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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  Great Car! - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Bob - April 9 - 12:56 am

  WOW! I love the styling, comfort and performance of the 2005 Cadillac CTS. I have the 3.6L engine with the manual transmission and no other options. This cars MSRP was $32,545 and I received $7,750 in incentives from General Motors. The manual feels faster than the auto and is much more fun to drive.

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  Catera, A Nice Preowned Vechicle - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By MikeMann - April 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 98 Catera in 2001. I have always like GM cars and I still do. By far the Catera is probably one of the best handling cars in recent years but I would have never bought this vehicle brand new. I think this is an excellent car for say around 16K. The other reason I chose this car is because in sea audis, bmws, and mercedes, the catera was a breath of fresh air in the entry level sports sedan market.

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  My Caddy - 2000 Cadillac Deville
  By Snuffy72 - April 7 - 2:00 am

  Excellant maintenance and repair experience so far. ONLY a tie rod replacement at about 24000 miles ruins a perfect performance.

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  BEST CAR FOR ME - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By shibby da dib - April 7 - 2:00 am

  this car was amazing to drive, fun for my kids, in fact i bought my twin sons them for there sweet 16

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  Never again!! - 2000 Cadillac Catera
  By Guy Lalonde - April 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought demo with 2000 kms (1200 miles). Worst car of the 12 Ive owned. Car always in the shop, thinking of getting membership with local towing. Engine problems, rebuild the front end ($2000+), brakes ($1200), one wheel bearings ($700), electrical problems, rear defog, frequent stawling, powertrain controller, on third set of brakes and rotors, replaced stabilizer bars, and on and on and on...

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  the rebadged tahoe - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By surferdad292 - April 6 - 2:00 am

  the escalade is a pretty nice car but its nothing more than a rebadged tahoe. I sort of regret buying it because theres almost no difference in the interior, exept the wood grain that looks like it was from a vehicle from the 80s or something.also, the plastic and leather dont seem to be up to the 50k standard. in other words, the interior should be more refined and differentiated from the tahoe, like the navigator is from the expedition.Also, this vehicle needs to lose the ugly column shifter. The 285 hp v8 is slow. this vehicle should just come with the 340 hp engine.

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  BEAUTIFUL SUV...TIGHT ON CARGO SPACE - 2014 Cadillac SRX
  By Steve Rush - April 5 - 9:57 pm

  The 2014 Cadillac SRX Luxury Edition is a fine suv that looks terriffic, handles well, and checks most of the boxes in the "customer satisfaction" department. I have owned mine for 16 months and have had no issues with it mechanically. City driving yields around 15 miles per gallon and highway numbers come in around 18 miles per gallon. These numbers are a bit lower than I had hoped for, but the trade off is a nicely appointed ride with many cool luxury features. I am happy with the performance factor, as this caddy has plenty of zing under the hood to get you going there in a hurry. Cargo space allows for 4 sets of golf clubs, but with some difficulty, as it seems to be a bit lacking in width in that area. By comparison, my 2015 Honda CRV actually has more room for your cargo. My wife isnt a fan of the touch sensitive buttons, but isnt interested in learning either. Overall, an excellent suv, featuring good looks and power, and I would rate the reliability as 5 stars.

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  DTS IS BEST RIDE & VALUE FOR THE MONEY - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By JSLOWERY - April 4 - 3:00 am

  Having drove 6 Cadillac Sevilles, I was sold on the Seville until I drove the DTS recently. My lease expired on my 2002 Seville & I had to upgrade to the DTS. The DTS is a great luxury ride with room to spare. The gas mileage is similar to the Seville but the comfort & ride is superior! A hot car for sure.... Cadillac has a winner here for certain!

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  nice - 1993 Cadillac Deville
  By brighteststar - April 3 - 2:00 am

  lives up to cadillac name, surprised how powerful the 4.9 is

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  my review - 2004 Cadillac XLR
  By mgmannmoney5555 - April 3 - 2:00 am

  it was the best car ive ever driven!!!!!!