The first-generation Cadillac Escalade was a breathtaking statement of contempt for the American automobile buyer, differing from the GMC Yukon Denali in only the most minor, British-Leyland-style details, but in the years that followed General Motors has worked steadily to distance this Chevrolet Silverado 1500 derivative from all its other Chevrolet Silverado 1500 derivatives. This new-generation ‘Slade, therefore, is much like the Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman that stole my heart a few years ago. It’s the Maximum Cadillac, the only vehicle in the lineup with enough brand equity to escape the latest round of alphabet-souping. As with the Talisman, the MSRP is as obscene as the GWVR, and you just know that some percentage of the markup from the current Denali is just so your neighbors understand you have the ability to spend nearly a hundred grand on a truck, the same way the Talisman’s additional features in no way justified the extra money.
I’m on record as being a genuine fan of the Seventies GM sleds from Grand Ville to de Ville, so I approached this monstrous Cadillac in the Hertz lot with unfeigned enthusiasm and cheerfully paid well over a hundred dollars a day to squire it around Salt Lake City for a long weekend.
That enthusiasm didn’t last.
Let’s start with the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question? Is it better than the revised-for-2015 Lincoln Navigator? The answer is an unqualified affirmative, and that’s part of the reason I really disliked the Escalade despite being rather ambivalent about the big Lincoln. The Navigator is just a relatively pleasant re-skin of a relatively pleasant old truck, sold at about a 20% discount to the equivalent Cadillac. That keeps the expectations at a level that the Lincoln can fulfill. The Escalade, on the other hand, promises more. For the as-tested price of $86,060, you get a brand-new vehicle full of brand-new thinking. It’s loaded head-to-toe with Cadillac-specific details — that just doesn’t work very well. Take the following photo as an example:
That’s my finger attempting to operate the top row of CUE controls. Normally, you can’t see those controls; they only activate as the system senses your hand in close proximity. So you need to look at the screen a few times: once to get a sense of where your finger needs to approximately arrive, then again to make sure the controls came up (they don’t always, you see, and I have no idea why), then a final time to guide your digit to the PEZ-sized control icon. When you active the control, the screen will vibrate in iPhone-like sympathy, although those of us familiar with Cadillac reliability through the last thirty years will be excused for having a brief moment of unalloyed terror every time the car shakes.
This sequence of events would be merely annoying were it not for the styling touch of a prow above the display that makes it difficult to actually get your finger to the top row. Keep in mind I have relatively delicate hands and wear between a Large and XL men’s glove. Imagine you’re a fiftysomething Phoenix drywall contractor with the frame of a lowland gorilla and the gnarled hands of a dockworker and you’ll see how CUE just ain’t gonna work for some of the intended audience.
What have we circled here? Why, it’s the same kind of defroster attachment that goes bad on nearly every GMT900 SUV. It’s an utterly loathsome arrangement, being simultaneously fragile and poorly situated. For eighty-three grand, is it possible to do better? You betcha.
This interior is virtually all unique to the Escalade, with a few exceptions — AWD control and the like. Many of the materials are very nice, but the fit and finish is still problematic. As an example, the exterior doorhandles have some sort of nickel or stainless steel covers, but in my test car none of them lined up correctly.
With the third row of seats up, luggage space is effectively nonexistent, but the power folders work quickly and without difficulty. I used them immediately so I could get my roller bag in the back. This is really a five-seat car, just like its Blazer ancestors.
“Upcoming maneuver!” You have to love it. I don’t know if the phraseology is the mistake of an overseas development team or a tacit acknowledgement of the Escalade’s Yamato-class heft, but it made me smile every time I saw it. Less cheer-inducing: the ten-second or longer delay from startup to navigation function. Like it or not, CUE is slow to do everything and it frequently displays the same sort of indecision I associate with my old Galaxy SIII phone. Bluetooth audio from that phone, by the by, stutters and starts in precisely the way it does not in a Ford Fiesta or even a Chevrolet Spark. Nor is the sound quality terribly compelling; vocals and stringed instruments tend to disappear into the mix. The steering-wheel-mounted control buttons are not exactly intuitive, doing different things when you push them straight into the bezel than when you let them wobble up or down from the same push. No sir, I don’t like it.
With that said, I want to make it absolutely plain, if possible, that nothing about the execution of the Escalade smacks of indifference. This isn’t a 1984 deVille. It’s a damn-the-torpedos effort that just happens to come up short. The people who actually buy these things won’t care too much; their checkbooks will be pried open by the outrageously intimidating front end and the wide expanses of metal and iPhone-buzzing glass on the center console. They’ll like the opening animation that makes the three gauges appear to fly onto the full-LCD dashboard and they’ll appreciate the extra USB power ports and most of all they will like the fact that only from the side does this look anything like a $46,300 Tahoe.
Oh, wait: I’ve forgotten to mention what it’s like to drive. Okay. Let’s go over that. It’s very, very, very quiet. So quiet that you can hear the transmission whining up to the clunky next shift the same way you could hear it in a base-model ’73 Catalina. Super vintage, yo. The suspension has two modes — Tour and Sport. The difference is that Tour somehow lets the nose scrape on driveways when you’re in a hurry, despite the K2-like altitude of said nose.
Compared to the Navigator, the Cadillac feels much more solid and milled-from-a-piece, as you’d expect. The 420/460 V8 can’t match the EcoBoost from a stop but if you let it run you’ll see some serious speeds in short order. The brakes, on the other hand, could use some work; they’re more than capable of locking the 22″-inch wheels (Can’t lose with 22s!) on demand but at sub-ABS pressure levels they are soft and unresponsive. Handling is about what you’d expect from a three-ton vehicle on rubber-band all-season M+S tires. I observed 16.5mpg in mixed use and 20.2mpg in a sustained 85mph freeway run, not much worse than my old Town Car despite having half again the weight and nearly twice the power.
It’s common to portray the Escalade as the last true Cadillac. It has a real name, it is unashamedly V-8-powered (for now, anyway; there’s a V-6 turbo on the way) and more-than-full-sized. It looks the part. It’s a very sensible argument and one I’ve made in the past but after three days with this monster truck I’m no longer convinced. Cadillacs should have style and this sled just doesn’t. It’s just a big Tahoe with a bunch of shiny stuff on it. It’s offensively large and largely offensive, a blatant statement that the driver can’t even be bothered with the appearance of moderation. It’s not just larger and heavier than the 1977 downsized C-body de Ville/Fleetwood that served as a masterclass in large-car design, it’s larger and heavier than the really, really, massive ’76 Talisman. You can’t blame Cadillac for giving the people what they want, but I have no trouble blaming them for their decision to effectively terminate full-sized sedan development in the Carter administration.
If the new CT6 has the same basic features as this truck in a proper sedan form factor, it will deserve some measure of success. Cadillac says they are “daring greatly”, and I hope they are. As it is, there’s nothing daring about this Escalade. And, I would add, nothing great.
Big, ridiculously proportioned grill and *bling* lights. CHECK.
The nicest interior the American market has ever produced. CHECK
A massive, Naturally aspirated V8. CHECK
A price tag bordering on $90,000. CHECK
This is probably the greatest “CADILLAC” ever made – the figurehead for the brand – and exactly what a “CADILLAC” should be.
Now why can’t these morons figure out how to do this for the XTS?
Why can’t Lincoln figure this out?
Why isn’t there a naturally aspirated V8 option for the Navigator?
Why isn’t there an “EGOboost V8”???
Do these people understand that “my age group” and the age group right above mine grew up with the “v8” and associate the “v8” with the “top trim level” of a car?
A car wearing a V6 badge like it’s an honor gets nothing but pity from “us”.
I have only one complaint…
C.U.E.
“Do these people understand that “my age group” and the age group right above mine grew up with the “v8″ and associate the “v8″ with the “top trim level” of a car?”
In an era when BMW is selling, and making profound amounts of money on, selling turbo-four and turbo-six cars to anyone who can sign a lease, no one really cares about cylinder count any more.
I don’t think people that lease BMWs and Audis really consider a Cadillac (or any other American badged car) when shopping and the people that do want an American badged car care about cylinder counts.
Cadillac is giving up completely on its traditional fan base to chase German and Lexus intenders (again, still) but if those people don’t bite then the brand is dead.
That’s because its “traditional fan base” had either moved on to brighter pastures or are simply dying off.
The “traditional fan base” is currently split between finding everything they’ve wanted in a full-size luxury sedan in the form of a full-size quad cab pickup with all of the options and discovering the joys of crossover/tall car ownership.
Cadillac’s stuck between seeing its traditional fan base find what they wanted elsewhere and seething in envy over people buying German luxury/premium offerings for the same reason one would buy Gucci and Prada bags.
Caddy’s only solution at this point is to say “screw it,” hit the giant reset button and start selling its new offerings to the Bugatti Veyron crowd. The marque has nothing to lose at this point, right?
BMW is selling to people who are desperate to buy into the NAME BADGE.
I’ve never bought a BMW and probably would never buy one – no matter what the price.
The Germans can convince you that “less is more”, but my philosophy is “more is more” and I’m not willing to take less.
“The Germans can convince you that “less is more”, but my philosophy is “more is more” and I’m not willing to take less.”
That may be true, but you’re not enough of a market on your own to matter.
BTR if you can find one, try out a 335d sometime. With 425 lb ft@1700, rail like handling, and massive brakes, you might just change your mind.
x2 – I made fun of BMW right up until I test drove one on a lark and bought it the next day.
If you love cars and driving…holy shit. They’re very good.
Look – yes, there are a lot of hairdressers driving BMWs to look “successful,” but for a gearhead, they really tick all the boxes.
“Do these people understand that “my age group” and the age group right above mine grew up with the “v8″ and associate the “v8″ with the “top trim level” of a car?”
The problem with that kind of thinking is that Baby Boomers only have a few car buying years left. Maybe a decade. They are a demographic sinking ship, and Cadillac can’t design cars just for them. Same thing with the “Greatest Generation,” few of them still drive. The people who should be buying Cadillacs grew-up in the 80s and 90s when V8s were a sign of obsolete engineering.
The young people that are still open to buying a GM vehicle for over $25k want a V8.
“The young people that are still open to buying a GM vehicle for over $25k want a V8”
Outside of truck buyers, that’s like, what, six people?
That’s the problem right there: “The young people that are still open to buying a GM.”
Cadillac needs conquest sales, they’ve been steadily losing market share since 1977 (or so). Now they’re up against the Fast and Furious generation, and those people expect technology that works, and cars that handle.
HEAVY
“Now they’re up against the Fast and Furious generation, and those people expect technology that works, and cars that handle.”
THANK YOU.
I don’t personally like the Challenger…but when you see Dominic Toretto (spelling?) or Paul Walker’s ghost clones “DOING SOMETHING” in a Hellcat Charger or Challenger…
…well…
Chrysler couldn’t possibly ask for more advertisement than that.
They could literally release F&F7 Paul Walker packages and SELL OUT EVERY SINGLE UNIT.
Meanwhile… over at Acura…over at Lincoln and over at Cadillac…
Not so much.
“Cadillac needs conquest sales”
Good luck with that.
And the SS sells … how well?
…
Yeah.
“The people who should be buying Cadillacs grew-up in the 80s and 90s when V8s were a sign of obsolete engineering.”
Did you grow up in a parallel universe to “the” 1980s and 1990s? V8 was a sign of “we’re serious” by the advent of mainstream fuel injection. Ford Mod V8, FI SBC, even Northstar were all capable of 300hp from the factory twenty five years ago.
The Northstar was a humiliating reliability failure for Cadillac, one more reason for customers to leave the brand.
The Ford modular V8 was sold in barges that were little changed since the 1950s and that had a hard time out-running an Integra or a VR6. I know the Beasty Boys were running Town Cars and Crown Vics in the Sabotage video, but the appeal was that you could buy them for scrap value ($200/ton) from estate sales.
That’s how people who are currently entering their “Cadillac years” feel about American V8s: unreliable, gas-guzzling, slow, ill-handling antiquities that only sell to Mr. Magoo types and their blue-haired wives.
HH, quite right! The Northstar had some issues but they could have been ironed out. It was a good concept and ahead of its time. Some say that Toyota used that layout design when developing their 4.6 and 5.7 V8s.
My wife’s mom drove a Northstar Caddy for four years, IIRC, and during that time experienced head gasket water leaks, excessive fuel consumption and excessive engine-oil consumption. The excessive engine-oil use also caused carbon built-up on the valve-stems and seats.
I lambaste Northstar on a regular basis as it was a disaster, but the point was it did exist in a mainstream brand in the stated time period and was technologically savy for the time.
I think you’ve been spending too much time in Gran Tursimo. I’m not terribly familiar with the 3000GT let alone a VR4, but there was a TTAC review a while back stating the 3000GT was notoriously heavy and underpowered. Likewise even in Integra of the period, your best model from the factory (GS-R) ran the VTEC B17A1 with 160bhp @ 6700 rpm and 117lb-ft @ 7000. Was that quick in a 2,500-2,700lb car? Sure thing but its apples and oranges to a much heavier Buick/Cadillac/Merc/Lincoln of the period. Honda demonstrated cylinder counts didn’t matter as much, but they also did so in a very light car, drop a VTEC in a 4,500lb ride and tell me how it feels. Even if we say GS-R Integra vs a C4 Corvette, it would be interesting but I’m going with the Vette to win the day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_B_engine#B17A1.2A
I notice you missed commentary on the SBC which is odd since it was the oldest of those three motors…
28,
The SBC was only sold in the Caprice and Silverado (and re-badged variants). I guess the Camaro/Firebird offered them, but that generation of pony cars sold so poorly they shut-down the franchise.
I’m not denying that American V8s were around in the late 80s and early 90s, but they weren’t in anything special. Very few kids grew-up dreaming of V8s. Those kids are now in their prime earning years, and they just don’t connect emotionally with V8s.
By the way, I meant VR6, as in VW, not VR4, as in Mitsu. Same difference really, I’m sure both had their audience.
In all seriousness I think we grew up around the same time but in very different places. Of the dozen or so people I know, when they do buy new, its base to mid trim Japanese or GM for cars and GM or Ford truck. One of my friends is way too into his Ecoboost which is easy to do I suppose with your truck is a year old and has 12K, but he’s the only one. This particular gentlemen is also currently considering purchasing a gen 1 Viper for reasons I cannot understand.
@heavy handle:
So why was the 300 amd Charger successful for Chrysler? I dont think every buyer of that car was over 60.
I personally disagree with you and think Cadillac needs to “embrace their antiquity” rather than try to be Malt-O-Meal BMW. There is still a market for V8s, just not a large one. For a low-volume brand going niche could work.
Is anyone on here that prefers Lexus, BMW, or Audi at all interested in owning a new Cadillac? The wreath is poison for those buyers and throwing turbos under the hood while jacking up the price and moving to NY is not going to fix that reputation.
ajla, the 300 came out 10 years ago. I was talking about the cars that people who will be buying expensive cars in the next 10 years grew-up with.
Besides, I think the 300 was popular because it’s a great looking car, not a copy of something else, and good value. Those are three things Cadillac hasn’t delivered on lately.
I am a Baby Boomer. I will never be old enough to want to buy a Cadillac.
Never.
I’m right on the edge between GenX and Millenial; I’ve seen BMW be around long enough to be the common, boring choice. I want something different. Caddy has a good shot at being that something different if it can fix its pricing and its CUE. Caddy at least has some style where BMW has become tired and predictable and boring.
psarhjinian responded to bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube:
“Do these people understand that “my age group” and the age group right above mine grew up with the “v8″ and associate the “v8″ with the “top trim level” of a car?”
In an era when BMW is selling, and making profound amounts of money on, selling turbo-four and turbo-six cars to anyone who can sign a lease, no one really cares about cylinder count any more.
1) My E46 has a six. There is a reason that the E30 added a six although the non turbo BMW 4 is sweet.
2) The preferred new 2,3,4,and 5 series BMW’s have sixes and in some cases V8’s.
3) More cubes always win all things being equal – you want some magic box spinning close to 200,000 RPM or you want cubes?
Until they had to every car manufacturer chose cubes. Yeah yeah, Saab turbos in the 70’s on the 99. Because they couldn’t make another engine. Same with Volvo and the Nissan/Datsun z’s.
The first mainstream turbos GM and Ford made came out for MPG. Chrysler made some 2.2 turbos in the 80’s because it was a cheep way to go.
How many turbo cars do longevity kings Honda and Toyota make?
In some cases a lighter turbo package works better for a FWD car but son, V8 is the way god intended cars to be.
+1
Mr. K, Amen to “V8 is the way god intended cars to be.”
I will never want to buy a GM product again, but the 2015 Sequoia 5.7L 4×4 is good enough for us.
This car is a joke. Cadillac needs to stop the bleeding and just get rid of this monstrosity. Most people I know are embarassed by this thing. Of course, not that I re-read your comments, I can only assume your comments are laced with sarcasm. “Nicest interior” and “greatest Cadillac ever” I’m pretty sure would be laughed at by almost every car fan there is.
The escalade is the only thing keeping cadillac relevant, it’s the only modern Caddy that catches the eyes of traditional cadillac buyers, Young and Old.
Your comment doesn’t even made sense, what’s bleeding? Cadillac as a company without the only respectable vehicle in the stable?
Given that GM is literally pouring billions into Cadillac, yet Cadillac is barely garnering 5% of GM’s total sales, and that the Escalade is most likely the only Cadillac generating profits to offset the losses derived from sales of the other Cadillacs, it’s not a stretch to define Cadillac as in a terminal velocity death fall.
That was the point I was making.
Which is why it needs to go low volume niche and build truly wonderful cars, not high volume junk that sells for a low volume (and ditch half of the dealers as 933 is too many).
Fukking incompetent GM & Cadillac. LOL.
They’ve even managed to fark up their sole profitable Cadillac Model, being the Escalade.
From July 2015 Consumer Reports (Road Review of 2015 Escalade):
“…this SUV’s luxury is disappointingly skin deep. On the way to the Red Carpet, the Escalade’s ride feels far from luxurious. This SUV simply floundered in our driving test. With apologies to U-Haul, the Caddy’s harsh ride atop those shiny 22 inch rims is comparable to that of a rented box-truck.
In emergency maneuvers, the Escalade is unusually slow and ungainly. And stopping distances outstretched other full-size SUVs. That may seem self-evident for such a behemoth, but the Escalade makes the Lincoln Navigator – and even the Escalade’s down market sibling, the Chevrolet Suburban – feel almost graceful by comparison.
So how does the Escalade treat your posse? The 2nd-row seat will leave your VIP passengers feeling like they’re flying coach, and the 3rd row is simply cramped and awkward.
Price – $73,965 – $95,870
As tested price $87,360.”
What an incompetent, unsalvageable FUBAR mess of a corporation & entity GM is (especially Cadillac).
Consumer Reports rated their $25,790 Kia Sorrento higher, with a Road Score of 84, versus the 61 Road Score given to the Crap-I-lac Escalade.
I was talking to a tech who works at a Cadillac Dealer on Tuesday who was telling me about how the ATS/CTS 2.0Ts are ginormous pieces of $hit, too.
LOL. GM.
“This car is a joke. Cadillac needs to stop the bleeding and just get rid of this monstrosity. Most people I know are embarassed by this thing.”
The car might be the antithesis of what you should get when spending $90k on a truck, but GM is laughing all the way to the bank. They didn’t keep that model (and its name) around for so long because it’s a money-loser.
There are lots of cars that, to enthusiasts, either should not exist or sell as well as they do, but enthusiasts only make up a tiny portion of the car-buying population and ultimately our tastes don’t matter that much. (We’ll see how many ACTUAL manual-transmission diesel wagons VW manages to sell when the Golf Sportwagen goes live here in a few weeks… if proverbial TTAC buyers ruled the world, they’d temporarily stop building the Jetta and regular Golf to keep up with the pent-up demand)
The Escalade is one of the few vehicles out there that appeals to every demographic. It’s the essence of America in a car.
I think Auto journalists tend to overhate infotainment systems. Someone who actually buys the car and lives with it will quickly be familar, a short term borrower will not. That being said, I don’t think CUE is a good system.
The Escalade only appeals to “every demographic” in the south and flyover country. Wealthy people on the coasts think it’s a joke. If you pulled up to one of the clubs frequented by some of my wealthy clients in an Escalade people would start whispering about you. It’s seen as tacky and ghetto, a car that’s only bought in order to add 26″ rims.
I can think of one American car that truly appeals to every demographic. It’s the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
dal20402, agree that the WK2 Jeep Grand Cherokee exudes appeal to a wide demographic from the $29K version all the way up to the $70K+ version.
There truly is a JGC for every budget. Smart move, Sergio!
There’s also not a single place in America, city or suburb, coastal or inland, affluent or working-class, where you will feel out of place in a Grand Cherokee or where anyone will question your choice of vehicle. I can’t think of any other American car for which that’s true. And it’s not a FCA thing; it’s been true since the ZJ.
If I had to be conscious of my vehicle’s image, I’d probably buy a GC even though I’m really not a fan of bulky vehicles without a lot of interior room.
“There’s also not a single place in America, city or suburb, coastal or inland, affluent or working-class, where you will feel out of place in a Grand Cherokee or where anyone will question your choice of vehicle. I can’t think of any other American car for which that’s true. And it’s not a FCA thing; it’s been true since the ZJ.”
100% this. My blue-collar-roots best friend in college drove a Grand Cherokee, my teach sister in law drove a Grand Cherokee and the CFO of Motorola when I worked there drove a Grand Cherokee. Except for maybe the tree huggers, no one is going to give you crap for owning one in a demographic sense.
The only other vehicle that’s close is the Wrangler, especially now that there’s a 4dr. David Beckham drives on. So does the guy who rents one of my houses. So do thousands of teenagers. They’re a little less “fit in at the country club” but you’re still likely to see one in a million dollar house garage or parked outside a $100k condo.
dal20402, I agree! And I can tell you from my own family and friends that it has curb appeal AND driver appeal.
We own a 2012 JGC Overland Summit V6 4×4, my oldest son owns a 2012 SRT8 4×4.
My best friend bought his wife a 2012 JGC Laredo V6 4×4, and a lady-friend of our family bought a 2012 JGC Limited 5.7 4×4 to replace her Murano.
My wife’s three sisters bought a 2014 JGC 4×4 each, of various trims.
Yeah, the JGC works for a lot of people. Not too many models can claim that.
“The Escalade only appeals to “every demographic” in the south and flyover country. Wealthy people on the coasts think it’s a joke. If you pulled up to one of the clubs frequented by some of my wealthy clients in an Escalade people would start whispering about you. It’s seen as tacky and ghetto, a car that’s only bought in order to add 26″ rims.”
Eh, not sure about that. I’ve seen plenty of them in places like Groton Long Point, CT, Stonington Borough, CT, and Chapaqua, NY.
S2k, are you sure those weren’t airport shuttles or chauffeur cars?
For some reason Escalades are accepted as livery cars in places where they’re not as personal cars. I lived in DC for about five years, and in that city no one wealthy, at all, drove Escalades as a personal car. The Escalade-owning demographic consisted entirely of livery drivers and the big chrome rim crowd. In the West Coast cities it’s the same.
People who want Escalades but fear the social implications simply buy Denalis.
“…if proverbial TTAC buyers ruled the world, they’d temporarily stop building the Jetta and regular Golf to keep up with the pent-up demand)”
Therein lies the rub, but that’s not all – 97% of TTAC’ers only buy used!
Zack, are you sure about that 97%? I got the impression it was more like 40% new and the remainder used, broken down by primary vehicle, secondary vehicle, tertiary vehicle and toys.
Sounds like a click-bait idea for another outstanding article by Cameron, evoking responses from the ttac B&B.
For the record, I bought my $1 1989 Camry V6 used to save it from the crusher and to use it to run around town with because my Tundra is just too cumbersome to maneuver through crowded, narrow streets or park in tight parking spaces downtown.
I tried parking the Tundra in one of Albertson’s parking spaces. It just wasn’t gonna happen.
Well, Jetta TDI Sportwagens do continue to sell strongly and retain their value….
Did you say brown?
Why?
Lexus and Infiniti have their Toyota and Nissan based SUVs and unlike the Escalade, they share more parts with their “lesser” counterparts.
Cadillac is doing fine in the mid-price sedan segment; the no.1 reason who they are hurting is due to the lack of a crossover lineup.
“The nicest interior the American market has ever produced.”
Just about any high-end Ford or post-FCA Chrysler (not to mention Cadillac’s own XTS) beats it. Seriously, this may be the showiest interior the American market has ever produced, but it’s far from the nicest in terms of material or assembly quality. It’s a truck interior with a few fancy materials slapped on in indifferent fashion.
“The nicest interior the American market has ever produced. CHECK”
Everything I just read tells me that this statement simply isn’t true. Sorry.
>>>Why isn’t there an “EGOboost V8″???
+1
Although in response to the overall point of the post, I have to say that nothing says Cadillac like the Cadillacs from the ’50s and the first half of the ’60s. They had elegance along with all the EGOboost V8.
The typical TTAC’er who says: “The best BMW is a used E-XYZ” is probably not going to like the Escalade. “It’s too big, too heavy, too new, not used enough, not stick, etc.”
It’s the way it is because of the MARKET. Cadillac is giving the people who BUY NEW what they want.
I drove the Escalade and it’s brother Yukon Denali a little while back. They don’t work when you compare them to the Tahoe. They work when you compare them to the Range Rover, GL-Class, Q7, LX570, etc. If someone wants a loaded-up Tahoe, they’ll just buy one. People buy these as luxury vehicles, not loaded regular vehicles.
But… they are loaded regular vehicles.
Yep, but that doesn’t matter. That’s not how they are seen by the typical buyer. It’s just like the an A3 that is a Golf (or an A4 that is a Jetta, as was the case back in the day), an ES that is a Camry, and RX that is a Highlander that is a Camry, a G that is a Skyline, etc. Luxury is about image, not about reality.
>>> Cadillac like the Cadillacs from the ’50s and the first half of the ’60s. They had elegance
Definitely – this is a Cadillac: http://goo.gl/Pmwdtd
B/c the XTS was never meant to be the “flagship” sedan and for what it is and at it’s price-point, it’s pretty nice.
Even with the CTS in the same price-point, Cadillac managed to move about 25k of the XTS, which means that Cadillac sold a lot more sedans in the mid-price segment than Audi or Lexus.
IIRC it truly was supposed to function as a stopgap between the outgoing G-body Deville and something to come later.
Haptic feedback in a car is stupid. Vibrating controls don’t work when you’re in a big, vibrating box.
I don’t know why designers do this, other than “be like Apple” syndrome and they all want to be the next Sir Jony Ive, OBE. Touch screens work well on smartphones because those devices have your total attention when you’re using them.
The ICE in a car does not, and never should, have your full attention. It is, in fact, the exact kind of control that touchscreens with haptic feedback are exactly wrong for.
Definition of ESCALADE
From the French: an act of scaling, of especially a monument to bad taste or fortress of bling.
But hey, w/o it, Cadillac and its dealers might not be around.
I read through that defroster service bulletin. There is a statement (about the importance of not doing a slap-dash soldering job) that aptly demonstrates the utter indifference of the design engineer when designing that crap-tastic Rear Window Defroster Connection (and showing that the author of the service bulletin both recognizes this and has a wry sense of humor):
“…while it is unlikely that customers may refer to the appearance of the rear window defroster and its components as a positive styling feature of the vehicle interior, it is easy to elicit the opposite reaction due to a poor cosmetic application.”
It’s a shame the statement possibly won’t be there much longer, as it’s due for a revision anyway to excise the RadioShack part number from the materials list. (Apparently GM didn’t stock the necessary silver-based solder, and just expected somebody to head to the ‘Shack for a spool of the stuff.) Here’s to hoping some humorless drone doesn’t get put in charge of the revision.
“Why, it’s the same kind of defroster attachment that goes bad on nearly every GMT900 SUV.”
That alone makes me rethink my “hey, maybe GM isn’t so terrible, and I should think about a Silverado for my next truck in eight or ten years” thoughts.
If they’re *still* doing that kind of crap after nine years of GMT900s, they *just don’t care*, beyond the initial failure of aesthetics and design.
I like Larry Coryell, too.
The Big Daddy Caddy is exactly what it is, offensive and that’s why people buy it. It’s a 3 ton middle finger to every eco-weenie PC concept on the planet. It eats Prii for breakfast and farts more Co2 then any other American car. It’s crass and overbearing with an Alpha dog ego the size of Texas… ‘Murica, yeah!
Right, but the eco weenies have probably figured out that the guy who bought this silly thing could have saved about 20 grand and bought a Tahoe instead…so the joke’s on the ‘Slade driver.
That would require the Eco-weenie to be able to rationalize and think for themselves, do you see the fallacy?
“That would require the Eco-weenie to be able to rationalize and think for themselves, do you see the fallacy?”
Of course they think for themselves. If they didn’t, then they’d be agreeing with you.
And the disagreement is what you can’t handle.
You were saying something about a fallacy…
If “they” were able to think rationally they would realize the life they have lived is a pointless waste. No one cares about their supposed beliefs thinly veiled as a lack of education on anything they believe is happening.
Else Peak oil would have been a realistic problem, the rainforest would have been wiped out by 2005, and my house would have been underwater by the start of this year.
My point still stands, and it’s pretty hard to rationalize otherwise based on past evidence. If I couldn’t handle disagreement I wouldn’t be doing what I enjoy with my life for a fear of scorn, that would make me a sheep, basically an Eco-weenie.
You have no “point,” Hummer…just trolling rhetoric. No sale.
I don’t believe you even understand what your saying.
But then that guy would have a Chevy which makes no statement instead of an in your face over compensating Cadillac
Hypothesis: While Humans have elaborate speech and language capability, separating them from most other mammal life, their behavior is consistent with feces-slinging lower primates.
Evidence: This thread.
Conclusion: QED
Thus, he’s spending $20,000 to overcompensate. Like I said, the joke’s on him!
He doesn’t think so, in his mind he thinks it’s pretty cool that he can afford the $20K up charge and he wants you to know it. That’s why he bought the Escalade. In fact there’s probably a few running around with the window sticker in tact to make sure you know how much he paid
Seriously, to me the Yukon Denali looks nice enough. But even *it*, at $70-someodd-K, is firmly in the overpriced category…
Roger Ailes started Fox News with the idea of serving a neglected market: 50% of the country. If every other vehicle is efficient and understated why not build something that goes in the opposite direction (in that respect the Escalade really is the Caddy that Zigs). The Escalade may be big, boorish, and crass but there are lot of people who like those attributes in a vehicle. As you read this I’m sure somebody in NYC is trying to figure out how to put a Landau roof on the thing…
Cadilliac took an existing truck, tacked on some bling, then added 40% to the MSRP; if it sells good for them.
Thus proving you have to work to go broke underestimating the intelligence of American consumers…
Landau roof on a ‘Slade. That made me chuckle, thank you. BTW, I would love to see that done, just cause we can. Merica!
You know, I’ve been in and out of the GM dealer world. Chevy dealers have a huge demo, but the last one I was in had a life size Obama cut out in the showroom.
GMC dealers tend to get guys who walk to their trucks with various right of center bumper stickers on them and go to dealers where there are anti Obama posters in non public areas (which salespeople show to potential customers).
One key differentiator between the Hoe and Slade. 355 HP 5.3 v 420 HP 6.2.
How many Denali (PU and SUV) would GMC sell if Chevy had the 6.2?
So how did the stick axle w/ magnetic ride compare to the Navigator’s IRS? And what about that ridiculous raised floor to make it “flat” like said 13 year old Navigator?
The reviews I read—which actually pitted the Yukon Denali (same suspension) against the Navigator—determined that the Navigator still had the better ride, which I found shocking, but probably true.
The Navigator rides at least as well and handles a bit better. It’s just not as solid.
in the end, this could be a great car, but it’s just a statement of ridiculousness. I rarely see these anymore (at least the newest model).
It’s the opposite here in SW Ohio. I see this current version on a -daily- basis. They are clearly selling well round here.
In an area full of Range Rovers and Cayennes, the old Escalade was never as popular as the Yukon XL Denali, but the new Escalade is catching up.
So:
1) CUE should be nuked into non-haptic feedback glass, as it should be on every standard of the world Cadillac – including 2.5 liter 4 cylinder ATSs & 2.0T $55,000 MSRP (but $32,000 in real life) CTSs.
2) This thing is massively inefficient space wise on the inside given its massive board feet of sheet metal on the outside – being effectively a 5 passenger vehicle in much the same way that a Grand Cherokee, Explorer, or Highlander is.
3) At or near 100 grand, this is going to be about as reliable long term as an early 2000s Jaguar given the cute “Upcoming Maneuver” warning system.
4) These will be sold for 35% of their original purchase price by roughly 2018/2019 (and maybe even less if gas prices do another 2003), in the very same way their predecessors were sold 3-4 years after conception.
5) GM still hasn’t mastered the incredibly difficult/complex tasks of doing things such as properly aligning door handles/pulls.
6) But if you order a receiver, you use this to tow an ATS or CTS to the dealership for the 16th time in 24 months for warranty service?
I agree will all points except for #6. Sixteen times is a bit of an exaggeration. I’d say no more than 12.
Also, did this thing have the 8-speed 8L90 transmission in it?
Judging by the older “crest-framed” badge on the grille, this would probably be the earlier 2015 Escalade with the 6-speed, and not the later 2015.5 version that has the 8-speed.
p.s. – The CT6 (aka known as CTS Stretch) is unveiled today, which GM fanboys will gush about relentless in breathless praise for approximately 36 hours, until they catch on to what the rest of the world objectively sees it as, being an overpriced vehicle with remarkably similar attributes, fit/finish, ride/drive qualities, interior materials & design, exterior during, and inefficiency of interior space as its ATS & CTS stable mates, at which time they will start to slowly yet surely again become filled with loathing, angst & even anger regarding Cadillac’s tenuous situation and Johan de Nysschen’s tenuous grip on reality/honesty.
CUE is positively dreadful, way worse than the earliest, prototype-grade version of MyFord Touch. Even the colors and skeuomorphic icons upset my eyes. I briefly drove a loaded 2014 SRX and was immediately put off by it. As far as misaligned trim goes, I am disappointed to hear that. This is far from the pigs-in-lipstick that were the previous three generations of Escalade; however that only goes so far if GM can’t put the car together with the proper sense of care. This car has ascended to the company of truly world-class luxury SUVs like the Range Rover, GL-Class and the Lexus LX 570 where pricing is concerned, and the build-quality needs to reflect that.
Ah yess, the DW reality distortion field is turned up to eleven today.
Regarding #6:
My last three cars have been Cadillacs, an ’03 CTS, an ’06 STS (with Northstar that *gasp* was utterly trouble-free) and my current ’10 CTS. None were ever towed anywhere. None has misaligned trim or rattled or even had any serious issues of any kind. Furthermore, the latest one shows almost no signs of interior wear at 65K miles and, aside from some noisy suspension bushings, has been stone reliable. These are fact-based experiences and, while the experience of others may vary, lead me to a different conclusion than yours. Over to you…
1) None of those vehicles you’ve listed are current models (e.g. STS) or generations of currently produced Cadillacs.
2) The complaint about misaligned door handles assemblies was Jack’s observation during his time with the Escalade reviewed here.
3) My uncle traded a 2009 Raven Black DTS Performance in on his 3rd gen CTS, and it has been back to the dealer 4 times already, and developed both an oil leak within the first 4 months, and a rough idle (3.6 liter) that the dealership has only managed to make go away for brief periods of time (it returns after a while). He had few problems, all minor, with the DTS, and regrets trading it in now.
4) I don’t doubt your claims, but as I’ve stated, your vehicles were/are all past gens, or vehicle models not currently produced, and the current CTS has below average reliability, while the dreadful ATS/G6 has much worse than average reliability.
It’s almost comical how, after making a ridiculous, hyperbolic statement, you dismiss my experiences with the lame comment that none of my vehicles “are current models”.
I happen to agree with you that Cadillac needs to make changes, but, it seems, that you just can’t resist your infantile tendency to overwhelm the good points you make with stupid, unsupported-by-fact sweeping pronouncements.
“as reliable long term as an early 2000s Jaguar given the cute ‘Upcoming Maneuver’ warning system”
Wow, if only CR used a system as advanced as you do for determining future reliability.
“The difference is that Tour somehow lets the nose scrape on driveways when you’re in a hurry, despite the K2-like altitude of said nose.”
I’ve lost count of the otherwise spotless and clearly pavement-only Tahoes I’ve seen with that absurdly low air dam hanging loose or crooked. The hood line is up there but approach and clearance wise you’re on the low side of car.
Nice well rounded review.
Great review. More important, an interesting review.
I clicked through to the old Cadillac Talisman review, which was great. Nice way to start the week.
@Jack:
Any way to upload pictures of the offending door handles? Honestly, I’ve never seen one that didn’t align since about 1980, and I’ve never noticed anything like that on the models I’ve eyeballed on the lot. What does that even look like?
I was in a hurry to return the car in low light when I thought to snap them.
Both the moving surface of the handle and the place where you’d put the key have metal caps. Those caps don’t line up. The line between them is crooked.
Slap-blingy-trim-indifferently-on-a-Chevy-truck syndrome.
I’ve seen that on a couple of late-model Passats as well. It would irritate the hell out of me.
That’s one you don’t see very often. Interesting.
If I was spending this kind of money, on this class of vehicle, I’d have to go with a Land Cruiser, which from what I understand has managed to retain that old school Japanese interior build quality while a lot of other US market Toyotas have been cheapened out on the small details (which add up). It also looks downright demure compared to the Cadillac, and has some very legit offroad chops.
If I was sticking to the crass/blingy side of things, I’d save a whole lot of cash and buy an Infiniti QX80, and probably get a nicer put together interior, and maybe more interior space as well.
Both these Japanese trucks have glass smooth, burly V8s, as some of our beloved commenters prefer.
I can’t get over the QX80’s ungainly styling…which was exacerbated with the recent facelift. But absolutely yes to the Land Cruiser.
I would buy a QX80 just to say I owned one, I’d make sure to have a picture taken with it and put it in an 8×10 frame.
Why?
Because some day when the history of the excess of the SUV era is written the QX80 will be on the cover of the coffee table book just like a 1959 Cadillac on the cover of every book about the cars of the 1950s.
Land Cruiser is a nice ride, but I can’t stand the stupid split tailgate. How hard is it to make a damn liftgate, Toyota?
I like the split tailgate on the Land Cruiser, as well as on other cars such as the X5, Range Rover and (old) XC90.
“Because some day when the history of the excess of the SUV era is written the QX80 will be on the cover of the coffee table book just like a 1959 Cadillac on the cover of every book about the cars of the 1950s.”
Funny, that’s exactly how I feel about the Escalade. Well stated, though.
“I would buy a QX80 just to say I owned one, I’d make sure to have a picture taken with it and put it in an 8×10 frame.”
Or, better yet, leave the picture in that came with the frame and display that! probably better-looking than any QX80.
Thing is, with Nissan, so many of their vehicles look like you inflate a balloon, draw a face or something on it and blow it up a bit more so that everything you drew is distorted, and make it that way.
Zachman, if you had owned a Buick Caballero, would you want proof for posterity?
The QX80 is the modern Caballero.
The QX80 interior is just excellent, truly. For much less money than this thing, you get more engine and more space, and more equipment, and no CUE.
That, and the Land Cruiser holds it’s value even when high-mileage, something these vehicles won’t have a chance of doing.
Which is partially due to their relative scarcity on the market, since people don’t even like to get rid of them. A ten-year-old Land Cruiser will still cost you near to $20K, never mind what the Lexus version goes for.
When I was in college, it killed me to see LandCruiser 80s (91-97) and 100s (98-07) being run into the ground by clueless Jersey and Westerchester county trust funders “oh it’s this old gas guzzler my parents gave me to use” while I was keeping my old MPV washed and waxed, and could only dream of a truck as awesome as one of those LCs. They do go for some crazy money, a ragged out 200k mile LC80 will fetch atleast $4k, $8-10k for a good maintained one with 150k+. LC100s only seem to bottom out at $8k for a totally used up ’98, a clean 05-07 with about 100-120k miles is still a $30k truck. The early build LC200s which are now 7 years old are all $40k and up.
Some guy on here was saying that the LC80 costs a fortune to keep going, always needing this or that part – never mind the guzzling 4.0 (MPG not an issue with this age and class of car, IMO). Any opinion on that?
My favorite is probs the 40th Anniv Edition, which came with the auto locking hubs, I think.
What’s your opinion of the LC100, LX version? I’m not sure the double GS headlamp treatment worked too well on there. To my eyes it looks quite a bit older than the equivalent LC with single headlamp treatment. Also seems like the LX was less generally available in two-tone, which is what the LC does best.
Yes Landcruisers are expensive vehicles to run and maintain, the Toyota badge might mean that you won’t have stupid electrical issues or transmission failure, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that these are SERIOUS offroad trucks with crazy overbuilt components, that need attention: Diff lube changes all around, huge engine oil capacity,large ATF capacity, the massive birfield joints need to be rebuilt/replaced sooner or later at 150k miles. However the biggest thing to remember is that the newest LC80 is now almost 20 years old! Rubber seals, shock absorbers, everything gets old, a Toyota badge does not magically make it have an infinite lifespan. Also, unlike something like my 4Runner, parts are a bit harder to locate and pricier to buy sometimes as it is a much rarer vehicle.
The headgaskets on the LC80s have a reputation of letting go, not sure if this is the same issue experienced by Supra/Cressida 7mge folks and 2nd gen 4Runner 3.0L V6s, where the gasket and bolt torques were never intended for each other. But this typically happens at higher mileage I think. The 40th anniversary edition trucks are sweet, and those are manually locking front and rear diffs, on those beautiful Toyota solid axles. It is an offroader’s dream.
For onroad use, the LC100 blows the LC80 away by a mile, but amongst the hardcore 4×4 folks all of the extra electronics and weaker IFS front end are its downfall. the 2uzfe 4.7L V8 is a peach, a lot better power, and actually better fuel economy than the DOHC straight six in the 80. Just a pricey timing belt service to watch out for on those, besides that you’re golden. LC100s have an auto-adjusting rear air suspension as an option (AHC) which is really the only thing that consistently proves troublesome on these trucks, just as every air suspension in the history of automobiles.
I much prefer the LC to the LX470, less gingerbread, better looking single headlights like you said. They are about the same pricewise and content wise.
I too am a fan of two-tone on SUVs. It’s the only way you can have a white SUV and keep it looking clean on dirt roads, have the bottom portion already colored beige! Very practical. My MPV was colored like that, my 4Runner is forest green over metallic anthracite grey, also a combination that is pleasing to my eye.
Thanks for the info.
“The first-generation Cadillac Escalade was a breathtaking statement of contempt for the American automobile buyer, differing from the GMC Yukon Denali in only the most minor, British-Leyland-style details”
Let us not forget that the “Denali” idea was first shopped to Cadillac by the GM powers that be. Cadillac rejected it as unbecoming until GMC started selling them like gangbusters.
I know one 60 something gentleman who had a first generation Denali which was so troublesome for him (electrical mostly) that it drove him into the arms of Ford (now on his second extended Expedition, this one a PLATINUM) and he has never returned.
“Upcoming maneuver!” You have to love it. I don’t know if the phraseology is the mistake of an overseas development team or a tacit acknowledgement of the Escalade’s Yamato-class heft, but it made me smile every time I saw it.”
I wouldn’t be able to see that message without yelling: “Execute the Picard Maneuver!”
“Execute the Picard manuever!”
You mean, straightening out his uniform, or the move he pulled on the Ferengi?
“Picard Maneuver”. Using the warp drive, Picard ordered a short warp jump directly resulting in the enemy vessel’s light speed based sensors briefly detecting the ship in two places at once and allowing Picard to win the battle.
So, the move Picard pulled on the Ferengi, back when they were baddies…LOL
Onstar! Execute Lazy Ivan!
“Lazy Ivan uninitiated, sir.”
You made my day.
Dive, dive, dive!
+1
Likely that order would be stated not yelled.
Probably take about as much room to do a crazy Ivan on an enhanced Sov boomer or a ‘slade too!
In a land yacht like that, you need advanced notice of any kind of action that involves turning the wheel…
Given the size and weight perhaps some sort of iceberg warning would be appropriate.
White Escalade ESV – appropriate personalized plate.
STRDSTYR
…or at least enough lifeboats for all of the passengers
I love the use of the term maneuver. It’s really entirely appropriate.
It’s like my old ’75 Olds Custom Cruiser – the thing was so isolated you didn’t drive it as much as you gave orders to the helmsman, like a luxury liner. Or the Exxon Valdez.
Aye, Aye cap’n.
So understand the craptacular CUE and the lousy value proposition in Caddy form; how much sense does this thing make at $50-65k in Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon guise? I thought they were pretty good as largish SUVs go, no? Owners seem to love them..
The LWB versions (and their Ford LWB competitors) are the only cars out there that can carry 6+ people and tow a heavy trailer at the same time. If you need to do that, you need one, end of story.
The SWB versions are a lot harder to understand. Less interior space than your average three-row crossover, truck assembly quality, and outlandishly high prices. People do love them but I just don’t get it.
Could one get a Crew Cab super duty with a front bench? Not quite the same but honestly I’d rather have that.
Fullsize van or something Sprinter-esque is another option, but until very recently 4wd was not an option on those, nor am I sure as to just how much they can tow safely, they’re pretty tippy looking things. Having driven an E350 Econoline once as a rental for work (with just me in it, Avis you so crazy), they are a handful on windswept, potholed Midwestern interstates.
You know what else is a handful – my grandparent’s Savanna 1500 Gladiator conversion (1999). That is the most hateful thing to drive, constantly weaving all over. Feels like the steering rack is held together with rubber bands, you are always making corrections. Makes you nauseous too if there’s any kind of wind.
Looks just like this, less lower trim though.
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2ZIeElyCGEk/hqdefault.jpg
It’s my grandma’s (age 73) DD, she loves how high it sits up. Ask her about the mileage! “Oh, it gets about 23 I think around town.”
Hehe… okay grandma. Sure.
@mkirk – I have a crew cab GMC HD PU and a Chevy ‘Hoe. I prefer the ‘Hoe for towing and it carries our family of five and 2 dogs better than the PU. Love having a PU but I need to get rid of one and it won’t be the ‘Hoe.
Good point Carlson, when going on a big family trip, be it boating or camping or what-have-you, you might find yourself with people using 2 rows of seats, dog(s), and a bunch of gear/food/clothes. And on top of all of that you might be towing something. A pickup doesn’t have the space, unless you put the poor pooches in the bed, and a minivan’s transmission and brakes will be screaming for mercy on every hill, or else scraping on every little root and rut on the way to the campsite. No sir, a fullsize SUV is just what the doctor ordered for trips like these.
I currently travel with just me and my gf with our 2 medium sized dogs, and already we use up most of the available interior room in my 4Runner on such trips to the outdoors. Can’t imagine having a couple of kids in the back, a larger vehicle is probably going to be needed when we get to that stage in our lives.
The dogs belong to the wife and kids. And none of them would let me put them in the PU box, even if it had a topper. On a hot or a cold MN day it would be pretty miserable for them anyways on a long trip. So for our current family situation the SUV works out better than the PU. I tow something pretty heavy so I can’t use a minivan. But that’s what I like to rent anytime we are on a family vacation.
In my late 20’s early 30’s when it was just me, the girlfriend and a dog my compact Toyota extended cab PU hauled and towed everything I needed it to. Didn’t need anything as big as a Tahoe.
Can’t a LandCruiser do that?
The Land Cruiser costs $80k, but to the guy who owns a roofing company and has a big shiny boat to haul to the lake, it doesn’t shout “I SPENT A BUNCH OF MONEY ON THIS” quite like an Escalade. From a practical point of view, the Land Cruiser can’t fit as much stuff and people at the same time as a Suburban or Escalade ESV, although I don’t doubt that it bests the Tahoe and regular Escalade in this regard.
A lot of ‘old money’ people buy Land Cruisers, then drive them for 15+ years. The kind of people that vacation on Marthas Vinyard (I remember our Doug Demuro making some quip about this a long time ago).
Without rap stars and the like would this vehicle ever have made it past the first redesign? I say no. It was the millions in free advertising that allowed this monster to continue to pump up profits for GM. Slap some huge wheels,(now factory standard) four 15″ subs and the required amps to drive them, tint the windows and everyone knows it must be someone really rich or important behind the wheel.
This is a look at me vehicle. One you buy, not because you have a horse trailer to pull, but because you want to LOOK like SOMEBODY.
I live near a VERY wealthy part of IL (Inverness and South Barrington), and Escalades are ubiquitous. Basically every household has one, or a competitor. Call it whatever you want, fashion, vanity, etc, but people who already are “somebody” buy this thing in droves.
Car and Driver happens to have an article today on Land Rover’s newest effort, the RR SV Autobiography. Compare its interior with the Escalade’s and you can see just how pathetically underwhelming GM’s effort to dress up a Tahoe is.
Granted, the version pictured is $150,000, but the basics are the same in the base model which competes in Escalade territory. Look particularly at the details, and at the back seat photos.
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2016-land-rover-range-rover-svautobiography-photos-and-info-news
The one in that article isn’t $150,000 – it’s $200,000. So there’s that. Here’s an article about the “regular” Range Rover. As tested was $115,000,and at a price differential of $30,000 versus the Escalade, I don’t see anything particularly compelling.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-land-rover-range-rover-supercharged-road-test-review
A sumptuous interior is definitely one of the Caddy’s strong points. I think it’s flat-out gorgeous inside.
You’re right about the price; my bad. The “regular” Autobiography is $150,000. The base model starts in the $90ks; C&D’s car had a bunch of options.
But I just can’t imagine that you can’t see the difference in material quality and detail build quality between any of the RRs and the Escalade. The leather and the carpet in the Escalade both look Chevy-grade. The back captain’s chairs in the Escalade look like they came out of a ’90s Chrysler minivan. Look at the cheap plastic cap covering the armrest hinge and the visible mounting points protruding from the carpet. In the front, look at the obviously plasticky chrome, the cheap plastic caps on the ports, and the column shifter that could have come from the plumber’s Chevy Express.
dal, I’ve gotten some “seat time” in the new ‘Slade during my Sunday morning excursions, and I stand by what I said – the thing is flat out beautiful inside, at least as good as anything at its price point (certainly a LOT better than the Navigator). The leather in particular is gorgeous, and I love the flat-finished wood. The rest of the thing is a big bunch of meh to me, but it’s extremely nice inside. You should check one out – it’s better in person.
Yes, I do see the RR has a nicer interior, but $30,000 nicer? It’s in a different class. I’m not sold.
I’ve been in a new Escalade (an airport shuttle). I did not find the leather “gorgeous.” It seemed to me like the same stuff you find in the Epsilon Impala, which is great for a Chevy, but wholly inadequate for something in the $90,000 class.
And, as I noted, there are just too many obvious cheap details for the price. They stick out like sore thumbs to me. That shifter? Really? At $60k for a SUV, that sort of thing is OK. At $90k, it’s not.
The base RR is about the same price as a loaded Escalade. You don’t have to spend $30k more to get proper luxury car refinement in a SUV.
I frequently drive a one year old Escalade that belongs to the co I work for. The most annoying thing to me is the way they wander all over the road. You cant hardly sneeze in a escalade without fear of ending up in a different lane. I find it very tiring and frustrating to drive and would never buy one for myself.
No snark, but check the tire pressure when it’s cold. I believe there are sensors already installed y’know!
If it wanders all over the road there is something wrong with it. Start with an alignment.
Yup! There’s something wrong with the front wheel alignment or the rear wheel axle-assembly orientation.
The 2013 Suburban LTZ that belonged to my wife’s dad was rock steady on the road. Any road. Like running on rails.
Carlson Fan said:
If it wanders all over the road there is something wrong with it.
True
Start with an alignment.
Bad idea. An alignment will correct static issues like pulling, an alignment will not correct dynamic issues like wandering or vibrations.
First step check air pressure all 4 tires.
Second step check entire front end for wear and damage starting with the front wheels – there shouldn’t be any wear in a 1 year old truck.
Next check for rear suspension issues.
There is not much one can do for roads with a big crown; in this case an alignment with modified setting might help a little.
I’m not a GM fan but it’s a great looking vehicle and I understand the appeal. I will say though I don’t like the cultural “D-bag” image the Escalade has, I know it would turn me off. For whatever reason, you don’t think that about someone driving a Toyota Land Cruiser despite the price being close.
I don’t know though how people can justify a nearly $90k out the door SUV from the Big 3. But they seem to be the one vehicle American car companies have no problem selling. Cadillac would have probably died had it not been for the Escalade.
I’ve noticed the lack of refinement or attention to detail if you want to call it that, with the rear window defroster plug on our “07 Tahoe. But ours was one of the first GMT-900s to roll out of the now closed Janesville, WI plant. So I figured they would have addressed it on the later GMT-900 models . Pretty bad it is still there on the current Escalade.
That said our ‘Hoe has the LTZ trim and it’s got everything but the kitchen sink inside. Not one problem with anything electrical or electronic coming on 8 years. Well minus the recall on the heated windshield washer fluid option. Thought I had a problem with electric window on one of the back doors but that turned out to be a piece of LEGO one of my kids managed to jam into the switch.
Unless you have a family and need to tow the family boat, camper, ect., you’ll never understand, need or appreciate the capability of these BOF SUVs. Love the ‘Hoe for towing which is important as that’s the main reason we own it.
The review is quite thoughtful, and so are many of the comments. For all the good reasons cited here, and more, there’s no way I would buy this car, even if I had the money (which I most definitely don’t).
However, the only opinions that matter are those affluent, discerning customers for whom the Escalade is on the short list. Those individuals don’t care that the vehicle is immensely overpriced, drives like giant blob, or has a drive-you-to-distraction touch screen controls(well, they may dislike that later, but if that screen looks deluxe in the showroom, it’s done its job). I do note, from the first picture, a possible problem: That Cadillac badge is too small. It’s barely bigger than a saucer, and for the money they’re charging, it should be the size of a pizza.
If I had $80k to spend on a luxury SUV I’d go for the Infiniti, which is solid as granite. If I had to go $15k less I’d do the Navigator. The new face is quite fetching.
Didn’t want to wade through all the comments so if someone touched on it before, I extend my apologies. Jack nailed in the penultimate paragraph. This does not look like a Cadillac should. Oh, the front end. My God. The rest of the whole vehicle is of course very iffy, some will love, while others will of course abominate. To each his own.