LOOKS

Everything about the Escalade is big, and the weight confirms that. It comes in at nearly three tons (and as an aside, I find it slightly ironic that this monster-sized vehicle is often the official vehicle of Upper East Side housewives in New York City who probably weigh 100 pounds soaking wet.).

Redesigned for 2015, the look of this full-size SUV from Cadillac is attractive on the exterior, particular up front with its distinct Cadillac grille. Interior design is high-end, with quality leather and fabrics/materials throughout. There are other luxury automakers who do better in the interior design department (Audi is probably the best, with Mercedes-Benz not far behind), but Cadillac doesn’t disappoint here. You feel instantly that this is a high-end vehicle.

The amount of space you have in the Escalade is its trademark; You get tons of headroom even if you’re well over 6 feet tall (this is probably one of the few vehicles a guy like Shaquille O’Neal could buy and not be bumping his head on the ceiling).

The Escalade seats up to 8 people, but don’t plan to put adults in the back row. It’s mainly for the kids unless you want some cramped and uncomfortable adults. While the back row is only for the little ones, the 2nd row is quite generous with leg room.
Seats all around are very comfortable and make a ride in the Escalade enjoyable and cozy, even at long distances.

For cargo, there are buttons in the rear to power-fold both the second and third row as needed to load large items as cargo. I transported some materials for home projects while I had the Escalade and it was well-equipped to handle the job.

The vehicle is quite high, so I would recommend adding the power retractable assist steps on both sides of the vehicle, to improve the ease of your comings and goings from the vehicle.

Some of the elegant touches on the Escalade included 22-inch premium aluminum wheels with chrome inserts, a power tilt-sliding sunroof, power adjustable heated outside mirrors, heated and cooled front seats, and heated second row seats, and a 16-speaker Bose surround sound system.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER

The Escalade features a 6.2-liter, 8-cylinder engine that produces 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard but you can opt for four-wheel drive, and all Escalades offer an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The Escalade is quite fast due to this burly powertrain, but since the vehicle is so big it still feels heavy when you accelerate and make turns, and that hampers overall ride quality and handling.
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One good thing is that it’s very quiet inside the Escalade, with little road noise permeating the vehicle. Towing capacity is another strong point, as the Escalade is capable of pulling up to 8,100 pounds.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY

If there’s one thing Cadillac needs to improve in its lineup, its the design and function of the CUE tech interface in their vehicles. The 8-inch touchscreen is large and attractive, and voice commands worked well, but the physical manipulation of this system is often frustrating. Its virtual buttons didn’t respond as well to touch as I’ve experienced with other systems. When you’re competing with the best cars in the world, a feature like this needs to be top-notch and it’s an area where Cadillac can improve.

I was impressed by the 12.3-inch driver information display in the dash, which was bright and full of all the info you needed to know while driving..

OnStar continues to be the center of the safety features on the GM lineup, including the Escalade. it offers SOS Automatic crash response, Stolen vehicle assistance, remote door unlocking, turn by turn navigation, hands-free calling, vehicle diagnostics and more. Much of OnStar’s functionality can be monitored via the RemoteLink App on your smartphone.

A 4G LTE WiFi hotspot is offered in the Escalade, so you can connect your devices while traveling and not use up your data. There is also an in-car entertainment system offered to keep the kids occupied on long trips (or the grown folks too if they are in back).

The Escalade has a full slate of air bags, including one in the center of the front-seat (only one in segment with that feature). Driver Awareness package offers features like Forward Collission Alert and Lane Departure Warning, and Driver Assist Package offers Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Collision Preparation, Automatic Braking and Safety Belt Tightening.

Crash test results were impressive for a side crash, but disappointing in rollover testing.

MPG
Official numbers for fuel mileage on the all-wheel drive Escalade are 15 city/21 highway/17 combined. While hardly impressive numbers in an era with hybrids and electric cars, compared to the other vehicles in the gargantuan class (from Mercedes, Infiniti, and Lexus among others), it holds up well and is one of your best bets.

And let’s be honest, if you’re buying an Escalade,  you’re not that concerned about fuel mileage or expecting a gas-sipper.

PRICE, BOTTOM LINE

Short answer on the price: It ain't cheap so bring a big wallet.

The base price of the Escalade is $72,970, and it comes in four categories of trim: Standard, Luxury, Premium and Platinum. My vehicle was at the Premium level and cost $86,365, and the price can grow as high as $97,940 with all options added at the Platinum level.

My train of thought was torn between two extremes while driving the Escalade.

One on hand, I often thought to myself: “I could get used to driving something like this”; It’s a high-end product with high-end look and performance, so it’s easy to like.

On the other hand, I also thought a few times: “Who on Earth needs a vehicle this big?”; The Escalade is very in-your-face and everyone will notice it, and the reality is that its positive attributes are also found in a lot of other vehicles that are less huge.

When buying a car like this, though, it’s often more about status than functionality, so these questions probably mean little to the crowd who would be able to afford an Escalade.

In terms of competition, the only U.S. model directly competing with the Escalade is Lincoln’s Navigator, which got a nice refresh recently. Benz, Infiniti and Lexus have entries in the category as well, each with their own merits, but the Escalade holds up well overall against the competition.

So if you want a big honkin’ luxury vehicle with room for an army and all your gear, and want to travel in style, the Escalade is a strong option to consider and comes with Cadillac’s solid reputation behind it.

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Matt Myftiu can be foundon Twitter @MattMyftiu.