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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  07 DTS - 2007 Cadillac DTS
  By KenB757 - June 28 - 1:24 pm

  The levels of engine and road noise are still excessive in the current DTS, especially when compared to the Town Car, Mercedes Benz, and Lexus models. There is still too much NVH feedback through the steering wheel. A couple of times, when making a sharp U-turn, it felt as if the drive belt slipped resulting in the temporary failure of the power steering. Another annoyance is a squeak caused by the front seat back rubbing against the stationary center armrest console when encountering bumps. Get the bench seat option if you hate squeaks. Cadillac knows of the problem since the side of the seat bottom cushion contacting the console is covered in fabric. I will consider another DTS in 09.

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  SRX all I expected and more - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By Lucci - June 24 - 9:01 am

  Large crossover. Handles and drives like a car, not a truck. Magnaride suspension really helps with that and is well worth the $1650. 3rd seat mostly for kids but for the rare occaisions I need it, it is perfect. It stores in the floor at the push of a button.

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  Great car - 1993 Cadillac Deville
  By sue clabaugh - June 20 - 5:41 pm

  Second owner. Had 16,000 miles when bought. Has driven beautifully. Very few problems and a comfort to drive long distances. Usually noticed as Wow! One of a kind for years on it. Saw it on the lot and was love at first sight, still is.

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  Best Caddy ever - 1991 Cadillac Seville
  By MR. Cadillac - June 16 - 11:04 pm

  i recently got this from my father to drive around New York City. Okay the car is horrible on gas. However that doesnt matter once you hit the highway in it. It quickly accelerates but wish it had more power. However Im disappointed that Caddy doesnt make the newer STS in the design of this one because this is truly an American muscle classic and its a Cadillac. Its pretty reliable, however it does have its occasional problems and the speakers stink, but the car is as old as me so go figure. However I love it and wish Caddy would make their cars looking after this one. Its true=ly the last of an era and should be an American classic.

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  All was well, when it rained, it poured - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By Cliff - May 26 - 4:05 pm

  Got the car as a gift from my parents, so mind you, you dont look a free car in the mouth. For a year and a half, it was reliable as an anvil. Went about its daily routine quietly and stately. Excellent highway vehicle and without air-conditioning on at a constant 65 miles per hour, the car got 27 mpg consistently. Comfortable seats, lots of leg room. Northstar V- 8 was the strong, silent type and I got used to it consuming about a quart of oil every 1000 miles pretty much all northstars do the same. Then 2 weeks ago, all hell broke loose. Had to replace the entire air-conditioning system and alternator went 5 days apart, ouch! Traded it for a Honda. RIP Caddy!

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  Nice Ride - 1995 Cadillac Eldorado
  By cwayne1 - May 16 - 1:38 pm

  I own the 1995 model and it has been running great. Because of old age, however, I had to replace radiator due to cracking on the plastic pieces. As this car gets older, I am sure I will have to replace some other plastic dry rotted parts. But other than the shocks and struts, road sensing suspension going bad, it has been a great car. Even if it gets 18 to 19 MPG. If you do replace parts, and you are going to keep the car till its eventual total failure, just make sure you buy quality automotive parts--dont go cheap.

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  This transmission is normal? - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Dave - May 8 - 2:08 pm

  Least satisfying car Ive had in many years. The chief problem is a transmission-- or is it in the electronics-- that wants to stick me in a lower gear whenever the car decides to. I went down a steep mountain in supposed high gear and was going 10 mph at the bottom when I just let it coast. Dealer gave me the old line about European-type transmissions. Another point, I long ago gave up on ever figuring out the information screen controls. Gas mileage is lousy too. Why did I trade my Grand Prix, an excellent car, to "move up"?

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  Good sports sedan value - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Austin TX Caddy - May 7 - 5:07 pm

  Chose the CTS as a pre-owned car, fully loaded with Bose/Luxury package. Overall, its a nice car that drives as well (if not as tautly) as my previous BMW. More car for the money, and a very good used car deal.

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  Maybe expectations were too high - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By brown343 - May 7 - 2:16 pm

  Came off a lease of an Audi A4. The CTS was a new design for 08, which was appealing. Seriously considered the BMW 335xi also. Having more rear leg room and supporting an American company were the deciding factors. However, build quality of my A4 was much better than the CTS. Have already had the CTS in for steering (wheel shakes) and navigation problems. Spending 4 hours at the dealership with a two week-old $48,000 vehicle is quite discouraging. Steering feels "disconnected" from car at times, especially during aggressive driving. Fuel-injectors make a noticeable, annoying hum. Thanks go to a great stereo to mask this. Upon close inspection, my black paint has factory flaws.

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  Class Truck Style - 2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Monty - May 5 - 2:16 pm

  This is the best truck that I have ever owned. The power, the ride, the look is too much! The heated seats, retracting side step, Nav, DVD all of which is very nice in a truck. Only problem that I have had is when you have the passenger air bag replaced (due to lite comming on and dealer said that it need to be replaced) they were unable to get the airbag flush with the dash. They have put 6 in and none of them will lay flush.