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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  GM Rules - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Napauto - January 21 - 10:00 am

  The CTS is a world class car that represents the beginning of a new era for GM. Buy the car and some GM stock as well.

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  First 3 months - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Comfortably Numb - January 21 - 2:00 am

  So far, wonderful car. Luxury sport package, hot seats, split rear, auto. Never take it out of "sport". Handles great.

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  Too Much Garage Time - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Joe Caddy - January 16 - 10:00 am

  The old adage of "never buy a first model year" holds true with this car. I feel that I have spent more time driving the car to the dealership for repairs than enjoying it on the road. From noising transmission (which was replaced) to a faulty engine cooling system (which took 3+ weeks to repair) and other problems have kept me from enjoying this car. Although Cadillac hit a home run with the CTSs style and looks, they still need to work on engineering and reliability to truly compete with their foreign competition.

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  Very satisfied - 2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By cl55amg - January 10 - 10:00 am

  You must drive it, this car is so comfortable to drive I own other cars but I insist on driving this one more often than my others. I honestlly believe The EXT is the best engenering ive seen from cadillac. Im surprised I dont see more of them on the streets. I actually dont have one bad thing to say about the car. I can say I dont use the pickup feature to often but you will be surprised when you might need it. Overall the car is Diferent.

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  cadillac cts - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By batruck84 - January 4 - 2:00 am

  we are very happy with the car and the performance. It has a sport suspension but does not ride to harsh. The styling is what orignally grabed our attention, however the interior styling is not in line with the $41,000 window sticker.It looks like it belongs in a Chevy Caviler, not a Cadillic. Jeff Wylers staff treated us poorly when we bought the car.They told us that the financing was changed, that they went through a different bank (after we signed the paperwork) and we had to resign new papers. they jacked the orignal rate up charging us an additional $1800.

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  Escalade - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By jrmd - January 4 - 2:00 am

  Looks & feels good. Lots of power. Commanding performance.

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  Affordable Luxury - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Onno H. - January 2 - 10:00 am

  This car doesnt need many words. Just look at it, drive it and you will be sold. This is everything you need for an affordable price.

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  NOT YOUR GRAND DADS CADDY - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By ROBERT HAMMOCK - January 2 - 10:00 am

  ONLY HAVE HAD THE CAR A WEEK I BOUGHT IF FOR MY WIFE AS HER DAILY DRIVER. I CANT WAIT TO GET HOME TO TAKE IT FOR A SPIN!!!! I PUT INTO D4 AND THE S MODE AND FLOORED IT IT WAS UPTO 80 MI PR HOUR IN LESS THAN 8 SECONDS (WOW) I PROMISE YOU , YOU FIND A CAR ON THE MARKET THAT IS THIS FUN TO DRIVE WITH THE SAME QUIET RIDE AND SOFT RIDE AS THE CTS THIS IS COMING FROM A EX BMW 528 OWNER FOR A 11K LESS