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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  Chevrolet needs to get a better attitude - 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By shane - November 29 - 10:03 pm

  I leased a Cadillac Escalade EXT for 3 years now and I will never purchase one again! after the 80,000 KM warranty was up the diferential berrings went along with wheel bearings. Would GM help? NO! I was at 82,446 KM and they wouldnt even split the bill. Things continue to break. Now a front shock air bag is punctured and not covered by the warranty. Heres my answer to GM. I have been faithful for the past 20 years, but no longer. Good luck with this Escalade when you get it back, becuse now you can pay to fix it!

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  Strong and Bold - 2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By mycaddy2003 - November 28 - 10:00 am

  This SUT is very strong and has a new design for the future.

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  Caddy Seville 2002 SLS with On-star - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By Northstar Engine - November 28 - 9:35 am

  I bought this Caddy in March of 2005, it is my sixth Caddy. Two have been bummers but not this one. I have had no trouble with this car. I love to drive it and it handles very well. It has the Northstar engine and i get excellant milage. On a trip around 26 around town about 20. I also own a 1991 Seville that i love to drive. I have nothing but good things to say about this car.

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  WOW! - 2008 Cadillac SRX
  By David - November 27 - 3:13 pm

  My wife talked me into buying this car and I am tottally pleased. Handling, Gas mileage and powerful are three good reason to buy.

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  2010 SRX - I love it!!! - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Scotty - November 25 - 6:40 pm

  I saw the commercial for this car and they had me. I had been looking at a variety of cross overs but felt they lacked style. I will say that this car turns heads. Ive received a ton of compliments on it already. I love the exterior design. I just picked it up last week and I will say that I love it!!!

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  Noise? - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By GoldMist - November 25 - 2:24 pm

  Bought my premium SRX in October. Absolutely love it. Except for ONE THING - Does anyone hear an odd noise coming from behind the center console? Ive been told this noise is in all SRXs. Dealership said it was probably the navigation cooling fan? Seems odd to me...

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  A near hit. - 2010 Cadillac SRX
  By Brian - November 25 - 2:04 pm

  Although this model looks better than the previous generation, I still like the BMW styling more. The sharp lines in the hatch dont look good on this type of car. This car is way overpriced and cant compete with Lexus, Infiniti, Acura when the only engine option is a whimpy 3.0 V6. Why did they take out the V8? Also, the way the windows slope down in the two rear windows looks dumb and takes away blind spot visibility. My Pacifica has a bigger engine, more interior room, but gets the same fuel economy. Buy a Ford Edge and youll get a car with better resale value for $10k less.

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  Lemon - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By jsmith - November 25 - 1:56 pm

  Got this car for my wife and ended up with a boat load of problems. At 157,000 The passenger side CV Axle, Left Front Bearing & Drivers side Hub Assembly, Heater Core and sensors showing probloem with Torte Converter Lock-up and Fuel Level Sensor. My advice stay away from this money pit.

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  Not Alone - 2008 Cadillac CTS
  By Pboss - November 24 - 7:43 pm

  I have had my CTS for almost two years. Overall, I am mostly happy with my purchase. Pros: AWD handles great in Alaska Winter weather. Styling is beautiful and have power to spare. Cons: Squeaky brakes since day one! Most irritating: rattle from steering column. Both were deemed "normal" by dealer service department. At $15,00 maybe these things are normal. At almost $50K they should not be. As much as I love this car, with the constant "normal" rattles, I will not be buying another GM luxury car.

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  In The Shop - 2009 Cadillac Escalade
  By Mark - November 22 - 2:06 pm

  I came back to GM after having a std poor experience with Range Rover 2 out of 2 were Maint nightmares within 6 months. I have my 2009 ESV in the shop for the second time in 6 months, first was an electronic issue and yesterday my tranny went out with only 13k miles. This isnt looking good. I hope i am done at the dealership.