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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  Love it! - 2000 Cadillac Escalade
  By RJ Howard - December 8 - 7:00 pm

  This is my first domestic vehicle in ten years and I do love it. It has some of the typical GM creaks and such, but nothing major at all. Also it is a bit low on power, but it is a big truck. It has been a joy to own.

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  cts - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By cosmo_kramer - December 3 - 10:00 am

  Great car for the price!

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  Cadillac Escalade - 2002 Cadillac Escalade
  By john - December 2 - 8:52 pm

  This Cadillac is a blast to drive. The acceleration is quick and powerful. It has OnStar for any emergencies which is good. It takes time getting used to all of the space that it takes in different lanes compared to a passenger car though.

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  My Second One - 1994 Cadillac Deville
  By joeinoc - November 25 - 2:42 am

  I have two 1994 Cadillac Devilles. I have a bright purple one and a recently purchased silver one. I love these cars! The purple one has 200,000 miles on it and the silver one has 125,000. I love the ride and room. I have had to replace the water pump on both a couple of times. I have no idea why, everything else works well.

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  Two for the price of one - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Tumblehome - November 24 - 2:00 am

  The best kept secret in America is the price of the manual CTS in base form. There is more image here for the dollars. Add to this the fact that the car is fun, on rails, fast, cruises at 110 with ease, and garners looks wherever you go, and theres little on the downside. Compared to an Acura, Lexis, BMW, etc., I was able to buy my teenage daughter a Hyundai with the savings.

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  Its a true Cadillac - 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By David G. - November 11 - 8:26 am

  This is my fourth Cadillac but my first Escalade. Ive got say now that I am truely spoiled. Nothing else in its class will ever match it. I started to buy an H2 but after driving each...Arnold can have his Hummer. Ill drive a Cadillac thank you.

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  Keep it or sell it? - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By RegRanger - November 6 - 8:49 pm

  I bought my 1996 Cadillac DeVille used in9/04. It had nearly 100,000 miles on it. I had problems right off with misfiring, which ended up being faulty plug wires (which had just been replaced??). Im glad that I didnt have to pay for them! Also, the air conditioning didnt work. It took $200 to find a bad wire! Have put 20,000 miles on it since then without any major issues, which is a good thing because it costs a boat load to fix the thing! The previous owner burned 87 octane fuel and so have we-dont notice any performance difference even when we did try the expensive gasoline.

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  Not to Shabby - 2006 Cadillac CTS
  By Don Powell - November 5 - 11:57 am

  I got a white diamond 2006 Cadillac CTS with cashmere interior. The new interior looks much better than the 2005 models. I also got the polished wheels with the luxury package which gives you lumbar seats and the passenger has eight way seat as well. The memory drivers seat is handy for multiple drivers. The hands free phone is excellent along with Onstar. It has a lot of get up and go which I dont really need but it is nice to know it is there if needed. The car is quiet, smooth and has excellent handling. I have a PT Cruiser and believe it or not it compares well to the ride and handling of the CTS. Getting in and out of the PT Cruiser is much easier but of course being much higher it should be.

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  Just Test drove this car - 2006 Cadillac DTS
  By Tom - November 4 - 12:37 pm

  I own a 2003 DTS, which was in for service. I love the car and have no problems. My 2003 is cetified so the dealership gave me a new DTS to drive while they were working on it. This is a very nice car! At first I did not like the look, or feel but as I drove it I noticed how quickly it repsonded to my touch, it handles great and is very fast. I went to pass on the highway and was doing 75, within seconds I was hitting 95! This is a fast big sedan! When I got my 2003 back, my first thought was how much can I get on a trade?

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  Good Ride - 2006 Cadillac Escalade
  By Tom - October 31 - 9:04 pm

  The Escalade is a great SUV. I am surprised that it does not come with rain sensitive windshield wipers however. Some SUVs that cost $20,000 less at least have that option. One of the big pluses with this vehicle is the dealer network. My dealer was great - it only took an hour and a half from the time I set foot in the door until the paperwork was all done and I was on my way. If youre looking for a large, luxury SUV that other drivers on the road respect due to its size, this ones a winner.