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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  Escalade six months old. - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By rouch - June 15 - 1:50 am

  Wonderful to drive but gas milage is not good. Averaged 12.7 for 188 gals used. Best ever 15.7 on road trip. auto climate control not great, prefer the manual type in the Tahoe I drive.

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  High Cost to Own - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By michael - June 10 - 12:47 pm

  I like my 1998 Cadillac Catera a lot, when it works. I just spent $700 on the emergency brake assembly. The dealerships is asking another $1,200 to replace the oil pump. The engine coolant light comes on and off constantly. The car drives really well when everything is working on it, but I worry everyday that something else is going to break. Make sure your have a lot of extra money if you want to buy one of these.

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  out too soon? - 2005 Cadillac XLR
  By Chris - June 10 - 10:03 am

  Many details were missed in my Cadillac XLR. For example, when you raise the trunk lid outside in the rain the water drains off the forward lid and into the trunk. This causes a damp, musty odor and wets anything inside. The electronics on the car are very complicated and the owners manual is poorly written. If a passenger who is not familiar with the car is left inside without a fob, they cant get out. This is very dangerous in an emergency! There is an electrical drain on the battery. When my car not used 2 or 3 days the battery dies. This has happened 3 times in 18 months requiring road service. Most of the aforemtioned problems are fixable and would make the ownership experience much more enjoyable, but Cadillac has a deaf ear!

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  Deville Diamond Edition 2005 - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Tony from Jersey - June 10 - 9:24 am

  Incredible Comfort. 18 MPG (mostly city) Good stereo. All options imaginable. Dealership was very professional. Diamond Edition is very flashy (my wife likes that, she drives MB 500SL). Did I mention the incredible ride?

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  SRX Equals Fun - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By jim - June 1 - 1:14 pm

  The SRX handles like a luxury sedan. The V8 engine is fast in its response and you can not tellhow fast your going as the handling is flawless. The SRX offers great visiability looking forward but has some interference due to third row headrests. The leather seats are adjustable to accomadate any size driver comfortably. The controls and guages are also conveniently displayed. The vehicle does lack some convenience storage space compared to other vehicles I have had. The up side is that I do not keep things in the vehicle I do not need for months on end.

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  I Love it! - 2001 Cadillac Eldorado
  By Chris - May 31 - 9:04 pm

  Hands down the best car I have driven. It has a very smooth and refined ride as well as an elegant design. The car is not afraid to move, when you floor it be ready for what it does. The Eldorado is just as fast as a V8 Mustang or Camaro. That being said, in town milage is poor but if you use the cruise on the highway and keep it to 80, you can see as much as 25 to the gallon.

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  Had my 05 CTS for 3 months now Great! - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By zman - May 29 - 11:58 am

  I bought my 05 CTS about 3 months ago. I certainly was impressed with the performance when I test drove it, but now that Im living with the car on a day to day level, it had exceeded my expectations. Its not only a good daily driver, but is a great weekender sports sedan for those winding, mountain roads.

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  Love My Escalade - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By Kirsten Stafford - May 29 - 9:31 am

  This is the first American car I have ever purchased, but I have benn an SUV driver for years. This is by far the nicest looking, head turning comfortable ride out there!!! But dont want to ride to far! It gets terrible gas mileage, but if you have money like most who drive one, it is not an issue!

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  the not over saturated lux. sport sedan - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By tara - May 24 - 1:58 am

  I love this car, first off I stand out from all the other cars in its class because there is just not as many of them out there. The car really turns heads. The performance is all there along with a great feel and smooth ride (without the boat like feel of the Cadillac of the past).

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  Image & Reality - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By DeAnna - May 19 - 5:56 pm

  I havent owned my Cadillac for a long period but the time I have, it has been amazing. Its quiet luxury with a kick. Its enjoyable to ride without out all the city noise. A true joy ride!