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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  Phat Ride - 1991 Cadillac Brougham
  By Phugoid - January 8 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love my 1991 Brougham. I waited 18 years to own a big Caddy, and after 14 months of driving my car the novelty has not worn off. My Brougham has the 305 CI engine and I get 20 mpg...not too bad for a 2.5 ton vehicle. The car rides like a dream and has only needed routine maintenance.

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  2001 Deville - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By merlt - January 8 - 2:00 am

  My cadillac gets better gas milage than the 2002 Honda Accord that I traded on it!

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  Eldorado for looks and performance - 1992 Cadillac Eldorado
  By P RUSSELL - January 7 - 2:00 am

  One of very few vehicles that just look like it is in motion (57 Chev, 92 and up Eldo) while it is standing still. The previous owner rear-ended a car on the freeway and was fixed at a Cadillac dealer. It looks great for an 11 year old car. It is a real pleasure to drive, being very responsive and handles great. It is a touring coupe. A must-own for me from the first model I saw.

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  Eldos report card - 2002 Cadillac Eldorado
  By bchristenson - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I owned four red Eldorado Cadillacs. A 1995,1997, 1999, 2001. I finally traded my 2001 off for an M3 BMW. I got tired of the Eldo not holding its value. This is because cadillac does not upgrade from year to year. Very little difference between the 95 and the 01.

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  First time Caddy Buyer - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Epiphone - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Just took delivery of a CTS. THis is my first time in a luxury Sedan. Ive always owned Coupes before this. The ride and finish is superb. The leather seating surfaces are well stiched and should be rugged enough to last a lifetime. This car will turn heads and people will ask to see the inside at gas stations.

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  Fun Car, But needs more - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By BRice - January 6 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive w/ its V6, 200hp engine, but its lacking in not having an option to purchase as a manual instead of the dreary automatic tranny.

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  top performer - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By lrm - January 5 - 2:00 am

  great ride, excellent performance and road holding ability in snow, rain and icy weather conditions.

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  POWWWEERRRR - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By thacaddydaddy - January 3 - 2:00 am

  This is THE BEST suv out there. We tried the h2 but it was so underpowered. Now this beast is far from underpowered. Even the 2WD model is a little speedy, but if you want a FAST and POWERFUL suv and you dont wanna pay for a euro $60,000 sport ute that cant tow, THIS IS THE ONE. TRUST ME.

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  99 Catera - 1999 Cadillac Catera
  By rvhjr - January 2 - 2:00 am

  My 4th used Cadillac- first catera. We wanted a smaller car than the Sedan deVille. Excellent fit and finish and fun to drive. Great stereo although I havent completely figured out how to use it. 27,000 miles and almost 4 years old when I bought it. We will put 60,000 on it in 4 years and then trade.

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  response - 1999 Cadillac Seville
  By Fookes - January 2 - 2:00 am

  I would like to know what the problem was with your car "aboalgab". My car does the samething. It was brought into the dealership today. The service rep pressed a couple buttons and pulled the error codes from the computer. All I know is sometimes when the car is started the ABS & Traction light will stay on. When that happens the compass wont work, the heat option wont work for the front seats, the e-brake wont disenguage, the speed sensitive steering gets tight and the climate control malfunctions. This could last 1 sec or 10 min. Then when the lights go out everything works fine. Has this happened to anyone else.