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:

• 

  New-Found Love - 1992 Cadillac Eldorado
  By cadiqueen - May 1 - 7:42 pm

  I bought my 92 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe at an auto auction a little over a month ago for a few hundred dollars. It wasnt my first choice, but I am so glad that I bought it. Best purchase ever. It has its issues- Ive replaced two tires, the exhaust manifold, the instrument panel and the glove box latch. All parts were gotten cheap. Whomever had this car took very good care of it. Mechanically, it is perfect. The leather interior is almost perfect and it drives like a dream. I plan on having this car for as long as it will stay alive. I recommend this car to anyone, especially parents buying for a new driver. Very solid, safe car.

• 

  Hate too! but we have to part ways! - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By hitman_cardino - April 30 - 12:01 pm

  My wife and I bought a new 2005 CTS sport pkg. with all the bells and whistles! At 20k the water pump went out! and needed brakes! Next, everything goes good til the warranty ended at 4 years. Then a clunking sound, couldnt be a month after we got our last free oil change, drive it to a shop, no oil! 1 HID xenon flickered and upgraded both for 200+ now the ballast died 2 weeks later. That will be 150.00 to replace. I need rear differential bushings and front one of two is cracked. 750.00 Hydraulic motor mounds need replacing (1 said no, 1 said yes, getting a 3rd opinion soon). Tht will cost 600.00 I only have 68,000 miles! How about a Honda accord? Im testing one today!

• 

  2010 SRX has problems - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By jswinpa - April 24 - 11:12 am

  the 2010 SRX (basically the 2011 is the same car) is great looking, gets so-so mpg, is a bit underpowered but OK -- but be warned, I and at least one other SRX owner I met, have had the bad experience of the battery inexplicably draining overnight - and in my case the Cadillac service guys cant find the cause. GM customer service answer to my dilemma: "we cant do anything if the service people cant duplicate the problem!" Do they think I am draining the battery for the fun of taking the car back to the 50s type dealership (three times, and leaving the car for a total of 8 days)? They apparently forgot that Im not only a customer, but one of the taxpayers whose tax $ saved their butts!

• 

  Amazing car - 2000 Cadillac Seville
  By jared194 - April 23 - 5:57 pm

  Absolutely amazing car, lucky to have as my first car, it was in bad shape tho. got it for 1000 sold for 2.5. Hard to let her go, the car has so many little features that even todays cars lack.

• 

  Great Vehicle, Bad Transmission - 2008 Cadillac SRX
  By wrrjr - April 12 - 12:55 pm

  Bought the vehicle used three months ago and love the way it drives on long distances. However with only 56000 the transmission burned out all of the clutches. I had taken it to the dealer but they told me is was a computer issue. It wasnt so the out of town dealer had to completely rebuild the transmission while on vacation. Day after repair we drove it 1100 miles home without a problem. Got 22 mpg on highway at 74 mph. We love the Cadillac.

• 

  Fast Luxurious car, bad on car though - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By remyb - April 9 - 4:51 am

  75,000 miles and no problems yet, steering wheel is cracked though, lots of plastic inside but it looks ok

• 

  Love this little Caddy - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By ernesto118 - March 30 - 2:35 pm

  My wife traded in our 3 year old Trail Blazer as it started having too many problems. We got a new SRX. Following are our comments after 6 months and 6K miles. Although the “Inprovement” list is longer than the “Favorite” list, we’re happy we got it and still love driving it!

• 

  1998 Cadillac Deville - 1998 Cadillac Deville
  By twindavid - March 19 - 5:17 pm

  I have found the Deville to be comfortable, quiet, and surprisingly fuel efficient. The car averages 23 MGP. Highway mileage approaches 27-29 MPG. The Northstar V8 is strong and responsive. Obviously, a car of this size does not handle like a sports car, nor was it designed to do so, but it is a beautifully designed cruiser. Virtually every option was ahead of its time back in 1998, and they are still workings flawlessly 13 years later. A true testament in reliability!

• 

  2010 - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By kathy2010 - March 19 - 3:45 pm

  Not nice sounds in the WI weather, when it is colder then 20 degrees, it sounds awful like worn springs of an old jeep, terrible. Experienced car not starting with either remote, seat warmers needed to be repaired, a recall, leather seats that are not durable.

• 

  Caterror! - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By dasmaedchen - March 18 - 11:02 pm

  This has been the worst car Ive ever owned. I bought it two years ago when I needed a car badly. Id read a couple poor reviews but was persuaded to at least come look at the car. It looked brand new, had low mileage, and a nice price. I now know that the reason it looked brand new and had low mileage is probably because it was parked, broken, more than actually driven. It is pure garbage. It has had a coolant leak since shortly after I bought it. I have taken it to several different places including a dealership and nobody has been able to stop the leak. This among the many other things wrong with it. It would also randomly refuse to start and then 30 minutes later would start.