2017 Cadillac Escalade

It's difficult to top the 2017 Cadillac Escalade if you're going for big and bold. This full-size SUV makes a full-size statement, from the immense grille to the massive, heavily styled bodywork. It's also packed to the rafters with a long list of comfort and convenience features that are sure to please technophiles and luxury-minded shoppers alike. A burly 6.2-liter V8 gets the Escalade moving with authority, while the truck-based chassis is capable of towing up to 8,300 pounds.

This unique mix of size, utility and style gives the Cadillac Escalade its broad appeal, and indeed this vehicle has become the face of the Cadillac brand. Even so, there are some drawbacks. Truck-based components can compromise ride quality, which is of prime importance in the luxury market. Sheer size also compromises the Escalade's maneuverability in crowded urban traffic. 

Fortunately, the 2017 Escalade's positives outweigh the negatives, earning it a strong Edmunds B rating. This Cadillac compares favorably against the Lincoln Navigator and Land Rover Range Rover, but the A-rated Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and Audi Q7 represent the current standard by which large luxury SUVs are measured. For undeniable styling presence, though, the Cadillac Escalade remains in its own class, far above the rest.

Standard safety equipment for all trim levels of the 2017 Cadillac Escalade include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control (with trailer sway control), front-seat side airbags, and full-length side curtain airbags. An airbag between the front seats offers additional protection in side-impact crashes. Also standard is a teen-driver management system, a reminder to check the backseats for child occupants before vacating the interior, front and rear parking sensors, surround-view exterior camera, and the OnStar system with automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, remote door unlocking, stolen vehicle assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.

Luxury and above trim levels also receive forward collision alert with automatic low-speed emergency braking, lane departure warning and intervention, a safety-alert driver seat that vibrates to warn the driver of danger, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and the new rearview mirror with its obstruction-free camera view. The adaptive cruise control system for the top trims also features automatic braking over the full range of speed, as well as automatic braking when in reverse.

In government crash tests, the Escalade was awarded five out of five stars for side-crash protection and three stars for rollover protection. In Edmunds brake testing, an Escalade with 22-inch wheels came to a stop from 60 mph in 127 feet, which is longer than competing SUVs.

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade is classified as a full-size luxury SUV with seating for seven passengers. It is available in the base trim, then moves up to the Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum models. An even larger Escalade ESV extended-wheelbase model is covered in a separate review.

Standard Escalade trim includes 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with automatic high beams, automatic windshield wipers, power-folding and auto-dimming outside mirrors, rocker-sill passenger steps, a hands-free, power-operated liftgate, cargo rails for the roof, a trailer hitch receiver and wiring harness, cruise control, Magnetic Ride Control suspension, keyless entry and ignition, remote ignition, front and rear parking sensors, and a system for automated parking.

Within the Escalade cabin, you’ll find three-zone automatic climate control, a customizable instrument display, leather upholstery, power-adjustable pedals, a power-operated and heated tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with wood trim, heated and cooled 12-way power-adjustable front seats, driver seat memory functions, heated second-row bucket seats, a power 60/40-split folding third-row seat, and a 110-volt power outlet.

Other technology-related features include active noise cancellation, a teen-driver monitor with control over certain vehicle settings, universal garage-door opener, OnStar emergency telematics, an 8-inch touchscreen interface, surround-view outside camera system, CUE infotainment system,  a navigation system with real-time traffic and voice recognition, Wi-Fi hot spot, mobile apps, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, wireless charging pad, and a 16-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system with CD player, satellite and HD radio, auxiliary audio input, and five USB ports.

The Luxury trim adds 22-inch wheels, adaptive headlights, sunroof, forward collision alert with low-speed crash mitigation, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, head-up instrument display, vibrating safety-alert driver seat, and power-adjustable second-row seats. A new rearview mirror system uses the rearview camera to simulate a view unobstructed by passengers or roof pillars. When the simulated view is deactivated, the mirror gives you a conventional reflection of the view to the rear.

Stepping up to the Premium Luxury trim adds adaptive cruise control, a single-screen rear-seat entertainment system with HDMI and MHL input, plus two wireless headphones. The Platinum trim includes power-retractable passenger steps, unique exterior and interior style treatments, a cooled center console bin, premium leather upholstery, 18-way power front seats with driver massage functions, dual rear entertainment screens and a faux-suede headliner.

Select features are available on supporting trims as options. A power-adjustable second-row bench seat is available for Premium and above trims, increasing seating capacity to eight.

Under the hood of the 2017 Cadillac Escalade is a 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It’s matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive is standard. Four-wheel drive is available as an option, and it comes with a two-speed transfer case for low-speed mobility over off-road terrain.

In Edmunds testing, a four-wheel-drive Escalade accelerated to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, which is a quick time for a large SUV. Towing capacity is 8,300 pounds for the rear-wheel-drive Escalade and drops slightly to 8,100 pounds for the heavier four-wheel-drive model.

The EPA estimates fuel economy at 17 mpg combined (15 city/22 highway) for the rear-wheel-drive model and 17 mpg combined (15 city/20 highway) for the four-wheel-drive. These figures are about average for the class.