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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  Never thought Id hate a Cadillac - 2006 Cadillac SRX
  By Laura - September 1 - 8:25 pm

  I bought my 06 SRX 2 months ago, and within the first week it started having electrical issues radio presets lost memory, sunroof and windows wouldnt close, tilt reverse mirrors wouldnt work, and why it was stalling. The dealership handled the issue poorly, theyve had the car for almost 25 days in the last 2 months & still couldnt fix the problem. I took it to another dealership for a 2nd opinion, and it was fixed within an hour. I guess it was a known issue for the battery and computer modules to be tighten, so that all electrical lbs of power can support all the functions. After about 3 days, all the issues came back again.

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  I love this car. - 2010 Cadillac CTS
  By johnnyjp - August 30 - 10:17 pm

  I notice how writers cant say enough about the foreign cars but pick the really good cars apart. I love this Caddy. Would not trade it for any Japanese car. Had a 2005 and wanted another. Buy American. Keep your money in this market.

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  Major Repair Experience - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By Jim - August 29 - 3:38 pm

  I bought with about 58k miles. Very good ride and fuel mileage strong and plenty of power. Seemed the perfect car until 68k miles. Between 68k miles and 72k miles replaced transmission, air struts, and fuel injection pump. I rated down the reliability due to the mechanical failures, but now repaired, I am back to trusting its dependability. The problems were caught before breaking down on the road. Transmission metal and seal fragments were found on filter and oil change struts were flat and wearing rear tires severely and unevenly, and fuel injection was causing erratic and surging RPM, and a couple stalls.

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  Basic American Iron - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By luvchrysler - August 26 - 3:49 pm

  The ride, comfort and convenience are what the DTS is about. Handling is soft and imprecise, but secure. This was purchased to be a highway cruiser, and as such it excels. This is our 4th caddy and 2nd DTS, the previous DTS was an 03 and was basically run to the ground. The 03 was plagued with electrical problems, which were addressed with the 06 upgrade. Thoughtful touches include the cooled seats, remote start and heated steering wheel. The white led instrument-interior lighting is clear and attractive, the sweep of the dash modern with intuitive controls. Seat belts are difficult to latch though, and the lack of an outside trunk lock a strange omission.

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  Best car out there if you have the money - 2010 Cadillac CTS
  By Best Car for price - August 26 - 11:22 am

  Very smooth and quiet ride. My son loves the ventilation in the back and perfect acceleration. Very tough built. Dont look at acuras Lexus or Toyota get the Cadillac cts you will be impressed on a test drive. Doing real estate some of my client have made great compliments on their cts. Drive one.

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  Terrific car since new - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Ryan - August 26 - 9:31 am

  I bought my 2005 CTS Luxury Sport in Oct, 2004 with 300 demo miles on it and have beaten the tar out of it. I currently have 97,000 miles on the car with minimal complaints and overall, would not go back to the 97 Audi A4 I traded in for it (Caddy blows its doors off). While the 3.6 is known for oil consumption, it was purposely built at the high end of tolerances to free up horsepower. Consumption remains just under 1 quart per 2000 miles, which is within specification. Aside from brakes and tires, I have had a water pump, rear differential seal, and a headlight module replaced (all under warranty). Overall, I love the car, and it remains rattle and wind noise free after 97k miles.

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  Still a great car - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By Jerry K. - August 25 - 6:32 pm

  We bought our 02 Deville for my wife to replace her Chrysler 300M. It was bought used with 24K miles and we now have 94K on it. We have had all four bearings/hubs replaced, rear shocks, pass. window switch, one tie rod end and the pwr. strg. hose has a slight leak. Otherwise, it has been an excellent drive, smooth but have had the slight front end vibration above 60 MPH as commented by others. Four new Yokohama tires virtually eliminated it. Some of the dash switch lights have gone out but due to the permanent bulb design in the circuit boards, the bulbs simply cannot be replaced without a soldering iron. Engine/transmission are flawless. It uses a qt. of oil every 2000 miles.

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  Nice Car with a few defects - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Allen Lobb - August 25 - 3:44 pm

  Purchase the car used with 38,000 miles. Engine consumes a quart of oil about every 3000 miles. Using the oil recommended by Cadillac which is Mobil One-5w30. No signs of oil leaks, no smoke out of the exhaust pipe. Cadillac drive OK if you dont mind the popping sound in the driver seat when turning corners. Also, sometime the lights in the dash below the speedo/tach go out. Our third Calillac, the last two had electrical problems. After 8 years with Cadillac, this will be our last one.

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  Disappointed in Cadillac & GM - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Syracuse 185 - August 25 - 11:24 am

  This premium car was our first return to buying from an American based car company. Sad to say, we are we disappointed in the quality and reliability of the car and the integrity of GM. This car has been in the shop 10X the amount of times our other (Japanese) cars. Despite the care we have given the car it is rusting straight through in several places. In the last four months we have spend over $900 a month in repairs to keep it on the road (excluding tires, oil, etc). What a money pit. We went back to buying Toyota again this spring.

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  Luxurious & Reliable, worth every penny! - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By bobscadisrx04 - August 24 - 1:46 pm

  I never thought I would enjoy a crossover vehicle as much as the Cadillac Srx! The performance is amazing, I always tell people its like driving a luxury tank around. Very safe and handles like a dream. Not crazy about the gas mileage, but thats my only complaint. The seats are amazingly comfortable, and the features are impressive. I dont have the sunrooof, but almost every other feature, and its been a great car for me. I owned an Audi before, and will never go back. Cadillac is the way to go!