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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  Deville not bad - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By JDW - December 23 - 2:47 pm

  Owned since new, mostly normal maintanence, brakes,tires, tuneup. Little warranty issues since new. Expensive dealer repairs were fuel pump at 135K and Air suspension compressor at 115K. Uses a quart of oil every 200-600 miles, more so as it got older.

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  German piece of... - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By German piece of.... - December 18 - 7:36 pm

  Ive always liked the body style and actually fell in love. This car changed my driving habits (I actually became more patient and more aware of other drivers) but it didnt last long. I only got to enjoy my Catera for a year. After I bought it is when I found out is worthless. To this day Im still paying on it but cant drive it. Overheated five days after I bought it (dealership paid for repair) transmission was slipping, engine started knocking, A/C quit, low gear would kick in automatically while stopped, and first battery died all of sudden for no reason.

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  Chaos Theory - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By pezlow - December 10 - 3:19 pm

  I have owned my 2002 STS for three years and love it...sort of. Ill be honest the engine and tranny work great together. Throughout my time owning it I have not had to have the engine or transmission serviced. The interior looks great (it won interior of the year in 1998) especially with the newer nav unit but it does suffer from the GM rattles and cheap plastics. The real problem with this car is its suspension. Tie rods and intermediate shafts seem to be a recurring problem. Having 300HP going to the front wheels puts a lot of strain on those weak legs. I love my car and thank goodness for warranties.

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  Great when it runs! - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Kate - December 8 - 9:14 am

  I have loved my CTS for 4 years, except for minor glitches(when the sun roof kept opening at will. It took several tries to get that fixed! Then just 800 miles out of warranty, the timing chain broke!

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  Cream Puff - 1991 Cadillac Brougham
  By chef - December 3 - 9:16 pm

  Still rides great 18 years later. Almost all parts have been replaced more then once, but they couldnt biuld another car like this if they tried. The chrome, the lines, the ride. This ride is the last year of the true cream puffs.

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  My Cts experience - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By L. Perez - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Rides with comfort, good driving view

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  Pearl white dream - 1993 Cadillac Seville
  By D2 - December 2 - 12:21 am

  I love my Caddy. I have owned many. I thought my 84 Seville classic with the tire in the back and the big grille was great except for the dreaded HT4100 motor but my 93 is great. Its a Cali car so no rust, perfect pearl white paint. I love this car. It still flys with a 150,000 miles. I have changed the oil one time with Mobil 1 and filled it with super since day one and shes been good to me. My only complaint is the water pump housing and the taillight that fogs in the rainy season but small prices to pay for 11 years of style and perfomance. Ill take this car to my grave. And yes I own a new DTS and like my 93 more. Maybe its a sentimental but oh well

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  Worst car ever - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By ms.tree - November 29 - 5:09 am

  Without a doubt the worst car I have ever owned. This car has been down more than up. I bought it certified used and a extended warranty and Ive still come out of my pocket with a couple thousand. I took the car to 5 different Cadillac dealerships before the 5th figured out it was a stearing sensor. I once took it in got 2 blocks from the dealership and it had to be towed back. There have been so many problems I cant remember them all and now the seals have to be replaced the timing belt and cam covers all this at a cost to me around $1800 unbeleiveable.

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  My New Escalade EXT - 2006 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By MochaJewl - November 28 - 10:00 pm

  I traded my 2000 Lexus RX 300 for an 06 Escalade EXT. Although I considered staying with the Lexus family, I felt that the RX 330 and GX 470 SUVs were way too small and did not offer enough features for the asking price. In the Escalade EXT, I get a bigger, sturdier vehicle, with the same luxuries (if not more), and its so much fun to drive.

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  Excessive Vibration - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By davertwo - November 26 - 7:01 pm

  Purchased 3 months ago. Vibration at all speeds. Sometimes excessive. Dealer has put twelve (thats 12) new tires on car. Plus original 4 tires were new. Problem remains. Warning #1 - Do not buy car with cool seat option. They are very uncomfortable compared to normal seats (heated seats OK). Warning # 2 Check via your car VIN to be sure car doesnt have "Stiff suspension option". Apparently a purchase option. Makes for poor rough ride. I hope this helps anyone thinking about buying one of these. I waited for years to finally get one of these cars and Im stuck with a car that I really dont like to drive.