Cadillac Escalade ~ NEW CAR AUTOS

Cadillac Escalade

It followed on the heels of the Lincoln Navigator, but the Cadillac Escalade emerged over the long haul as the clear winner in Detroit's battle of the blingy SUVs. In three generations on sale, the Escalade has grown into a neatly tailored and folded suit, boosted its V-8 power to unheard-of levels in a truck, and bettered its fuel economy with a Hybrid edition. Dueling it out with the Navigator, the Escalade also fights for garage space with the GMC Yukon Denali, the Infiniti QX56, and the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.

The Cadillac Escalade lost the first round to the Navigator, when it launched in 1999--a year after Lincoln's big SUV. It felt more half-baked, too--it was a scant cosmetic makeover of the then-new GMC Yukon Denali, with a re-molded front end that didn't look GMC--nor Cadillac Escalade, for that matter. A 255-horsepower V-8 teamed up with a four-speed automatic and standard four-wheel drive. GM sold this Escalade only for the 1999 and 2000 model years. Leather trim, an upmarket stereo and badges separated this version from its cousins.

Cadillac Escalade

The Cadillac Escalade took a pass on the 2001 model year entirely, and devoted itself to a 2002 makeover. The plan worked, as it emerged with three body styles, a far better-knit kit of Cadillac Escalade styling cues, and a swank interior with a new third-row seat. Rear-wheel-drive versions came in 2002 as well, joining the logical but curious Cadillac Escalade EXT--essentially, maybe the world's only four-door SUV with a pickup bed and a midgate for cargo flexibility. The 2003 model year brought the longer ESV edition, giving the Cadillac Escalade a size competitor for GM's own Suburban XL utes. A Platinum trim package emerged in 2004. A 285-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 came in most versions for the first two years; a new engine with 10 more hp but the same displacement arrived in 2004. For the entire run of this generation, a 345-hp, 6.0-liter V-8 came as an option on some versions. This generation shared mechanicals with the entire GM truck and full-size SUV lineup, but also the new HUMMER H2 utes.

A new Cadillac Escalade hit the road in the 2007 model year, with ESV and EXT editions coming with the standard-length Cadillac Escalade. GM pressed the introduction of the trucks ahead of schedule--but sales still fell, and fell hard once the country slipped into a deep recession in 2008. Nonetheless, this has been the most satisfying Cadillac Escalade yet. Very crisp, angular styling looks quite handsome on all versions, andlots of chrome make the Cadillac Escalade a styling standout--whether you agreewith its take on luxury or not.

Cadillac Escalade

Cadillac Escalade amazing power emanates from the 6.2-liter V-8, and a special all-wheel-drive system and a six-speed automatic are notable improvements. Magnetic Ride Controls quells the worst road impacts, while the optional 22-inch wheels can add road noise to the otherwise calm cabin. The seating is quite comfortable, but the third row isn't so easy to reach, and the seats don't quite fold flat--but Cadillac Escalade ESVs hardly have to worry, with their tremendous interior space, with or without the third-row bench folded.

A new Cadillac Escalade Hybrid SUV was added to the lineup as a 2009 model. With a price of nearly $75,000, it's been extremely slow-selling, but the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid technology and its advanced two-mode transmission improve fuel economy from miserable mid-teens to the respectable low-20-mpg range. All versions of the Cadillac Escalade can be fueled with E85 ethanol blend.

Cadillac Escalade may not have the truck-based Escalade much longer, as GM is said to have canceled a direct replacement. We don't doubt the Escalade nameplate will live on, though--likely, on a big seven-seat crossover to take its place alongside the smaller Cadillac SRX introduced just this year.