2017 Cadillac Escalade Expert Review
Reviewed by Staff Writer
The 2017 Cadillac Escalade will feature a new 22-inch wheel design, and two new exterior colors: Dark Adriatic Blue Metallic and Bronze Dune Metallic.
Vehicle Summary
The 2017 Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury SUV offered in rear- or four-wheel drive, one engine option, and comes in four newly renamed trim levels, including the base Escalade, Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum.
Overview
Redesigned for the 2015 model year, the Cadillac Escalade is powered by a direct injection 6.2-liter V-8 engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with TapShift control, pushing out 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to cylinder deactivation technology, the 2017 Cadillac Escalade offers an EPA-estimated 15/22 mpg city/highway with rear-wheel drive and 15/20 mpg city/highway on four-wheel-drive models. Cadillac also offers the Escalade in an extended-length variant, the ESV, which offers a 14-inch longer wheelbase for increased third-row passenger room and cargo room.
Cadillac's Cue infotainment system will come standard on all Escalade models, and now features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment system uses an 8.0-inch capacitive touch screen and gesture recognition to mimic tablets. OnStar with 4G LTE and a Wi-Fi hotspot are also available with the Cue system, as well as a Bose Centerpoint surround sound system.
Safety
The 2017 Cadillac Escalade received a four-star overall safety rating (out of a possible five stars) from the NHTSA. The Escalade features new safety features, including the available rear camera mirror that helps improve the driver's field of vision by offering an unobstructed rear view. Safety features include automatic park assist, ABS brakes, brake assist, front, side, and curtain airbags, and a standard Surround Vision multi-camera parking system.
The Luxury trim level offers a Driver Awareness package, which adds lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, automatic high-beam headlights, and the Safety Alert Seat. The Premium Luxury and Platinum trims offer a Driver Assist package that includes features from the Driver Awareness package, but adds adaptive cruise control, front and rear automatic braking, and automatic safety belt tightening. Standard on all Escalade models excluding the base model are side blind zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane change alert.
What We Think
The Cadillac Escalade shares a platform with the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, as well as the GMC Yukon. When we compared it against other enormous luxury SUVs, the Escalade placed first thanks to its top-notch interior, quickness, and solid styling.
During testing for the 2015 SUV of the Year competition, we thought that the Cadillac Escalade offered a handsome exterior and strong engine, but found the CUE infotainment system and the ride itself were lacking. Despite the Escalade's magnetic dampers, the ride wasn't what was expected, nor was the handling. The interior helped give the Cadillac Escalade some points, as we stated that not many SUVs offer up an interior as opulent or well-appointed as the Escalade.
Cool Fact
The Cadillac Escalade with four-wheel drive weighs almost three tons at a hefty 5,784 pounds and has a large 26-gallon fuel tank.
