk. Just a great car.

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  Not ready for prime time - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Chris - February 16 - 6:35 pm

  This is my fifth STS. Great performance and style other than the added spoiler. Poor fit on the rear doors & trim. Bluetooth phone still not functional, traction contol is disengaged under sport shift - no solution yet. Various other glitches (remote start did not supply fuel, transmission stumble at low speeds). Trunk is quite bit smaller than the outgoing model. A potentially great car introduced before it was debugged.

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  1995 Cadillac DeVille - 1995 Cadillac Deville
  By Tom C. - February 16 - 9:01 am

  I bought my Cadillac DeVille when it was a year and a half old. I replaced the fuel pump for $700 and the blower motor for $500. I think it was better when the fuel pump was on the side of the motor and rode on the cam (it was bad enginnering to install it on top of the fuel tank). I took this car to New York twice and averaged 26 miles per gallon. I have never touched the air condition system, it always blows ice cold, and that is saying something for here in Florida because I use it almost everyday.

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  Cant Beat This Luxury Car for the Money - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By scottb - February 16 - 2:59 am

  I bought this car 2 years ago for under $8,000 with 42,000 miles on it. It now has over 70,000 miles on it. How can you beat that! It is very comfortable, decent mileage, great acceleration. I love it. My only complaints are that the radio sucks and I wish the seat went back a couple of inches more. I have had a couple of repairs but not bad. Hopefully the dependability will continue over time. I mean this car is 13 years old.

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  R.I.P. This is the ultimate SUV/ Pickup - 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By michaelcr7 - February 15 - 2:00 am

  This is hands down the most comfortable four door truck out there, AND is NOTHING like the Chevy Avalanche. 30% of the exterior of the avalanche is unfinished plastic, the suspension is terrible- Very unsteady, tends to bounce quite a lot and side to side rocking motion is nausiating. The Cadillac EXT has completly different ride qualities. Very stiff suspension, excellent stable (not hard) ride. Bumps are completly absorbed by the drivetrain. Virtually no nose dip under hard braking, and not a hint of side to side rocking motion. Good gas mileage, and low noise at high speed- a true cadillac, And a true truck.

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  Winner of our test drives! - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By rszx - February 12 - 2:00 am

  We traded our 2002 Seville STS on our SRX and couldnt be happier. We live in FL in the winter - IN in the summer and were looking for more cargo area for the drive (dog, cat luggage, 5 grandchildren). test drove Lexus RX330, VW Toureg, Infiniti and this was the clear choice in both price and GREAT driving experience!! Handles like a dream. Opted for rwd/no snow in FL.

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  Cadillac is back - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Caddyman - February 11 - 11:03 pm

  What can you say... Cadillac is back. I give my 2003 Cadillac CTS five stars all around. It blows away the imports. I have never had any problems with this car. It is a blast to Drive. I can’t wait to get the V-Series. I can’t imagine anybody not loving this car or having any problems. It is simply the best.

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  Nice car. Runs great so far. - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By David Worthington - February 11 - 10:57 pm

  The used car prices are about 1,000 more then KKB or Edmunds states. It is a beautiful car, but it is 12 years old. I would recommend this car.

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  Used 1996 Cadillac Seville STS - 1996 Cadillac Seville
  By rob42240 - February 9 - 8:40 pm

  I bought my 1996 Cadillac Seville STS in 2001 and it had approximately 37,000 miles on it. I also purchased an extended warranty for it for $1,800, which at the time I thought was a little expensive. It actually ended up paying for itself. All of the problems with this car were fairly minor, but they seemed to add up. A water pump went bad and was replaced. One of the power window motors had to be replaced. I had all of the hoses and belts changed out, new brakes put on and I replaced the blower motor for the air conditioning (I wouldnt do it again myself - take my word for it, you dont want to do it). Oh, the compressor for the air conditioner went out and was replaced under the insurance. I have 107,000 miles on the car and I havent had any problem lately.