2018 Cadillac Escalade

The 2018 Cadillac Escalade SUVs available in three trim levels and with two drivetrain options. The base trim itself has a decent feature list consisting of automatic parking assist, surround vision, power fold third row of seats, 20 inch wheels, rear camera, and so on. Changes for the 2015 model year are very minimal. The base trim is called Standard and is offered at $75,990. The higher trims are called Luxury and Premium Luxury and add significantly higher amount of features. There is a $3000 premium for obedience with four-wheel-drive configuration instead of the usual rear-wheel drive. The SUV remains supremely capable in all forms and there is also an extensive options list to personalize the car according to your will.

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There is a lot of choices offered in terms of trims alone because there are three trims on offer. Out of these, however, we would pick the luxury trim that goes for $81,590. It adds a large amount of features that are absolutely practical and useful. Also, if you are in the market for a luxury SUV, then you can justify the additional spending and get yourself a truly luxurious one. If we were to pick the optional packages, we would add the twin screen entertainment system, and other small accessories that are usually just dealer installed extras. The Luxury trim comes with 22 inch wheels so you wouldn’t have to worry about upgrading anything of that sort.There is also a slew of driver assistance systems in the car and hence there is nothing to worry about on the safety front as well.

The Cadillac Escalade has a very powerful engine in the form of a 6.2 L V8 powe rplant that delivers 420 hp at 5600 rpm and 460 lb-ft of torque at 4100 rpm. There is also the option of a 3L in-line six diesel engine that produces 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. However, this is reviewed separately. The transmission offered is a 10 speed automatic that you can find on many products in GM's line-up. It can tow up to 8300 pounds and hence is sufficient for all purposes. The engine also features cylinder deactivation another smart systems that can deliver you good fuel efficiency. The power plant is creamy smooth and the automatic feels very good in this particular combo.

The car also gets magnetic ride control which makes for a massive improvement in terms of the overall ride quality. There is decent handling but nothing that can get you very excited about driving Escalade. Even with the massive 22 inch wheels, the ride quality is sublime. GM’s engineers have worked well to hide that it is actually a truck chassis that is underneath this car. There are options of an all-wheel drive powertrain but the base option remains rear wheel drive. Both configurations are extremely capable and can deliver you the performance you require. 0 to 60 mph happens in just 6.1 seconds and quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds.

The Lincoln Navigator has the best performance figures in the class and it costs a bit lesser than the Cadillac. But the 10 speed automatic transmission feels better in the Cadillac. The Cadillac remains close in terms of the towing capacity but is third if you’re talking numbers. When it comes to real-world performance, is the fastest in terms of acceleration despite not having the most powerful figures. However, in this category towing capacity is a much more accurate measure of performance than acceleration figures. The Land Rover Range Rover performs considerably lower in terms of towing but is competitive in terms of acceleration.

The Cadillac comes with cylinder deactivation technology which means it can deactivate half of its cylinders when you cruise so that it can save on fuel. This means that it is much more fuel-efficient than it ever used to be. Even then, it is not very fuel-efficient as it has a massive 6.2 L V8 under the hood. The rear wheel drive versions reported 14 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg combined. These figures are disturbed a bit more if you go for the all-wheel-drive variants. Hence, we would never say that the Cadillac Escalade is fuel-efficient option but if you want to live life full-size, you have to make some sacrifices.

In the area of fuel efficiency, we see that the American SUVs with much smaller engines do not have much of a lead either. The Lincoln navigator and the GMC Yukon perform equally badly and have combined fuel efficiency ratings of 18 and 19 MPG respectively. The Escalade still seems to be the worst, with a combined fuel efficiency of 17 mpg. The Land Rover Range Rover is slightly better in terms of city fuel efficiency as well as the combined figure. Even then, it does not have a huge advantage. All the cars have massive fuel tanks, the smallest one being a still huge 23 gallon tank in the Lincoln Navigator. The Range Rover has the highest range figures due to combination of good fuel efficiency figures as well as the biggest fuel tank in this class.

The Cadillac has always sold in people’s hearts with the interior quality. The ride is very plush in all the models as there equipped with magnetic ride control. There are three trim levels offered- Standard, Luxury, and Premium Luxury. You will find that across all trims, there is a good amount of features. Space is definitely abundant and you will find that all three rows are rather spacious. The front seats have 12 at just ability and the second row captain’s chairs are also comfortable as ever.

The cabin is quite to than ever before because the car has active noise cancellation. The car comes with standard laminated acoustic class in the front windshield as well. There is ambient lighting, leather covering on the dashboard and door panels, aluminum speaker grilles and so on that make the user feel that the car is truly premium.

One will find that even when compared with the products that shares the same platform, the Escalade’s interiors feel much better. It can seat seven people with ease and is definitely charming.

All the SUVs are incredibly practical and offer space for seven passengers except the Range Rover which only offer seating for five passengers as standard. However, you can equip an additional third row. In terms of interior space, one can see that the Cadillac is much more generous when compared to its competitors. There is a huge amount of kit as well inside the car. The cargo space is truly massive among all the competitors but one will find that the American SUVs do have an edge over the Range Rover. With the second and third row folded, the Cadillac and swallow up a massive 94.2 ft.³ of luggage which can basically help you move a house.

• 18-way power-adjustable front seats with massage function
• Semi-aniline leather upholstery
• Power-folding second and third-row seats
• Head-up display
• Three-zone climate control
• Heated first and second-row seats
• Hands-free liftgate

How intuitive is the 2018 Cadillac Escalade’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment system in the Cadillac Escalade is one of the most modern systems we have around. It gets Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a Wi-Fi hotspot as standard. The standard sound system itself is a 16 speaker system from Bose audio. There are other optional systems that can make your experience even more special. There is a 12 inch digital instrument cluster that delivers all the information, release navigation and other features as well. There is an abundance of USB ports, wireless charging stations and so on inside the car. One is truly treated to the best of experiences inside the Cadillac when it comes to infotainment.

• Bluetooth connectivity
• Satellite radio
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Navigation
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• Five USB-ports
• Wireless device charging
• 16-speaker sound system
• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Cadillac’s CUE interface

The exterior styling of the Cadillac Escalade is very distinctive and truly highlights how big the cars. It is unmistakably neat and elegant. It is very much American in terms of the design language and carries with it a sense of massive road presence.

The shape is boxy but gorgeous to look at. It is also very heavy and could very easily be one of the largest cars on the road. At almost 6000 pounds, one will be amazed that it is still classified as a car and not a house. The dimensions are also equally huge and make most cars look incredibly small when part next to it.

One cannot forget to mention that these cars are all pretty huge and could be some of the biggest cars on the road. At more than 200 inches in length, some of these cars are extremely long and people will find a very hard to maneuver around town. The Cadillac is surprisingly not the largest in terms of dimensions and that l goes to the Lincoln Navigator which is also the heaviest of this bunch at 5760 pounds. The Range Rover is considered a very large car in most circles but only in this comparison will it ever feel small.

• Chrome laden taillights
• Chrome laden grills
• LED headlights
• Black molded splash guard
• Polished aluminum wheels
• Sunroof 

The NHTSA has given the Cadillac Escalade an overall rating of four out of five stars while the IIHS has not crash tested the Cadillac Escalade or any of the siblings that it’s corporate cousins offer. Hence, we can definitely say that the car is safe but the driver assistance systems can have some improvement. However, it has several driver assistance features as standard which is definitely one of its highlights. The safety features include but are not restricted to:-

• 7 standard airbags
• Manual adjustable front head restraints
• Under-body mounted spare tire w/crackdown
• Forward Collision Alert with Automatic Braking
• Front and rear ventilated disc brakes
• Remote activated perimeter/approach lights
• ABS and driveline traction control
• Side-impact bars
• Electronic stability
• Panic alarm
• Height adjustable front seatbelts
• Break-resistant glass
• Remote keyless entry

2018 Cadillac Escalade vs 2018 Lincoln Navigator

The Lincoln Navigator is slightly less expensive option but does not feel quite as premium as the Cadillac Escalade. However, it is a larger and heavier car and also gives you that same amount of space when it comes to the interiors. There are very compelling reasons to pick one over the other. One of the only areas where the Lincoln Navigator suffers is in terms of fuel efficiency. Both are very compelling picks and usually, people decide between the two in terms of brand loyalty.

2018 Cadillac Escalade vs 2018 GMC Yukon 

The GMC Yukon is a corporate siblings to the Cadillac Escalade as it says the same platform. However, the Cadillac has several advantages in terms of practicality that the Yukon simply does not have. However, the Yukon is slightly less expensive and is a little more rugged if you have off-road use. It has compromised in terms of build quality as well as material quality and is also deprived of the iconic status of the Cadillac Escalade. Both are very compelling picks and depends on your budget. 

 2018 Cadillac Escalade vs 2018 Land Rover Range Rover

The Land Rover Range Rover is a very different vehicle when you compare it with the Cadillac Escalade. To start with, it is much smaller and is considered a midsize luxury SUV and not a full-size one. Arguably, it is the more fun car but it sacrifices practicality even more than the Cadillac. However, it feels much better to drive and is also more engaging if you are behind the wheel more often. It comes down to taste whether you go with the Cadillac or the Land Rover.

The 2018 Cadillac Escalade is stupidly expensive but is one of the most extreme SUVs to ever grace the roads. It is definitely too large for most people and maintenance costs are on the higher side but has a definite charm for a lot of people. The SUV is extremely competitive and loaded with features that owners would love to have. However, its platform has been around for a while and has definitely started showing signs of age. Although the manufacturer uses a lot of technology inside to mask the age of the platform, it is still very much evident. Don’t get us wrong, the Cadillac Escalade is still a great car and we would definitely recommend that you buy one. It just won’t be very much fun in terms of handling or engaging in terms of the overall driving experience.