1999 Cadillac Escalade Review
1999 Cadillac Escalade Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Curb appeal, powerful V8 performance, fancy gadgetry and features.
Cons
- Doesn't hide regular old Yukon underpinnings well enough, high price.
What’s new
The 1999 Cadillac Escalade is really more a GMC Yukon Denali than it is a Cadillac. (And GMC's Yukon Denali is really more Yukon than anything else -- except, perhaps, a Chevrolet Tahoe, but that's another story). Regardless of its origins, think of the Escalade as a big four-wheel-drive Cadillac limo for well-heeled outdoorsy types. Loaded with luxury touches and every possible convenience (even GM's OnStar mobile communications system), Escalade comes in four special colors and lacks only one thing: an options list. Why? It's got it all.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1999 Cadillac Escalade 4dr SUV AWD 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 $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$328/mo for Escalade Base
Escalade Base
vs
$247/mo
Avg. Large SUV
Vehicle overview
Cadillac dealers weren't too happy watching thousands of new luxury sport/utility customers walk into rival Lincoln showrooms and snap up the big Navigator SUV. General Motors had been working on a new, full-size Cadillac sport/utility project, but it was still a ways off, and those Caddy dealers were getting mighty antsy. So GM brand managers came up with an idea to clone GMC's new-for-?99 premium SUV, the Yukon Denali, and rebadge it as Cadillac to give those dealers something to sell until GM's next big SUV project is ready.
Enter the 1999 Cadillac Escalade. The first truck-based vehicle in Cadillac's 96-year history, Escalade is meant to combine the best features of a luxury car with those of an all-weather, all-terrain vehicle. Exterior styling differs from the donor Denali by the use of a more distinct grille with bright chrome bezel and the Cadillac wreath-and-crest logo affixed smack dab in the middle.
Reflector-optic halogen headlamps and recessed projector-beam fog lamps reside in a smoothie-style front fascia. Body-color cladding and integrated running boards spruce up the flanks, with textured body-color door handles, outside rearview mirrors and color-keyed rails on the flush roof rack completing the monotone look. Out back, a functional step bumper conceals a standard trailer hitch.
The Escalade's interior features upper and lower consoles packed with storage cubbies and other conveniences such as reading lamps, cupholders, a rear power point and audio controls. Instrumentation is backlit in blue with white pointers and includes a tachometer. Luxury touches abound, with Zebrano wood trim, leather-trimmed front and rear heated seats, and a premium Bose sound system with six-CD changer and single-CD in-dash player. GM's OnStar mobile communications system is standard, as are dual front next-generation airbags and keyless remote entry with an adjustable, shock-sensing anti-theft system.
Powering all this opulence is 5.7-liter pushrod V8 packing 255 horsepower. The Vortec 5700 puts its 330 foot-pounds of torque to the ground via a four-speed automatic transmission and the AutoTrac full-time four-wheel-drive system. When activated, the AutoTrac transfer case will automatically shift from two-wheel drive to 4WD when it senses wheel slippage. Escalade rides on unique six-spoke chromed aluminum wheels wearing Firestone 265/70R-16 touring tires designed especially for sport/utility applications on- and off-road in both wet and dry conditions.
The Escalade provides a "look-at-me'' driving experience around town and a king-of-the-road feel out on the highway. There's no question that the big Caddy SUV has gobs of curb appeal, but understand that it is all riding atop a 10-year-old pickup truck design, with all the flaws inherent to its humble underpinnings. The steering is vague, brakes are on the numb side and the ride quality is not as highly tuned as the price tag. What's worse, use of standard GM interior plastics is not in keeping with the Escalade's image.
If you need to be the first one on your block with the latest the luxo-SUV world has to offer, there's no doubt the Escalade is made for you. But if you happen to think, as we do, that the price walk from an optioned-out GMC Yukon to the dolled-up Cadillac Escalade is rather steep, then maybe you should be shopping elsewhere. For our money, the Escalade model will lose much of its luster every time you see a GMC Yukon Denali pass by. We prefer to wait and see what the next-generation big luxury SUV GM is working on will be like.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 1999 Cadillac Escalade.
5 star(31%)
4 star(50%)
3 star(19%)
2 star(0%)
1 star(0%)
16 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4.88 out of 5 stars
One Great Vehicle
adam12, 08/12/2008
1999 Cadillac Escalade 4dr SUV AWD
This has been one great vehicle. I bought my Escalade when it had only 6000 miles on it. It now has almost 120,000 miles on it and I have not had a single maintenance issue with it. I always get the regular routine maintenance done and as a result this vehicle is still like brand new both inside and out. I get it detailed every six months and people often mistake it for a brand new … Escalade. I am going to drive it for another 10 years. I am sure it will last that long.
2.75 out of 5 stars
Escalemmon
bakerrw, 02/05/2003
1999 Cadillac Escalade 4dr SUV AWD
This vehicle was bought used with only
19000 miles - now, at 40k the bottom
has fallen out. The truck has been in
the shop no less than 9 times with
drive train related failure (t/m, t/c,
etc.).
4.38 out of 5 stars
Too Good to Give Up
SedaliaSue, 06/23/2008
1999 Cadillac Escalade 4dr SUV AWD
After owning many a car including over 24 other classic autos, I've never been as happy with the comfort of this SUV. It had a few flaws in it that I've had to deal with...the CD player not working, turning the brake drums for a smooth ride, attaching the battery cables better on a side battery and a rattle that was found as a broken plastic piece in the cowl area. Small stuff for a … great ride, of course, these days I wish it would have better mileage, but with it's weight and its performance it was a quality product.
3.75 out of 5 stars
Lots of problems from the get go
Yvonne, 08/13/2010
1999 Cadillac Escalade 4dr SUV AWD
I bought this vehicle in 1999 in Colorado a few months later moved to California on my road trip to California noticed a hesitation in the vehicle took it into the Dealership under warranty couldn't find the problem. The Brakes went out on me, one thing after another I have had it 11 years finally at 10 years I was told that hesitation was the Transmission so I got that replaced. I think … I have almost everything replaced even the carpet in the back because the back air was leaking. Just today I replaced the Computer because nothing was running right and it kept showing problem after problem. I could go on GM was not too helpful at all and kept insisting it was nothing. No Warranty $$ then help
1999 Escalade Highlights
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 13 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $328/month |
Drivetrain | four wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original0
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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