We're driving a 2007 Cadillac Escalade, which means we've enjoyed a week's worth of middle-aged office guys asking us about Nelly, Snoop and other hip-hop artists they'd never listen to with the windows down. Yet they wouldn't even crack a smile when we invited them to suit up in Fubu and take a ride down the Sunset Strip.
We should go easier on them. Snoop may set the image for Cadillac's full-size luxury SUV, but according to company officials, it's our office buds who are buying most of them. And what they really want is a big, brash Caddy that's powerful, refined and easy to drive. And for 2007 that's exactly what Cadillac has given them.
Boxed in, bored out
Just like the Tahoe we tested a few months ago, the '07 Escalade rides on an all-new frame. It's fully boxed and much stiffer than the old one, which allowed Cadillac's engineers to fine-tune the chassis dynamics. They also brought in more sophisticated hardware, including coil-over-shock front suspension, rack and pinion steering and aluminum lower control arms, which Cadillac says reduces unsprung weight by almost 20 pounds. Doesn't sound like much, but with massive 22-inch chrome wheels now available as factory equipment, any savings in this department is a good thing.
Overall, the '07 Escalade weighs 130 pounds more than its predecessor, a relatively modest gain when you take into account the new frame and 3.5 inches of additional length, now at 202.5 inches. The wheelbase length is unchanged at 116 inches.
To shave weight, GM's powertrain engineers used aluminum to cast the engine's block instead of iron. To deliver the off-the-line shove Escalade buyers crave, they bored last year's overhead-valve, 6.0-liter V8 out to 6.2 liters and added variable valve timing on both its intake and exhaust valves. The results are hardly disappointing, as the small block delivers 403 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 417 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
Putting it to the ground
A new six-speed automatic transmission makes better use of the V8's fat powerband than last year's four-speed unit, channeling torque to all four wheels on all-wheel-drive Escalades or just the rear wheels on 2WD models. Upshifts are crisp and downshifts are impeccably timed.
In addition to a tow-haul mode that optimizes shift points for lugging trailer loads of up to 7,700 pounds, the new transmission has a manual mode. It's a little awkward to work the button on the old-school column shifter, but it's the real deal: No computer's going to upshift for you, even if you find the 5,900-rpm rev limiter.
EPA ratings aren't out yet, but Cadillac is estimating 13 mpg city, 19 mpg highway on the AWD Escalade. Our AWD test vehicle averaged 12.5 over a week of testing. Cylinder deactivation technology is coming, says Cadillac, but company officials wouldn't get more specific than "soon." A hybrid version is promised for 2008.
Blindsided by a Benz
On public roads, our Escalade tester moved out briskly, unruffled by higher altitudes and larger passenger loads.
At the test track, though, it took almost a second longer to hit 60 mph than the '07 Mercedes GL450 we tested recently, timing 7.5 seconds to the Benz's 6.7. The Caddy went through the quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds compared to 15.1 for the GL450. The GL makes just 335 hp from a smaller V8 but is 400 pounds lighter.
Although the Mercedes can't match the Escalade's gentle roar under full throttle, that's small consolation when you've been sucker-punched by your neighbor's Benz.
To make matters worse, the Escalade can't stop anywhere near as short, either. Cadillac has fitted the '07 model with larger rotors and stiffer calipers, and the rear brakes have a dynamic proportioning feature to improve performance during towing. Problem is, you get the same braking system whether your Escalade has the standard 18-inch wheels or the optional 22s, which significantly increase the burden on the brakes.
Cadillac says braking distances are unaffected by the weight of the larger wheels, but our Escalade used 144 feet to stop from 60 mph at the track. Not only is that 17 feet longer than the GL's braking distance, it's only one foot shorter than an '03 Escalade. Although we suspect our tester might have performed a little better with a few more miles under its belt (it had just over 300 at the time), a luxury vehicle should always be able to break 140 feet. Our '07 Tahoe also had brand-new brakes and it stopped in 133.
On the plus side, pedal feel is greatly improved over the previous-gen Escalade.
Handling's so refined
Its brakes may have disappointed, but the Escalade's ride and handling did nothing but impress. Ride quality rivals a luxury sedan for smoothness and serenity, as only the most severe ruts remind you there's a solid axle in back.
Throw in a few sweeping turns and the Escalade doesn't flinch, thanks to its adaptive Road Sensing Suspension. It's the same thing as Autoride on the Tahoe and consists of electronically controlled shocks that are either "on" or "off," rather than being infinitely adaptable like other setups. Sounds less sophisticated but it controls body roll just as well.
In tighter corners, you begin to feel the Cadillac's 5,700 pounds, but it's still easy to control. The steering rack feels like it was yanked from an import-brand SUV. Weighting and precision are excellent.
Instrumented testing yielded 0.71g on the skidpad and a 58 mph slalom speed, but the inability to shut off the stability control system prevented us from fully exploiting the Escalade's capabilities. This was also true of the GL450, which performed about the same but wore smaller 18-inch tires.
Off pavement, the Escalade's lack of an available low-range transfer case or even a locking center differential is a huge disadvantage. However, we took the Caddy for a romp in wet snow and it tracked fine through the gunk, which is all most buyers will require.
More luxury but missed details
For the first time, the Escalade's interior isn't completely out of whack with its high asking price. With its tastefully applied faux wood and aluminum trim, double-stitched leather and blue-needled electroluminescent gauges, the Escalade feels like a luxury vehicle. At least up front. There are low-grade plastics in the cargo area where Cadillac evidently thinks no one will look.
An AWD Escalade starts at $57,280, a sum that gets you leather, a 5.1 Bose sound system, heated first- and second-row seats, full-length side curtain airbags and numerous power-operated accessories, including the liftgate. Our fully optioned tester was also equipped with an entertainment system, a navigation system, a rear camera, cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel for a total of $66,110.
Even with all these electronics on board, the '07 Escalade provides a simple control interface. The central touchscreen actually adds to day-to-day functionality rather than compromising it, and getting started with the nav system couldn't be easier. Unfortunately, as you'll read in the stereo evaluation, our test vehicle's Bose audio system had numerous electrical glitches.
Adjustable pedals are standard, but the steering wheel doesn't telescope and offers only three tilt settings. Still, most people will be able to find a comfortable driving position, and with audible rear sensors and a camera watching your back, the risk of running over co-workers is greatly reduced. Meanwhile, the risk of having to buy flowers from street vendors is increased by the Caddy's lack of auto-up windows.
Ample room unless you're thirsty
Adults will also find the second-row hospitality acceptable: Captain's chairs are standard, and although the seat-bottom cushions are a tad short, legroom is ample and the seatbacks recline.
Compared to last year, the third row offers a little less legroom but a little more head- and shoulder room. The seat bottom is still too low to the floor to keep adults quiet for longer than half an hour, but it's fine for children. An optional power-fold feature for the second-row chairs is a good idea if you're dealing with passengers who don't understand the concept of fold-and-flip.
While there's plenty of room for families of six to get comfortable, road trips are likely to be messy. None of the cupholders can hold anything larger than a regular-size coffee, which doesn't make sense in the land of the Biggie Coke. And there's no storage at all in the second row, even though a console would fit between the seats.
Additionally, when you need to clear out the third-row seats to make way for cargo, you still have to muscle them into your garage. That's because the Escalade lacks the independent rear suspension typically required to package fold-flat seating. It does, however, offer a generous 109 cubic feet of capacity, thanks to its lower cargo floor.
Roca Wear or Levis
These interior fumbles might go unnoticed if the QX56 and Lincoln Navigator were the Escalade's only competition. But with the Mercedes GL450 on the scene and matching the Caddy on price, they're as glaring as those shiny 22s. Same goes for the weak brakes.
Even so, the 2007 Cadillac Escalade is easily the most refined domestic SUV on the market. It's satisfyingly quick, reassuringly agile and surprisingly quiet and luxurious. Now we understand why Snoop sees eye to eye with the guys in Accounting.
We should go easier on them. Snoop may set the image for Cadillac's full-size luxury SUV, but according to company officials, it's our office buds who are buying most of them. And what they really want is a big, brash Caddy that's powerful, refined and easy to drive. And for 2007 that's exactly what Cadillac has given them.
Boxed in, bored out
Just like the Tahoe we tested a few months ago, the '07 Escalade rides on an all-new frame. It's fully boxed and much stiffer than the old one, which allowed Cadillac's engineers to fine-tune the chassis dynamics. They also brought in more sophisticated hardware, including coil-over-shock front suspension, rack and pinion steering and aluminum lower control arms, which Cadillac says reduces unsprung weight by almost 20 pounds. Doesn't sound like much, but with massive 22-inch chrome wheels now available as factory equipment, any savings in this department is a good thing.
Overall, the '07 Escalade weighs 130 pounds more than its predecessor, a relatively modest gain when you take into account the new frame and 3.5 inches of additional length, now at 202.5 inches. The wheelbase length is unchanged at 116 inches.
To shave weight, GM's powertrain engineers used aluminum to cast the engine's block instead of iron. To deliver the off-the-line shove Escalade buyers crave, they bored last year's overhead-valve, 6.0-liter V8 out to 6.2 liters and added variable valve timing on both its intake and exhaust valves. The results are hardly disappointing, as the small block delivers 403 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 417 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
Putting it to the ground
A new six-speed automatic transmission makes better use of the V8's fat powerband than last year's four-speed unit, channeling torque to all four wheels on all-wheel-drive Escalades or just the rear wheels on 2WD models. Upshifts are crisp and downshifts are impeccably timed.
In addition to a tow-haul mode that optimizes shift points for lugging trailer loads of up to 7,700 pounds, the new transmission has a manual mode. It's a little awkward to work the button on the old-school column shifter, but it's the real deal: No computer's going to upshift for you, even if you find the 5,900-rpm rev limiter.
EPA ratings aren't out yet, but Cadillac is estimating 13 mpg city, 19 mpg highway on the AWD Escalade. Our AWD test vehicle averaged 12.5 over a week of testing. Cylinder deactivation technology is coming, says Cadillac, but company officials wouldn't get more specific than "soon." A hybrid version is promised for 2008.
Blindsided by a Benz
On public roads, our Escalade tester moved out briskly, unruffled by higher altitudes and larger passenger loads.
At the test track, though, it took almost a second longer to hit 60 mph than the '07 Mercedes GL450 we tested recently, timing 7.5 seconds to the Benz's 6.7. The Caddy went through the quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds compared to 15.1 for the GL450. The GL makes just 335 hp from a smaller V8 but is 400 pounds lighter.
Although the Mercedes can't match the Escalade's gentle roar under full throttle, that's small consolation when you've been sucker-punched by your neighbor's Benz.
To make matters worse, the Escalade can't stop anywhere near as short, either. Cadillac has fitted the '07 model with larger rotors and stiffer calipers, and the rear brakes have a dynamic proportioning feature to improve performance during towing. Problem is, you get the same braking system whether your Escalade has the standard 18-inch wheels or the optional 22s, which significantly increase the burden on the brakes.
Cadillac says braking distances are unaffected by the weight of the larger wheels, but our Escalade used 144 feet to stop from 60 mph at the track. Not only is that 17 feet longer than the GL's braking distance, it's only one foot shorter than an '03 Escalade. Although we suspect our tester might have performed a little better with a few more miles under its belt (it had just over 300 at the time), a luxury vehicle should always be able to break 140 feet. Our '07 Tahoe also had brand-new brakes and it stopped in 133.
On the plus side, pedal feel is greatly improved over the previous-gen Escalade.
Handling's so refined
Its brakes may have disappointed, but the Escalade's ride and handling did nothing but impress. Ride quality rivals a luxury sedan for smoothness and serenity, as only the most severe ruts remind you there's a solid axle in back.
Throw in a few sweeping turns and the Escalade doesn't flinch, thanks to its adaptive Road Sensing Suspension. It's the same thing as Autoride on the Tahoe and consists of electronically controlled shocks that are either "on" or "off," rather than being infinitely adaptable like other setups. Sounds less sophisticated but it controls body roll just as well.
In tighter corners, you begin to feel the Cadillac's 5,700 pounds, but it's still easy to control. The steering rack feels like it was yanked from an import-brand SUV. Weighting and precision are excellent.
Instrumented testing yielded 0.71g on the skidpad and a 58 mph slalom speed, but the inability to shut off the stability control system prevented us from fully exploiting the Escalade's capabilities. This was also true of the GL450, which performed about the same but wore smaller 18-inch tires.
Off pavement, the Escalade's lack of an available low-range transfer case or even a locking center differential is a huge disadvantage. However, we took the Caddy for a romp in wet snow and it tracked fine through the gunk, which is all most buyers will require.
More luxury but missed details
For the first time, the Escalade's interior isn't completely out of whack with its high asking price. With its tastefully applied faux wood and aluminum trim, double-stitched leather and blue-needled electroluminescent gauges, the Escalade feels like a luxury vehicle. At least up front. There are low-grade plastics in the cargo area where Cadillac evidently thinks no one will look.
An AWD Escalade starts at $57,280, a sum that gets you leather, a 5.1 Bose sound system, heated first- and second-row seats, full-length side curtain airbags and numerous power-operated accessories, including the liftgate. Our fully optioned tester was also equipped with an entertainment system, a navigation system, a rear camera, cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel for a total of $66,110.
Even with all these electronics on board, the '07 Escalade provides a simple control interface. The central touchscreen actually adds to day-to-day functionality rather than compromising it, and getting started with the nav system couldn't be easier. Unfortunately, as you'll read in the stereo evaluation, our test vehicle's Bose audio system had numerous electrical glitches.
Adjustable pedals are standard, but the steering wheel doesn't telescope and offers only three tilt settings. Still, most people will be able to find a comfortable driving position, and with audible rear sensors and a camera watching your back, the risk of running over co-workers is greatly reduced. Meanwhile, the risk of having to buy flowers from street vendors is increased by the Caddy's lack of auto-up windows.
Ample room unless you're thirsty
Adults will also find the second-row hospitality acceptable: Captain's chairs are standard, and although the seat-bottom cushions are a tad short, legroom is ample and the seatbacks recline.
Compared to last year, the third row offers a little less legroom but a little more head- and shoulder room. The seat bottom is still too low to the floor to keep adults quiet for longer than half an hour, but it's fine for children. An optional power-fold feature for the second-row chairs is a good idea if you're dealing with passengers who don't understand the concept of fold-and-flip.
While there's plenty of room for families of six to get comfortable, road trips are likely to be messy. None of the cupholders can hold anything larger than a regular-size coffee, which doesn't make sense in the land of the Biggie Coke. And there's no storage at all in the second row, even though a console would fit between the seats.
Additionally, when you need to clear out the third-row seats to make way for cargo, you still have to muscle them into your garage. That's because the Escalade lacks the independent rear suspension typically required to package fold-flat seating. It does, however, offer a generous 109 cubic feet of capacity, thanks to its lower cargo floor.
Roca Wear or Levis
These interior fumbles might go unnoticed if the QX56 and Lincoln Navigator were the Escalade's only competition. But with the Mercedes GL450 on the scene and matching the Caddy on price, they're as glaring as those shiny 22s. Same goes for the weak brakes.
Even so, the 2007 Cadillac Escalade is easily the most refined domestic SUV on the market. It's satisfyingly quick, reassuringly agile and surprisingly quiet and luxurious. Now we understand why Snoop sees eye to eye with the guys in Accounting.
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jhilbrant says:
08:57 PM, 03/29/2010
While I respect the test drivers comments I live in Orange, CA. bought ours with 2800 miles on her, beautiful black ESV with cream interior. $48K deal and I hate it. I had my 97 Ford Expedition since new until last Aug. Would have her back in a second compared to his hog. 14 mpg pile of bling for those that seem to need that sort of thing. The drivers seat leather is wearing already, the vents vibrate with wind noise, as does the drivers window. If I could do this over I would go buy a used LX470. We are a Lexus family and I should have known better. Thanks Obama for buying GM, the quality matches the new Socialist regime.