Reading our review of the 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum, you might get the sense that we think the Cadillac of full-size luxury SUVs is dated. Nevertheless, the Escalade continues to sell in decent numbers this late in the SUV’s lifecycle, producing easy profit for General Motors.
That story was the same for the 1999 Escalade, which was based on the GMC Yukon Denali, which itself was based on the less expensive Chevrolet Tahoe.
“Cadillac was caught by surprise,” we wrote in the review of the 1999 Escalade. “Surprise that the Lincoln Navigator (basically a gussied-up Ford Expedition) would be successful enough to knock Cadillac out of first place in domestic luxury vehicle sales for the first time in history. The battlefield response of the ‘Standard of the World’? We need an SUV of our own — fast!”
The 1999 Escalade distinguished itself from the other large GM SUVs with a better basic warranty, better quality leather, and unique foam density in the seat cushions. The 5.7-liter V-8 making 255 horsepower and the four-speed automatic transmission were the same in the Cadillac and GMC, which we actually called “the full-blown Cadillac of luxo/utes” in an earlier issue.
When the 2002 Escalade arrived, it was clear Cadillac actually made an effort to differentiate the Escalade from the GMC Yukon Denali. We called the styling of the second-generation Escalade “a little too ‘in your face’ for us” but had no problems with the then-Cadillac exclusive 345-horsepower 6.0-liter V-8 that accelerated from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds, quicker by two seconds over the previous model.
“Anyone can claim to make the most luxurious, best equipped, techno-packed sport/utility, but they’ve really done it with this Escalade,” we said about the 2002 model.
Those who found the 2002 Escalade too slow were always welcome to head into SVC’s shop for a supercharged upgrade good for a claimed 500 horsepower and 535 pound-feet of torque.
By the time it was time to introduce the third-generation Escalade, the luxury SUV market was exploding. Cadillac responded with the most refined Escalade yet, and in 2009, the brand introduced a variant that sent the price close to $90,000. The Escalade Platinum Hybrid used a 6.0-liter V-8 and the hybrid motors for better efficiency. On the Platinum model, we said “the LED headlamps make the base Escalade’s HIDs seem dim as halogens” in 2009.
“In today’s economy, the Lexus,” we wrote about the 2009 model, “the Range Rover, even the Benz GL as well as the Escalade all are over the top. If you’re going to go there, the Cadillac’s quality and luxury is unsurpassed.”
Age has not been kind to the current Escalade. The Cadillac has a third row (not present at all in the 1999 SUV) that doesn’t fold flat into the floor like other competitors and the steering column is a tilting but not telescoping unit.
“Though the Escalade remains something of a blast from the past,” we write in our review of a 2011 Cadillac, “it still has plenty of cool — at least enough that you won’t look lame towing your cigarette boat to the dock.”
So the Escalade still looks cool and has a 7600-pound towing capacity. Will its reputation be enough to sustain sales until updates arrive? What do you think?