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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  WORST CAR EVER MADE!!! - 1998 Cadillac Catera
  By GNico09 - July 3 - 5:22 pm

  Alright, Ever since I was in highschool, I loved this car. Finally found one and have spent more than I purchased it for ($4,500) on repairs. Its an electrical and mechanical nightmare. The engine is basically shot (needs new heads) Body control module (brain of the car) is shot, control arms are shot, differential is shot. Misc. electric options cease to work. The a/c barely works and the heater doesnt work at all even though ive spent hundreds of dollars trying to remedy it. Its over-heating and low oil pressure (more than likely b/c of the heads). And all that is just to name a little!! The sad part is I bought the car certified and have pampered this car with no love in return.

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  The Best Choice for an All Around Sedan - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By John C. - July 3 - 12:57 pm

  My prior two cars were 2002 & 2006 Lexus LS-430 sedans. I established a decision criteria to keep it objective. I checked out Lexus LS/GS, Mercedes E, Jaguar XF, Infinity M, BMW 3/5, Lincoln MKS, Geneses, Audi4/6 & Acura TL. In the end, the BMW 535 and the Cadillac CTS stood out. We also own a BMW (& 4 before it). The ride/handling was about the same. Styling was aggressive versus classic. Seating was similar. Cost over three years was insignificant. The difference was the way the cars are actually equipped. BMW offers most of the same options, but they are not reasonably available. Ease of use was also big factor. Even my BMW driving wife agreed, the CTS was the best total choice.

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  The Best Car Ive Owned - 2004 Cadillac CTS
  By Joe - July 1 - 8:48 pm

  I have been loving every thing about this car since I bought it. It handles really nice. I love the power it has when needed, the firm suspension and the turning radius. I hope to have this for a long time.

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  Satisfied . . . mostly! - 2009 Cadillac CTS
  By Travis Rogers - July 1 - 7:53 pm

  I love everything about the car except for the gas mileage which isnt any better than the 2000 Sedan De ville I traded in for it. The storage spaces (doors, glove box, center console, trunk, etc.) are also quite small for the size of car. I got the blue diamond tricoat which is absolutely beautiful. The On-Star and cell phone service is cool and the stereo system is awesome. It handles beautifully and has plenty of smooth power!

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  high maintenance - 2001 Cadillac Seville
  By covergirl - July 1 - 12:35 pm

  this car is high maintenance. this is my second cadillac and they both leaked oil. the low profile tires are horrible for chuck holes and the winter months. i dont get good "premium" gas mileage because of the engine. whenever you get repairs done its extra because a lot of the parts are "cadillac" parts. it takes more oil and more of everything. and i always end up paying for new parts that wasnt even broken. but they have to take out to fix the problem.

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  Foolishness - 2003 Cadillac CTS
  By L. Hodge - July 1 - 8:17 am

  I purchased the pre-owned car in March 2006 with around 16,000-22,000 miles on it. The first few years were ok, except I had to purchased tires the next year!(gross), anyway, I have had problems after problems after problems! Now, for the fourth time on today I had to get a tow truck to tow it into the dealer in Greenbelt, MD. I need a timing belt, which will cost 1,500. Its has been the worst car besides the Volvo I had long time ago, that I have ever driven! No more cadillacs for me! thank god. Never will I purchase a cadillac again! No way, hosay!! No more cars, period!! Dissatisfied to death!! (Mad, angry, frustrated, whatever!!

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  Good Looking junk - 2006 Cadillac XLR
  By bignickja - June 30 - 1:54 am

  Bought mine off showroom floor for 83,000 dollars to go with my vette and escalade yes I owed gm a lot, best and worst car Ive ever owned, great headturner, fun to drive, ALWAYS IN SHOP, I mean ALWAYS in my 40 months of owning it was in shop 33 times from headlights to horns to rubber fading, trans, water pump, oil pump, compressor, tire gauge, throttlebody, trunk, foglights, visors, radio replaced, navigation, radiator, blown speaker, push button door entry, lights on dash blown, periscope wheel, heads up display, wiper pump, rusted tailpipes, I am not making this up be warned, stupid thing is I still liked the car?

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  Water Pump broken and replaced at 46K - 2005 Cadillac CTS
  By K Squared - June 29 - 11:42 pm

  At 46K miles on my 2005 3.6L CTS the water pump slowly leaked water and i caught it before it could overheat the motor. I also changed the cap for the radiator overflow water bottle. Stayin on top of it with oil changes and intricate transmission oil change.

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  Not what a Cadillac should be - 2016 Cadillac CTS
  By Bill Reese - June 29 - 11:41 pm

  We drove the 4 cylinder with turbo. The whole time there was a high pitched whine. The engine noise was extremely loud. THe vehicle had a great instrument package except that it was not working. This was a brand new car. The interior was very cramped. The selectable ride was not working probably the same reason the instruments were not working. Overall we were not thrilled. The price was in the 50 k range so it was average for what we were looking at. But definitely was not what we were expecting as far as value and comfort.

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  What American Luxury is all about - 2004 Cadillac Deville
  By LT1 fan - June 29 - 11:28 am

  I never considered Caddy, but always drove big American cars for their comfort, safety and value. Test drove Impalas, Lucernes, Lexus ES and finally this Caddy. Hands down the best family car for the money (especially used). Huge but still handles nicely. Cavernous trunk, very low noise and exceptional stability means great road trip material for the family. Northstar provides great highway performance and very good gas mileage (22-23mpg). Love the simple layout and easy-to-use creature comforts. A couple of issues with window regulators and electrical shorts (all fixed under warranty) marred the otherwise great reliability and consistency. GM better not discontinue this one!