Base price: $52,280
As tested: $67,375
6.2-liter, 403-horsepower V8
13 city/19 highway
More info: www.cadillac.com
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The crucial question for the 2007 Escalade: Does bigger mean better? Our black tester came riding on 22-inch chrome wheels that looked like a million bucks, and on a vehicle this size, smaller rims would look terrible. The new Caddy sports enough chrome to make Ludacris feel underdressed, and it's little wonder the Escalade is the unofficial ride of the hip-hop generation. New design elements like the sharply angled, oversized grill and headlight treatment take a while to get used to, but they also work with the modern angular feel of the Cadillac lineup, from the CTS to the Escalade. The cosmetic chrome accent front fender ports look surprisingly nice, while perhaps the coolest exterior feature of the vehicle happens when you open the door and the side-step rails magically appear -- and it's more necessity than luxury, considering the height of this baby.
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Headroom is disappointing, especially considering the size of the '07 Escalade. But the complaints stop there with this first-class interior. Plush leather overstuffed front bucket seats fit comfortably while offering enough support for aggressive driving. Second row bucket seats treat backseat passengers like VIPs, and there is a third row bench seat for three. Generous use of faux wood trim looks great and the flat polished accent materials blend together well to create a warm, sophisticated cabin. For a vehicle of the sizable girth of the Caddy, you will definitely want to check off the information package option that gives you the navigation system and -- more importantly -- the rearview camera, which will make parking this monster a less scary proposition.
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This is where the new Escalade earns its props. Based on an all-new platform, the '07 is a faster, more responsive ride then ever. The new chassis offers nearly 50 percent better rigidity, which will come in handy when you are pushing the red on the new 6.2-liter V8. The new motor churns out more than 400 horsepower, and actually makes this huge SUV feel not so huge. The baritone exhaust note is a nice combination of bark and bite, propelling the nearly 5,800 pound truck to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds (it covers the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds while hitting 95 mph). Driving in town, the Escalade seems to float, but we would rather have that than an overly rigid ride.
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With its street cred intact, there is plenty of room in the back to get busy.
-- text by Chad Doering |
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