I Just Drove Cadillac's $340,000 Celestiq, One Owner Is Using Wood From Their Old Barn For The Interior, And The Ride Quality Left Me Speechless

There was a time when Cadillac wasn’t just a car brand, it was the brand. Elvis drove them, gangsters armored them, and presidents rode off into the sunset inside them. Cadillac was once the glittering standard of American luxury, a domestic counterpoint to Europe’s elite. Over time, that image faded, buried under badge engineering, cost-cutting, and the slow decline of Detroit’s swagger. 

Reviving a Legend, Cadillac Celestiq’s $340K Manifesto for American Luxury

But now, GM is trying to haul Cadillac back onto the pedestal it once commanded, with a vengeance. The $340,000 Cadillac Celestiq is not just a car. 

"It is hard to say (if it’s worth $300k+). I am positive I would never pay that. I was speaking to the only Celestiq tech at the dealer, and he explained it is infinitely customizable.

He said he heard of a future owner who is using wood from an old barn house for the interior finish. It drives amazingly, which is better for the price." — u/chasemann12345

That quote, from Reddit user chasemann12345, encapsulates the sheer eccentricity and ambition of this project. Barn wood interiors? Infinitely customizable? This is not your grandfather’s DeVille. 

2026 Cadillac Celestiq Performance Breakdown: Power, Range & Dimensions

• The Celestiq is equipped with dual permanent-magnet electric motors—one on each axle, delivering a combined output of 655 horsepower and 646 lb-ft of torque. This setup enables the vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 3.7 seconds. It features a 111 kWh Ultium lithium-ion battery, providing an estimated range of 300 miles on a full charge. 
• As a full-size luxury electric sedan, the Celestiq measures 217.2 inches in length, 81.9 inches in width, and 57.2 inches in height, with a wheelbase of 130.2 inches. Its substantial size contributes to a curb weight of approximately 6,000 pounds, underscoring its presence and luxury stature. 
• Built on General Motors' BEV3 platform, the Celestiq features an aluminum spaceframe with carbon fiber body panels. Its advanced suspension system includes adaptive air suspension with Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, active rear-wheel steering up to 3.5 degrees, and active anti-roll bars. These components work together to provide a balanced and responsive driving experience, enhancing both comfort and handling.

This is Cadillac pulling a page from the old-world luxury playbook, one where every car is made to order and customer whim is law. In the case of the Celestiq, no two will be alike, and GM is leaning into that like a French atelier building Hermès handbags. This is not a vehicle designed for broad appeal. It’s a flag planted deep in the soil of Cadillac's identity, whether or not the masses salivate over it.

Despite its considerable girth, its wheelbase rivals a long-wheelbase S-Class, and Cadillac has engineered the Celestiq to move with deceptive ease. “It did not feel overly huge,” Chasemann12345 noted, crediting the digital rear-view mirrors and active rear steering for helping it shrink around him.

“It does have active rear!” he later confirmed. Cadillac has buried layers of engineering under the car’s cinematic design to ensure it behaves as elegantly as it looks.

At low speeds, the Celestiq is surprisingly maneuverable; on the highway, it glides like a private jet taxiing for takeoff.

Artisan Interiors, Hand-Built Cabin Craftsmanship in the Celestiq

Inside, the cabin is a love letter to obsession. While there are shared bits from the Lyriq and Escalade IQ, GM’s EV siblings, chasemann12345 clarified that 

“Every button dial and knob is a better quality feel” and “the material was all machined metal and felt fantastic.” The leather? “Higher quality than any other Cadillac.” This is Cadillac showing its cards: yes, they’re using the Ultium platform, but they’re elevating everything above the frame. This is not a parts-bin exercise dressed up in chrome. It’s a true coachbuilt endeavor, assembled by hand at GM’s new Artisan Center in Warren, Michigan, with a workforce that operates more like craftsmen than factory laborers.

The price tag, naturally, invites skepticism. $340,000 is the MSRP; many Redditors balked, one admitted, “I like it, but can’t afford it, so I’ll say something like ‘Cybertruck Panamera looki ugly’ to not admit envy.” And yet, envy is the point. This car isn’t here to move metal by the hundreds.

It’s here to shake the snow globe and remind the world that Cadillac can still create something no one else dares to. As iced_gold aptly observed,

“This isn't meant to be a mass market vehicle but something to potentially change the perception of the Cadillac brand.”

Silence & Smoothness, The Celestiq’s Unrivaled Ride Experience

What really floored our driver wasn’t the screens or materials, it was the ride.

“I have always thought EV worked great for ultra luxury because it is so much easier to make the ride smoother and quieter with electric,”

And he’s right. The silence, the seamless acceleration, the absence of gear changes, it all contribute to an experience that feels less like driving and more like gliding.

Even skeptics might be converted once they feel what this 6,000-pound machine does to a rough road. And while chasemann12345 did wistfully note he’d like to see a gas-powered ultra-luxury Caddy again, he conceded: this is the right move.

The Celestiq is not being hidden in showrooms. It’s on tour, like a rock star on a press junket. “That is correct!” our test driver confirmed when asked if the demo vehicle was making stops across the country. 

Bespoke by Design, Commissioning & Customization on the Cadillac Celestiq

• Each Celestiq is individually commissioned and hand-built at GM's Artisan Center in Warren, Michigan. Customers collaborate closely with a personal Cadillac design concierge throughout the design journey, from initial concept to final delivery. This process includes in-person consultations to explore a vast array of materials, colors, and finishes, ensuring that every Celestiq reflects the owner's unique vision and preferences. 
• The Celestiq offers virtually limitless personalization possibilities, with over 350,000 potential combinations of colors and materials. Clients can choose from more than 90 standard exterior colors, available in both metallic and matte finishes, and have the option to create entirely custom hues. Interior customization extends to materials, stitching patterns, and even personalized engravings on components like door sills and dashboard trim. 
• Beyond aesthetics, the Celestiq incorporates cutting-edge technologies that enhance personalization. The vehicle features a four-zone Smart Glass Roof, allowing each occupant to adjust their section's opacity independently. Additionally, the ClimateSense™ system provides individualized climate control for all four seats, ensuring personalized comfort for every passenger.

With over 8,000 miles already on its odometer, this pre-production Celestiq is making tours left and right. And from what we’re seeing, it’s converting more doubters than it’s losing.

Every stop, every drive, every Reddit post chips away at decades of cynicism and recalls a time when “Cadillac” meant something beyond lease deals and badge-engineered crossovers.

The Celestiq is Cadillac's moonshot, an attempt to reclaim a legacy with more weight than a spec sheet can convey. As SVdreamin put it,

“I really dig that Cadillac returned to their opulent luxury roots and tried making the ultimate American luxury vehicle.”

That’s the heart of it. This is not a car for everyone. It’s a car for the few, the wealthy, the bold, and the nostalgic. And if nothing else, it proves that somewhere deep inside GM, there’s still a beating heart that believes American luxury doesn’t have to play by European rules. It can write its own.

If you had the money, would you purchase the Cadillac Celestiq? 



Let us know in the comments below.

Image Sources: Reddit, Luther Cadillac  

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.