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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  Noisy, Spirited SRX - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By tahoe66 - May 17 - 3:18 pm

  Having had 9 Tahoes, I expexted a vehicle at least as quiet in the SRX. The AWD mated with the V6 is agile, spirited and fun to drive, but much busier sounding than our Trailblazer at 14 grand less. Fuel economy not much better than the Tahoe (the only reason I switched). Seats are superb, navigation system is great, but one needs the eyes of an eagle to read the clock & temp. Ultraview roof is a mixed bag, big open air feeling, noisy when open, creaks open or closed. Third row seat should not be powered, takes forever to raise and lower. Over all quality less than I had hoped for, but nothing major, just small annoyances. Can not believe XM radio and rain sensing wipers werent standard.

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  XLR -The Future of Luxury & Performance - 2004 Cadillac XLR
  By Artie A - May 16 - 6:36 pm

  The stellar appearance and superior performance of my 2004 Cadillac XLR leaves other motorists (and their passengers) numb with admiration (and envy). This car is the Car of the Century!

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  ext experience - 2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By david minarik - May 14 - 2:00 am

  Replacing my pickup, i bought the ext. a good and bad move. The first month, I didnt see it. Three times it stranded me, and had to file a complaint with the BBB. The truck is now running fine, but GM still hasnt called back. The truck is a good ride with lots of power, and Ive hauled 12 ft lumber in it without a problem. Definitely overpriced!

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  Cadillac SRX owner comments - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Tom C. - May 12 - 2:29 pm

  Weve driven the SRX 3,000 miles since the purchase 45 days ago. 1/3 of it on a long trip the remainder has been city driving. We use the speed control whenever possible and avoid rabbit starts in stop and go driving. Both my wife and I have 50 years of driving experience, most of it with GM and Toyota vehicles. We have the six cylinder model and optional rear seats so it seats 7.

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  FUN TO DRIVE - 1996 Cadillac Eldorado
  By snagy - May 9 - 9:41 pm

  I bought my Cadillac Eldorado with 28,000 miles on it in 2003. I just love to drive this thing. Its performance and comfort are great. I did get an extended warranty when I bought the car, which has paid for itself. I had to replace a swaybar. Other than that, Ive had to perform just normal maintenance, like tune ups, plugs and wires, oil changes, and stuff like that. These things are expensive if you take it to the dealer. I suggest a local mechanic that specializes in Cadillacs.

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  Its Not A GMC Denali! - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By Fred - May 9 - 7:26 pm

  Had 2004 GMC Denali before this I got my 2005 SRX V6 AWD - Likes: ride / drives well, looks great. Dislikes: city mileage is only about 14.5 MPG. I do not like the wide door stills! Its very hard to get into and out of the vehicle without getting dirt on your pants. This is not good! On the first weekend, I washed the vehicle and had a major water leak in the left upper corner of the windshield and ran down onto the dash, nice for new car. But they did fixed it! Why a 3:91-1 final drive (ratio)? RPM is approx. 2,300 - 2,400 at 70 MPH.

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  Love it - 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT
  By Rod - May 7 - 12:40 am

  The vehicle is stunning. A real head turner. I love the ride and quietness. I previously owned two Avalanches and there is no comparison. I do miss the captains chairs and the storage theAvalanche had with all the cubby holes etc. I dont like the center console setup of the Escalade.

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  Great Drive and Performance...But - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By J.Dillon - May 6 - 8:16 pm

  Many areas of concern. Navigation/Radio/Dic system is a mess. Poor lighting-impossible to control. No compass. Clock-temperature characters are too small. Needs to be completely redsigned. Cant program so that doors wont lock when in gear. Very dangerous. Front seats are very hard and uncomfortable. My passengers share this view. Cant open back window which is a design flaw. Rear hatch door is heavy. Should be able to "pop" it open. Would like to have true keyless entry like Ford products with combination numbers on exterior of car. Car drives and handles very well. If GM fixes the above issues I will trade for another. If not, I will trade for a Ford product this fall.

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  First Caddy - 2002 Cadillac Deville
  By B. Drubin - April 28 - 4:12 pm

  Generally well pleased. Had one computer problem, but roadside (OnStar) was great & battery leakage, again roadside-(On-Star) was right on the ball, installed new battery, but this problem caused corosion under rear seat. Cadillac fixed this in one day.

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  Escalade is awsome - 2000 Cadillac Escalade
  By tammy - April 26 - 12:29 pm

  The Escalade is an awsome ride. The gas is better traveling then short distance and the back door windows you can see or no winshield wiper to clean window because it has two door. But, I love it. I like all the people staring and telling me everywhere I go that I have a nice ride. I had a Jeep and a Durango R/T model that I traded. The best on insurance because of its loaded features. Cheaper than my Durango on insurance.