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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  First Time Cadillac Owner - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Dave - January 30 - 11:27 am

  Im still getting used to the body style of my 2005 Cadillac STS. It looks a little bulky for my taste, but thats Cadillac. The car is set apart from most on the road by its different looks. It is full of technology, so you need to enjoy it to enjoy the car.

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  Nice Car! - 2005 Cadillac STS
  By Nice - January 27 - 6:37 pm

  The 2005 Cadillac STS is a wonderful combination of comfort and performance. It provides a reasonable alternative to BMW , Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

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  nice, but - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By cadilover - January 27 - 10:00 am

  drives great, looks great

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  Seville STS Rating - 2000 Cadillac Seville
  By John Hickam - January 19 - 11:06 pm

  The 2000 Cadillac Seville STS has a lithe, supple ride and handles very well. It gets up to 25 mpg. At 80,000 miles, the only non-scheduled maintenance that I have performed was the installation of a new abs system and a fuel pressure regulator.

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  Cruiser extrodinaire - 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood
  By cadillacmike - January 16 - 3:38 am

  The late Cadillac Fleetwood is the finest highway cruiser ever built. Weve taken it on numerous long trips of 500 miles or more and its always smooth & quiet. The sound system, while not a Bose system as in other Cadillacs it quite powerful. Its rear seat room is unsuprassed. The front leg room is not quite as good, as other large FWD cars, like the Buick Park Avenue. Its solidly built and can last many years if taken care of. The fact that its RWD makes it easy to do some maintenance / repairs on myself. It is an impressive looking vehicle with its size and ample bright metal trim. This was the model for the Presidential limo from 1995-2000.

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  Still a great old car - 1991 Cadillac Fleetwood
  By Cadillac Jack - January 15 - 9:54 pm

  These front-wheel-drive Fleetwoods are great cars. I bought mine used four years ago and it now shows 178,000 miles on the odometer, with another 100,000 to go without question. Its comfortable, reasonably good on gas (around 21 mpg combined city/highway) and because its front- wheel-drive it is great in the winter. If youre shopping for one in the rust- belt, be sure to look closely for hidden rust a common problem on these (in the trunk, lift up the carpet covering the wheel housing, under the hood, look to the inner fender area with a flashlight). They are going cheap lately and are a decent "grocery- getter." One can be had for around $1,000 (dont let high mileage scare you off...Ive seen them with 300,000 miles on them)

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  First time four door... - 2002 Cadillac Seville
  By Chris Klein - January 15 - 2:49 am

  My 2002 Seville is my fourth Cadillac. My preference in style has always been the Eldorado though. I had many problems with my 1995 Cadillac ETC, and was looking at a head gasket. With $6,000 in repairs in two years, I was done. My 2002 Certified Pre-Owned Seville SLS is a nice change of pace. It handles the crappy local streets and pot holes much better than my ETC did. For a heavier car, it drives like a much smaller car i.e. the 1997 Nissan Maxima SE that I used to own. It have been experiencing some light shaking in the steering in wheel at 65+ MPH. The dealer "replaced tie rod", but I still notice the shake. Its not bad, but I am not convinced this is "the way it sohuld ride." I paid nearly $22,000 for this car with less than 35,000 miles. It was in near new condition and certified. I miss having a sunroof.

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  Great during warranty period - 1998 Cadillac Deville
  By Dave - January 11 - 2:59 pm

  My 1998 Cadillac DeVille has a powerful motor and a quiet, comfortable ride. It provided great performance and reliabillity during the 3yr/36,000 mile warranty period. Mechanically it seems to fall on its face after that. This vehicle received fantastic new car ratings, but seems to lose its resale value rapidly, now we know why. If you want long term reliabillity, buy a Honda.

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  Cadillac Escalade - 2004 Cadillac Escalade
  By EscaladeGrl - January 6 - 2:00 am

  The Escalade is a first-class car, but is also one of the most comfortable and user-friendly cars I have owned. In comparison, the seats are more like a lazy boy recliner than that of a car seat. The Escalade also offers separate radio and air conditioning controls for the rear of the car. (Which is great if you have kids!) The rear seats also recline!

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  Best I Have Owned - 2004 Cadillac XLR
  By TGPitney - January 5 - 2:07 pm

  Both kids and blueheads turn when it goes by. After driving a BMW and a Mercedes its nice to be comfortable and still enjoy the wind.