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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  I am a CTS lover! - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By CTSluvr - August 4 - 11:39 pm

  I purchased my loaded, black on black CTS on my birthday last year and it is by far my favorite car and the best gift Ive ever given myself. I have a couple of extras like a color keyed black grill, small deck spoiler and larger E&G chrome exhaust tips that all work to round out the package. The nav is great, the ultra-view roof is expansive, the leather is nice, the Bose audio rocks, the engine pulls like a V8, the transmission is smooth and responsive, the handling with the FE3 suspension is like a sports car and the styling is like nothing else on the road. I shopped other cars in its class, but I felt the CTS suited me as the individual I am and not a follower. Try a loaded one, smile :)

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  Bobs "Fun Mobile" - 2004 Cadillac XLR
  By R. W. McPherson - August 3 - 9:38 pm

  The daytime running and front signal lights have too high a wattage bulb. the bulb melts the lens, and reduces the assembly to junk! at $2100.00 to replace the set, and no remediation for the problem by GM, it makes for less than a good experience of ownership! The crooks at the dealership of course waited to tell me about this after the warranty was expired. I am not happy with the dealership or Cadillac Division of General Motors. It will be a cold day in hell before I get another Cadillac, or let a caddy dealer work on either my XLR, or my SRX!

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  Great Luxury for the price - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By T-Bay - August 3 - 7:37 pm

  During my test drive I fell in love with the car. I didnt use the sport mode until I got it home. This has eliminated any concerns I had about pick up and the ability to pass on the highway. I bought the luxury model without the nav system. Onstar downloads turn by turn navigation directly to the small screen on the steering wheel. It also comes over your stereo system prior to a turn. Brilliant! The pop up and rear view camera are nice but I am glad I saved the $2400. It also comes with rear and front parking assist without the camera and pop up. The interior is incredible and really makes the driving experience a dream. Great value for a luxury crossover!

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  Sporty Nightmare - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Z28west - August 2 - 10:40 pm

  Its very fun to drive, and fast for a V6. Looks great and turns heads. Great interior. However it gets terrible mileage for a V6. I get 24 on highway if Im lucky. It burns about a quart every 1000 miles! It is worthless in snow and ice. My transmission went out at 95,000 miles. $5000 for a new one installed at the dealership. When I step on my brakes the car shimmies and shakes back and forth. Had to replace a brake caliper at 75,000 miles $850! Basically its a unreliable gas/oil burning expensive piece of crap that I can only use half of the year if the transmission wasnt broken! Spare yourself a headache and steer clear! Its looks ARE deceiving!

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  Verdict still out - 2010 Cadillac CTS
  By first cts - August 2 - 9:39 pm

  Only driven it 100 miles so far but love the ride. Plenty of Power for a 3.6 sedan. Fit and finish are cut above most American made cars. Love the creature comforts. Stereo and nav are awesome. I would recommend anyone looking at a the infinity m or Lexus es300 or any other of those foreign makes to test drive the cts premium, you wont be disappointed.

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  Would buy another - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By thuff - August 2 - 6:49 pm

  I bought my 2004 in 2005 and it went in the shop a few times for this or that but was always taken care of. always given a Cadillac replacement vehicle but my only complaint are that the turn light go out a lot because they are running lights also. I love my car my wife has a convertible mustang and we always take my car because of comfort it rides like a dream the a/c is so good it will make you cold on a day of temps over 100 degrees. Id buy another in a minute!

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  First Time Cadillac Owner - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By JohnC - July 31 - 9:33 am

  This was my first upscale car, and Ive not been disappointed. Great look & feel inside & out, superior driving experience (even with base 3.6 engine). Bold exterior design and black cherry color has drawn lots of compliments. Mileage is about as expected, 17-19 mpg in mostly city driving. Seems pretty good to me for an AWD car. Like one other reviewer, I had major transmission problem about 3 mos into ownership, which eventually required total replacement and about 2 wks in the dealership. However, dealer handled great, provided free loaner CTS for the entire time, so whats to complain about? No problems since. Overall a great vehicle and certainly the best car Ive ever owned.

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  Six months, still satisfied - 2010 Cadillac CTS
  By Greg - July 29 - 1:23 pm

  Cant complain about this car so far. Ive already taken it on two long trips - including one on Amtraks Auto Train service to Florida without a problem. Sound system, bluetooth, navigation are all very good. Performance is excellent. Fuel economy is not too bad considering the car wasnt really designed for efficiency. Car is great for long trips (and passing on two-lane highways!). Quality seems to be better than my Oldsmobile Aurora which had a few too many problems compared to the Chevy I had before it. No rattles, weird noises, or warranty repairs yet like I had after 6 months of owning my Aurora.

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  2010 caddy DTS - 2010 Cadillac DTS
  By Henry Latus - July 28 - 8:25 am

  I just returned from a trip to Long Island,N.Y. The car was a dream to drive and the air conditioned seats made the ride in ninety degree temp a real pleasure.The radar to keep you alert to the fact that you are in the center of the lane is also a good feature. Onstar GPS makes getting to your destination an absolute pleasure. The ride with magna traction shocks is as great as it is on my Corvette.

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  What a vehicle! Pure class. - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By D-Lyted - July 28 - 8:08 am

  We just purchased our new SRX Luxury edition and are truly delighted. Having looked at Acura, Audi and the Toyota Venza, the SRX beats them all. It uses regular gas, gets great gas mileage and rides blissfully. If you look closely at the form, function and finish of the interior and exterior, it truly is elegant. LED lights front and rear (is that a tail fin?), 18 inch Michelins, self leveling xenon headlights, turn signal in mirrors and side marker of car, electric open rear hatch programmable to your garage height etc. WOW!