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:
Showing 641 through 650 of 4,788.00-
Best SUV out there - 2008 Cadillac Escalade
By frank s - November 12 - 10:29 pmI also own a 2007 Range Rover HSE with luxury package, and its a great truck, but Escalade platinum is unbelievable. Everything is covered in soft great smelling leather, including dash and doors and entire seats. Power is spot on and most of all ride has better control and smoothness than regular Escalade and Range Rover because of magna ride. Same suspension as Ferrari 599 and Chevy Corvette ZR1 and new Caddy CTS-V . Must drive on highway. Its an absolute dream. Lets buy American again, because GM is finaly making a perfect car and Americas future is in our hands to keep American companies alive for a better future.
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Muscle with Style - 1996 Cadillac Deville
By Travis H - November 12 - 9:50 amI just love this car. This Caddy runs and drives like new. I enjoy driving it. Unbelievable power and smooth acceleration
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3rd Caddy - 2004 Cadillac Deville
By ole don - November 11 - 11:36 amBest highway mileage of all 3 Caddies Ive owned. ( 94 Deville and 93 Fleetwood). Great ride, gets positive "looks", black with white trim and white walls. Quiet ride, all options youd need. Had the water pump go bad at 68k, but other than that. Fine car!
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Dont overlook an SRX - 2008 Cadillac SRX
By Jeff Sunshine - November 10 - 2:04 pmI have a V8 awd with the sport package. The car has 20k miles on it and all I did was change oil (twice). So much for consumer reports saying its unreliable. Love the SRX because it handles like a well designed car and accelerates with ease. Everything works the way its supposed to and this car has been very reliable so far. Drive way better than the V6 trucks from BMW, MB and Lexus and you will save money. Test drive this car before getting saddled to a boring vanilla vehicle recommended by consumer reports. By the way this Caddy does fine off road and in the snow
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Solid player - 2008 Cadillac STS
By jeff sunshine - November 10 - 1:39 pmI purchased mine at the end of August when there were only V6 AWD models. I traded my V8 STS and thought I would be taking a step down. With V6 DI engine, I really do not miss the V8. So far this car is solid in all respects handles well,comfortable, reliable, good mileage and is fast enough. In my opinion, this car favorably competes with BMW, MB and the other usual suspects but after you negotiate your final price, there really is no comparison becuse you pay a lot less. The status of a label is unimportant to me (although a Caddy still has some clout left) and as car enthusiast, I look to the raw driving experience. STS is right there and if the V8 G8 had AWD, I would be driving that.
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Great Car! - 2009 Cadillac CTS
By Edward - November 10 - 1:21 pmI purchased the 09 CTS to replace my 07 Infiniti. Prior to that I drove an 06 Infiniti and 03 BMW 5 series. The CTS is every bit as good and has better styling & ride. The performance and technology matches & surpasses my previous cars and the price was right. Cadillac has built a first class car that can compete with anyone.
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Good As New - 1997 Cadillac Deville
By tazchi - November 5 - 10:48 pmI have had this car for 2 and a half months. I replaced my 88 Seville for this car. Very good styling,everyone really likes this car. Ride is very smooth. Seats are very comfortable. Great car to cruise around town in or great for a extended road trip. Had a 96 Lincoln Town Car Cartier, It in no way compares to this car! Better styling and better resell value.
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love Cadillac - 2010 Cadillac SRX
By Valerie Apa - November 4 - 6:46 pmWent from a CTS To the SRX because we needed more room and wanted to pull a small camper. We are just as impressed with this SRX As we were with our CTS. Love the glass roof and the comfortable ride!
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Riptide Rush - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
By Bus Covert - November 3 - 11:39 amThis SUV is fun to drive. This is hands down better than my 2000 Navigator. The new features are striking. The factory Nav unit is awesome. The new color Riptide, Blue Green Crystal is a great color. I get some many compliments on it.
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Really fun to drive - 2017 Cadillac XT5
By Ruth - October 29 - 2:21 amI upgraded from a Honda CRV (which was great). However, in this car I feel like a queen. I really like the safety features that tell me that a car or pedestrian is approaching and from where. When there is a danger, the driver seat vibrates that alerts you to look at instruments to see what the problem is. I was disappointed that there is no CD player. CDs may be on the way out, but most of us still have favorite CDs. It would be nice to be able to use them. Also, I was disappointed that no spare tire (unless it is purchased as an addition) or donut was provided. I only received a can of "stuff" to inflate my tire. However, Cadillac does provide excellent roadside assistance so I wont have to purchase that with my insurance. All in all, I am extremely pleased with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone who would like a really neat SUV.
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