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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  Warranty Not Good - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By MadatCad - July 19 - 2:59 pm

  Lots of problems: Every startup the engine ticks, it has gotten better in the hot weather, but the problem is still there-did not experience says dealer. Lost all audio from rear warning system, OnStar, phone, cd, radio etc-intermittent at first then completely. After 4 attempts to fix, dealer and GM customer service says too bad something was spilled onto amplifier--(a 1/2 ounce of coffee did drip out of a cupholder as it was being removed in the dealers driveway for an appointment to fix this problem at that time 3 months old) they want $1,500 to fix the Bose amp. Power Steering squeels like a loose belt when turning. I was told it is a pressure relief valve..it is being fixed now, well see. I experience a loud transmission noise at about 1,700 rpm.

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  The Worst Mistake I Ever Made - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Tristine M Currier - July 13 - 9:54 am

  I have owned this car 4 months. The following is a list of problems. (keep in mind that I bought it from the Cadillac dealer in my town). *Indicates that I have brought it in multiple times for the same issue. -Passenger side electrical not working. -Cracked valve in engine (2.5 week repair) *Power steering rod needed to be replaced. *Cruise control shuts off. *Stability system constantly engages. *Sunroof opens, closes, adjusts, on own. *Trunk pops open on own. *Knocking noise in front end. *Breaks sometimes dont work when traveling at high speeds. -Odometer reads that I have driven 10k miles in the 3 months that Ive been driving. Absolutley wrong!

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  Cadillac XLR - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By jabben - July 12 - 7:53 pm

  Everthing I had expected is coming true as this baby boomer really wanted a fast and exciting entry level two seater. It excellent and quick to respond. The oil life seems to be okay and gas mileage okay. I have never been in a vechicle that people have given there thumbs up on the style of it.

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  XLR Turns Heads - 2006 Cadillac XLR
  By wily - July 7 - 9:56 pm

  The XLR is the perfect car to cruise the boulevard and turn heads from young and old alike. We just like to drive around and watch people watch us. So many come up to us when parked that we have made new friends all up and down the east coast. It sounds like a hot rod and doesnt disappoint on performance. The car has all the luxury features one could ask for though cabin storage is really non-existant.

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  Great Design Sub-Standard Paint Job - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By JERRY - July 3 - 4:47 pm

  I love this car. It has a unique design and distinctive performance. It is super! Now for the cynical part of me: My unit has the "Diamond White" optional exterior paint, which cost $995 retail $860 GM Employee price. As you know, the factory robotic spray paint booth does its job flawlessly. From 10 feet away, the car is very nice and pretty. From 2 feet away, the exterior white paint is rippled (like waves on a lake) and the final clear coat paint is noticeably dimpled. Not a world-class effort, IMO. I did not appreciate paying extra for a sub-standard simple white application. A much smoother paint job could have been programmed into the robots.

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  Peppy STS Beats the Old Seville - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Ron Lessley - July 1 - 1:19 am

  Trying to program the memory features was a real chore. It took 2 dealer techs 2 hours to get the job done. The old Seville came with VHS instructional tape and a handy card. This new STS is not user friendly in that respect. The glove compartment is next to useless, being so shallow and the return of standard cigarette lighters and ash trays is not a welcome addition. The buyer gets more "toys" than he can keep track of, so eventually forgets all but the most used features. The tires and brakes could be a little more high-performance but are only adequate as they come from the factory. The coffee cup holders have only one purpose: to hold coffee cups.

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  Traded a Town Car - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By J.Stiles - June 29 - 3:25 pm

  Fun Car! The seats a little hard. Two faults: trunk very limited and glove box stinks. Missing some things that we were used to: auto trunk close hidden accesory plug for radar detect or phone that closes down with ignition. Overload on computorized settings. (my wife is still scared to touch )

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  Great Truck, Cheap Interior - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By caddy love - June 28 - 2:38 pm

  We love the truck, very powerful and reliable, excellent quality when it comes to drive train. The only reason why I might never buy another Cadillac after owning soooo many is the cheap and horrible design of the interiors. Im begging Cadillac to change their outdated mindset of plastic and unimaginative thinking and take example from Lincoln when it comes to interior design. Power rear hatch, folding rear seats, rain sensor wipers, cooled leather seats, center shifter, and please get rid of the plastic! Make it a Cadillac not a Tahoe with enhanced cheap trim. We are all getting tired of GM cutting corners on Cadillac. If it does not change, my selection will.

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  Still not sure - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By cwo - June 20 - 2:00 am

  Catalytic convertor imploded at 800 miles, 4 sensors needed to be replaced. Exhaust rattles in reverse, gas door doesnt open right, drivers door not mounted correctly - leaked. Gas mileage is much less than anticipated. Why isnt the word "Cadillac" anywhere in or on the vehicle?

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  A gas eater, but Im glad to have it. - 2002 Cadillac Escalade
  By Johntherhat - June 16 - 10:44 pm

  This is the best car Ive ever had. I am 85 years old and have owned probably 20 cars. None have given me the multitude of "Good feelings" this car does. It handles beautifully on the highway and is surprisingly easy to park.