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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  Very Happy with Purchase - 2012 Cadillac SRX
  By tcars1 - October 10 - 10:58 pm

  I traded out for a Luxury 2012 for a 2011 premium MKX with low miles… which was horrible (going on 5th visit to the dealer in 4 weeks . FYI the MyLincolnTouch is a disaster). While the MKX had way more stuff (mind you none of it worked well), the caddy is a total hit! Awesome! I read complaints about the 2011 engine revving up and down and tried it. I agree. I have had mine for about 5 days now (lol). The 3.6L is very nice and I have been driving it in the ECO mode for the past 2 days. Plenty of power and am getting about 20.7 MPG. The inside is very refined, comfie and stuff is easy to get to.

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  Love it! - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By mstiltner - October 3 - 2:43 pm

  Ive had my 2010 for a few months now and I am pleased overall. It is a little weak. I should have gone with a more powerful version since Im used to a V8. I love the size I dont feel too big or too small. I am dissappointed because I keep having to take it to the dealer..... sunroof issue, memory seat problem and remote start problem. Not what I would expect from Cadillac. Even after all of this I still love this vehicle.

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  went back to GM after 20+ years - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By jdo1139 - September 28 - 12:51 pm

  Ive been a german car guy for a long time. Just wanted a change. bought the srx in sept. 2011 have 524 miles on it at this writting. so far I am happy with the suv over all but dislike the non turbo v6 quite sluggish for my taste but Ican live with it. fit and finish is very good,interior is beautiful, the look of the suv is great overall the choice of a cadillac was a good one. may be after 10000 miles ill write another review, hope I can still rave

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  Why did my dad sell this car.... - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By carboy1993 - September 23 - 6:51 am

  My dad bought this car from a huge car enthusiast. It was fully decked out, on 22s, chrome door handles, gas door, mirrors, all 4 windows were tinted, remote start, second row tv, gps. the previous guy even took out the original seats and put in custom black leather seats, he also put in a train horn alarm, ipod auxillary, and thousands of dollars worth of speakers and subs to make the bose audio twice as loud, just as bassy, and very very clear froma distance. The car was in perfect shape inside and out, very reliable for the 1 year we had it. I got to drive it twice a week, and my girlfriend loved it jsut as much as she loves me. The reason we sold it-gas mileage. I still miss it

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  Dont be lured by luxury! - 2006 Cadillac SRX
  By donnak48 - September 18 - 8:58 am

  I have read many reviews regarding the SRX, nearly all of them positive. However.... I have owned my 2006 for just over 2 years now and cant even count the number of times Ive had to take it to the shop for major repairs. These include the panorama sun roof not closing, the wheel bearings needing to be replaced not once but twice, check engine light coming on for reasons the shop was unable to duplicate (of course!), electrical issues causing the engine to quit and the final straw-no compression to the engine, which required a tow to the dealership, a call to GM, and more than a weeks worth of repairs. I have absolutely had it with this car! $6000+ in repairs in 2 years? Not acceptable.

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  Caddy SRX is a Winner - 2012 Cadillac SRX
  By dtrotter61 - September 14 - 9:21 pm

  The addition of the new 3.6L V6 engine made the already good SRX a class leader in its category. While it possessed head turning looks and a luxurious interior, it lacked the performance necessary to run with the Big Dogs. The new engine provides a throaty growl when accelerating and provides plenty of passing power on the freeway. When combined with excellent fit and finish inside and out and great driving dynamics, braking and acceleration, the SRX now has the total package. Having moved from a Lexus RX 350, which I loved, the SRX is more powerful, stylish, engaging and dynamic vehicle that possesses excellent ergonomics and technology.

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  coupe decool - 1992 Cadillac Deville
  By mintjeeplup - September 9 - 7:42 pm

  Have had the 1992 coupe devile now for 5 years and 50000 miles..its got 104000 miles now and I just want to give a shout out on how ta fix the car if the gas mileage goes down the toilet..originally I was getting 20 mpg or better when @ about 95000 miles I suddenly went down to 17 mpg then 14 mpg and finally 13 mpg..I was stuck with a lemmon So I changed the spark plugs and the air filter and got...14mpg thru 2 tanks of gas and it was at that point that I started adding fuel injection cleaners to my gas tank..3m fuel injection cleaner worked imiedieatly but I wanted to flush those injectors but good So I bought One gallon of seafoam for like 60$ and now i get 20 to 22 mpg ..just add 16 oz

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  I miss my Q45 - 2010 Cadillac CTS
  By bobesherman - September 8 - 11:57 am

  I bought a 2010 leftover. The first week I considered returning it. Overall I like it, but interior storage is inadequate, mileage is less than expected and the visibility borders on being dangerous. I compensate by angle parking only on the end of the row and only making right hand turns. I traded a 1998 Q45. The CTS is not in the same class. I wanted to buy American with RWD and the CTS is probably the best.

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  1993 Allante Its like a bad drug! - 1993 Cadillac Allante
  By chargalant - September 7 - 11:19 pm

  Have had mine since Jan/2001. I knew the 93 was special w/the Northstar system. It has always been a pleasure to drive...and I drive hard and agressive and the car takes it all and askes for more. Power, handeling matches a Corvette. Styling is and always will be timeless, thanks to Pinnin Farina. I am amazed how cheaply theyre selling for these days. As much of a headache this car is, Id have sellers remorse if I got rid of it. But the cost & frequency of repair has exceeded the amount I paid for this car. Quirks abound! Yet this car will get very collectible at some point. Just dont know when. But its a Caddy w/Italian styling, power and it IS a roadster!

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  NO WASHER HEATER - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By captfx - September 5 - 7:33 pm

  Pros: I love the styling. After 4 years I think I like the look even more than when I first got it. It is a real head turner. I get a lot of nice complements. I have the black with black interior. Although a step down from the performance model the car is a rocket. I love driving it. Cons: Cadillac recalled the windshield washer heater. It could leak, short circuit and may cause a fire. Their solution was to remove the unit and 4 weeks later send you a check for $100. Hard to believe. They should have replaced the unit instead they took the cheap way out. They did this with other Cadillacs and Buick. I hope they dont recall the a/c or power steering. Because of this my next luxury car