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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  Wonderful - 1998 Cadillac Deville
  By Dannydc - October 25 - 2:00 am

  I thought about buying a Mercedes but the price was to high. Once I drove the Cadillac I was convience that this was the car that I prefered. The cadillac is a wonderful car to drive and I dont think that the Cadillac gets the credit it deserves. The interior is layed out for easy control and reach. The leather seats are comfortble and well made.

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  Cadillac has a hit!!! - 2002 Cadillac Escalade
  By jrh332 - October 25 - 2:00 am

  As a first time SUV owner I had doubts I would enjoy this truck. Well after 13 months of trouble free driving Id have to say Cadillac has a HIT! Mileage has not been great but what do you expect from 345 HP and 5700 LBS (12- 13.5 city best of 17.3 highway). The ride and handling for a vehicle of this size is remarkable. Cadillac uses a leather that keeps its "LEATHER" smell. If you have never experienced a Cadillac, the Escalade is a great place to start.

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  I love this Cadillac - 2003 Cadillac Escalade
  By OrlandoBil - October 25 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned 4 Suburbans and 3 Tahoes and loved them all. But, nothing comes close to my Escalade. Its more powerful, more comfortable, better looking, better built and, of course, more prestigeous. I LOVE this truck. Ive put 20,000 miles on it in 7 months without a single problem. My kids love it, too.

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  Cadillac Deville best yet - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Mark0123 - October 24 - 2:00 am

  This is the finest car on the market,sure if u got $100grand buy a Benz but why Cadillac is the domestic leader andis just as good Iv owned a 2000 M-Benz S500 and its got lots of stuff but this Deville has everthin its got but not the things ya dont need,those hightech features cost me thousands to fix,but this DeVille is great and being in cadillac is like a family they treat me better then m-benz and I spent about$25,000 more on the benz

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  Lemonade - 1994 Cadillac Seville
  By Wayne Cox - October 23 - 2:00 am

  After 1 year of ownership, the transmission went twice, the air compressor went, the paint is faded on the roof,hood,and trunk lid,the engine leaks oil and ruined my driveway. The interior is coming apart. The seat has split,I had the console recovered, the headliner wrinkled and I had that repaired,now th door panels are coming apart and they need to be repaired. When I contacted the Cadillac factory rep. he told me to bad its a used car. I will never purchase a General Motors product ever again.

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  2000 Cadillac Eldorado ESC - 2000 Cadillac Eldorado
  By L Mounts - October 23 - 2:00 am

  Very fun car to drive handles like a dream.

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  too many sensors - 1997 Cadillac Eldorado
  By D. Green - October 22 - 2:00 am

  bought on ebay. car has high miles, otherwise nice. love the car, but many sensors have gone out or have intermittent problems causing computer to turn on warning lights. A/C went out 3 times this summer, $900 to fix, still not real cold

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  Nice for a short time - 1997 Cadillac Deville
  By Andrew1 - October 22 - 2:00 am

  Driving long distances is a pure joy, the comfort of the cockpit is wonderful. However when a little problem arrises, the Dealership has money signs in their eyes. The braking system in conjunction with the traction system is poor. The acceleration is good. Overall I would rather short term lease this car, because after 60,000 miles you are in no mans land.

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  Deville - 1998 Cadillac Deville
  By Todd Phillips - October 22 - 2:00 am

  Nice looking, powerful , comfortable. Bought it 2 years used and have had no significant problems with it. Brakes cost me a bit however. Manual says that the brakes will make some sort of indicator noise when getting close to the end. Never heard anything until metal on metal. $395.

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  The car that has dollar signs in its eye - 1991 Cadillac Seville
  By jvillegurl - October 21 - 2:00 am

  At 175,000 miles, everything that can go wrong on this car has gone wrong. The brakes, the bearings, the speedometer, the whole electronical system all have gone out. I currently have 17 oil leaks and counting. I do not suggest buying this car unless you have a bank account with this cars name on it. Every repair is very expensive, just to change the 8 spark plugs its $300.00!!(In Florida)