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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  My first Cadillac - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Barb - May 24 - 11:55 am

  I purchased my new Cadillac SRX 4 weeks ago. What a fun and exciting vehicle to drive! It is quite responsive, (I love the sport mode) it handles like a sports car when you drive it like one! The seats are so comfortable, beautiful stitching along the seats, great stereo system, huge sunroof, very, very quiet inside. Low to the ground styling, very sporty looking! I love those Xenon headlights and LED taillights! The push button start/stop is a cool feature. The adjustable rear hatch door is awesome! The gas mileage is impressive and I expect I will hit that 25 mpg on the open road. Cadillac has done an outstanding job on this new addition to the line up. I give it 5 Star rating in my book!

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  Nice Care - 2006 Cadillac STS
  By Ike - May 19 - 9:24 pm

  After two year - Im happy. Sorry to report that I had to have brakes and rotors replaced @ 43K. Bought with 16k - so no reason to replace the brakes - tires a still good for another 20k. Rides nice, all the bells and whistles are cool. Overall not bad except for the brakes. Recommend to someone looking for a nice car, great features, and class. Drove 1100 miles in two day and felt great getting out of the car. Ave 28 mpg - very good for an AWD, 6 cyl. I do get a lot of road noise when driving on concrete. Other then that - nice.

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  Unsure What to expect - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Edder - May 19 - 11:32 am

  I bought this car 6 days ago. I traded my high mileage Taurus SES in for it. It is 7 years old and has 44K miles, one owner. I had a pre purchase inspection done on it and my mechanic found a leaking oil sending unit and leaking valve cover gaskets, $700 to fix. I got the dealer to reduce the price by $1000. The car has new brake lines because it was a recall item. On the sixth day I was going to visit family and while sitting at a stoplight it just died and wont start. I had it towed to my mechanic and I am currently waiting to hear what it is!!!! I just sunk over $3K in the last year on my last car..... I bought a newer one to get away from repairs. Irony

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  Just what I expected - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By JM Hammond - May 18 - 2:41 pm

  For the past 3 years Ive been driving a Jeep Compass. Probably the worst car I ever owned as an adult. Ive had several Cadillacs. This is not only the most stylish, but the best in comfort and handling. The ride is exceptional. The navigation system superb. The CD loader outstanding. The adjustable rear gate a brilliant idea. GM has a winner here and Im glad to be back in the fold.

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  Learned lesson after 5th Cadillac - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Dick - May 15 - 5:20 pm

  Of the five Caddilacs I have had, two bles engines at 60,000 to 80000 miles. It is a great car on the freeway. This is my last, as soon as I can get rid ofr it. Mye 2000 lexus, 300, has only had tires and brakes at 88,000 miles. Goodby Cadillac.

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  Beautiful looking - but has issues - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By Pat dp - May 14 - 3:53 pm

  gas guzzler squealing brakes oil consumption problem rumbling in engine when climbing hills replacement of brake brackets and pad at 4500 miles! Nothing but problems. Shorted out wire car broke down within 12 hrs. of pick from dealership had to be flat-bedded back - a big red flag from day one! Gorgeous looking car but many problems! Hard to believe that there is no "low engine" light on the dash board - what were these engineers thinking?

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  2004 CTS 3.6L - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Mike - May 13 - 4:00 pm

  My initial excitement with this car was replaced by disappointment. Rear Shocks went at 37K, Wheel hub bearing at 50K (900 USD to replace), timing chain at 43K (1800 usd), airflow sensor @ 62K (450 usd), uses 1quart of oil per 1000 miles. This american luxury did not impress me. No wonder consumerreports rates it at "below average". GM: please wake up

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  caddy is back - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By tom - May 12 - 6:59 pm

  had 2000 RX and 2006 SRX, this has outdone both of them. other than just average city miliage it is near perfect.

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  My first and last Caddilac - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By AFA3767 - May 12 - 6:48 pm

  I am extremely disappointed with my 2008 Cadillac CTS AWD 3.6 DI. This car has been nothing but problems. At 10,000 miles the check engine light went on and they had to take my engine apart due to a cylinder head problem. The car was in the shop for 28days. At 30,000 miles Cadillac had to replace my engine. The car burns oil and you will not make the recommended 10k between oil changes. I now have 38k miles and i discovered rain water in my passenger seat floor. lastly, I just experienced a major transmission problem that resulted in flames coming out the side of the car. if you are thinking of buying this car, I would suggest you spend the 50k on a car built with better quality.

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  Been a great car - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Chris - May 11 - 12:24 pm

  Owned the car since early 2008 with 28k miles and it continues to work near flawlessly. The ride is smooth, but still feels connected to the road. The engine is powerful, though at times feels weak since its coupled with AWD. Besides regular maintenance, the only issues have been a broken trunk net clip.