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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  All beauty and nothing else - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By jay657 - September 15 - 11:02 pm

  There is no doubt this car is beautiful, comfortable and can blow the doors of most other cars, but it is the most unreliable car I have ever owned. The eternal "service Engine Soon" light is annoying. It constantly needs sensors and things to be replaced only to have engine light come back on in a month or 2. I also dont understand how a modern car today can burn up so much oil. What does it do with it? It also is absoultly terrible for winter driving. Step on the brakes on a snow covered road and it turns sideways every time. The traction control on a FWD is useless. Trading in for an 05 Grand Marquis. Had a 94 Town Car previously never had any major problems in 6 yrs.

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  Edward Vaughan - 1999 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Edward Vaughan - September 15 - 1:48 pm

  This car is a good value at the price requested. It is fully loaded and has been reasonable on gas considering its power and weight. The car runs smoothly and handles extremely well. It is the epitome of luxury and power. The car is clean inside and out and while it has 97K on it there are many miles left in this excellent car. Dont miss this opportunity of owning a Cadillac which is a premier car at a very affordable price.

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  Premier Car of the GM Fleet? - 2003 Cadillac Deville
  By Concerned - September 12 - 3:52 pm

  Whats the rest of the fleet like? Power train good (so far) but stupid stuff - like mechanical mechanism for passenger window replaced at 45000 miles, wheel bearings replaced at 48000 miles, brake sensors corroded and replaced 46000 - all out of warranty, of course. Trunk developed leak at 43000. I buy one owner-off lease vehicles with about 25000 miles on them. Drove Lincoln Continentals for 10 years, bought extended warranties - never once used them - cars each died after 175000 miles. This car would cost a mint to drive 175000 miles. Very disappointing for quality and reliability. Cadillac, youve got a long way to go to be perceived as a quality vehicle.

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  Visibility - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By B&J - September 3 - 7:58 pm

  Run over curbs and your only clue will be the sound and the bump. The high beltline and the huge poorly placed and conceived sideview mirrors make manuvering an athletic stretching event. It has great handling on the road but my wife and I much prefered her S-10 Blazers for everyday driving and drive thru windows. We have had great service for the very few issues weve had.

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  98 Cadillac performance and comfort - 1998 Cadillac Deville
  By RALPH MANGUM - September 3 - 6:58 pm

  We use the car for long road trips, we enjoy the comfort, and space for luggage. Gas mileage is superb when you drive at or near the speed limit. We have had very little repairs to make to this car. An alternator once but nothing else except one set of tires and normal service., every 3k miles.

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  Not as Good as It looks! - 2007 Cadillac CTS
  By SteveP - August 26 - 12:36 pm

  This vehicle drives well, but does not reach the EPA mileage. Has the larger engine (not the V-8) and performs well. Noisy inside on rough roads - the combo of shocks, suspension and body results in some annoying reverberation over bumps. There was no plan for the back seat passenger AC - on a par with the cheapest Chevy on the lot. If you want the back seat cooled, you have to run the AC fans on high and freeze out the front seat. Trunk does not have the closer system - it needs a big slam to shut!

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  It made me want to test drive a new one - 1992 Cadillac Seville
  By 213inc. - August 24 - 2:34 am

  I bought this car with 112000 miles. The man I bought it from took it to the Cadillac dealership every 3k to have serviced. I love the car on the freeway, I can get 30 mpg on premium fuel, it rides like a champ(still has o.e. suspension)and its as quiet on the inside as the new luxury cars I have recently rented.(lexus,benz,bmw) The power from the 4.9 is great.Too much from a dead stop,(fwd), but great when passing. I do have a small oil leak to fix,looks like its from the timing chain cover(typical gm). The air conditioning compressor just went down(300$ fix for dyi).Other than the factory Bose CD player skipping in cold weather I have no complaints and would consider buying another Cadillac

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  2005 cadillac ext - 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By michael johnson - August 24 - 1:53 am

  Fun ride, great to take on vacation, lots of storage in saddles. Cheap to do routine service. Unbelievable handling in deep snow. Tough to take price of a fill up with gas prices this high.

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  Love this car! - 1991 Cadillac Allante
  By Bill - August 10 - 12:57 am

  I purchased this car in 1997. I have pampered it, and it has met all expectations. It is a very advanced car for its year. People in traffic want to know about it. People at the gas station want to know about it. The only flaw from the factory was a slight - you can only find it if you know where to look- imperfection in the paint. I am sure that rubbing compound will remove it. Other than that, it is a terrific automobile.

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  Maintenance nightmare - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By Dan - August 5 - 1:54 pm

  This is my 3rd new Cadillac and although I love it, it is not a quality car. It will use a quart of oil every 1500 miles. I have replaced steering rack, steering shaft, left and right hub, water pump, motor mount, water pump cover, lower crank case sensor, all 4 rotors.