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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  Optional wheels - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Jrhemp - January 3 - 1:48 pm

  I tried everything from an Audi to a Lincoln in this syle and class. For the price, it is a value. The only thing I dont like is the 16" rims. I asked the dealer for an upgrade to 17" or 18", (whatever is on the cts-v) and they told me it was not available but I could purchase the tires, rims and the equipment after I bought the car for $900.00 each rim and $200 each tire. I did not even want to know about the other stuff I needed after that. It is a great car but looks much better with larger tires and rims. I do like it better than my Audi S4 except for the speed of the S4 was unreal!

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  2000 Eldorado ESC - 2000 Cadillac Eldorado
  By JMC - January 2 - 12:56 am

  I have enjoyed my 2000 Cadillac Eldorado as much as any I have ever owned, including Jaguars, Porches, and Chevrolet Corvettes. It may not have the handling, but you cannot beat the ride on a long trip. Its performance is excellent for its size.

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  My favorite Cadillac - 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood
  By Bill Granger - January 1 - 6:51 pm

  My 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood is the tenth Cadillac which I have owned and I wish I could buy the exacy same car in 2005. Its that good. Its rear-wheel drive with traction control and it is a dream to drive on short jaunts and on long trips. It took us to Florida four times ... its a dream to drive. Every year I track the miles per gallon and have averaged over 21-mpg {total city and country driving) over ten years, which is fantastic. This car is dependable, comfortable, and a pleasure to own.

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  Nice, Sporty Family Luxury Vehicle - 1996 Cadillac Seville
  By Darlene - January 1 - 6:00 pm

  My 1996 Cadillac Seville is fast. It is a pleasure to drive. The front spoiler is low to the ground and when driving one has to take care in turning in to high curb driveways. This car had a recall for a fuel line problem which Cadillac promptly took care of in 2004. This is the only non-maintanence issue or repair that I experienced besides a starter I had to replace. The car is equipped with remote start, which I use often accounting for the extra ware on the starter (or so I was told). Otherwise this is the sharpest sedan I would ever care to drive. It is an unassumingly, beatiful car in pearl white. I love it.

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  Are my problems yours too? - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By lisah - January 1 - 5:14 pm

  Bought my Cadillac CTS in March 2004. I love the design but hate the dependability. I have been in the shop 4 different times with the same problem: the engine light goes on and there is no power (the car hesitates). The dealership has been wonderful but cant find a problem!!?? I am paying for a Cadillac, but driving a loaner more often (30 days +) I am thinking of looking at the Lemon Law quickly to get out of this mistake before we are out of warranty. I shouldnt have purchased a first year model I guess. But I must say the dealership has been wonderful.

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  Fun with Problems - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By JPFCO - January 1 - 1:57 pm

  The Cadillac SRX is a good fit for our family of four. It handles and performs well, but the 4-wheel drive is a bit noisy. I had purchased this SRX for the 3rd row seat, performance, safety and driving comfort. My vehicle has had numerous problems. The most significant failure was with the power steering, but the most anoying problems are the numerous electrical issues that includes frequent cases of the battery being dead, 4 to date. Out of 5 months, my SRX has been in the shop about 20 days. Cadillac parts distribution and supply for our area is inadequate. The dealer has had to strip other SRXs for parts.

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  Nice but Not Refined compared to Euro SUV - 2016 Cadillac Escalade
  By GM-vs-Euro - December 31 - 9:45 pm

  The Escalade is a luxury truck in my opinion; even the huge column gear shifter reminds me of a Chevy Truck. Despite the plush seats and upscale interior, the ride has many jitters from road bumps, engine drones, and the transmission drones under acceleration. If you have ever owned a truck then you know what I mean. If you are transitioning from European vehicles you will not like this unrefined beast in many aspects. Despite the unrefined integration of all its bells and whistles, the Escalade makes a strong presence with its huge size, powerful engine, big LED taillights and headlights. Maneuvering into a normal parking spot can be a challenge, especially in an indoor garage. The front, rear, and top down view cameras do help with parking. I love the feature that vibrates your seat to warn you before you back into an obstacle. Road handling is its strength. This beast can handle every road condition because it is really a truck. But riding in a truck with plush seats and interiors still cant trick your senses into believing that you are not in a truck. The high pressure suspension doesnt have very good rebound damping. When the suspension jitters are triggered, it resonates throughout the car. It doesnt give you a muted and dampened ride that you get from an Audi Q7 or Mercedes GL. The GPS and radio has a nice big screen but it is tilted in a strange angle. The buttons are intuitive but again not refined like European or Japanese entertainment systems. Also, I wished the GPS map has a way of displaying on the large LCD dash display while the car is in motion. The Escalade only lets you see small arrows and turn instructions on the dash and on the minimalist HUD display. The audio system has clear sounds, and the interior is quiet enough even when blasting down the freeway at 80mph, as long as the road is smooth and you dont trigger the suspension jitter from poor road conditions. I also like the air vented and massaging seat. The lane departure control that vibrates your seat as a warning is a nice touch. Having owned a Z06 Vette, and now got a chance to experience the Escalade, my complaints about high-end GM products are the same, un-refined interior. Unless you need the SIZE of the Escalade, an European SUV is much nicer to live with.

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  i love my cts - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By norma s. - December 31 - 2:00 am

  its a beautiful car, its the best looking car on the road for 2004.

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  2005 Cadillac Escalade AWD - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By KEC - December 29 - 1:51 pm

  I was surprised that my 2005 Cadillac Escalade vehicle did not have a power rear door to assist with opening and closing. Also, the low tire pressure warning lamp does not indicate which tire is low. I found this to be a neat feature on my previous vehichle, a 2002 Cadillac STS. I also think that additional interior colors should be made available.

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  Electronic Lemons - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By tom - December 28 - 6:08 pm

  Ive put almost 100,000 highway miles on my 2001 Cadillac Deville and while it rides very well and is a good highway car, it is very unreliable. Yesterday for the umpteenth time I bought $2,000 worth of electronic sensor repairs. Ive spent almost $10,000 in cash in the last 18 months making repairs including a complete new air conditioning system and a new exhaust system (do to a failed catalytic converter). My 35 years as a GM man are over. Im going to buy Japanese.