After 25 years, the Cadillac Escalade is better than ever!

The Cadillac Escalade is the most prestigious vehicle made by Cadillac and is also the most accomplished full-size luxury SUV money can buy. While its origins have evolved from the GMC Yukon and its roots still go back to both it as well as the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, the Escalade is Cadillac’s most recognizable nameplate and easily takes on high-dollar competitors such as the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, the Lexus LX600 and the Lincoln Navigator. Recently, Cadillac sent me a beautiful Radiant Red Escalade to remind me just how grand this vehicle is.

Now entering its third model year, this fifth generation Escalade is big, bold, and practical – it can seat up to eight passengers and tow heavy toys. The Escalade embodies today’s American luxury car with its exterior design that provides a brash, in-your-face excess statement – something the Escalade has done so well at. There is no subtlety here, just a huge grille with plenty of sheet metal behind it. Like Escalades before it, the current one is clean, simple, enormous, and easily recognizable for what it is.

Inside, the Escalade sets the bar for in-cabin luxury with one of the best interiors in the business as well as some of the latest in gadgets and technology. Supple leather, lacquered wood, and aluminum brightwork cover every surface. The dash now uses the latest in screen technology: OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) which provides for a sharper and more colorful image over the popular LCD screens. Super Cruise, Cadillac’s hands-free driving system and Night Vision, a system that uses an infrared system to help drivers see beyond their headlamps and detect pedestrians and animals are also available on the Escalade.

And while the Escalade is big and comfortable, if more room is still needed, a long-wheelbase ESV model is offered, which yields more legroom for third-row riders and additional cargo space.

Pop the hood and you’ll find that Cadillac’s largest SUV is powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that makes 420 horsepower and can deactivate half of its cylinders when cruising to save fuel. A 3.0-liter diesel inline-six is also available as well as a supercharged version of the 6.2 V8 (for the outrageous Escalade V model). A 10-speed automatic transmission is standard with all engines, and buyers can choose from rear or all-wheel-drive setups.

There is no denying that the Escalade is a big vehicle – and it drives like one. But the ride is very smooth thanks to its long wheelbase and independent rear suspension. The independent rear suspension, which replaces the live solid rear axle in the last generation Escalade not only provides for a better ride, but also allows for more third-row legroom.

In a time when there is a lot of chatter regarding EVs, the big, powerful feeling of a large V8 mustering up 420 horses and 460 lb-ft of low-end torque is a breath of fresh air. That is enough power to take the Escalade to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds. Fuel economy? Well, if you must ask… is rated at 14 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.

2024 marks 25 years of production for the Cadillac Escalade. Having to deal with steadily rising fuel costs, the constant threat of the death of the V8 engine and the move to get away from internal combustion engines, the Escalade has survived through it all. That is quite a remarkable feat. And to celebrate those 25 years, Cadillac has made the largest, most powerful Escalade ever. It doesn’t get any better than that.

–– Christopher A. Randazzo

By The Numbers:

2024 Cadillac Escalade 4WD Platinum

Base Price: $113,695.00
Price as Tested: $121,315.00
Layout: front-engine / all-wheel drive
Engine: 6.2-liter V8
Transmission: 10 – speed automatic
Horsepower: 420 hp
Torque: 460 ft-lbs
EPA Fuel Economy: 14 city / 18 highway mpg

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