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Used 2002 Cadillac Escalade 2WD 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 4A) Consumer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
14 reviews

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5 out of 5 stars

a 2002 in 2018 (now 2020)

AMZ, Fayetteville, NC, 02/25/2018
updated 03/08/2021
Cadillac Escalade 2WD 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 4A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful

(Edit: Two years in and 50k miles later, still running in good order. Replaced tires and front and rear brakes. EBCM needs replacing as the ABS is throwing a code, but that is a matter of tracking one down and getting it on a lift. Transmission was flushed, various filters replaced, and bought a new battery last year. Nothing but typical maintenance for a vehicle this age. Motor drinks under a quart of oil every 5k miles and the transmission is tight. I will likely replace the air-suspension [was wrong about that and saw it the first time I got it up on the lift] at some point with standard suspension as the rear shocks are shockingly expensive now. Still haven't fixed the switches in the door.) A few months back my wife totaled my 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid. It was long paid off and I was enjoying not having a car payment. Unfortunately, while my wife was fine, my Camry wasn't. She managed to crease a light pole in the snow in the perfect spot to total the car. We needed another car and shopped hard. In the end we picked up a 2002 Cadillac Escalade in Diamond White for approximately $7k out the door from a local dealer's "super saver" lot. Now, ordinarily I'd be leery of buying a 16 year old car, but this one had "old people" miles on it at 125k from two previous owners and the carfax showed it had been serviced at the local area chevy/cadi dealers it's entire life. We needed a larger SUV due to two children who are not getting any smaller. Our other car is a 2010 CTS Luxury and while I have never been a GM fan I have to say the past few months have impressed me with the build that went into these SUVs. We actually jumped on the truck so fast that the dealer hadn't gotten it detailed or cleaned after the auction yet. No obvious leaks on any of the seals but there were a plethora of Starbucks napkins in the center console. The motor is the iron block LM7 which is the venerable Vortec pushrod V8. These things are still out there running at well over 200k+ miles and were used in about everything GM made for the better part of a decade and a half I believe. Parts are still available all over the place. The transmission in this truck is pretty bulletproof if the fluids are serviced and this year did not have the air suspension so that added complexity/fail point is thankfully missing. The vehicle appeared to be garage kept and the paint/chrome was still bright. Handling and ride are straight old school Cadillac with a floaty ride and effortless steering as numb as your lip after a dentist visit. It's like sitting on your living room couch at 65 mph. Traction control and ABS are fully functional. One point we did find was the climate control was on the fritz which is likely why the car had been traded in (in December). The blend actuator was futzy and the dash only blew hot air while the rear A/C froze your neck. That was at least about a $500 repair due to the need to take out the entire dash, which the dealer performed before we bought it. I've seen the same part (which is pretty much unchanged in the last couple decades) futz out in considerably newer GMs. The only other thing I've found is the mirror control switch is dead but that is an easy fix at $20 and a bit of my time. While the technology has not held up in terms of obsolescence (have not seen a cassette deck in decade plus and the OnStar doesn't work due to the FCC mandated removal of analog cell) the interior materials, components, and build themselves have. All the body seals needed a drink of silicone but all were functional. Mileage is not the greatest but the vehicle is getting about 15mpg combined with mixed highway/city driving so, not bad for a truly full size SUV. I expect, with continued care and maintenance, to be driving it daily when it enters it's second decade. I have to say, GM got this one right back in the day.

Safety
3 out of 5 stars
Technology
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars

Cadillac Escalade

john, 12/03/2005
Cadillac Escalade 2WD 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

This Cadillac is a blast to drive. The acceleration is quick and powerful. It has OnStar for any emergencies which is good. It takes time getting used to all of the space that it takes in different lanes compared to a passenger car though.

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3 out of 5 stars

Big Old Escalade

Adam Thomas, Deerfield Beach, FL, 02/23/2018
Cadillac Escalade 2WD 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 4A)
2 of 5 people found this review helpful

The 2002 Cadillac Escalade is a rather large and hard to handle SUV. The seats are comfortable and can seat 6 people comfortably. The steering is poor because it has a small turning radius so U turns are very difficult to do. The suspension of my truck in particular are shot which makes the ride extremely bumpy and turning is always fill you with fear of the truck flipping over. The shocks are very expensive to repair because of the fact that Escalade is the Luxury version of GMC, so everything is more expensive compared to its cheaper cousin the Yukon. The Audio system is ok but the center climate control rattles if the bass is too high. Visibility is better than other cars since the mirrors are large and the B and C pillars are thinner compared to other cars so seeing cars to the left and right is ok. Parking is the biggest complaint I have. Trying to get in and out of parking is difficult when your SUV is longer than most of the cars in the same parking lot.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
1 out of 5 stars
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4.88 out of 5 stars

Escalade the cool ride.

Eloise, 01/12/2003
Cadillac Escalade 2WD 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Much better gas mileage than expected, fun to drive, love the powerful engine.

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4.38 out of 5 stars

Excellent

patricia pote, 04/30/2002
Cadillac Escalade 2WD 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

I have found the Escalade to be one of the best vehicle in style and performance on the market.Other than the gas mileage it's a fun vehicle to drive.I just purchased a silver sand 2002 and so far i've enjoyed the ride.I have not driven my vehicle on the highway and hope that when i do it handles the same as city,just better gas mileage.

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