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Comments
http://www.gm-trucks.com/ART_2003_previewmain.shtml
Ron
-mike
-mike
The fact that Cadillac has resurged with this market segment is a boon to GM. 5 years ago it was all about Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus. Today, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, etc have all vaulted into that mix. And as for aspirational targets, you can't see a rap video without a Bentley. Bentley's sales have increased 200% in the past several years and you better believe that professional athletes, entertainers, and ghetto superstars are responsible for that.
-mike
-mike
I surprised my wife and she loves it.
Thanks.
I also remember some posts ago you did not care much for the Escalade. You been liking them some time now or you like them but the SUV is not your cup of tea?
J "CaddyLac"
At first, I didn't like the new gauge cluster for 2003. I was a fan of the so called 'racer-gauges' in the '02's. The steering wheel looked unproportioned. Now that I've been in one, I've changed my mind. The steering wheel is an improvment (on the Denali, it feels much thicker), I still miss the gauges and I am puzzled over the dissapearance of the onboard computer.
tidester, host
There is a tax credit (loophole) for people who buy large SUV's (over 6000lbs). it was meant for farmers, but they didn't take into consideration that the Escalade, Navigator, etc weigh so much, and thus qualify.
Has anyone done this?
-mike
Also, will the new incentives on Jan 3rd be any better than the current deals??
For the '02, try the Used link and you'll get something like this. Try the Customized Button there to adjust for miles, color, zipcode, etc.
See you next year!
Steve, Host
Road Test: 2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT
Steve, Host
The navigator drives smoothly and has a nice tight feel when turning. It feels like you are driving a much smaller vehicle. What really sold me on the gator were the power fold flat third row, the hid lights, the extended rear parking assist, and the power liftgate (most or all of these features aren't available in the escalade). I hear the 4WD escalade has 345HP, while the 2WD has less than the navigator's 300HP. So if you are going with 2WD, the Gator will have more ponies (I live in flat, snow free Florida and have no need for the added expense and weight of a 4WD system). The Navigator also has an "advance track" feature which should kick in in very slippery situations or in heavy cornering. To me, the engine is just fine; it accelerates well and has smooth shifting. Also, Lincoln is offering free maintenance on these trucks for 3 years/36K miles -- you pay for the car and for gas, everything else is on them.
Annoyingly, my gator has been in the shop (already) for some suspension work, but my Lincoln service reps are always very accommodating when I go in. This truck comes with a load-leveling air suspension system (this is what was malfunctioning) that makes the truck sit level regardless of who's sitting where or what cargo you are carrying.
I have been in the Escalade at car shows and found the interior to be too similar to other GM products. If the Escalade had a better third row, a nicer dash, and more conservative front-end styling I would have seriously considered it.
I would think both vehicles would satisfy you in general, it just depends on your tastes. One more tidbit, the Navigators shipping from the factory now come with a DVD navigation system (almost identical to the lexus system) as an option. The Escalade (I think) does not offer a navigation option.
Any way you look at it, you are fortunate to be able to purchase these class of vehicles. Good luck and happy shopping!
I can't seem to find any information on this subject??
It can probably handle curbs w/o too much issue, so long as you go up at an angle. How deep in the forest it goes, well that's debatable, if it's a forest service road you can most likely make it. If they are real offroad trails, I'd leave the bling bling and get something like a JGC, Trooper, Montero, or other Off-road vehicle that is suited for such environments.
Side note: The H2 is not as good of an offroad vehicle as the marketing hype would make it!
-mike
-mike
Steve, Host
Follow-Up Test: 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Steve, Host
If everyone drove one of these gas-guzzling egotistical, "freedom of choice" purchases gas would be $3.00 and we'd have to go to war in the M. East to feed our untempered addiction that is spiraling out of control thanks to SUVs and Big trucks. Also 55K for a car built in Mexico? Who's buying these things!
I don't want to know if there's an after-life, I don't want to know the meaning of life, I DO WANT KNOW WHY SOMEOME WOULD BUY AN ESCALADE!
And what's wrong with Mexico? Wonderful people and the GM and VW auto plants down there have gotten good reports. You'd prefer that all the auto manufacturing leave North America for China?
Steve, Host
I find it interesting that owners of other lux SUV's (Rovers, LX 470 and its cousin Toyota Land cruiser, Mercedes, etc.) that cost much MORE than the Escalade do not get branded with the "yo bro look at me I am rich and you're not" label. You rarely (if ever) see any degrading comments on those vehicle's message boards.
I think Cadillac has this vehicle positioned exactly where it wants it to be in the market. Quite often I have the same "why would anyone buy that?" reaction (the Escalade pickup truck comes to mind) but I always remind myself that that is what makes life so interesting -- different tastes. I love to see the variety of vehicles out there -- from Civics to Navigators. All of this adds up to one big benefit for me -- CHOICES.
I looked at the Escalade as a possible purchase (and I'm sure I fit Cadillac's ideal customer description -- late 20's, new money, etc) but decided against it because it did not have some of the features that I wanted for me and my family. I ended up with an '03 Navigator, and believe it or not, snob appeal had little to do with it. The Navigator's less expensive brother Expedition would have been the "value-conscious" choice. But, after driving both vehicles the Navigator was simply on a different league both in ride quality and interior comfort. That, combined with the quality sales and service department treatment I receive at the Lincoln dealership versus the Ford "Automall" clinched the deal for me.
As far as the "destructive environmental impact" of these vehicles and other societal issues revolving around these trucks, I agree with our host that it belongs in the "I hate SUV" board.
Actually, it's I don't like SUVs, why do you?.
tidester, host