Cadillac Escalade

thunder87 · February 2001

Just test drove a '02 escalade. What a ride. Couldn't believe the power I felt
when I step on the gas. The truck has awesome handling, not a caddy car, ut a
lot better than the fords and Toyotas that I've driven. The dealer I found is in
greenwich, CT. The interior is very nice, the sound system I think could still be a
little better (not enough bass, a different amp would take care of that problem),
and they should have positioned the steering wheel controls for the radio on the
outboard part of the wheel, but thats just being picky. The brakes on the new
trucks are firm with no spongyness. The exhaust system has a very nice mellow
sound, so no need to change that. I would have bought the truck, but the
salesman would not give me a figure for my '98 yukon unless I actually signed
papers to purchase truck (how stupid is he???). Another reason not to buy was
the salesman believes he should be getting MSRP + some for this vehicle. I'll
wait until I can find a better deal. Oh yea, the rear parking sensors work great,
you should never back into anything with the sensors enabled.

heatwave3 · February 2001

Does anyone know if the Escalade has the same shape mirror as the one on the Denali? I am specifically interested to find out if the Escalade comes with a passenger side exterior auto-dimming mirror. The Denali comes with and interior and driver side ext. auto dimming mirror and I wanted to know if it might be possible to upgrade the passenger side to the mirror on the Escalade.

glouer · February 2001

To answer your main question, the passenger side exterior mirror on the Escalade is not auto-dimming. The reasoning behind that, I think, is the fact that the passenger side mirror on every vehicle, so far as I know, is a "wide-angle" (if that's the correct term) type that reduces the apparent size of other cars appearing in it, and thus reduces the size of the headlights --- and thus the glare --- of those other cars, or at least that was how I had it figured. Wiser heads please correct me.

jgts1 · February 2001

I had a friend call one his friends- who works at a large Caddy dealer....they were taking a grand off MSRP on the 02 Escalade. But the lease really is something to be desired.

36months/12k year/ tax and tags up front/ $864 per month!!! The residual isn't very good- 53%.

I was considering a Land Cruiser also- really like the Caddy, but can get a LC for like $100 plus less dollars a month (the MSRP is also like $5k ubove the Caddy).

mobiweld · February 2001

Saw it and sat in it at the auto show. Very Cheesie; from the steering column mounted gear shifter to the faux wood covering most plastic surfaces. What a pathetic attempt at an SUV. It looks like they took engineers off the Chevy Cavalier and said "design an SUV."

Scott
San Diego

cadillaclovr1 · February 2001

I'm glad to see that Cadillac and GMC are now building much better quality SUVs than Japan. I had a Land Cruiser for 4 years, and it was tough, but the interior just felt cheap. I guess that's why Land Cruiser sales have started to drop off. I'm happy to be the new owner of a 2002 Escalade with the most powerful engine in the world and the most luxurious ride!

mbml55amg · February 2001

Wait a minute, a Top Fueler make 5000 HP+, & the Space Shuttle main rocket boosters are pretty strong as well! The Escalade's 345 HP, 6.0 engine is excellent, but don't think you are invincible. Most "Sports Sedans", & many SUVs will still be quicker, & faster. The 6.0 is nice though, it really scoots, even in my Denali XL. 25 additional HP can't hurt.

dindak · February 2001

You are clearly in the vast minority as this truck is getting great reviews everywhere. You may not like the styling, but that's a personal thing. I personally like the Denali styling better.

paisan · February 2001

Take em with a grain of salt. Don't forget most of the people who do the reviews have the cars given to them by the manufacturer for the explicit purpose of writing a review. Also the reviewer has anywhere from 6hrs to a week at most with the car. I like to take real owner's comments on a vehicle rather than some reviewer who doesn't live with the car day in and day out. Not saying anything good or bad about the escalade, just some comments on reviews in general.

-mike

cadillaclovr1 · February 2001

I need to rephrase. The most powerful engine in a production model SUV. I like the Denali also. I would prefer either the Denali XL or Escalade over any other production SUV, especially the Land Cruiser which I had for so long. I think it will be hard for me to shake the enthusiasm I have for the Escalade. I just love the ride too much.

thunder87 · February 2001

Does anyone know a dealer near the Northeast coast that's willing to deal with a AM employee discount. I'm near NEW YORK CITY and these dealers around hear don't want to place orders for employees and don't want to sell for less than list price. Imagine that. If anyone knows of a dealer let me know. I'm willing to travel as far as N. Carolina. Thanks for your help.

paisan · February 2001

What company is that? I may be able to hook you up with a salesman @ manfredi Cadillac in SI. E-mail me mike@iace.com

-mike

paisan · February 2001

I spoke with a good friend of mine who is a car dealer. He suggested you contact:

Paul Conte Caddy/GMC/Chevy
salesman: Tom Mizerak
Phone: 516-623-0003
The guy I know who sent me to this dealer is Pete Wiehl from Manfredi Used Cars in SI.

-mike

thunder87 · February 2001

Sorry people, I meant a "GM" Employee discount

chaps2 · February 2001

I no sooner started asking around and found a 2002 Escalade in Winston Salem. A neighbor and I were both looking and each bought from the same dealer. The only two they had. I know they are expecting more in a couple of weeks.

Now for the scoup! What a beautiful SUV, both inside and out. I've test driven most of the comparable SUV's and I'm glad I waited for the 2002 Escalade. I feel very comfortable driving this vehicle. I don't feel like I'm driving a truck. It handles easy, has great pick-up and stops nicely and without pitching. This SUV is loaded with tons of nice features. The only options are color and sunroof. Back-up sensors; On-Star System; Large Side Mirrors that fold, heat, and tilt down for curb view when in reverse; Heated leather front and 2nd row seats; 6 CD changer with 11 Bose speakers; Rear controls for Sound system and Temperature, Steering wheel mounted controls are just a few of the many bells and whistles. It's also the only SUV with Stabiltrac (spelling?). The only negative I've found so far is it's a little cumbersome to climb into the third row seats and not much leg room. Not a problem for me since my 2 dogs don't sit much anyway. My neighbor bought the Sand color and I bought Red. Both colors are beautiful and I would have been happy with either. Highly recommend that anyone looking for a classy SUV give the 2002 Escalade a try before making a decision.

scottphillip · February 2001

I looked at the vehicle yesterday and was quite impressed. Does anyone know if they are being discounted from MSRP? My local dealership has two--black and silver sand.

cadillaclovr1 · February 2001

I shopped about 15 dealers and none would discount off MSRP. If you can get one without waiting that would be good. Most people are waiting 4-6 weeks for theirs to arrive.

sweetjeldorado · March 2001

2002 Escalade looks nice. I saw one this past weekend that was silversand exterior. It was driven around with the dealer invoice on the side of the window.

I easily recognize the beast in all that traffic without looking at the front facia. There is a major difference between the Escalade and the Tahoo and Yukon series.

I wonder how many Escalades will sell by the end of this year. Does anyone think it will top off the Navigator in sales?

drew_ · March 2001

While the Cadillac Escalade is the only SUV out there on the market with "Stabillitrak", it is not the only SUV out there with a stability control system. MB beat everyone to it with this important safety feature in 1998, when it equipped its M-class with ESP (electronic stability programme) as standard equipment; in fact, MB equipped every single one of its MY1999 vehicles with ESP as standard equipment. BMW was the next to provide it on their '00 X5 SAV (sic) in late 1999.

Drew
Host
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sweetjeldorado · March 2001

That may be true but the ML and the X5 are not in the same league with the Escalade. Most people consider the ML and X5 as midsize or crossover SUVs while the Escalade is a full size beast.

Now did Lexus had stability control on the their LX 470 in '98?

paisan · March 2001

if you ask the Excursion/suburban/yukon xl guys. I only have a measly trooper so I guess I shouldn't be talking. I believe the LC/LX470 do have Traction Control now though, but I could be wrong, and I know the Sequioa does.

-mike

rsholland · March 2001

sweetjeldorado- I sense in your comment (and from others on this forum), that if it's not "full-size," it's not as goodor as you you sayin the same leagueas the Escalade?

Paisan is right. People who own (larger still) Suburbans, Yukon XLs, and Excursions feel the same way towards the Escalade, and other Expedition-sized vehicles. Do I agree with them. No. I think they're nuts, as I do for many people who buy these huge "beasts" (your word, not mine).

If you "need" (not want, but NEED) a large full-size SUV, then by all means, get one. However, most people can get all the luxury and SUV all-weather capability in many mid-size (or smaller) SUVs. Personally I'd much rather have the smaller ML or an X5, to the much larger Escalade.

Bob

sweetjeldorado · March 2001

My friend, you need not assume and ask me directly if Escalade is better than the ML and X5. Reread my post and know what I meant.

Where did I said that the Escalade was better than the Mercedes and BMW? The Escalade is for a different buyer while the Mercedes and BMW is for another different type of buyer. The Escalade is for the type of crowd that wants plushness with ride comfort with a lot of cargo room while the Mercedes and BMW is for the crowd that wants a crossover vehicle that handles like a car rather than a completely truck derivative of a truck. Until Cadillac produce a similar SUV to them or BMW and Mercedes built a product similar to the Escalade, full size, they don't compare and anyone on here know good well they don't.

"Personally I'd much rather have the smaller ML or an X5, to the much larger Escalade."

Well, get one then. I would rather be seen in the Escalade rather than the ugly Isuzi Trooper and the Subaru Wagon.

"Paisan is right. People who own (larger still) Suburbans, Yukon XLs, and Excursions feel the same way towards the Escalade, and other Expedition-sized vehicles. Do I agree with them. No. I think they're nuts, as I do for many people who buy these huge "beasts" (your word, not mine)."

To each their own.

paisan · March 2001

Did I say that your Escalade is ugly? Nope, Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder. You need not call my ugly Isuzu Trooper (and please spell it correctly when ditching on it)!

For one thing, I'm glad that Caddy finally caught up to the Trooper as far as features. We've had Power folding mirrors since 1998!!!!! Not to mention I can almost get 2 fully loaded Troopers with a far superior AWD system (AWD, 2wd, 4wd lo) than the Escalade for about the price of 1 Escalade...

-mike

rsholland · March 2001

I reread your post, and (reading between the lines) it still comes across as bigger is better. Obviously Paisan picked up on that too.

I could care less what others "see me drive." I don't need a $50K+ SUV to make me feel good.

Bob

jgts1 · March 2001

I like Isuzus, big fan of the Vehicross....but take a drive in a $50k SUV- like a 4.4 X5 and you will want to launch that Trooper off a cliff.....I am replacing a 98 4Runner LTD soon, after I drove the V8 X5 when it first dropped- I didn't want to get back into the Toyota.

Too many fun toys out there.

JG
00 Viper GTS
01 Acura CL-S

cadillaclovr1 · March 2001

JG...You should consider the Escalade, at least to the extent of test driving it. For many of the buyers in the $45K+ price range, you will find the Escalade rides very nicely and exudes luxury in every detail. It's not just size that matters, but the comfort and ride characteristics as well. The only true way to measure those ride characteristics is to drive it for yourself.

dindak · March 2001

Saw my first Escalade today in downtown Toronto. It was getting a lot of looks. It had dealer plates on it so there are likely some for sale around the GTA now. My local dealer still has none.

jgmilberg · March 2001

I have heard in certain circles, mainly car mags, that when GM kills Oldsmobile the Bravada will become a Caddy. I think if they do it GM will be better placed to compete with the MB M-Class, and Isuzu Troopers. The Bravada comes with Smart Trac, a Stabilitrac based system, so at least it already has that going for it. I hope if it does happen that they do more than just change the badges. It should get a new nose at least, more in line with the "new" Caddy shape. The Escalade front end design is directly pulled form the new DeVille, and a shorter version of the Escalade nose would look really nice on the front of the soon to be gone Bravada. With the extended versions from Chevy and GMC it will be possible to have a 3rd row seat and respectable cargo area in it. Anyone else heard of this?

rsholland · March 2001

It's well known that Caddy is working on a mid-size cross-over SUV for some time. If fact, I believe the concept Visiaon(sp?) is supposed to be very close to the actual vehicle.

As for the Bravada eventually becoming a Caddy, I haven't heard anything to that effect. Although, it wouldn't surprise me if it did.

Bob

dindak · March 2001

I have read rumors to this effect. Would not surprise me at all. Bravada could easily be a Cadillac after a minor face lift. From what I've heard/ seen, the new Bravada is a very nice truck. Sat in one at the auto show and was impressed.

dishfish · March 2001

Does anyone know when the EXT is going to be available. I have already seen the Escalade and it is a wonderful vehicle, but I understand that there is going to be one available soon. Does anyone have any information?

Sincerely,
Dishfish

robh3 · March 2001

The EXT is due out "this Fall" according to representatives at the Cadillac display at the Los Angeles Auto Show, as well as car magazines.

I'd be thinking October or November, and by then they may even label it an '03.

alexjr1 · April 2001

I think everybody should take another look at the Escalade. The previous Escalade was just a way for GM to buy some to some time to really work on the project. I think that the Escalade and Denali are to closely priced and it's most obvious intetention is to take out the Navigator which I think it should suceed. I think that the navigator is a little more versitale with its options for example the second row captain chairs. Then again you could spent nearly $20,000 less and buy a Acura MDX and have a nice peppy engine and 3 rows of seats, and very good handiling with all-wheel-drive. Cadillac is definitly coming out with a midsize SUV because Lincoln is most likely coming out with one based on the Explorer platform.

paisan · April 2001

Yep, it's called the Bravada, once Olds is killed, Caddy will get the bravada. Lincoln will get a re-badged Mountaineer.

-mike

drew_ · April 2001

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b4z · April 2001

Saw three escalades at my dealer today. Have you guys seen the gauges yet? They look like swiss chronometers. Very cool. Not so sure how i feel about the grill though. The body is rounded off but the grill has hard angles. They should have lowered the leading edge of the hood about two inches. The interior is much nicer than its brothers and is truly has the feel of a luxury vehicle.

kabbalah · April 2001

For what it's worth, here is my opinion. I currently drive a leased 98 Toyota Land Cruiser. My lease is up in a couple of months and I have been looking at everything. I loved the Landcruiser, very roomy & comfortable but don't want to drive the same vehicle for another 3 years. LX 470 is basically the a LC, and drove the same. ML 430 still looks like a minivan, although in black with chrome brabus there is some improvement. I drove the denali & the escalade. I much prefered the look of the denali, but it still drove like a lousy gm truck. The escalade had a much better feel and drive to it than the denali. I liked it much better, although thinking about driving a caddy everyday made me feel very much beyond my 44 years. I also cannot stand a shift on the steering column, nor that ugly steering wheel. Finally settled on ordering an X5 4.4 with sport package and almost every other option. About $60k MSRP, but what a car/truck/SAV/SUV. I've had bimmers before, so I was not disappointed. Going in for the test drive, my wife was complaining about how small it was in back compared to the landcruiser. We are only 3 in my family, including one 6 year old so how big a vehicle do I really need. After she drove it, she told me that she could drive this everyday. She really liked it too. The caddy is a nice truck. Since I lease for 36m, the numbers are important to me. The residuals on the caddy suck big time. It costs about the same to lease the caddy as the bimmer, with about an $8,000 price differential. I also question the reliability factor of US cars. The caddy might have a bigger engine, but I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the X5 would outperform the caddy on any course. I also prefer a navagation system to on-star. I personally don't like that someone can track my car 24hrs a day. Kind of a George Orwell fear. Caddy is nice & a major improvement for American automakers, but it sure as hell ain't no Bimmer nor Landcruiser. I got a call from the caddy guy today telling me about their great new lease program. Ballpark figures to the best of my recollection, with $5000 drive off, 36m at 12K per year for a moonroof equipped caddy worked out to about $900 tax included. Which really means that it is about $1000 per month as about $3k worth of drive off is a cap reduction. It is still a joke of a lease. I guess that GM has no confidence in the resale value of their escalade too. I'm sure that in a couple of months, you'll be able to negotiate up from invoice on these vehicles, which will bring it back down into reality. I don't forsee my Beverly Hill neighbours trading in their X5's, MB's, and LX 470's for caddys any time soon. Perhaps for the Porsche cayenne SUV next year.

dindak · April 2001

Check out the new Motor Trend (May). They compared the 02 Escalade with the Navigator. Escalade won easy and was named "King of the Hill"!

jgts1 · April 2001

and accurate too, I ordered a LC with a $58,300 MSRP....rolled in 2 months payments of $558/month on a 98 4Runner (yes, its high-had rolled some negative equity into that lease as well). For 36/months, the Toyota is still $100 less a month than the $50k Escalade....which is very nice and powerful, but the lease at the moment does stink- due to a ho-hum residual and no program/major discounting, etc......so I think the LC was a good choice.

breezee · April 2001

Since I'm a candidate for another 36-month lease, and I'm specifically looking at (another) Super SUV, I'm curious about any great deals that anyone has come across? Cars in this category would be:

Toyota Land Cruiser
Lexus 450
Range Rover SE/HSE
Lincoln Navigator
Ford Eddie Bauer Expedition
Cadillac Escalade
GMC Denali
Mercedes M450
BMW X5 4.4 ($985/month, "0" down + fees)

All the above also qualify as "commercial" vehicles by virtue of government weight ratings, so business owners can lease/own these luxury vehicles and write off a nice chunk. Something you can't do with anything more impressive than a Neon. Talk to your accountant.

But yeah... let's hear some bargains and horror stories!

BrZ

paisan · April 2001

The foreign ones will have a lower lease rate, due to their higher re-sale value in general.

-mike

heatwave3 · April 2001

alexjr1: Just a clarification on your previous post. The Denali XL can be ordered with second row captain chairs instead of a bench seat.

jgts1 · April 2001

The Land Cruiser leases like a champ, although the residual has dropped in the last few months or so.....the truck still leases really well- relative to how expensive it is...its brother, the Lexus LX470- is obviously more expensive and don't know if they are discounted as much.

Range Rovers lease like crap, their residuals are awful.

Navigator/Expedition lease really good as well- Ford has very good programs on them, and wide discounts.

Mercedes lease isn't terrible, but the ML series is not that great- if your going to get an ML430, just get the X5 4.4 for around the same dollars.

The X5 leases ok relative to the MSRP (they aren't discounted that much- the 3.0 is discounted more)- its not a great deal by any means, but its fair.

robh3 · April 2001

I would think that Toyota would have good lease deals on the LandCruiser, after all, this vehicle hasn't had any major changes in many years. It's a very good vehicle, but there's nothing new and exciting about it, and let's face it, we Americans get boored quickly driving the same thing year after year. {Why do you think there is so much divorce in this country? :>) }

The Escalade is new, it certainly has unique looks (I confuse LX470s for LandCruisers all the time, and vice-versa), it's powerful, luxurious, and it's getting great write-ups. Of course Caddy is going to ride the wave as long as they can with the MSRP...just like Lexus is with the new LS430, and I am sure with the new SC430.

jgts1 · April 2001

the Land Cruiser came out in 98, not the freshest design- but still looks great, what helps is that they don't import many of these vehicles each year.

I like the Caddy, looks neat (don't think the wild front matches the rest of the truck- which still looks like a Tahoe/Yukon)- but thats all relative- don't like all the fake wood, "huge" exterior crest badges, column shifter....I would buy it for the engine and nice looks (it drives nice too of course).

Went with the TLC, the Caddy would have been my second choice (the current lease #'s on the Escalade didn't help my decision).

nota4re · April 2001

Well, I am in the exact position of Kabbalah. I have a 98 cruiser about to go off lease and so I have shopped around for a replacement. The cruiser is a dream - never went back to the dealer in the 62K miles we've put on it. Looked seriously at and test drove the Escalade. This vehicle is a BIG improvement over previous years and the engine is just great. BUT... where the cruiser feels like it's been carved from a single block of iron, the Escalade had a "looser" feel. We did like the quality of the interior and componentry wheich we thought was on par or better than the cruiser equipment. However, the toughest part is the price. Dealers are asking and getting at or near full sticker... which itself is no problem but history says that the resale is going to be very poor.... further supported by the low lease residuals.

After a lot of shopping (and liking the X5 about the best but too small for us), we finally ordered a Sequoia Limited. This really has all the comforts and build quality of the cruiser but it doesn't have the 25% import tax ($12K) tacked on as it is built in North America. This is the major reason for the cost diff between a cruiser and a Sequoia.

GM will have to establish a track record for quality and reliability to help their residuals and get people like me to serioisly consider their product. Th '02 Escalade seems like a strong step in the right direction... but only time will tell.

thirdsuv · April 2001

In all the glowing and heady statements about Escalade, does anybody truly believe that after 2-4 years of everyday driving that this vehicle won't succomb to the typical litany of woes that befall every GM car and truck?

b4z · April 2001

I took some of my friends over to my caddy/olds dealership to look at the new bravada last week.. We turned the corner into the dealership and my friend immediately stopped the car in front of the escalades. His exact words were, "Now is that the gaudiest front end you have ever seen or what?"

Cadillac just feels the need to over do things don't they? And what is up with the huge crest on the tailgate? You would never see anything that big on a mercedes or bimmer.

On a more positive note they loved the interior. I did too.

They also liked the bravada's interior, but felt like the exterior looked to much like a Tonka toy.

paisan · April 2001

To check the front control arms on the bravada!

-mike

Cadillac Escalade

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