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:

• 

  first & last Cadillac - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By Curt - January 4 - 1:54 pm

  Always drove "big" T-Birds & Buick Park Avenues. Ive experienced problems I have never had before. Battewry "blew" up in my garage, ruining large area of concrete. Drivers window went out early & now drivers remote mirror is out & passenger side window went out in down position while out of town in cold weather. Id rather drive my 05 Grand Cherokee. Gas mileage is definitely good maybebestthing about the Cadillac. Ill be lookimg for a replacement soon.

• 

  CTS 2003 Must buy Warranty - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By yperkins10 - January 4 - 12:47 pm

  brought my CTS 2003 certified car. Once warranty runs out get rid of car unless you have money to spend. check engine lights keep coming on, dealer state thermostate need to be replaced $1260 because thermostate is on belly of engine and not on top of radiator. Class action suit need to be brought against them for making sure car repairs would be so expensive. Not enough leg room for little kids. car looks like a winner, drives ok. In last 2 mo I have paid out $1500 to correct "steering wheel sensor" $1260 for "thermostat that should have cost 1/3 of that price. I will never take my car to another dealership. If I can find a warranty co I will take it. I d0 NOT recommend this car

• 

  Nothing Compares..not even new! - 1995 Cadillac Seville
  By greyhip - January 3 - 6:30 pm

  This car was purchased when 2 yrs old. It is the most awesome vehicle in so many ways. When you compare the features it came with in 1995 to the features offered today, it was way ahead of its time. The body style is head turning and it is difficult to tell what year it is from the body style as the cts today looks very similar. Maintenance has been minimal to non existent. I only have 80,000 miles on her but I too, will never own any other make of car other than Cadillac. This vehicle is a blast to drive on the interstate, it is a cruising machine, quiet, smooth and gets up the asphalt when necessary! It has all you could ever want, looks,dependability and power. I would highly recommend!

• 

  2003 CTS Total Lemon! - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By TLT - January 3 - 6:19 pm

  About 5 months after I bought my Sports Luxury CTS, its lived in the shop. I still own it today (2010) but am so ready to put it to sleep! If I had known this, I would have never brought this car!!!

• 

  Review 2009 CTS 3.6L DI - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By TJ - January 3 - 2:01 pm

  Nimble handling and tight steering. Quick response. Smooth shifting transmission. Power engine sound. What more can you want? Handling, horsepower, responsive, sounds great, looks great, and still 27 mpg. Hands down -- best buy on luxury sports sedan out there....

• 

  All That Glitters Is Not A Gold Cadillac - 2001 Cadillac Deville
  By Vincent Roane - January 2 - 3:46 pm

  First let me say that I have always admired Cadillacs since I was a little boy. All 4 of my uncles owned a Cadillac at one time or another. A beautiful car to drive and be admired in. However, repairs can be expensive for a domestic car. I strongly suggest purchasing an extended warranty immediately. It burns alot of oil. And takes 8qts to do an oil change. Which the dealers all say is normal. At 100,000 the selonoid transmission started to go bad. And the oh so dreaded sensor modules always tend to fail on all cadillacs at some point which costs between $500-$800. Other than all of that. Its a beautiful car to drive and look at, but no fun to repair. Keep $500 on hand at all times.

• 

  Great decision...! - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By J - January 2 - 2:45 pm

  07BMW X3 to 10SRX. We too looked at Q5, GLK, MKX, RX. SRX has more content and offers more value. Fit and finish very good. Power is adequate for this type of vehicle. We have done a 1500M road trip and it was great. Around town it is perfectly fine..! Interior is really nice and better than all the others. You get more VALUE with Cadillac. All the others are ala-carte and add up too quickly. Cadillac targeted LEXUS and quite frankly it is no contest, the two dont compare. The SRX is hands down a better product overall. We really like our white/grey/chrome wheel, performance version, it was a great decision indeed. Its my ladies crossover and she is very happy. Wow..we have a Cadillac !

• 

  Not sure where to go from here... - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By Jim in SanDiego - January 2 - 12:52 pm

  10 years ago, my wifes dream car was the 2004 RAV4 L...Today, she now owns the 2005 White Diamond Escalade Rwd that she saw (and had to have) a successful drug dealer driving in an episode of Burn Notice. Even got comparable 22" chrome bling. It is, without question, the prettiest, beefiest, most noticeable production car on the road today, even after 10 years post-concept (first production version was model year 02). Now the problem is, without spending $100K+ on something really highend, what do we replace it with in 5-6 years? There is nothing even up to the 2012-hopper even comparable.

• 

  V8 Sport RWD...great used buy - 2007 Cadillac SRX
  By gwcpasrx - January 1 - 11:24 pm

  Bought used off lease from a used car lot. Needed utility, tow capacity, over 6200 GVWR for tax purposes. V8 RWD sport package/black is a great looking car. Previously had an Infiniti G35 rwd, and this car is close in perfomance, but I can tow my boats and have room in the back. Rear seat has been used for teenagers on an hour trip, and they didnt mind at all. I love driving this car every day at the price I paid used (about 50% less than new with 28K miles). Car is fast, will leave 2 stripes of rubber with locking rear. Did get stuck last weekend in soft grass...AWD would have been nice, but otherwise, I dont miss it.

• 

  1st Happy Cady Owner - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Cady Happy - January 1 - 11:06 am

  Read much about the lack of pick-up in t enew SRX. My suspencions are these are previous V-8 owners (massive SUVs). The car is great, corners great (beats our Pilot), interior is well designed and the CRV is such a joy to drive. So much technology, still learning after 1100 miles. By the way, stomp on the gas and the SRX does take off without hesitation. Its a CRV not a Vette!