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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  BEST CAR - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By johnjohn - January 31 - 11:02 am

  I brought this car used.It is the best car I have ever owned.The looks the ride and comfort are amazing.I have only had to take it in for service.

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  Recurrent Problems - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By nobby45 - January 27 - 9:11 am

  I really enjoyed my CTS for approximately one year. After that I have had recurrent problems with the check engine light, especially recently, coming on nearly every two months. I have had the timing chain replaced three times in less than a year. Each time, I have had to wait at least a month for the part which causes high rental car fees. I have been extremely disappointed. This is the first and last Cadillac I will ever buy.

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  Poor V6 Engine Quality - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Allen Mason - January 21 - 2:50 pm

  Bought the SRX in 05. I loved the car until Mar 08. First it ran hot was towed to dealer that replaced water pump for $300. 2 months later she was driving the car and it started shaking. She took it to the dealer that checked the oil and said it was over three quarts low. They added oil and charged $117. The engine never leaked or smoked, so where did the oil go. Thee dealer could not tell us . In 2 weeks the check engine light came on. Took to dealer who ran diagnostic and found a cyl was damaged due to low oil. The car was always serviced at dealer with Mobil 1. Tried to get new engine for $8000, but none found, even by two dealers. Finally had a local garage install a used one for $2,800

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  Poor reliability - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By Dianne - January 19 - 5:18 pm

  My CTS Cadillac is nothing but problems. Major engine repair at 5 months and issue for over a year. Then again Major engine issue at 19months! The car has been a nightmare and the dealership is even worse to deal with in this regard. I would never buy another Cadillac nor deal with GM. I cant believe the poor level of customer service and then the poor level of quality of the car. I do like the style and look of the car, but it is a poor, poor quality car. It is upsetting as you expect a Cadillac to be the best, not the worse!

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  Lemonade - 2008 Cadillac STS
  By LarryG - January 16 - 7:20 am

  Leased my 2008 STS in late December, 2007. Failed camshaft sensor, failed right side cam at 13,000 miles, deffective FOBs, 5-burned out lights, deffective drivers seat lumbar system. Dealer is great but car spends too much time in service bay. Will not lease or buy another GM product. Totaly fed up.

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  Ameri-cant - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Murry - January 15 - 2:30 pm

  It handles great in dry conditions, but not in snow, which is miserable. Fuel economy is disappointing for a V6 with VVT. The transmission makes a whinning noise, and the car is known to have issues with trannies. Comfortable, stylish, and fun, but not quality, reliable, or practical. Overall a decent value IF you get it at a cheap price, but Ill never buy another caddy again- HIGH maintenance costs, and not great quality. Get an Acura- 10x the quality for about the same price. Do not even consider if you drive in winter conditions.

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  Value for Money spent. - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By R - January 6 - 12:25 pm

  I drive a classic muscle car (66 Charger)for fun and I use a daily driver the rest of the time. I picked up my Deville with 32k on the clock for $11,800. Dark Blue with the chrome wheels. This car is fully loaded and clean. It has all the toys except the sunroof and Nav system. This is a great car in all areas. The northstar is a terrific engine. For a large car it handles well. I love all the gadgets it has. Heated and cooled seats. And the heated steering wheel, which I thought was a silly idea until it got cold and I started using it. I dont think I would have paid $45k new for this car. But for the price of a used ex rental fleet Malibu? Gotta have it.

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  My Caddy - 2007 Cadillac Escalade
  By tja - January 2 - 1:08 am

  Love this vehicle, awesome looks and power.drives and handles like a car. Heated and cooled seats are nice has all the bells and whistles but had to take back for service for auto opener for rear door and remote start not working, electrical problems

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  Great car - but not flawless - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Steve - December 27 - 1:57 pm

  My 2008 CTS AWD is now 15 months old and still drives great but Im starting to see some of the old GM aging. Ive recently had my car in for some quirky problems and have noticed wear in the interior components including gaps between components. I think this is also contributing to noticeable interior wind noise. All-in-all the car still drives great and has handled excellent on snowy roads this winter.

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  We have had an SRX for 2 1/2 years now - 2006 Cadillac SRX
  By Mark - Idaho - December 26 - 12:20 pm

  We purchased our SRX in 06 and it had 3,500 miles on it. Great car and we have really enjoyed it. We have had problems with the skyroof, it has been back to the shop 2 times thus far in addition tires can be pricy as the front and back are different sizes. We are going to get a 2008 SRX with AWD but are not concerned with the skyroof this time nor the third seat. The 3rd seat sounds great but it is hard to get to and sits to close to the rear of the car for safety reasons. We would recommend this car.