McLaughlin Motors

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Walk Around

The front end of every Escalade is dominated by a traditional Cadillac egg-crate grille draped in chrome. The grille is flanked by three-element, vertical headlamps that tie the vehicle more closely than ever to the rest of Cadillac's lineup; LED headlamps on the Platinum are a first in trucks or SUVs. The bumper and front trim are cleanly integrated so the Escalade looks more like a massive car than a truck.

Similarly, the side-view styling is smoothly contoured, with no clunky side cladding. As with the front end, there is abundant chrome, including on the door handles, the exterior mirrors, side moldings, full-length roof rails (which provide anchor points for accessory crossbars for securing cargo on the roof) and Venti-ports above the front wheels, an emerging trend but not functional like those on some Land Rovers.

Another clear response to market trends are the optional 22-inch chrome wheels, which visually plant the vehicle, completely filling the Escalade's huge wheelwells and making the standard 18-inch wheels look positively puny by comparison (though for reasons beyond cosmetics we prefer the 18-inch wheels).

Particularly appreciable in colder climates are the pull-type door handles that are easy to grasp, even with gloves on. They're also more comfortable, less likely to snap away from your fingers and less likely to break a fingernail.

The rear view features a modern interpretation of Cadillac's classic slim, vertical taillights, which recall the dramatic tailfins of Cadillacs of the 1960s and '70s, but are now rendered in crisp LED strips. A high-mounted, horizontal brake light with LED illumination crosses the top. But the dominant feature of the Escalade's tail is the enormous badge set within a chunky block of chrome trim.

The liftgate opens and closes by pushbutton as a hatch, or glass-only for lighter items. Since the Escalade is based on a truck chassis the cargo load floor is 32.3 inches off the ground. The Class III tow hitch that comes standard is covered by a trim panel that is removable when not needed, and which easily can be refitted once a trailer is detached.

Interior

2009 Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade's interior was designed to provide luxury both in terms of space as well as features. Escalade comes standard with seven-passenger seating, with second-row bucket seats separated by a center console, with a three-passenger, third-row bench behind it.

The five-passenger EXT and eight-passenger Hybrid are offered only with a three-across bench seat in the second row, which is available on some other Escalades at no charge.

Escalade ESV adds more than a foot of space between front and rear axles, so the rear side doors are much longer. This allows the side windows to go all the way down into the doors, and makes entry to the third row much easier; second row riders will still have to turn their feet to get them between seat and door post. Third-row legroom and cargo area are similarly improved.

Though step-in is somewhat high, expected for a full-size SUV, running boards ease the process and the reward is a high seating position. Outward visibility over the open dash is very good, although the side pillars are an inch or two thicker than some luxo-utes and make blind spots large enough for a motorcycle or small car on approaching bends. Rear visibility is good as well with decent wiper coverage and no center seat headrests.

Interior fit and finish is very nice. The mix of soft, padded materials, genuine aluminum accents, chrome details and relatively convincing faux wood combine with soft leather seats for an ambience on par with other luxury-brand SUVs in this price range. Stepping up to the Platinum models upgrades the existing leather, adds more of it, real aluminum and wood trim, and details right down to unique door sills and floor mats.

The Escalade's LED-backlit gauges are clear and bright, featuring white markings and blue pointers on a black background. Between the speedometer and tachometer lies an information display that cycles through several menus via buttons on the steering wheel. The stalk controls for the turn signals and wipers have a tactile feel, as do the buttons and knobs on the radio and climate controls.

Escalade comes standard with a 10-speaker (eight-speaker on EXT) stereo that features a six-disc changer that plays both CDs and audio DVDs. Bose designed the speaker system, outfitting the vehicle with 5.1 surround sound, an eight-channel amplifier and a subwoofer. XM radio comes standard.

On vehicles without the navigation system, the radio panel presents audio information clearly. On vehicles with the navigation system, the radio features are incorporated into the touch screen-based interface. The latter takes a bit of familiarization to operate smoothly, but offers more functionality and fine-tuning capability once you're comfortable with it all and you won't have to consult the owner's manual to get home. OnStar route guidance is also included, for those times when getting directions from a live person is preferred or your mapping software hasn't kept up with development. The navigation system is competitive in terms of clarity and simplicity, the Cadillac-versus-Lincoln battle moving to electronics and infotainment with Lincoln's new Sync system.

A rear-seat entertainment system is available, utilizing a flip-down eight-inch screen that folds down from overhead. The DVD driver itself is mounted in front, but does not play the movie in the front seats. Rear seat passengers can listen to the audio portion of their DVDs via all 10 speakers in the vehicle, the rear speakers only, or infrared wireless headsets. Order DVD entertainment in the ESV and you get a second eight-inch screen for the third seat, as well as an additional set of headphones. On Platinum models each front seat headrest houses a DVD screen and each can be controlled independently.

The front bucket seats are quite nice: Comfortable, supportive, myriad power adjustments, heated, and for the driver side, his/hers memory. These are generously-sized seats for a generously-sized truck so narrow-framed drivers may find them a touch wide; the Escalade has the widest cabin of luxury SUVs. The power-tilt steering wheel may be heatable, and it is curiously offset to the right with the instrumentation.

Leather (nuance in Cadillac-speak) upholstery is standard on all three rows on all models, which also covers the four-spoke steering wheel equipped with redundant controls for the audio system and cruise control. The Escalade's huge cabin benefits from triple-zone automatic climate controls: One zone for each front occupant and another tending to the rear-seating area.

In the middle row, full-size adults can enjoy plenty of space in the second-row buckets; in most dimensions the Escalade is within an inch or two of competitors, with Mercedes' G and GL-Class leading in head and legroom and the Cadillac the widest. The EXT with the second-row bench seat offers roomy accommodations for two adults and adequate space for three; the EXT alone has a center position rear headrest because of the window immediately behind the seat. Escalade and ESV come standard with heated front and second-row seats while EXT gets heated front seats only.

The third-row bench on the standard Escalade sits on the cargo floor and has marginal legroom, from 3-12 inches less than other luxo-utes; the standard-length Navigator has nearly three inches more third-row legroom than the extended-length Escalade ESV, so unless it's a short trip, save the third row for kids.

Interior storage space is abundant. The glove box is large and the space under the armrest of the multi-level center console takes advantage of the wide cabin. Additional storage is found in pockets in the doors. The Escalade has four 12-volt power points, including one near the tailgate (EXT gets three) as well as cupholders galore.

Cargo space behind the 50/50-split third row in the Escalade is on par with other luxury SUVs with three rows of seats; in other words, hauling anything but groceries will likely require the third-row seat to be folded. And while some competitors have power third-row seats that fold into the floor, the Escalade's seats must be removed for a flat floor but it has the edge in overall space. Removing the seats requires only a tug on one handle, but they are quite bulky and heavy and must be left at home to get the big cargo space.

Loading cargo requires a 32-inch lift to the load floor, where tie-down hooks ease securing the load. A power liftgate is standard on Escalade and ESV.

Apart from a lower tow rating of 7,500 pounds, the EXT's cargo flexibility matches that of the Chevy Avalanche.

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