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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  LOVE THAT SRX - 2005 Cadillac SRX
  By cadillacjeff - December 7 - 7:00 pm

  A blast to drive. Great seats and sound system. More electronic features than I will ever use. Eights acceleration is breathtaking! Quiet, comfortable, safe, and stable in all weather.

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  Civilized HotRod - 1996 Cadillac Seville
  By Ash - December 5 - 2:05 am

  What more can I say? You have to drive this car in order to appreciate its comfort, performance, and the service at your caddy dealership. The motor runs strongand feels new. I have hit close to 120 mph and there was no vibration of any kind. Watch out for repairs! A new tranny can run close to $4 K at the dealership. Mine was replaced at 99K by the dealership so I dodged that bullet. If looking to buy, make sure the tranny has been serviced regularly, or its big bucks out of your pocket. Other than that I prefer my cadillac over the Euro Luxo group.

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  Solid car - no problems - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By CTS owner - December 3 - 11:34 am

  My 2003 Cadillac CTS is a good car. I purchased it two years ago with the Luxury and Sport packages. I really cant complain about anything, other than the fact that the plastic caps on the wheel lugs fell off (dealer/warranty fixed). Other than this I have not experienced any mechanical problems in 20,000 miles. For those who want an American car, this is a serious competitor for the German imports.

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  MY PHATTY CADDY - 2005 Cadillac Escalade
  By RANDY - December 3 - 2:17 am

  all around hot truck, many parts are lower end gm parts..

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  Very nice car - 2005 Cadillac Deville
  By Richard Chrystie - December 2 - 3:32 am

  Very nice car. Rides well. Very powerful. Excellent handling. Great looking. Not too big, not too small.

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  Great car!!! But its a GM - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By JCEMMA - November 11 - 7:44 pm

  Car/SUV is a beautiful vehicle. Handles well, for the normal driver, not a test driver. Very roomy in the back, I fit a 250 pound person in the second row comfortably. About the only concern is it seems shifty, as if it catches somewhere in the transmission when pushing the gas pedal from a complete stop or it seems to switch gears at low speeds fairly rough. Will take it in though, has two recall, ABS and some front hooks, but otherwise, this SUV that seems more like a car is beautiful

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  The 2003 CTS is a fun ride. - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By sue from virginia - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Ive only had this car about two months and so far is it a fun car to drive. It handles curves and mountain roads with ease. The ride is so smooth that I can go over the speed limit if not careful. The Bose in dash 6 CD changer is wonderful. I put in some light jazz CDs and my 45 minute commute goes by very quickly. The angles on the design make it fresh to look at.

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  Nice but move on... - 1996 Cadillac Seville
  By stsnotagain - October 26 - 2:00 am

  I always liked Cadillacs since I use to work for the dealership. I finally got a used STS in so to be great shape. Gorgous car with all the luxury and rides great. But beware of all the little things that WILL go wrong and will be expensive to repair. I bought mine one day and the next day the water pump gave out. $250 later from the Caddy dealer I had it back. After owning for about 3 weeks now and only 250 miles...half block seal needs replacing at $1900! Rack and pinion,struts,power window switch,still leaks antifreez and check engine light is now on for emissions. I would just look and avoid this car. These are known problems and thats coming from a ASE Master Tech from a Cad dealer!!!

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  No-Comprimises - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By secondtimothy - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Upon trading in my Geo that I had driven for eight years, I was ready to buy a no compromises car. Also since 9-11, I wanted to buy American. I wanted something diffrent from the Blase Accord/Camry solid sedans and I wanted hi-tech. I got everything I was looking for in the CTS. The handling is what surprised me the most. I love the nav system and voice recognition controls. I smile everytime I sit behind the wheel.

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  Seville SLS - 2004 Cadillac Seville
  By BillsOwl - October 23 - 2:00 am

  Great car....love its styling.....sorry to see it is being replaced.....Seville name is a classic