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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  RICH MANS CAR FOR WORKING CLASS MONEY! - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By Dave Edwards - July 24 - 7:31 am

  The reality of these fine cars, is that the market has not been kind to them. But that is a good thing for a guy like me, who is on a budget, and wants a nice, classy car. My 2004 Deville Base cost $35,000.00 + new in 04, but in March, 2015- with 107k on the odometer, it cost me $4,000.00 out the door of the dealer, with all taxes and fees, and smog paid. I have since fixed all the things that were known issues at purchase. I put on new General Altimax RT tires, new cross drilled and vented rotors and ceramic pads all around, and a new heater blower motor. Buying all the parts on Ebay- NEW for about half the price of a local auto parts store... and my costs are at about $5,200.00 YES, I then had a drivers door window regulator failure! EBAY- NEW AC Delco Motor, 61.50, and regulator- 30.99 Labor- 75 bucks. The REAL reason these regulators fail, is because GM used nylon/ plastic guide wheels. If they were made of aluminum, there would have been far less problems. If you encounter regulator failures BUY ON EBAY. Ive heard that dealers can charge as much as 500 bucks to replace one. After seeing my mechanic do the job, I know I could do it myself. $168 is quite reasonable, Id say. A note- the dealer I bought from, was DRIVING this car from Reno, to Tahoe daily.... because he dug it that much. Now, its my turn. This car, is by far, the most classically handsome Cadillac of the last 30 years, in my opinion. It handles like a sloth. I dont like that so much, as I drove high performance cars all my life. That said- the great angry song of the Northstar V-8 when you get on it is a joy to hear! Mileage so far has been as bad as 18.0 city, and as good as 21+ highway. Havent taken it on a long highway trip yet. It is about the same as my Nissan Pathfinder. HEY! I bought a Cadillac, not a friggin hippie Prius! Im a very big man- 6-3" and large framed. This is the most comfortable, roomy car Ive ever owned. Im also a bass player. My whole rig, two small speaker cabinets, two bass guitars and stands, a seat, and an amp head fit in the trunk, no problem.

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  dont buy this year make and model of cadillac - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By Craig - July 21 - 4:39 pm

  the car shutters when driving slow, the dealer says its a design char. I call it a flaw and I have never had a car that shuttered when you turned the wheel. well let me take that back. I have but I replaced the power steering unit and I fixed it. I have a 2004 cts drives like a dream still. this car sucks. I just bought it and I cant believe this new steering unit is not powerfull enough to turn the wheels. I drive underground a lot to park the car and it shutters. I mean really. its a Cadillac it should be up to min. of industry standards if not exceed them. Hell I could of bought a Honda and not had this much trouble. I cant believe the dealer knows bout the steering and still sold me the car. they saw me coming. why not fix it for good then sell the car. not just pawn it off on another customer. Cadillac should not do that. Im frustrated the dealer wont help me. Im afraid im going to have to get legal help. the transmition geezh. it revs too high then when it shifts it gives you whiplash. it underpowered a poorly designed car. its a lemon. they wont admit it. dont buy this make and model get a cts instead.or if you want to get a suv buy anything else and certainly not this make and year. one nice thing about the car.... the sound system.. Period.

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  TERRIBLE QUALITY... - 2009 Cadillac Escalade
  By Tim - July 14 - 9:17 am

  ... for something aesthetically pleasing. At the end of 2014 I purchased a used CPO 2009 Cadillac Escalade with ~53,000 miles. It was fully loaded. THANKFULLY, it has had all repairs still under warranty, However, the warrant expires in a month and I am seriously considering selling the car to avoid costly repairs. Since I have owned it for almost a year the following repairs have been needed: heating and ventilation front driver seat repair, front struts needed replaced, cables to and from battery replaced due to complete electrical system failure while driving, lumbar support drivers seat repair, right drivers side CV boot leak, side cover for moon roof replacement, tire pressure monitoring system constantly going on/off, and now battery draining overnight and auto-up/down on driver side window malfunctioning. The complete electrical failure while driving was the scariest. We experienced a complete electrical system failure while driving twice (i.e. NO POWER STEERING, NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, NO INJECTION OF FUEL INTO ENGINE). Thankfully, my wife and I were able to pull the vehicle over before an accident occurred. Cadillac replaced the cables going to and from the car battery which has seemingly remedied the issue. There are tons of forums of this occurring and how the NHTSA has not recalled the car because of this boggles my mind. Overall this car is a prime example of poor mechanical engineering. DO NOT PURCHASE this car if you value reliability or quality craftsmanship. Unfortunately, it was my wifes dream car, but it has been in the shop for more often than not and she has been unable to showcase its most valuable asset: aesthetics. I cannot imagine the cost that we will incur once the CPO warranty expires. For example, the cost to repair the drivers side heated and ventilated seat was just over $1,000. The Cadillac dealership near us charges $150 just to diagnose an issue. I guess this is what you get for a "luxury" vehicle. In comparison, I have owned a 2004 Lexus ES330 currently with 130,000 miles and the only maintenance I have performed are oil changes and new tires. I have owned it for 3 years when I purchased it with ~90,000 miles on it. Good luck Cadillac owners. I feel your pain

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  Awesome Vehicle - 2014 Cadillac SRX
  By Nana - July 7 - 10:11 pm

  If you want great performance and modern technology look no further! The Cadillac is The Cadillac of all vehicles.

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  WASTE OF MONEY - 2013 Cadillac XTS
  By benjamin776 - July 6 - 10:33 pm

  The worst car I have ever had. 12 warranty claims in 24 months. Dealer wont allow me out of lease. Would never buy another Cadillac ever.

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  This is the worse SUV ever! - 2011 Cadillac SRX
  By depe3131 - June 23 - 1:57 pm

  I havent had this suv a year and its by far the worse suv I ever owned. I have taken this suv in 10-15 times due to the idling. Every time I stop I get a horrible shake. I bought the suv because it was a CPO and no one seems to be able to know whats going on. I will get rid of this crappy suv this summer. Horrible Horrible Horrible!!!!!!

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  Good car when new, but its falling apart - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By danieluga - June 19 - 9:52 pm

  Bought the car new in November 1998. It was great for about 7 years/50,000 miles then started leaking coolant. 16.5 years/135,000 miles into its life it overheats going 15 miles down the road. Happily traded it in a few days ago for a new Prius. Cadillacs seem to be great when new but dont stick around for the duration. Northstar engines are economical and powerful but have issues...done with Cadillac

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  CTS 09 Review Bought Used 50,000 Miles - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By zachj7 - June 12 - 1:14 pm

  I bought the 09 CTS on a whim without test driving other cars which I regret partially. The 09 CTS is a nice car, looks very nice from the outside, has a respectable interior also. I wish I took a closer look at the Audi, BMW, and possibly the infiniti. My mom has a G37 which is a nicer car in my opinion. The CTS does have the image of being expensive if that is important to you. The car is very heavy but despite its weight, it is very nimble. I feel it could have a few more horses but it can pick up speed pretty well. The Gas mileage is horrible but it does take the 87 octane which is nice. That is a perk that other cars in this luxury category dont have.

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  Cadillac catera 98 - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By rastamunchys - June 10 - 2:45 pm

  I got a catera 98 ive put alot of miles on it. When i got it it had 180000 miles approximately. I have over 214000 miles on it now, it runs a bit rough but still runs good. The speedometer was out when i got it, i just reset the module by detaching the batterys positive and detaching the main module and performance plus everything else electronical corrected it self. I have a strut issue now and som engin knocking and transmission problems due to thethe "service free" tranny, but im working on figuring that out on my own because the Cadillac dealershit wants to ober charge for the service. But over all for 900$ worth it. Great for a starting mechanic due to difficult engine.

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  WORST CAR EVER BUILT - 2004 Cadillac SRX
  By romojondro - June 3 - 4:22 pm

  I have never owned a car with more problems than this. At 80k miles with a clean title this car started to fall apart. It leaked water in the passenger side, would turn off on the free way, had abs issues, needed a new starter, blown shocks, two bad headlights, water pump fell out of the car, veered off in directions it felt like at high speed, had electrical problems galore, cd player malfunctioned constantly. Dashboard cracked, defective airbags and over all a commuters nightmare/ death trap.