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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  World Class Car - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By David Toth - July 8 - 6:49 am

  This car blows the BMWs that I have been driving off the road. The XLR is fast, handles great, and extremely comfortable. I also love the bold design and I have been stopped many times by admirers of the car. Taking the XLR on road trips is a joy, allowing one to enjoy both the power and comfort of the car.

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  Great Car!!! - 1995 Cadillac Deville
  By Richard - July 7 - 5:40 pm

  I love mine very few problems with it. I paid 5000 dollars for it used with only 28k miles on it and it was the best money I could spend it gets me to and from my work and two jobs I also use it for leisure travel on occasion and with all the time I spend in a car it starts to hurt my back in this car I rarely fell discomfort even after many hours. the only real down fall is when gas went up to 5 dollars a gallon and it cost me $120 a tank to fill it up, I cant say enough about how much I love mine

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  The Car of my dreams! - 2013 Cadillac SRX
  By Megan - July 7 - 10:25 am

  Luxury at its finest. The most beautiful interior! Perfect size! Perfect everything!

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  The Best of The Best - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Noah Hill - July 6 - 3:17 pm

  I purchased this vehicle used. It was a very high mileage, but I got a steal. It has over 200k, runs like a dream. The CTS combines the luxury of a Benz with the handling and power of a BMW.

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  Great highway commuter car - 1997 Cadillac Seville
  By Karl - July 6 - 1:30 pm

  I just got this car from Ebay a month ago with almost 170K miles. However, everything works as it should and the 300HP engine is still going strong when I paunch it to the floor. Used primarily as commute car to out-of-state job and have found it can do 28-29MPG on highway. For a 4600CC engine and 4000lb car, this is incredible. So far Ive put on 2000 miles and there is no issue at all. I have never thought a cheap 2nd-hand car can be this much fun and economical.

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  great car - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By sama - July 6 - 10:00 am

  great car a lot of thought went into design and comfort

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  Change is good - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By calicadi - July 4 - 10:00 am

  It was the exterior styling that snagged me. Read everything I could find on it for almost a year. Finally took a test drive and was sold. The size, balance and weight are properly handled by the engine, transmission and suspension. The interior is comfortable and functional, stylish without gimmickery. Fit and finish are excellent. Driving it is a real hoot. You can cruise around in regular auto mode or punch in the sport mode and get aggressive. It is hi-tech, so reading the owners manual is a must, but the payoff is getting the most out of the experience. After checking out the German and Japanese offerings, and the Lincoln LS, I chose Cadillac.

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  The Best Choice for an All Around Sedan - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By John C. - July 3 - 12:57 pm

  My prior two cars were 2002 & 2006 Lexus LS-430 sedans. I established a decision criteria to keep it objective. I checked out Lexus LS/GS, Mercedes E, Jaguar XF, Infinity M, BMW 3/5, Lincoln MKS, Geneses, Audi4/6 & Acura TL. In the end, the BMW 535 and the Cadillac CTS stood out. We also own a BMW (& 4 before it). The ride/handling was about the same. Styling was aggressive versus classic. Seating was similar. Cost over three years was insignificant. The difference was the way the cars are actually equipped. BMW offers most of the same options, but they are not reasonably available. Ease of use was also big factor. Even my BMW driving wife agreed, the CTS was the best total choice.

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  The Best Car Ive Owned - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Joe - July 1 - 8:48 pm

  I have been loving every thing about this car since I bought it. It handles really nice. I love the power it has when needed, the firm suspension and the turning radius. I hope to have this for a long time.

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  What American Luxury is all about - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By LT1 fan - June 29 - 11:28 am

  I never considered Caddy, but always drove big American cars for their comfort, safety and value. Test drove Impalas, Lucernes, Lexus ES and finally this Caddy. Hands down the best family car for the money (especially used). Huge but still handles nicely. Cavernous trunk, very low noise and exceptional stability means great road trip material for the family. Northstar provides great highway performance and very good gas mileage (22-23mpg). Love the simple layout and easy-to-use creature comforts. A couple of issues with window regulators and electrical shorts (all fixed under warranty) marred the otherwise great reliability and consistency. GM better not discontinue this one!