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Cadillac Escalade

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Comments

  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    Regarding the "pitching and yawing" comments. I have owned 3 previous generations of GM SUV's 1 Suburban, 1 Denali, and 1 Denali XL. My description of these vehicles is like riding a cow on rollerskates. The '07 that I got in March rides more like my wife's BMW X3 than the previous vehicles (on 22's). The shorter sidewall makes the flexing less evident. Smaller diameter rims would actually provide a cushy ride, at the expense of less directd road feel. That's why most high perf vehicles, like BMW, use short sidewall (low profile) tires.

    In addition, the Rack & Pinion steering keeps the vehicle from seeking ruts like the previous generation steering system did.

    The fact this was even mentioned is odd, since 3 other reviews, from Car & Driver, Motor Trend and even Edmunds regards the handling of the new generation GM's as superior to anything else GM has produced (SUV wise). All these reviews included the 22 wheel option.

    The only explanation that I can make (not having read the article), is that the reviewer's past experience was with car's only.

    As far as the DVD screens, I can't say with authority, although I've heard there is an additional screen.

    I was dissapointed with the DVD option on my '07 because of the fact that when you load the DVD in the 6-CD changer, and play a movie for those in back, you cannot have a Music CD playing for yourself. You are stuck using AM/FM/XM or listening to the movie audio.

    My '05 Denali had the DVD player in the roof too, but you also loaded the DVD into the roof unit. Maybe a bit clumsy trying to deal with it from the front seats, but still provided the most entertainment flexibility for both front and rear passengers.
  • gap2006gap2006 Member Posts: 20
    I just bought an '07 Escalade on 22s after having driven probably one of the best handling sedans made, the MB E500. I like to take tight turns and I like to feel the road somewhat. I can tell you that although the Escalade is not an E500, nor was it meant to be, it handles very very well, 1000 times better than my Ford Pickup and better than my wife Lexus GX. I can take curves pretty well and don't feel like I'm losing control. If you want a cushier ride or are mainly using the car for city driving with a lot of rough roads and pot holes then I would recommend the 20 or 18s. My cousin has the 20s and drives in the city all the time. I opted for the 22s because they look great and the ride is perfectly fine for suburban driving.

    I think that Edmunds's article is off base. Either they drove a lemon, or the writer is biased because no other review is consistent with it.

    Good luck. By the way my cousin has the gold mist and it is a beautiful color!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Click the "Feedback" link at the bottom of this page. Our editors love to hear from readers and appreciate the input.

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  • auto007auto007 Member Posts: 5
    Hi,

    Anyone have any ideas where to get 1 factory 22" Escalade 07 FACTORY wheel/tire? It appears according to my local dealer this is a special order item that takes 2 days to get updated on availablity that could be months?

    It's hard to believe this and any insight on how to obtain it faster would be great!

    I was also told that the tire is a problem as well...

    Thanks
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    Right now, most sources other than GM (like eBay) are only selling complete sets.

    This wheel option is in short supply at the factory because the percentage of vehicles being ordered with 22" wheels is several times more than GM anticipated. Good luck!

    Dave
  • gap2006gap2006 Member Posts: 20
    I just picked up a couple of parts for my '07 from an Ebay dealer. I don't know if he could help or not but I'll give you the link. I didn't see any wheels except for a whole set when I just checked but it wouldn't hurt to email him and tell him what you're looking for. Good luck.

    http://stores.ebay.com/Bill-Dodge-BMW-GMC-Pontiac-Buick_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ- 2d999QQftidZ2QQtZkm

    Greg
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    As promised, I am providing some comments on the new 403hp engine with 6spd tranny while towing.

    The total weight of the boat/trailer is 4200 lbs. Tongue weight is about 350 lbs (depends on fuel in boat).

    We went to a lake that's about 55 miles from home (Mother's Day outing). It required driving 20 miles on I-80 (over Donner Summit in the Sierra Nevada), and 30 miles on Hwy 20 to Nevada City. These roads are up and down, and Highway 20 has several 30 mph hairpins. There are several steep uphill and downhill grades, which RV's typically go 30mph floored (up).

    As indicated in my previous post, the reason I wanted the new GM was mostly because of the transmission. The previous GM 4 spds left much to be desired, since any uphills required 2nd gear, 4-5k rpm engine speeds to keep up with traffic.

    I'm am really happy about how the Caddy handles the hills. I usually would manually hold gears in the old GM's, but in the Caddy, I just put it in TOW mode, and it does some amazing things (IMO).

    Going UP, the tranny would find a gear that did not require more than 3500 rpms (staying around 60mph). This meant that I could still STOMP on it, and get the next lower gear to pass (up hill).

    Going DOWN, the tranny would dn-shift anytime you slowed down. The gear it will shift to depends on how much brake you are applying. On one stretch of brake smoking downhill, I would normally manually downshift into 2nd gear (old GM) just to maintain about 60. However, even with the trailer equiped with 4 whl discs, it would still require some brake pressue to maintain speed. The Caddy dn-shifted into a gear that kept the engine around 4k rpm, and I did not have to apply brakes.

    It was a little un-nerving to have it do this at first, but once I understood the relationship between braking pressure, and the auto dn-shifts, it was welcome. No more using the shift selector to control speeds up or down. The OLD GM's would do too much gear seeking in just tow-mode, and this was annoying. Also, the Caddy's shifts are not as harsh like the tow-mode in the old 4 spd.

    Dave

    <img src="http://home.pacbell.net/borwick/img_2301.jpg"
  • normalnormal Member Posts: 19
    Very nice looking vehicle. :)
  • sflemingsfleming Member Posts: 12
    awf axis,

    GREAT report. This is just what I was hoping to hear. I guess Detroit can still do a couple things right after all. ;=)

    Yer gonna have to git a new boat to go with that very cool truck man! :=))
  • bobryanbobryan Member Posts: 3
    I live in Orlando, Florida. I can't seem to get any good deals in on new cars in central Florida. The last three new model cars I purchase came from North Carolina and South Carolina. Please advise of any Cadillac dealers in the Southeast who sell large volumes at a small profit.
  • normalnormal Member Posts: 19
    I just took an 07 for a test drive, fully loaded including 22's. I was very impressed with the ride and power, I may be taking the plunge in the near future.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Check out the Cadillac Escalade: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion and get some free quotes under New Cars on the Edmunds.com page. There's also a Search Dealer Inventory tool if you drill down to the 2007 Cadillac Escalade Styles page.

    Steve, Host
  • carnutincacarnutinca Member Posts: 35
    You definately need to upgrade the vessel to keep up with the spankin' new E-slade. Very nice!
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A national news magazine is looking to interview college students who has &#147;pimped&#148; out his/her ride Have you tricked out your car with big rims, outrageous stereos, wild paint jobs, spoilers, ground effects, neon lights, nitrous, the works . Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Friday, June 9, 2006 by 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET containing your daytime contact information and the make and model of the car you&#146;ve &#147;pimped&#148; out.

    Thanks,
    Chintan Talati
    Corporate Communications
    Edmunds.com
  • sflemingsfleming Member Posts: 12
    Ooops, I Should Have Never Gone To See the GL 450 by sfleming Jun 13, 2006

    I was really jazzed on an '07 Escalade for the wife and I was going to get an EXT in a couple months. We've waited an extra year to replace our outdated rides for the new engine, tranny and style on the "07.

    Then we heard about the Mercedes GL 450. First I went to see it and was pretty impressed. I feared the wife would disdain its somewhat narrower and shorter (height) aspects. She hauls a lot of $%!# ! We live on a large ranch far from town and haul big loads of everything. Her family all drive Mercedes however and she knows they are good automobiles. She loved it. I loved it. I actually had more room in the front passenger seat than in my wifes expedition. (I'm 6'2" and 240 pounds) It was very quick. Quicker than the 'slade. It rode better and much quieter. The fittings and appointments are just about 100% superior to the american truck. The brakes were a whole nuther world to me. Holy Larry, Moe & Curly ! I didn't know 5500 pounds could stop that fast! With all the options we want compared to the same or near same on the Cadillac .... it's cheaper. The Mercedes will certainly have better resale value than the Cadillac. It has several options you can't get on the Escalade. Did I mention the thing is whisper quiet?

    The only thing we felt would be better on the Cadillac was cargo capacity. Nope. The poorly storing second row rear seats in the Escalade eat up any extra space and you don't get a flat floor no matter what you do or what kind of seats you get. Then there are the ridiculous third row seats you have to drag in and out if you use said third row. Mercedes disappear into the floor in 4 seconds. They're nicer seats too.

    I am now so ruined by my discovery of just what a Mercedes really IS .... I can't even get excited about the EXT. I've driven trucks all my life ... 40 years since I turned 16 and in my retirement I fancied myself tooling around in my very own caddy 'trucklette'. My dogs were all excited about getting to run from the truck bed to the back of my seat so they could snuffle my ears at will and then run outside and 'fly' down the road. How do I explain to them it may now never happen? Well .... at least the rear windows on the GL 450 go down all the way. hmmmmmmm his and hers GL 450s ? Why the ____ not?
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    I feel for you on the GL450 thing. Looking at build quality to its design inovations, it really is a nicely put together vehicle. There was a interesting comparison on the two machines in either Car & Driver, Motor Trend or Road & Track. Being a performance junkie, I find solace in the fact that the Cadillac did beat the GL450 in the 1/4 mile, even though it had slower 0-60 times.

    My main decision was based totally on an emotional point; the "cool factor". The GL looks too much like a large Toyota RAV 4. Certainly the wrong way to approach vehicle selection, but there you have it.

    I believe that German engineering is superior to most american counterparts (I have a BMW X3 too), but the better designs haven't translated into reliability. The JD Power comparison put Mercedes below Cadillac this year, which is quite a surprise. Last year, they were tied. (JD Power survey released earlier this month).
  • gap2006gap2006 Member Posts: 20
    I would just give you one caution, the electrical system and software. Having driven a Mercedes for the last 6 years before my '07 Escalade I have some experience with the brand. Mechanically, they are excellent as only a German car can be. My 2000 was great, no problems. Then came my 2003 in which they added a Nav system and variety of other gadgets in the console. After a year of trying, MB gave up and quietly recalled thousands of cars, including mine, and simply replaced them, no questions asked. Even with the new car there were numerous recalls involving brakes, transmission and electronics. Even as I was turning the car in there was nothing but static coming out of the speakers after pushing a button on my Nav system. These issues are common to thousands of vehicles, not just mine(in other words, I didn't have an isolated lemon). I don't have any idea if the GL has any of these issues but having been a loyal Mercedes owner I would check these aspects out before buying. I fully expect MB to resolve these problems over the next couple of years and will probably buy again. In the meantime, I have no problem supporting the USA and GM. Good luck whatever you decide.
  • escaladeviperescaladeviper Member Posts: 11
    I Hope Cadillac Escalade Hybrid gets the big one this time, this is an event in history.
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    I've heard about the "Hybrid" for Escalade, but for the life of me, I can't understand why. Are they going to do the same for the Hummer?

    Seems to me that people willing to pay $60k plus for a SUV, are not concerned about fuel economy, or the environment for that matter. Like putting a band-aid on a severed leg.

    The Escalade already weights in near 3 tons. Another 700 plus pounds of electric motor and batteries will put this truck into another classification.

    If you need good mileage in an SUV, buy a 3 row RAV4 or similar.

    I bought this monster for towing the boat and family camping trips (and to look "cool" while doing it). Otherwise, it sits in the garage.

    Dave
  • sflemingsfleming Member Posts: 12
    awf axis,

    Thanks. You always have good info and share it freely. On the 'German engeneering' thing: I'm sure that used to be true and of course it was coupled with the money factor. MB was always significantly more expensive than a Caddy or Lincoln. Now that they are trying to go head to head $ wise I suspect Daimler-Chrysler with there American plants are squeezing out a few thou per unit ( or squeezing into ) that they can put into every aspect of production. We appear anyway to be getting substantially more vehicle for the same dollar. There could also be some superior 'value engeneering' going on here that American Manufacturers cannot match. Don't really know.

    Now that my 'aquisition hormones' have dialed back a bit I would guess that the wife will get the GL and I'll still get the EXT cause I want an open bed. If my assesment of my previous post holds true over the first year of ownership I might dump the Caddy. Or if your warnings turn out to be prescient on the Benz I'll be a happy camper and she'll have to dump the Benz.

    It seems to be a crap shoot whatever you do. There's a new recall every week. Or more. Even the Japanese cannot maintain their quality and engeneering any more it seems.
  • escaladeviperescaladeviper Member Posts: 11
    Because cadillac has a new active fuel management now.
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    In your post about Hybrid and then Active Fuel Management, these two things are not related. The AFM is what the brochures call "Displacement on Demand", or DOD. This technology is in the Tahoe/Yukon line, and scheduled later for the 6.2 ltr engines in the Escalade Denali later this year.

    I'm a little wary of this technology. The negative comments regarding drivability and performance that has come from the Tahoe forum's kind of confirms my caution.

    There's going to be enough first year bugs coming from my impulse purchase, that I'm glad DOD isn't another thing to deal with.

    Dave
  • escy07escy07 Member Posts: 3
    I have 10,000 miles on my new 2007 escy and have experienced a "hesitaion" issue when decreaaseing speed into a corner and the hitting the pedal at low speeds. It seems idle is too low. I have brought it in 3 times for this issue. Caddy did have a bulletin about "rough" idle. It said to reprogram. After that was done 50% of the problem went away.. Is anyone else seeing this?
    any thoughts? ideas?
    Thanks
    JP from Ct
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    I've just broke 5000 miles, and don't have any mechanical issues. Some of the problems I initially posted went away, such as mirror whistle, rear-camera errors, seat latch failure, etc. What I still have problems with is the vibrating mirror at speeds above 40 and the rear DVD screen needing a tweak to re-light after stop-starting.

    Idle is fine, and putting the vehicle through stop/go/cornering acceleration all fine. I've put 1000 miles of towing on it as well, with hard up/down climbs to the lake(s) and back.

    Hopefully, your issue will be resolved without much grief, and isn't some flaw we will all face down the line.

    Dave
  • slw1slw1 Member Posts: 1
    I've had my 2007 Escalade for four months and have experienced problems twice now with the stabilitrac and traction control. My car was in for repairs for 15 days because the dealer could not get the part to fix the stabilitrac problem. The part would be located and before the dealer could get the O.K. to get it, the part would be gone...which makes me think this problem is widespread. Has anyone else had problems such as this?
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    You should obviously get whatever you want, but...

    The GL450 is just too much of a wagon to be considerred alongside the escallade. The brakes issue i totally understand, Cadillac's are fine, but they could add it in for marketing.

    However on Marketing the escallade has the image the GL will probably never have. While i have seen both i do not find the interrior of the MB to be better than the Escallade. The rear seats issue sucks, I agree. It is going to hurn GM in the long term, and they will either have to invest in an independand rear end to make the seats fold flat, or axe the whole platform due to fuel consumption.

    The new set of crossovers comming out will not help sales of GMT900's. I hope GM makes the rear independant, its one of the few things these trucks really lack.
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    The GL450 was in a recent comparison article in Motor Trend, which put the GL against the '07 Escalade and Range Rover. What was funny when I saw the pics in the magazine, I thought they were comparing a Toyota RAV4 to the Escalade and Range Rover. Mercedes hasn't found a design in this rendition that sets it apart from the crowd.

    From the comparison, the GL was found to be the overall winner, but I personally could never get over its econo styling.
  • escaladeviperescaladeviper Member Posts: 11
    Thet would be powerful.
  • toronado455toronado455 Member Posts: 83
    all LED marker/tail lights

    I was behind an '07 at a traffic light and noticed that the trademark Cadillac high-center stoplight that runs the width of the top of the rear end was only 30% functional. Only the middle 30% of the light actually had functioning LEDs in it. The rest of the light didn't light up. Was this particular Escalade defective or is this how it is designed? :confuse:
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    It's not defective, but certainly underscores GM's penny pinching ways. They probably saved $5.00 not putting in the whole line of LED's.

    I could understand if there is a legal restriction to the "brightness" or some other DOT consideration, but in that case, they shouldn't have made it appear like a defect.

    Dave
  • toronado455toronado455 Member Posts: 83
    Wow, that is so lame. :lemon: I'd like to hear the excuse GM gives for that one!

    If I had one of those I would want to modify it so that the otherwise non-functional left and right sides of it could be put to use as extra "high" turn signals! :shades:
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Hi, everyone. As you've probably noticed, we have been trying to refine the discussions into more narrowly focussed topics. Our objective is twofold. We want to make it easier for people seeking specific information about their vehicles to find it easily and without having to wade through hundreds or thousands of postings.

    To those ends, we will be shutting down the general make/model discussions and work exclusively with specific issues. This requires us to populate the make/model subsections with relevant, interesting and timely topics. Rather than having the hosts simply create boilerplate topics for each make/model, we feel that you, the owner, the make/model enthusiast and the prospective buyer can best judge what those topics should be.

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  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Please go to the group top level and create a discussion that fits your comments/questions or post in an existing discussion.

    Cadillac Escalade
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Enjoy!

    tidester, host
  • ckelly14ckelly14 Member Posts: 105
    I am comparing the Yukon Denali to the Escalade. The price difference between the models similarly equiped is about 10K- quite a bit. I want to know if there is anything I'll be missing if I go for the Yukon instead of the Caddy. I believe the Escalade sound system is surround sound and plays DVD-A discs, which is important to me, but I don't know if it's worth 10K. Anything else that I need to know?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Perhaps the Caddy will have higher resale?

    -mike
  • ggesqggesq Member Posts: 701
    Comparing apples to apples, the Cadillac has the "luxury" premium nameplate, an extra 23 hp, AWD vs. 4WD & 50k warranty vs. Yukon's 36k warranty. Don't know if it is worth 10k. That is up to you ;)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Im pretty sure the Denali (which is the one you'd be comparing to the escalade) has the same AWD system as the Escalade.

    -mike
  • ckelly14ckelly14 Member Posts: 105
    Denali has the same AWD system as the Caddy. The other Yukons have the manual 4WD system.
  • awf_axisawf_axis Member Posts: 136
    I had been a Denali owner since '01. I had an '01 and '05 Denali (std and then XL). When I heard the new generation was about to hit (end of 2005), I was only considering the '07 Denali. However, I ended up with the Escalade because of:

    1. HID headlights (Esc). The Yukon looks like a step backward with its front end. Although I know the previous generatation was NOT HID, I had replaced the 9005 lights with HID/Ballast kit. The "lens" style lights in the '01-'06 generation look more modern than the return to the old-style reflective lights on the '07 Denali.

    2. LED tail-lights and marker lights. Maybe minor in function, buy very chic in terms of current trends.

    3. A few more horses. I tow a boat all summer long, along with camping gear.

    4. Cooled seats (along with heated). Very nice during summer heat, especially with leather, and global warming.

    5. Longer warranty (at the time anyway). It has full-coverage for 4/50k. (The new 5/100k is not the same coverage, as it mostly covers the "hard goods").

    6. A little more style. The '07 Denali is hard to distinguish from the cheapo GMC Envoy.

    *** Is the worth the 10k? The lock was that I received quite a deal back in Feb '07... $100 under dealer invoice.

    Dave
  • gumpsgumps Member Posts: 17
    I just purchased an 07 Escalade. BLACK(important here). Only after purchasing it did I discover that the air conditioning vents do not point above neutral. They only point neutral to down. The Escalade is cavernous inside and heat rises to the top. When you drive the car and it's 100 outside everything above your neck up will be swelltering.

    How dumb were the engineers on this one! They probably never drove the car in the middle of summer. And, yes in the southwest it gets to 100 quite frequently especially in the desert.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    They only point neutral to down.

    Is it possible they were installed incorrectly?

    tidester, host
  • gumpsgumps Member Posts: 17
    Nope. Been to the dealer. Even the dealer owner commented about it. The air vent in every other car I have owned has deflection up and down. This one only goes neutral to down:( I hope GM sees this and comes out with a retro fit to resolve this. It's going to get really hot with a Black car in the summer!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I'm not ready to give up on the engineers yet! Do the vents rotate?

    tidester, host
  • gap2006gap2006 Member Posts: 20
    Hello,
    Congrats on the new Escalade. Just wanted to say I think you made the right choice color wise. I have the same exact one purchased in March 06 when first released and have about 10000 miles on it. It's been flawless in every way and all the tech gadgets work the way they are supposed to. As far as climate control, I already suffered through a long heat wave with temps above 100 and the AC performed flawlessly. You can start the car remotely and by the time you get in it it will have already cooled down considerably. Once you get in and blast the AC and ventilated seats you will be pretty cold. I never even noticed to AC vents although I know what you mean. Anyway, I look forward to your feedback as to how it actually performs in your area. Good luck.
  • escaladeviperescaladeviper Member Posts: 11
    No Hybrid Hummer, but GM President said in the next few years, the hummer brand will be on Biodiesel engines.

    that means all of the hummer's.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    H2 and H3

    H1 is discontinued as far as I know.

    -mike
  • escaladeviperescaladeviper Member Posts: 11
    Not to Mention the upcoming H3x, & H4.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Are "Real" hummers, just face-lifted versions of the Escalade/Yukon/Tahoe, Colorado, or the mini-van based Equinox. Pretty sad that "Hummer" is going to base a truck off a mini-van chassis.

    When I think Hummer, I'm thinking rough, tough, go-anywhere, unfortunately it's more associated with Rodeo Drive than real offroading these days. :(

    -mike
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