2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Review
2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Review





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Edmunds' Expert Review

byDan Frio
Reviews Editor
Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to Edmunds, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.
Pros
- Strong V8 engine never lacks for power
- Cabin remains quiet and serene on any type of road
- Seats up to eight passengers
- Tows up to 8,100 pounds
Cons
- Ride quality is less refined than that of some other luxury SUVs
- Sheer size requires careful maneuvering in tight quarters
- High cargo floor hinders easy luggage and cargo loading
- Infotainment interface isn't always intuitive
What’s new
For 2018, the Cadillac Escalade ESV gets a 10-speed transmission. The new transmission helps the Escalade ESV accelerate a bit more quickly and, according to EPA estimates, increases highway fuel efficiency slightly.
Vehicle overview
With undeniable road presence and luxury cachet, the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV offers an admirable skill set. Its chiseled design is bold and distinctive, and it adds brawn to its beauty with a powerful V8 engine, traditional body-on-frame construction, and an ability to tow up to 8,100 pounds. Being the long-wheelbase version with enhanced passenger and cargo room, the ESV can accommodate eight passengers with exceptional room and comfort.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV 4dr SUV (6.2L 8cyl 10A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.92 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
$271/mo for Escalade ESV Base
Escalade ESV Base
vs
$238/mo
Avg. Large SUV
Those truck-based underpinnings come back to haunt the Escalade, however: It rides rougher than most other luxury SUVs (not helped any by massive 20- and 22-inch wheels). Other rivals are also easier to live with every day and achieve better fuel economy, even if they lack the Escalade's power and capabilities. But if you need to ferry several passengers in grand style, and maybe even pull an Airstream trailer while doing it, the Escalade ESV is among the best.
Edmunds' Expert Rating
7.0 / 10Not many luxury SUVs can accommodate eight passengers, tow an 8,000-pound trailer, and still have room for luggage. The 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV can do that and more. But compared to SUVs of similar price, the Escalade doesn't quite offer the same refinement or ease of use.
Trim tested
Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum(6.2L V8 | 10-speed automatic | 4WD).
Scorecard
Overall | 7.0 / 10 |
Driving | 7.0 |
Comfort | 7.0 |
Interior | 7.0 |
Utility | 7.0 |
Technology | 7.5 |
Driving
7.0Big V8 power is the primary driver of the Escalade's performance. The 10-speed transmission shifts smoothly and even rev-matches downshifts, but the Escalade is too big to be a competent handler.
Acceleration
7.0The 6.2-liter V8 engine is responsive and torquey, and it sounds good as the revs rise. Thanks to the Escalade's robust power and quick-shifting 10-speed transmission, 0-60 mph comes in at under 7 seconds. The engine's responsiveness is one of the Escalade's high points.
Braking
6.0For a vehicle of this size, you shouldn't expect braking performance like a sport car's. The pedal has a long travel with a slow and gradual buildup of brake pressure. There's no initial grabbiness, which may reduce confidence.
Steering
6.0There's no on-center feel, very little feedback, minimal self-centering, and a slow steering ratio. That means you have to wind the wheel a lot to get it to turn. On the plus side, the Escalade is responsive to inputs, with moderate weighting. You just can't tell what the front tires are doing.
Handling
6.0The Escalade has low cornering limits, even among other full-size SUVs. The adjustable dampers keep body motions under control, up to a point. Sport mode stiffens the ride and decreases body roll, but the ride gets overly rough on bumpy roads. The Escalade is big and you can't escape physics.
Drivability
7.5The Escalade's powertrain is responsive, particularly in Sport mode. The 10-speed transmission tends to skip gears, simulating a traditional five- or six-speed automatic, so there's less hunting around. Due to the Escalade's weight, though, nothing happens particularly quickly.
Off-road
6.5The transfer case features a true low range and an auto mode to allow the front axle to engage as needed. Airing down is not recommended for more grip due to the low-profile tires. It's no rock crawler, but it can tackle aggressive terrain. Its size and maneuverability are its biggest issues.
Comfort
7.0Oddly, ride comfort, once a Cadillac strength, suffers noticeably in the Escalade. The excellent massaging seats in our Platinum-trim tester helps the balance, but there's no avoiding the fact that many competitors do better for the same or less money.
Seat comfort
8.0Although the padding and general contouring of the seats are comfortable, you can feel the stitching in the upper seatback. The seat bottom is wide with no bolstering, so it feels like you're in your dad's old recliner. You frequently find yourself shifting around to straighten your posture.
Ride comfort
6.0The adjustable shocks work well on smooth rolling roads, but they get overwhelmed on bumps in quick succession. And they're ineffective against square-edge bumps, such as the choppy conditions on concrete highways. You can occasionally feel the solid axle jiggling around on certain bumpy roads.
Noise & vibration
7.0For the most part, the Escalade's interior is a quiet place since active noise cancellation keeps the bulk of noise at bay. Road noise sneaks in over coarse road surfaces, and certain impacts are out of sync with the active noise cancellation system causing boominess. The cabin is vibration-free.
Climate control
8.0The three-zone climate control can be adjusted via the touchscreen or by capacitive-touch buttons. Front passengers get seat ventilation and heating, while the second-row seats get heating only. The system is quiet and works well.
Interior
7.0Aside from the infotainment system, the rest of the interior is a nice place to while away the miles. The only real issues are the compromises made to the floor of the cabin and third-row seats to accommodate the solid rear axle and non-sliding second-row seats.
Ease of use
7.0The primary controls are easy to use. The infotainment software is adequate, but the buttons around the display are laggy and lack the haptic feedback of the lower buttons. The glossy infotainment stack shows fingerprints and glare.
Getting in/getting out
7.0Even with large door apertures and automatically retracting steps, getting in and out of the Escalade is like climbing two steps of tall stairs. The power-operated tumbling second-row seats allow easy access to the third row.
Driving position
7.0The power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and adjustable pedals allow both short and tall drivers to drive the Escalade comfortably. The reach to the infotainment system, particularly the passenger-side buttons on the center console, requires a stretch even for taller drivers.
Roominess
7.0The inside of the Escalade is generous, with ample shoulder room, leg- and headroom for first- and second-row passengers. The third row is limited by its high floor and so-so legroom. The Lincoln Navigator's third row is much better.
Visibility
6.5The front and driver's side provide excellent visibility but, due to the vehicle's size, views to the rear and to the passenger side are restricted. Quarter-view blind spots are large due to wide pillars. The surround-view camera's display is low-res and distorted, but it's better than nothing.
Quality
7.0The Escalade is well-built, and parts sharing of switches and touchpoints from the Suburban is the only real sore point. The materials quality is noticeably better for the front seats versus the rear seats. The hard plastic used in some areas of the interior feels cheap.
Utility
7.0This is the realm of the full-size SUV, and the Escalade is about average. We would gladly give up the standard, somewhat tepid, center console cooler for more storage space. An oversight is any towing-friendly tech, found in other GM products, on this otherwise capable platform.
Small-item storage
6.0A standard cooler takes up all the space in the center console. Two slim areas, in front of the cool box and in front of the cupholders, are barely enough for cables. Dual-tier door pockets alleviate the issue. The lower pocket is large, while the upper pocket is partially blocked by the armrest.
Cargo space
7.0With its rear seats folded down, the Escalade ESV can hold up to 120.1 cubic feet of cargo. Cargo height is limited due to a high load floor, and loading bulky and heavy items is difficult due to its deep reach-over. More tie-down points are needed.
Child safety seat accommodation
7.5A car seat can be installed in any of the rear seat positions. Because the second row doesn't slide, installing a seat in that row will prevent entry to the third row from that side. All anchor points are clearly labeled and easily accessible.
Towing
7.0Two-wheel-drive models can tow 8,100 pounds; four-wheel-drive models can tow 7,900 pounds. Tow mode holds gears longer and keeps revs higher for better acceleration and more engine braking. The adjustable suspension keeps the body level for steady handling. But there's no trailer brake controller.
Technology
7.5Lack of top-level driver's aids is the Escalade's only real fault. For instance, where's Cadillac's Super Cruise on this otherwise great road-trip hauler? Otherwise, the CUE haptic touch feedback system suffers only because of its gloss-black finish and lack of a dedicated audio-source select button.
Audio & navigation
7.0The surround-sound audio system has a crisp and full sound to it. But the navigation system seems a generation behind. You'll have smoother functionality via smartphone mirroring. The rear-seat entertainment system has dual headrest-mounted screens and dual overhead screens.
Smartphone integration
9.0Bluetooth, auxiliary-in and three USB ports that support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard. There's a 12-volt outlet for the front and a 12-volt outlet and 110-volt plug in the second row. A wireless charging pad is on the center armrest.
Driver aids
7.0Adaptive cruise, lane departure warning, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all standard features on the Platinum. For the most part, they work well. But lane departure warning comes on later than expected, and the auto-parking feature requires a lot of room.
Voice control
7.0Cadillac's own voice control system is satisfactory, but you'll have an easier time using your smartphone's voice controls.
Which Escalade ESV does Edmunds recommend?
All versions of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV come with the same powerful V8, sophisticated suspension and unmistakable styling. To get the best features on the inside, we suggest going with the Premium Luxury trim. You'll get desirable extras from the lower Luxury trim, such as blind-spot monitoring and forward collision mitigation, with the Premium Luxury's rear entertainment system and adaptive cruise control.
2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV models
The 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV is a full-size luxury SUV available in four trim levels: base, Luxury, Premium Luxury and Platinum. The base trim comes with a dizzying array of equipment, but the Premium Luxury and Platinum take this big, plush American machine to a whole different level.
The base trim is generously appointed both inside and out. Standard features include a 6.2-liter V8 engine (420 horsepower, 460 pound-feet), a 10-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive (four-wheel drive is optional on every trim), 20-inch wheels, an adaptive suspension, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, an automatic parking system, a hands-free power liftgate and remote start.
Inside the cabin, you'll find tri-zone automatic climate control, a heated and power-adjustable steering wheel, power-adjustable pedals, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, heated rear seats, and power-folding split third-row seats.
Standard electronic features include the CUE infotainment interface with an 8-inch touchscreen, OnStar with 4G in-vehicle Wi-Fi, a surround-view camera system, a customizable gauge cluster, a navigation system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Bose 16-speaker audio system with satellite radio, five USB ports and a wireless device charger.
For additional driver aids and more plush equipment, the Luxury trim adds 22-inch wheels, a sunroof, automatic high beams, power-folding second-row seats, a head-up display, a camera-based rearview mirror system in which the rearview mirror is a screen displaying what the camera sees behind the vehicle. It also includes a blind-spot monitoring system, lane departure warning and intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward collision warning and mitigation with automatic braking.
Our recommended trim, the Premium Luxury, hits the sweet spot with the above features plus adaptive cruise control, a rear entertainment system with a Blu-ray player and two overhead-mounted displays, adaptive cruise control, and a more advanced collision mitigation system with both forward and reverse automatic braking.
The most lavish Escalade ESV is the Platinum trim, which adds power-retracting side steps, upgraded power front seats with massaging function, upgraded leather upholstery, a cooled front-seat center console, and two more rear entertainment screens (mounted in the front headrests) with the ability to display individual video sources, for times when your passengers can't agree on what to watch.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV.
5 star(39%)
4 star(7%)
3 star(14%)
2 star(4%)
1 star(36%)
28 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
1 out of 5 stars
Stay Away, Transmission complete garbage
bbtx1987, 10/18/2019
2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV Luxury 4dr SUV 4WD (6.2L 8cyl 8A)
We bought our 2016 Escalade ESV new 3.5 years ago and have been PLAGUED with issues. Drove it off the lot and brought it back within 3 weeks complaining of rough transmission shifting at low speeds, steering wheel vibrations and a whining noise at high speeds. Car always 'within spec' so nothing the dealer could do. If we would of just returned the dang thing. Since then, we've had the … car in over 12 times complaining about the transmission alone. I've also had to have the rear HVAC controls replaced twice for controls not responding and rear seat warmers turning on by themselves, drivers seat replaced for failing controls, steering week column replaced, rear lift gate motor replaced as it died, the battery died and stranded me, rear shocks leaking and replaced at 33k miles, wood paneling replaced from bending out of place, lane assist recalibrated.... And the kicker... all those times I complained about the transmission, I had GUNK in the transmission fluid at 33k miles - that needed replaced. Now we are ditching this hunk of junk for something more reliable given we believe the transmission is faulty and irreversibly damage given we've been complaining since we drove the car off the lot.
DO NOT WASTE YOU MONEY, we are pissed at the quality of this crap GM product with how much we spent. We filed a complaint with GM and they just wanted to 'assist us with getting it fixed with the dealer.' Thanks, but no thanks. I can schedule taking my car into the dealer for the 20+ time on my own, as I have for the entire 3.5 years we've owned the thing. Worst car I've ever owned - never had this many issues on my other cars combined!
3 out of 5 stars
Transmission shifting is still not great.
Griselda C. Gaytan, 03/22/2017
2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV Luxury 4dr SUV 4WD (6.2L 8cyl 8A)
My husband and I have purchased brand new GM vehicles for many years now. Needles to say we have invested a great deal of money in our trucks and suvs. In 2015 we decided to purchase a 2016 Cadillac ESV because we liked the look of it. Well, not everything that glitters is gold, that's for sure!! Shortly after purchasing we started noticing the shifting was rough, the gears shift so … rough all the passengers feel the rough shifting especially when taking off and on and off during a ride. The roughness of the shifting gets worse after time. As the problem with the shifting gets worse and worse the truck eventually won't even turn on, it just goes dead. We had to use cables to start it up so we could drive it to the agency and hope it would not leave us stranded. We expected so much more from a Cadillac vehicle being that our investment was a total of 94,000 dollars. The truck has been in the shop a total of six (6) times and it almost feels as if I've been driving a loaner more than my vehicle. Our family loves to take road trips in the summer months but we we have not been able to take summer road trips since we do not trust this truck to keep our family safe. We have no faith in Cadillac products and will never, EVER invest in Cadillac again!! We contacted GM to informed them of our concerns and expected GM to stand by their product but the best they could do was inform us that the shifting pattern is a new one with these new Cadillacs and the customers are not used to it. Whaaat??? No vehicle that we have ever driven shifts as rough and in such unpredictable patterns as this Cadillac ESV. Plus every time we get our vehicle back and new parts such as , gear box, are replaced and computer is reprogrammed it rides much better but eventually the problem starts once again until it gets so bad it eventually goes dead again!
We will be trading this useless piece of JUNK for a real quality suv. Obviously GM does not care enough about their customers to keep them satisfied. Never Again!!
It's been a while since my first review and a lot has changed.
After filing the lemon law documents through the BBB and getting our lawyer involved GMC offered to exchange our vehicle for any other vehicle we wanted.
We paid a fee of approximately 10,000 dollars which in the lemon law is called a usage fee. The usage fee is basically what you have to pay for the time the vehicle was used based on a formula.
We chose another Cadillac Escalade ESV.
it was great at first but now just two months and a half driving the vehicle we are starting to notice the modulator acting up. We will be calling the agency to get it serviced. This truck is much, much better. We are hoping it just needs adjustment.
The interior assembly of this new 2017 model seems to be much sturdier since I don't hear rattling of panels like with the last one. It's too soon to tell though.
If you are thinking of spending high dollar on a luxury vehicle I don't recommend it. Try Lexus or Range Rover.
5 out of 5 stars
My dream vehicle!
Cindy W., 01/28/2020
2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Premium Luxury 4dr SUV 4WD (6.2L 8cyl 10A)
If you're looking for a great ride, a ton of bells and whistles and a stylish vehicle, you're going to love owning an Escalade. This SUV has everything, hiding spots for your belongings, USB ports everywhere, 120v plugin, a ton of Bose speakers and so much more.
The camera system is amazing! When I flip up my rear view mirror I see traffic behind me. When I pull into my garage I … still get the 360 view to make sure that I'm over enough and in far enough.
My only issue, and this is a me issue is that this is sooo much bigger than the Tahoe I came from. This one is a beast ;o) so I'm having problems pulling into parking spots still, but with time, I'm sure that I'll nail it.
1 out of 5 stars
Last Cadillac I will own
22jrm, 06/16/2016
2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV Luxury 4dr SUV 4WD (6.2L 8cyl 8A)
Purchased a $90,000 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV only to find engine coolant on garage floor. Ended up finding out engine was sent out of the factory with bad left engine head. Ended up with motor of the Brand new engine stripped down to motor block in small town GM shop with parts laying all around to be fixed. Asked Cadillac to exchange vehicle since I will never trust this engine and … didn't not purchase used or refurbished and told warranty fixed it and that is all they will do. So I spent all this money to have a dependable family vehicle thinking I had the best customer support since it was Cadillac. I was wrong.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV, so we've included reviews for other years of the Escalade ESV since its last redesign.
2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV video
[MUSIC PLAYING] ELANA SCHERR: Cadillac practically invented the luxury SUV when it first introduced the Escalade. It has always been a car that can make you feel like this even when you're just doing this. Can the 2018 Escalade still impress? There's only one way to find out. [MUSIC PLAYING] If you have the kind of lifestyle where you regularly need to carry around more than five people and you are not into the minivan, well, you don't have a whole lot of choices. There's the Yukon and the Suburban. But if you want to dress it up a little, there's basically just the Lincoln Navigator and the Escalade. The number one thing that I like most about it is the way that it looks on the outside. The fact that it hasn't changed that much, that it's still this maybe even slightly outdated giant box-- but I mean, Bentley doesn't change the way that the cars look because they're like, we're so good that we're just going to keep doing this. And I feel like the Escalade is a little bit like that too. The second best thing about a Cadillac Escalade is the power plan. It's got a 6.2-liter V8. It sounds really good. It has great power. It has a really good tip-in, that first initial burst of power when you first get on the gas. See, like that. You wouldn't think that a truck would move when you do that when it weighs so much, but it does. And it ran a 14.8 quarter-mile time when they tested it at the track, which honestly is about on par with what muscle cars in the '60s ran. So that's pretty impressive. But even if it was twice that, you still wouldn't have any problem merging on freeways because this thing is so intimidating. People move out of your way. In 2018, Cadillac put the 10-speed automatic into the Escalade. That's pretty much the same transmission that you're going to find in Chevrolet and Ford, that they're all coming from the same place. And it's a really good transmission. Sometimes these super multi-speed transmissions are always looking for somewhere else to be. In this car, it's very well-tuned. It doesn't constantly drop gears trying to find you something better. And you really only notice that you have 10 gears if you floor it in a straight line and wait for it to go through all of them, and then it's a little bit slower than you would like. Breaking in the Escalade is a lot better than you would expect it to be. I mean, again, it's this super heavy truck, and it's not something that you would want to go autocrossing in. It will absolutely bring it down to a stop. The 60-to-zero, when they tested it at the track, they said was completely in line with other vehicles that are this size and this weight. Calvin, who was testing it, told me that he wishes that the brakes were a little grabbier just at the beginning because it's nice to have that reassurance that they are about to stop you, but they do stop you. It just comes in a little bit later than you might want it to. Not exactly impressive around a road course, but it certainly could handle the turns. The steering was their major complaint. They felt it had a little dead spot. I notice it only because they pointed it out to me. It isn't something that would really bother me in daily driving. Turning radius in the Escalade is actually better than I expected it to be. You're not going to get it into itty-bitty spaces. But again, it's humongous, so why would you be trying to get it into itty-bitty spaces? Steering is something that can be changed slightly. There are three different modes that you can go through. I mean, there's no super track mode like on the CTS-V or anything like that, but there is a sport mode. It makes the steering a little bit heavier-feeling. This might be the only time you ever hear me say this, but I prefer the normal driving mode to the sport mode because I feel like having the steering be a little bit lighter makes the entire vehicle feel a little bit smaller, easier to move around. When I have to really pull on the wheel, it really reminds me how big this truck is. Because the Escalade is, underneath it all, a truck, you might get a little bit more road feel than you'd expect from a vehicle that costs $100,000 and is in the luxury realm like this is. To me, it's not a problem. If I feel a few bumps here or there, that's not going to ruin my day, and I still think that this truck is a lot of fun to drive and very comfortable. There are some downsides visibility-wise-- these big triangles of blindspot. So when you're going around corners and stuff, it can be a little difficult, and then especially in the back of the truck where all you see are the seats. So to get around that, Cadillac has this cool mirror camera. So there's a camera in the back of the tailgate, and it's projected onto the rear view mirror so it shows everything as if there was nothing in the way, but you don't see anything in the truck. And when you first get into it, you're sort of freaking out like, oh, my god, is everybody in here a vampire? I don't see them reflected. And if you did have passengers who you wanted to check on-- maybe a kid or something-- you can just use it as a regular mirror. There's also front collision warning, rear camera, cross-traffic warning. It will warn you about pretty much everything. And again, you need it. [MUSIC PLAYING] If the exterior of the Escalade is dated in a way that makes it look really good, really venerable, big, heavy, recognizable thing, the interior is a little disappointing. I just feel like nobody was really trying that hard. This is a new color combination for 2018. It has a beautiful name-- burnt maple sugar or something like that. But it's really just tan. It's nice, but there's a lot of it. They break it up a little bit with some metal and some piano black. It doesn't have any patterns, and the speakers don't have neat grills. There's a lot of storage up here. This door panel, while I don't think it's very pretty, it has some really nice pockets in it. The console isn't what you'd expect. Sure, it has cup holders. That's pretty normal, and they look nice. And that's really fun to do. This feels fancy. There are USB ports and a 12-volt socket. And then there's this little button, which is pretty fun. It's got a little beverage in it and a snowflake. That is for the refrigerated cooler that's in the console. Very cool, no pun intended, except that's it. It's in there. It's permanent. So you have no console whatsoever. That is just a refrigerator. One thing that I do like about the interior, because I do want to be a little bit positive-- this little charging pad is great. It works really well. It holds the phone. It would hold a pretty big phone. And I think it's cool because you don't have to plug anything in. You don't have to have a wire. The Escalade's gauges and infotainment system are just modern enough. I mean, they use a digital setup here in the dashboard. You can customize it a little bit, and there's not that much to put in it. I mean, you can put directions, or you can put your music. With the infotainment system-- and Cadillac calls it CUE, which is C-U-E-- it's not great. I don't want to pick on it too much because other people have in the past. First of all, you don't touch what you think you're going to touch. I mean, these look like buttons. [RADIO PLAYING] Oops. Everything's really slow to respond. It's kind of like a panic every time you're trying to do something. Inside the cabin of the Escalade is big and comfortable, as you would expect. The seats, while they aren't very fancy and they don't have the adjustability of some of the competitors, they're very comfortable. They're very big, in the front. In the back, the second row is fine. It's not as exciting as I would like it to be, but it's certainly not uncomfortable. What is uncomfortable is the third row. I get sad back here. It's like this is where you put the kid you don't like. Like, hey, Mom? Mom? Hey, Mom! This is the ESV, which means that it's actually bigger than the standard Escalade, but they added about 20 inches onto the back. But most of that is behind the rear seat. You get a tiny bit more leg room here, but most of it is for cargo space. The ESV has one of the best cargo ratings of any vehicles in its class. You can fit a lot in there. [MUSIC PLAYING] If you're interested in the Cadillac Escalade and you want to know if it's still a good buy in 2018 or a good lease, you have to ask yourself why you want it. There are competitors that do other things better. For example, the interior in the Lincoln Navigator is probably 100 times nicer. And if you want more horsepower, you can look at a Mercedes GLS AMG. Nothing in the class does exactly what the Escalade does, which is that intimidating, imposing, impressive thing of just coming up on someone in their rear view mirror. And they're like, either that's a VIP driving or there's a VIP in the back. And either way, I'm getting out of the way. It's a neat feeling to feel that important. That's a thing that's worth considering. That is worth paying for. For more information on the Escalade, go to Edmunds. For more videos like this, please subscribe. And make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Review
As the luxury SUV market expands to include exotic supercar manufacturers, is there still a space where the Cadillac Escalade stands out? Special correspondent Elana Scherr plays VIP for a day in the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV 4WD Platinum and reports back on where it sits in the… high-dollar-hauler lineup.
2018 Escalade ESV Highlights
Base
Base MSRP | $76,995 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 17 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $271/month |
Seating | 7 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 39.3 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | rear wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Our experts like the Escalade ESV models:
- Rear Camera Mirror
- Cadillac's rearview camera mirror doubles as a screen that displays what the rearview camera sees out of the back of the car.
- OnStar
- Cadillac's OnStar system includes automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance and remote door unlocking.
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- The Escalade's adaptive cruise control is paired with forward and rear collision warning with automatic braking.
NHTSA Overall Rating
4 out of 5 starsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverall5 / 5
- Side Barrier RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront Seat5 / 5Back Seat5 / 5
- RolloverRollover3 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of Rollover20.4%
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