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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  cadillac riding, ac blowing, doing 2 mph - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 6:10 am

  This is day 1 of the rolling living room. This car is so comfortable I almost fell asleep behind the wheel.

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  Poor Quality - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 6:07 am

  This is my fourth Cadillac and my last.I purchased this car with 18000 miles on it.Tire air pressure sensors have gone bad 5 times.Engine had to be rebuilt at 40000 miles(under warranty) Water got in computer area at 50000 miles at a cost of $3000( NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY)3 Motor mounts broke at different timesTransmission bad at 90000 miles at cost of $2700Navigation system replaced around 30000( under warranty)Had other problems.

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  Great Car - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 6:06 am

  One of the best and most fun to drive car I have ever owned, neck snapping performance and sports car handling. The style is beautiful mine is all black inside and outside, real classy car.

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  Expensive to Maintain - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 6:06 am

  Had to replace water pump @40k mi. Failed about 10k mi. later 2nd replacement / Three window regulators..not cheap! Broken motor mounts.. Now @ 87k miles transmission has to be rebuilt which will include torque converter expected costs 2200-3000 dollars .The sad part is Im still making payments on this car that I loathe. I am a professional school bus driver and am not hard on cars.. my last Cad. is a 94 el Dorado with 200k mi. and Ive spent very little in maintenance and repairs and we plan to drive it till theres nothing left but the steering wheel, love that car!

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  Best Car Ever - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 6:05 am

  Ive always liked caddys, and this one is no exception. Cant believe how nice it still is and love the 275 hp engine. Everybody talks about how pretty it is. I like the vinyl top a lot also. Its the best car Ive ever owned and definitely the most luxurious. I even like it better than my infiniti. In my opinion I bought the car from a car lot ran by crooks, they did not disclose things about the car I should have known before purchasing, and had to have a couple parts replaced. Still have a few more to go but at the end of the day I still really like this car more than any other. The best I test drove. My dream is to own a house and a dts platinum off the show room floor.

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  Almost Perfect - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a small SUV that got decent gas mileage but didnt want to go with a rear wheel drive model for the few days a year that it actally snows in Washington, DC. That narrowed my search down to the SRX and the Lexus. I bought the SRX luxury edition without any extra bells and whistles. I love the car. It rides like its on rails and has all of the features that I need. Even though its more sport than utility, I can still fit quite a bit of stuff in it. Given that the car costs +/- $5K less than any other car in its class, I think its a great bargain.

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  2000 Caddy Eldo ETC - 2000 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Glakken13 - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Simply put it is the finest car I have ever driven or owned.

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  Keeps going and going... - 2000 Cadillac Seville
  By vpw - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I am up to 129,000 miles. Still getting about 28 mpg highway, and 18 city. The biggest issue is the sound system speakers going "tinny". I have replaced two and need to do another. Had the a/c "serviced" and two years later I am still ICE COLD! Comfort and economy. Struts blew at 105,000 I went with aftermarket and the ride is fine, I do have a suspension warning light issue I ignore now, bought resisters to fix it but havent bothered. Im very happy with this $12,000 used car I have driven 5 years now.

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  Maybe it is just Me? - 2003 Cadillac Seville
  By George - November 29 - 2:00 am

  Love Cadillac, always was my Favorite car. Now I will Not Buy Another one. Maybe it is just me? Maybe I Bought a Lemon From this dealer? It always starts on me. but I have had Major Radiator problems and lots of engine problems been to Dealer 5 Times. Front Shocks also Broken Just keep spending crazy Money..

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  Compared to my 07 Town Car - 2010 Cadillac DTS
  By kgm0001 - November 29 - 2:00 am

  Ive found my Town Car superior to the DTS in almost every way except: pedal position, ride, brake feel, and power (DOHC in DTS vs SOHC 4.6 L in TC). DTS engine is noisy and expansion joints cause booming throughout the structure. TCs body on frame is quieter with much less road noise. DTS steering is too firm making small corrections difficult without yanking the wheel. DTS: no locking fuel filler door no trunk lid pull down no trumpet horn FWD occupants sit too low seems like a mid-sized car when compared to the TC. Town Car: rides too firmly accelerator and brake pedals too close together and too far to the right engine not as responsive as in DTS RWD.