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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  Great Car! - 1998 Cadillac Seville
  By MacDaddyCaddie - April 23 - 2:03 pm

  I have only owned sports cars, 95 Camaro Z28, 92 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4, 04 MINI Cooper S. So for me to change to a luxury vehicle was a bit of a step. But this vehicle surprised me with its acceleration. I was hooked after the first drive. Comfort is great! It is hard to find a car that performs decently, and is comfortable. It doesnt handle very well, but I didnt buy it for that. I cant see myself with out a Caddilac & MINI. One for road trips, the other for beatin up the streets!

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  Making them better for 2005 - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By nick - April 13 - 5:52 pm

  I purchased this vehicle two months ago and it has been a great experience. I currently have 14,000 miles on it and it runs great, and rides very smooth. The 2005 model seems to have a smoother transmission and an improved navigation unit, now touch screen. I originally purchased this vehicle because of its performance capabilities and and its all wheel drive for the part of the country I live in. I would recommend this SUV for anyone looking for a high performace smooth luxury SUV that actually looks good!

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  Excellent SUV - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By abc - April 9 - 2:26 pm

  Although its a large car, I feel like Im driving a luxury vehicle rather than an SUV. Its a great feeling after 9 years of heavy SUV driving. Cadillac, you did it!

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  Smooth Cruisin - 1993 Cadillac Deville
  By Matt - April 6 - 4:52 am

  My 1993 Cadillac DeVille is a good car. I love it, the ride quality makes you feel like you are floating. It is the most comfortable car Ive been in, but that goes for all DeVilles. It is solid (if you tap something it rarely even dents), shes a heavy car. The car still has plenty of power, only 200hp but a lot of torque, and a big V8. I have had to put $800 of work into it mechanically, but shes never died on me. Ive had problems with the water pump, fuel pump, and a couple of things that a tune up could handle, but the even with those problems my DeVille has never let me down.

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  My Third STS - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By mike h - April 5 - 11:10 pm

  Seems that with each model, Cadillac moves the STS across the scale: away from luxury, closer to sporty This car is fun to drive, but not as comfortable as a luxury car should be. There are some human factors issues to be worked out in: programming features, use of radio from steering column, no room for drivers lower body parts wind tunnel testing to get rid of a lot of noise.

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  A Great Buy - 2001 Cadillac Seville
  By jimb100 - April 3 - 1:31 am

  I bought a 2001 Seville STS with 38,000 miles. At the price they can be bought for today they are a steal. This car is in mint condition with lots of comfort and convenience features. Performance takes second place to luxury, but not by a lot. Once rolling its a quick car and body lean is kept to a minimum. Its too big to be a sports car but if you want a sporty luxury car, this is a good one.

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  WOW! Not your Daddys Caddy - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By Kurt Hundertmark - March 31 - 10:00 am

  Just got the Luxury/Sport, and yeah, I got the orange one. Turns heads (actually snaps necks) everywhere I go. Car is incredibly solid. Sticks like velcro with very little roll. Steering is ultra-responsive. The sport-shift mode is a hoot - really winds out the V- 6. This car loves to be pushed. Cant figure the single, unadorned exhaust pipe. With all that styling, how did they miss putting in duals with styled tips? Interior is comfortable - nice but not plush. Has lots of "gee-whiz" features that Ill never use. The radio display is a little overwhelming, and Id rather see gauges instead of a clock. Bose 6-speaker stereo is very good.

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  STS,nice but bland - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Papabal - March 24 - 5:13 pm

  My V6 STS rides, handles and generally feels better than the 2003 Seville V8 STS it replaced and so far seems screwed together loads better than any previous GM Ive owned. But the styling outside and inside seems too bland. Designers seem to like the plain, trimless body sides these days (probably cheaper too), but on this car, like many others (BMW etc) there is too much flat sheet metal from window sill to rocker that will only attract dings and chips which will be accentuated by the flat expanse. On the inside, the voice navigation system really needs work and I defy someone to find the clock when stuff is turned on. Room could be better on such a large car.

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  Cadillac Allante - 1992 Cadillac Allante
  By David Twombley - March 24 - 1:23 pm

  Ive owned my 1992 Cadillac Allante for eleven years. Overall it has been a delight. It is a very shopisticated car, even today, and has features that most cars never did, like mulitplex wiring, which allows all of the lamps in the car to be monitored for proper operation. Its biggest drawback is the Bosch anti-lock braking system. The 1993 model had a simpler system. Though an excellent system overall, it is very expensive to repair. The car is still a "head turner.: Its Pinninfarina styling is truly timeless.

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  Good to go - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By andy matt - March 18 - 2:52 pm

  The 2005 Cadillac CTS is pleasing for the driver who has a long commute, but when out on the open road likes to have a comfortable ride with acceptable performance. It has lots of room in the trunk. Its front seats are comfortable and have enough adjustments. I dont know about back seats, I dont use them. Its steering is taut, brake feel is good and handling is better than the average mid size sedan. The engine response is peppy and the transmission is one of the smoothest Ive driven. The drive by wire response sometimes feels a little wierd but feeds in what you want most of the time. This is a great car, but there already has been a recall to reset the ECM apparently on all 2004 and many 2005 models.