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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  LOVE THAT SRX - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By cadillacjeff - December 7 - 7:00 pm

  A blast to drive. Great seats and sound system. More electronic features than I will ever use. Eights acceleration is breathtaking! Quiet, comfortable, safe, and stable in all weather.

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  Fantastic Fun - 1999 Cadillac Seville
  By MLucas - December 7 - 1:08 am

  Ive owned many GM vehicles and several Cadillacs but this STS is the best yet. Its incredible to drive with its 300hp and tight road huggging. I love stomping down on the accelerator and flying. Mine is a black on black color and it turns heads and get comments everywhere I go. Fit and Finish are great, no problems at all other than faulty gas guage.

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  Civilized HotRod - 1996 Cadillac Seville
  By Ash - December 5 - 2:05 am

  What more can I say? You have to drive this car in order to appreciate its comfort, performance, and the service at your caddy dealership. The motor runs strongand feels new. I have hit close to 120 mph and there was no vibration of any kind. Watch out for repairs! A new tranny can run close to $4 K at the dealership. Mine was replaced at 99K by the dealership so I dodged that bullet. If looking to buy, make sure the tranny has been serviced regularly, or its big bucks out of your pocket. Other than that I prefer my cadillac over the Euro Luxo group.

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  Cadillac joins the Big League - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By Chris O - December 5 - 12:47 am

  If the crisp creases of the XLRs lines get your attention right away, then the cockpit comfort and layout just reinforce the fact that Cadillac has built one seriious sports car. It has all the gizmos, and some, but all serve to enhance the driving experrience and not confuse and overtwhelm the enthusiast. It is quick of the blocks, but with finesse rather than machismo. The XLRs handling is precise and exhilerating. The retractable top is an engineering masterpice and delivers a whisper quiet interrior when up, and a head turning air in the hair thrill when stowed. Its clean lines, luxury, and power combine to deliver a grand touring roadster to compete with the best Europe has to offer.

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  Solid car - no problems - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By CTS owner - December 3 - 11:34 am

  My 2003 Cadillac CTS is a good car. I purchased it two years ago with the Luxury and Sport packages. I really cant complain about anything, other than the fact that the plastic caps on the wheel lugs fell off (dealer/warranty fixed). Other than this I have not experienced any mechanical problems in 20,000 miles. For those who want an American car, this is a serious competitor for the German imports.

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  MY PHATTY CADDY - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By RANDY - December 3 - 2:17 am

  all around hot truck, many parts are lower end gm parts..

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  Cadillac XLR - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By HOWDY - December 2 - 6:03 pm

  My new 2005 Cadillac XLR is my second one. I purchased an early 2004 model and it was great. It turned heads and was enjoyable to drive. I had very few problems with it, considering that it was such a new model. I purchased a 2005 XLR without any reservations. From the perspective of a previous Chevrolet Corvette fanatic, this is an excellent car.

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  Very nice car - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Richard Chrystie - December 2 - 3:32 am

  Very nice car. Rides well. Very powerful. Excellent handling. Great looking. Not too big, not too small.

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  cadillac xlr - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By robert morgan - December 1 - 7:30 pm

  fun car to drive good handling good comfort need to make instructions for map and voice recg.

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  First Cadillac in 20 Years - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By dhinds - December 1 - 4:09 pm

  I have owed BMW, Mercedes-Benz, etc. over the last twenty years. I finally got tired of the expenses and went for a used 2002 Cadillac DeVille. I could not be more pleased. Although, the BMW and Mercedes are more fun to drive and do have some wonderful features, the cost of parts and repairs and over all expenses finally drove me away. This car is wonderful to drive on long trips, has good gas mileage and is very comfortable to drive. So far, the dealer has been great making minor repairs without a hassle. For the money, used that is, pretty hard to beat over the German autos. Cadillac resale values are poor but so what, at least you wont brake the bank with this car. I recommed this old American standard.