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 it! - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By fge00 - August 3 - 5:36 pm

  Bought this after my STS engine locked up on me. There is a problem with the security system draining the battery but I worked around that. Aside from that one problem this thing is incredible. Smooth ride, ultra comfortable and the sound system is amazing. I would definitely purchase this again even with the problems.

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  OUTSTANDING - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By MotownGuy_n_Denver - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Beats the competition hands down. Style, performance (a few more horses would be nice), and value.

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  Blown ENGINE at 46K - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By Hammer - August 2 - 5:19 pm

  Just over 46K on this car and it needs a new engine! There was no warning that it had burned all the oil up. After reading more reviews Im not the only one. I was just out of my warranty, but GM did try to help saying they would pay for 50% of the replacement. Not so fast! Turns out they have to replace the motor the "GM" way, the dealer wouldnt even quote me a price. After asking again he said that it could run more than just putting in a new motor. Thanks, but no thanks! Ill put in a new motor, hows that for BILLIONS of bailout money? Im sure our kids/grandkids are very happy with our investment. GM should have DIED, dont buy a Caddy.

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  Oh, what could have been... - 1998 Cadillac Seville
  By StephenRG - August 1 - 3:36 pm

  There is no car Ive enjoyed driving as much, fabulous engine and automatic gearbox combination, and I loved the look. And then... I started getting a coolant leak alert shortly after buying it. OK, topped up. Then a/c went out. OK, fixed. Then engine started overheating - hose to radiator had hole worn in by belt (?). OK, fixed. Then overheating again, and after a storm, electrics went out. Head gasket blown - would cost $4000+. Water had got in, pooled underneath cabin, damaged electrics. Cost+++. Rear brakes - spotted in inspection - corroded. So an 11-year old top-of-the-line well-maintained luxury car with 87,000 miles on the clock had to be written off as scrap. DO NOT BUY!

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  I hate this car - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By Cory Bouton - July 31 - 11:35 am

  I bought this car from a private seller, and it worked fine for a few years then when one thing broke and it was just down hill from there. Currently the AC and heat dont work because of electrical problem I cant even afford to have diagnosed professionally, I have a major radiator leak that wont be worth the repair cause when I do fix it, something worse will just come up. So now I just carry extra fluid with me. The tranny failed, twice, thank goodness for warranty, and now that the tranny is fixed I got smoke coming out the exhaust. So I dont drive it unless I have to. The Sunroof was working until I brought it back from tranny shop, now it dont work, again. I hate this car.

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  Lap of Luxury - 1992 Cadillac Deville
  By DEVILLE-FAN - July 30 - 11:54 pm

  I purchased my 1992 Deville in November of 2008 primarily to be a basic A to B car that I felt would be able to keep me safe during the winter driving months. I only paid $700 dollars for it, and to me it was the deal of the century. It was evident that the car started its life in Florida. The body was in excellent condition, and the interior had worn well for its age. The leather seats were very comfortable. More so than my sofa. The car was as smooth going over the road as an ocean liner, but the downside was that it took turns with all the agility of the Titanic. It was clear what market this car was engineered to satisfy, but even still I did enoy the feeling of riding on air.

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  Black Beauty - 1999 Cadillac Deville
  By Joe - July 30 - 8:21 pm

  Pros: handles well and is a comfortable drive. Holds its shine very well. Very little engine maintenance required. Cons: side mirror too small when merging into traffic (especially in a construction zone). Power windows failed during hot weather. Automatic Antenna motor broke.

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  Awesome Ride - 1996 Cadillac Deville
  By Lee - July 30 - 11:30 am

  Purchased the car with less than 10k on it and have put nearly 75k on it since then. The comfort and power are exceptional, as is the gas mileage. At nearly 24-28mpg, there is not another comparable vehicle even made today. No outrageous problems or issues with anything. It still turns heads and blows doors off of "wannabees". Absolutely Awesome Ride. Hope to keep it another 10 years!

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  Lives Up to the Hype - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By BlockDaddy21 - July 27 - 8:15 pm

  With the automotive world giving such panegyrical reviews to this car, I figured it surely must be a ploy to get us to stimulate the economy and buy American. Prior to my 09 CTS, I owned a 2008 Acura TL Type-S that was my absolute favorite car. However, I drove the CTS, and it was all over. My 3.6 DI AWD is a real drivers car it gives great feedback to the driver, corners like its on rails, the brakes are phenomenal, and it has admirable throttle response. Not to mention great style! Overall build quality is great - no complaints in the first 7000 miles. I would recommend that anyone in the market check out the CTS among the typical mix of imports - youll be pleasantly surprised.

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  A beautiful, troublesome woman - 1999 Cadillac Eldorado
  By TravelinMan - July 25 - 5:11 pm

  I always loved the design of the 1992- 2002 Caddy Eldorado, so I bought a clean 99. It ran well for about two years, and then the problems began. Interior things fell apart. The AC stopped working. The battery went low until it was dead - though it was only a few months old. The drivers seat self-adjusted randomly, even when the car was parked. When I started the car, the trunk and gas door popped open. Mechanics were baffled, and theorized a short in the electric system. The repair job was estimated at hundreds of dollars. Friends with Hondas, Nissans, and Toyotas say that their cars run for many years with no problems.