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:

• 

  what a car!!! - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By kdave - May 4 - 10:00 am

  this is by far the most beautiful design ever used on a car...it turns heads everywhere i go,the styling is just so unique its its incredible sometimes i wonder how they could make a design like this...and everything about it is great

• 

  I love the stick shift 2003 Cadillac CTS - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By tfranklins - April 30 - 10:00 am

  One design flaw - - -cup holder is right in front of the gear shift, not bad if youre driving an automatic transmission, but not good for a manual transmission, where youre always shifting - - -you drink(water bottle) is directly in the way of you hand! Thats the only problem I can find with the car; otherwise its a fun drive! ! !

• 

  Lake Cadillac - 2016 Cadillac SRX
  By Ed Klump - April 23 - 12:34 pm

  On hold yet again with GM service center (7th time in two days).  There is an issue with the SRX Sunroof drain tubes shrinking and popping off (very poor design).  They are supposed to fix this problem up until Jan 2017.  GM is fully aware of this and there is a customer satisfaction action that is for only a few States.  I live in Michigan so I am not covered.  The car has flooded badly and mildew has collected.  If anyone has an SRX PLEASE stay out of the rain!  TERRIBLE customer service, worse engineering, and costly to own.

• 

  Ricks 04 CTS - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By rbaron762 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  The CTS performs with little hesitation when you press on the gas pedal. The 1SC package with engine, suspension and cabin upgrade was a good addition. Stabilitrac keeps the car from rolling in turns. The cabin is very comfortable. The exterior is built to very tight tolerances. I looked at the Acura TL, Infiniti G35, BMW 525i and Audi A6. The CTS is simply more fun.

• 

  my cad cts - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By ootch - March 28 - 5:20 am

  excellent,not so great on rain..easy hydroplaning..awesome ride..great pickup..neat looks

• 

  Great truck - 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Stephen Blankenship - March 27 - 10:53 pm

  We love this truck. Try driving a F150 and compare gas mileage! Or a Tundra. What do people expect when they drive a truck? Were getting over 18 on the hwy with over a 100,000 problem free miles! In fact, we are buying a new one.

• 

  \Cadillacs are for drivers of all ages - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By HCW - March 24 - 2:00 am

  Car is only a month old and it drives like a dream!

• 

  Pertitnent Facts - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By phil,mlc - March 24 - 2:00 am

  Very much like driving a luxury sedan. Ample power from the engine. Cadillac needs to supply heat to the rear seats.

• 

  happy customer - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By burt caplan - March 24 - 1:06 am

  excellent vehicle to drive and nice looking. controlls very hard to operate, heater and air very small buttons and you must take eyes off road to operate. also very hard to exit as you have about three inches of metal to swing legs over. would like better gas milage but like that i can use regular gas.if vechicle continues to operate like now would purchase another.

• 

  Awesome - in-a-word - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Awesome, in a word - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Awesome! So much is perfect about this car that I struggle to offer constructive critisism. Quiet, roomy, comfortable, racey, excellent handling and breaking, solid feel, aggressive styling - head turner! All of this and Im in the 30s?! Cadillac is doing some good stuff here! If they keep this up, Ill never go back to BMW.