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Comments
I would like to hear from current owners on any problems I should watch out for.
What are the maintenance costs?
By the way, I will be paying $775 month for a fully loaded slade with select edition,DVD rear enter. system and white diamond paint.
Please email me your comments and suggestions.
Steve, Host
Keep in mind the Escalade has the second row heated seats and a third row with leather. The Chevy and GMC have vinyl on the third row.
Also, the Cadillac has the 6.0 345 hp V8 available for extra power.
M.
Exterior color 98U (WA-800J) White Diamond
(LM7) Engine, 295 hp
New Features
Exterior color 26U (WA-214M) Rip Tide Blue
Exterior color 93U (WA961L) White Lightning
Changes
(LQ9) Engine, 345 hp V8 standard on 2WD model
Redesigned, highly-detailed instrument panel gauges with chrome bezels
Walnut Burl wood trim replaces Zebrano wood trim
Touch screen capability now included with (UM8) Navigation system
Looks nice to me.
Mark156
This is my first Cadillac, and is the only vehicle I see that justifies the price with luxury and performance. Load leveling and road sensing suspension, Stability control, back up sensors, tunable and powerful engine and transmission. Everyone thinks it is a beautiful SUV. (could not resist adding 20" wheels with 285/50R20 Eagle GTII's). Granted, it may not have the fit and finish of an Audi/VW, or the smooth drivetrain of a Lexus. But, being GM based it is infinitly tuneable from the aftermarket. Interior, exterior, suspension, brakes, superchargers, intakes, exhaust's, all come in so many flavors, it is easy to make improvments as the mileage and maintenace require.
Side note: I have been seeing about 15 mpg city, 15.5 mpg combined and 17mpg highway.
-mike
PS: The "Hemi" is only a marketing term, most engines other than pushrods are "hemispherical heads"
-mike
I'm not knocking the Trooper with my comments. I used to have a 99 loaded with everything except sun roof. It is a very capable machine on and off road. Modest V6 with low geared differential (4.3) if memory is correct, and tranny performance button engaged, helped it get around just fine. Hated the suspension, great for off-road but very tippy on the highway,and around town. My solution, replaced all the shocks with Edalbrock IAS, and installed larger sway bars w/polyeurothane bushings. Also, switched out the torshon bars for stonger ones. Road much better. Not much to do with performance, except K&N filter. Great buy used, I got killed when I traded it in.
-mike
PS: I did similar upgrades on my trooper as well bushings, lift, tires, t-bars etc. Mostly for offroading.
The Escalade ESV is a nice SUV. I like the look of the extended chassis. If I spring for a larger SUV, the Escalade is what I would want after looking at what is offered for all manufactures.
Mark
Yum Yum!
-mike
-mike
-mike
I demand more, I need the function, but I also like to admire my steed, so I need it to please me when I look at it too. Fortunately, there is plenty to choose from these days. Not like in 96, when I first needed an SUV, and I had the choices of smaller Explorer sized units, or something like a Bronco. With even leather seats, hard to come by.
-mike
-mike
And I disagree with Mike about the "more damage than good" thing. They can hurt you, steel, glass & concrete can kill you. You decide, is how I look at it. Give me bags......
I do not see why they just cant call it Chevy deluxe instead of Cadillac.
Look Here
If they could even bother to make a different steering wheel for the Escalade, it would help a lot.
Although I prefer the design and features of the Navigator, I'm thinking the Escalade may be made a little more solidly. The Navigator drives great, but seems to have a few more rattles & squeaks than I'm used to from a Lincoln.
Although I like the Lincoln Nav, that big plastic door that covers the center dash is not that "up scale" looking. And moving the window switches to the center console was a mistake in my opinion. I have them on both of my Mercedes and would rather have them on the driver's door. Some Mercedes models have changed the window swithces to the door.
Just my .02. Mark
The dash on the Escalade is nice and decent looking and I have two Mercedes to compare it to! For a large truck, everything is placed where it should be and is easy to get to. That's what I like about it. The adjustable pedals are nice too.
For me, luxury or not, I'll carry whatever I want in the back whether it be plywood or a piece of furniture, bicycle or any other item. Yes, I like a nice SUV but I want it for it the utility too.
My ML500 is a 2002 and I think I'll keep it another year then trade it. The Escalade is at the top of my list for a larger SUV because I like the rear bumper sensors that the GMC Yukon XL doesn't have. I know that the Navigator has them but I want the extended chassis on whatever I get. I think Lincoln will offer a longer vehicle and will consider it once it arrives.
M.
-mike
The interior, while similar in dash shape and the gauges, is also much more luxurious overall. The leather seats and door panels are nicer, there's zebrano wood trim and lots of little touches that really dress it up over the Tahoe. Almost everything is standard on the Escalade. You have to drive and see them back to back to really note how different they are.
Of course exterior style is a matter of taste but the Escalade seems to be the popular hot looking SUV right now.
-mike
The Escalade is a beauty on the outside to be sure, and is definitely preferred by the music video crowd, at least. As well as many others. But if everybody preferred it, we wouldn't have an Infiniti QX56, or a Lexus LX 470 would we?
Paisan, I didn't drive the Denali. We did drive an Envoy and didn't particularly like it, but I didn't even see any Denali's around. My wife pretty much had her heart set on the Escalade because of the looks and to be honest if you're spending this much money you do want the Caddy crest rather than the GMC one. Or at least we did.
Same basic reason people pay a lot more for the Lexus over the Land Cruiser or the Infiniti over the Armada. None of these luxury SUV's are a necessary purchase when you look at it rationally.
-mike
-mike
I would hope to think the Cadillac Escalade is completely trouble free since no one is complaining!
I tried to look on the GM site to see when the next restyle was coming but haven't been able to find any good information. I think maybe the next change will come in 2007, am I right?
Mark
What has attracted me to the Cadillac vs. the Navigator is the longer version ESV. I like the looks of the GMC YukonXL Denali better but I like the rear bumper sensors, the larger engine, full leather on all three rows that the Cadillac offers, and let's not forget, the Bvlgari clock! LOL.
Mark