The 2017 Cadillac Escalade comes in two models one is the standard Escalade and the other is the Cadillac Escalade ESV (extended wheelbase). For this review, we will be covering the standard Escalade that comes in four trims i.e., base, Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum. All four trims come with a V8 engine and RWD configuration as standard while 4WD is available for $3,000 extra. The base trim starts at $73,395, the Escalade Luxury trim costs $78,395, the Escalade Premium Luxury trim is priced at $82,895, and the Cadillac Platinum trim is priced at $92,195.

As standard, the 2017 Cadillac Escalade is loaded with features and that is expected for an SUV that starts at over seventy grands. For this year, the Escalade adds features like parallel and perpendicular park assist, rearview camera mirror, and rear-seat reminders. The major difference between the base and the higher trims are driver-assist features, upgraded leather upholstery, bigger wheels, 9-inch fold-down screen for the rear entertainment system, and a few more. 

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The Cadillac Escalade is a big SUV and piloting one can be a task, especially in tight city traffic. Keeping that in mind we suggest picking the Luxury trim that costs five grand extra over the base trim but adds a host of driver-assist features, more comfortable rear seats, rearview camera mirror, etc. These features make it a lot easier to live with this mammoth SUV without costing a bomb.

"Escalade has no problem accelerating to highway speeds or passing slower traffic. Throttle response is immediate, and the braking performance is reassuring and predictable." - Edmunds

2017 Cadillac Escalade Engine and Transmission

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade is powered by a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that churns out 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of gargantuan torque. All that power is channeled to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. For a small premium over the base price, you can also upgrade to a 4WD configuration.

The engine has a lot of grunt for a more than 5,500 pounds SUV and despite its heft, the V8 motor builds up speed very well. That said, the column shifter feels a little out of place inside a premium SUV that costs north of seventy grands. Although the gearbox does its job well and shifts smoothly, always keeping you in the powerband.

Except for the Range Rover that costs around $12,000 more than the Escalade, the rest of the SUVs are cheaper than it. The Escalade is the only SUV that comes with a naturally aspirated V8 engine while the rest of the rivals comes with a turbocharged or supercharged V6. None can match the power produced by the big V8 of the Escalade although the Lincoln Navigator churns out a similar 460 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbo V6.

2017 Cadillac Escalade Acceleration

The V8-powered Cadillac Escalade is no slouch and goes from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds while it covers the quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds. Despite its above 5,500 pounds curb weight the Cadillac Escalade is quick to build pace and manages to remain the fastest SUV among its rivals.

As for the rivals only the 362-hp, twin-turbo V6-powered Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 was able to match the 0-60 mp timing of the Escalade although it was one-tenth of a second slower than the Escalade to cover the quarter-mile. 

2017 Cadillac Escalade Ride and Handling

The Cadillac Escalade is based on a pick-up truck that surely rides harsh compared to its rivals, especially with the 22-inch alloy wheels that are standard from the Luxury trim. Although Cadillac has given the Magnetic Ride Control suspension system to mitigate the stiff ride quality, the same is not reflected in the real world. 

Being a voluptuous SUV, the Escalade is not particularly easy to handle but the high seating position and the commanding view do help in driving around town. The steering provides good feedback although it remains on the heavier side even at parking speeds. Due to its massive size, the Escalade exhibits a lot of body roll going around the corner and is best not driven hard around corners.

2017 Cadillac Escalade Braking

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade gets 17-inch rotors both at the front and the rear. The braking in the Escalade feels sure-footed and the 5,594 pounds SUV stops from 60-0 mph in just 127 feet. Although the Cadillac Escalade gets the biggest brake rotors among the rivals its heavier curb weight ensured that it took longer than the rivals to come to a halt.

The Lincoln Navigator is the heaviest SUV here and took the longest distance to stop from 60 mph, the Navigator took 5 feet more than the Escalade. The Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 that comes with the smallest brakes took the least 111 feet which is 16 feet less than what the Escalade took to brake from 60-0 mph.

2017 Cadillac Escalade Towing Capacity

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade powered by the 420 hp V8 engine has an 8,300 pounds of towing capacity for the RWD version. Due to the added weight of the 4WD, the Escalade 4WD can only tow up to 8,100 pounds. 

Among the rivals, the Lincoln Navigator has the highest towing capacity and it can tow 700 pounds more than the Escalade while the Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 has the lowest towing capacity among all.

The V8-powered RWD Cadillac Escalade has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 15 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 17 mpg combined. With the 4WD configuration, the highway gas mileage takes a two mpg hit. Even though it is a heavy SUV that is powered by a big V8 the gas mileage is respectable for the most part. Cadillac has given the Escalade a big 26-gallon fuel tank so that you can go on long drives without worrying about frequent gas stops.

Weighing under 5,000 pounds the Range Rover is the lightest SUV among all and thus delivers the highest gas mileage. Compared to the Escalade the Range Rover returns 2 mpg more in the city and 1 mpg more on the highway. The Lincoln Navigator is heavier than the Escalade but its efficient V6 engine manages to return a similar gas mileage as the Escalade 4WD. 

"As big as the Cadillac might seem on the outside, it's surprising that the interior doesn't feel extraordinarily spacious. "- Edmunds

2017 Cadillac Escalade Seating and Comfort

The Cadillac Escalade interior uses a generous dose of high-quality material and top-notch craftsmanship. The overall layout of the dash is simple while the tumbler-shaped center console looks busy. The column-mounted gear-shifter although looks odd it does free up a lot of space in the center and below the dash. As standard, the first two rows get leather-trimmed seats while the Platinum trim gets semi-aniline leather-trimmed seats for the first two rows. The Cadillac Escalade comes with seating for either 7 with second-row bucket seats or 8 passengers with second-row bench seats.

Irrespective of the trim you choose, the Escalade's seats offer a good amount of comfort and support. The seats are well-padded and the front seats offer 12-way adjustment and 4-way power lumbar control. The front seats also offer heating and ventilation and can sense the ambient condition to automatically heat or cool the seats to ensure optimum comfort. The first two rows as evident from the big dimension offer a generous amount of head, shoulder, and legroom but the third row feels cramped. 

Except for the Range Rover that comes with only two-row seats all the other SUVs here offer three-row seats. Among them, the Lincoln Navigator which is the longest SUV among all has the most spacious cabin. The Navigator offers class-leading legroom in all three rows while the Escalade comes with better shoulder room among all courtesy of its more than 80-inches of width. 

2017 Cadillac Escalade Infotainment System

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade infotainment system is an 8-inch full-color LCD touchscreen that runs on the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) interface. The CUE infotainment system is loaded with features and is easy to use courtesy of the physical control as the touchscreen is a bit laggy and could be a task to operate while on the move. Costing upwards of $70,000 Cadillac has offered a 16-speaker BOSE surround sound system, Bluetooth, CD/MP3 player, Teen Driver Setting, OnStar services, navigation, etc right from the base trim.

Opting for the Premium Luxury trim gets you a rear entertainment system that comes with a 9-inch fold-down screen, 2 wireless headphones, and 2 USB ports, the same is available as an option on the Luxury trim. The top of the line Platinum trim replaces the fold-down screen with two 7-inch screens located on the backside of the front seat headrests. 

Interior Features

• Heated and cooled front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Tri-zone climate control
• Available rear camera mirror
• Available second-row bucket seats w/ power-release fold-and-tumble
• Available leather-wrapped instrument panel

2017 Cadillac Escalade Cargo Capacity

The 203.9-inches long Cadillac Escalade offers only 15.2 cubic feet of cargo space with all the seats up. The same can be increased to 51.6 cubic feet by folding down the third-row seats and goes up to a maximum of 94.2 cubic feet with all the seats folded. The cargo space on offer isn't the best on the Escalade even though it is the second-longest SUV among the rivals.

Speaking of the rivals, the Lincoln Navigator is the longest SUV and that reflects in it having around 2.9 cubic feet of more cargo space behind the third row compared to the Escalade. While as we go to the cargo space behind the second and first row the gap widens to 2.8 cubic feet and 9.1 cubic feet respectively. 

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade is a big SUV with a tremendous road presence measuring 203.9-inches in length with 116-inches between the front and rear wheels. The Escalade was last redesigned in 2015 and design-wise it was already way ahead of its time, so Cadillac hasn't felt the need to update the exterior. The huge chrome-tipped cascading grille, jeweled-like swept-back LED headlights, and L-shaped fog lamps together compose the front fascia.

The rear profile will make you aware of the 74.4-inches height and 8.0-inches ground clearance of the Escalade while the big square wheel arches are filled with 20-inch alloy wheels. Moving to the rear you get full-length vertically-stacked LED taillights with a big rear glass. That said, the Escalade is based on a truck and due to that, you have a higher than usual boot lid.

Dimensionwise none of the SUVs are a match to Lincoln Navigator's massive length and height. Compared to the Navigator, the Escalade is 3.5-inches smaller and 3.7-inches shorter. The Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 is the widest and has the longest wheelbase while the Range Rover has the highest ground clearance among all which is 0.7-inches more than Escalade's ground clearance. Compared to the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450, the Escalade is 3.8-inches less wide and has a 5.1-inches shorter wheelbase.

Exterior Features:

• Active aero grille shutter
• Side steps
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Available Sunroof
• Available 22-inch alloy wheels

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade faired decently in the crash test carried out by the NHTSA while the IIHS is yet to crash-test it. The NHTSA gave the 2017 Escalade an overall rating of four out of five stars. The NHTSA rated the front crash test of Escalade at four stars, the side crash test at five stars, and the rollover mitigation was given three out of five stars. Although we feel the higher trims that are equipped with advanced driver-assist features and better front crash avoidance systems will score higher ratings in the crash test.

Safety features

• Front and rear park assists
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Traction Control System (TCS)
• Stabiltrak Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Available Adaptive cruise control
• Available Blind-zone alert
• Available Lane keep assist w/ lane departure warning
• Available automatic high beam

2017 Cadillac Escalade vs 2017 Lincoln Navigator

The 2017 Lincoln Navigator is the arch-rival of the Cadillac Escalade and costs around six grand less than it. The Cadillac Escalade comes with a more powerful V8 engine that helps it beat the twin-turbo V6-powered Navigator in both the 0-60 mph and quarter-mile runs.

But that's where the Navigator starts to outweigh the Escalade by offering more towing capacity, a spacious cabin, and bigger cargo space. Being a full-size SUV space, practicality, and towing capacity are the prime concerns of the buyers and in all these parameters the Navigator beats the Escalade by a margin.

2017 Cadillac Escalade vs 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 that costs five grand less than the Cadillac Escalade is no match in terms of road presence and sheer size of the Escalade. The GLS 450 is powered by a twin-turbo V6 which puts out far less power and torque figures but helps it match the 0-60 mph timing of the Escalade courtesy of the lower curb weight of the GLS 450. The GLS 450 has better stopping power and is more fuel-efficient than the Escalade.

That's not all, when you come inside the GLS 450, it may not be that generous in terms of legroom in the first two rows compared to the Escalade but it does have a spacious third-row and similar cargo capacity. Even when it is shorter in length compared to the Escalade. Coming to the dimension, the GLS 450 may not be as imposing as the Escalade but it remains easier to drive in the urban traffic compared to the mammoth Escalade.

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade lives on the idea of being big, bold, and beautiful. The Escalade has a tremendous road presence, a powerful V8 engine under its hood, and decent gas mileage numbers. If you consider only the first two rows then you can say the Escalade is a spacious SUV but move to the third row and you would realize why we can't say it has a spacious cabin overall. Another complaint with the Escalade is its smaller cargo space behind the third row even when it is more than 200-inches long. But a typical Escalade buyer is for the most part smitten by the plush cabin, the massive road presence, commanding view of the road, and a big fat V8 engine. So if you fall In that category then the Escalade is a perfect match for you otherwise you are better of with either the Lincoln Navigator or the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class.