Are Cadillacs Good Cars? How To Make The Right Purchasing Decision
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Despite selling nearly 400,000 vehicles in 2019, the luxury division of General Motors Company has not received great reviews from critics in the last several years. For the amount of money that drivers can expect to pay for a Cadillac, the brand is not very reliable. Even with record-breaking sales in recent years, the brand finished dead last in the luxury vehicle category. Famous for luxury and style, are Cadillacs good cars?
Partly for being one of the oldest continuously operated vehicle brands in the world, Cadillac has always been associated with high quality for its customers. Following the great depression and second world war, many of Cadillac’s cutting-edge technology and style would become the standard for vehicles for the next two decades.
Cadillac’s current lineup is fairly young in comparison to other brands, with over half of the models being introduced in the last five years. For the American market, it is one of the few domestic brands available and critics would argue models can be inferior to its European luxury competitors.
Cadillac’s overall reliability rating from Repair Pai is just a 3.0 out of 5.0 which puts it in 26th place out of 32 rated vehicle brands. This score is based on an average of 345 different models. A Cadillac’s average yearly repair cost is $783, which has slightly above average ownership costs but is manageable compared to other luxury vehicles.
Are Cadillacs good cars with regular maintenance?
Most of Cadillac’s common complaints are in areas that most drivers wouldn’t think to service on a routine basis. Power window failure, interior, and exterior door handle breaks, and several electrical issues have been reported by hundreds of drivers across multiple models. In terms of overall cost, annual maintenance and repair trips, and total severity, Cadillac is worse than the average for all brands combined.
This can partially be attributed to luxury brands having higher hourly maintenance costs, custom equipment, and specific locations that will service Cadillacs.
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Cadillac Escalade
Introduced in 1999 as Cadillac’s signature vehicle, the Escalade is a massive SUV that features a stunning interior, with top-of-the-line materials everywhere, three rows of comfortable seats, and a large cargo area. It’s one of the few full-size luxury SUVs on the market and is a great option for anyone that can afford the sticker price nearing $100,000. No vehicles in this class will get amazing fuel efficiency and the price at the pump could be challenging, but the Escalade is less expensive than many of its rivals, making it a good option.
- Overall score 8.5 out of 10
- Critics review: 9.0/10.
- Performance: 7.8⁄10
- Interior: 8.8⁄10
- Safety: not yet rated
- Quality and Dependability: 78⁄100
Cadillac CT5
Introduced in 2020, the CT5 finished as #8 overall in U.S. News for midsize luxury vehicles. The CT5 boasts a simple infotainment system, is composed and comfortable to drive, and is equipped with several active safety measures. It has a good variety with four, six, and eight-cylinder engines, and can haul a surprisingly good amount for a luxury vehicle.
The backseat and cargo room might lack a bit compared to other brands, but it’s surprisingly the most affordable midsize luxury option with a strong dependability rating. While this is one of the more dependable options Cadillac provides, it does receive pretty low ratings across the board.
- Overall score 6.9 out of 10
- Critics review: 5.1⁄10
- Performance: 6.1⁄10
- Interior: 5.8⁄10
- Safety: not rated
- Quality and Dependability: 85⁄100
Cadillac XT4
There are a lot of features, a lot of passenger space, and a lot of cargo space behind the back seats. The acceleration is sluggish, and the overall performance and critic ratings are disappointing. The XT4 is more expensive than numerous competitors and offers less value, but is fairly reliable. It brings up the rear as the #32 overall luxury crossover SUV. It’s essentially the XT5 in a smaller package, which also didn’t receive high dependability reviews.
- Overall score of 7.5 of 10
- Critics review 6.5⁄10.
- Performance: 6.6⁄10
- Interior: 7.4⁄10
- Safety: not rated
- Quality and Dependability: 85⁄100
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Cadillac XT5
Similar to its smaller XR4 cousin, the XT5 offers a lot of passenger space and gets good gas mileage. It has a well-built cabin with wide seats and decent power with a V6 engine. Many other premium midsize SUVs are a bit more sporty, but the XT5 is less expensive than virtually all of its competitors. It ranks as the #9 option in the luxury mid-size class, but its dependability rating is lower than most.
- Overall score 7.5 out of 10
- Critics review: 6.6⁄10
- Performance: 6.8⁄10
- Interior: 6.7⁄10
- Safety: not rated
- Quality and Dependability: 79/100
Cadillac XT6
Introduced in 2020, it’s tied with the XT5 counterpart as the #9 overall option in the mid-size luxury class, and gets pretty good fuel efficiency with user-friendly technology. The interior is a little underwhelming and there are definitely more luxurious rides available, but the entry price isn’t a bad option.
- Overall score 7.5 out of 10
- Critics review: 6.7⁄10
- Performance: 6.5⁄10
- Interior: 6.9⁄10
- Safety: not rated
- Quality & Reliability: 75⁄100
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Are Cadillacs good cars? The verdict
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a nice ride, but not necessarily dependable, then Cadillac’s are a good option. The brand is known for its stylish look and brand name recognition but hasn’t been known as an industry leader for a few decades. Outside of the Escalade, most of Cadillac’s models are very similar in both sedan and SUV styles.
If you still need the answer to the question: are Cadillacs good cars? You’ll probably want to look at the major European and Asian competitors first. Cadillac can fall short in many categories, and while they are good vehicles, Cadillac isn’t considered as reliable. You probably won’t get any groundbreaking technology options, but they are comfortable and stylish rides that any car enthusiast would be happy to have.
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