Used 2018 Cadillac Escalade Luxury SUV Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2018 Cadillac Escalade Luxury SUV.
Most helpful consumer reviews
Bought the 2018 Escalade ESV
T. Kuld, Marshall, NC, 11/13/2022
2018 Cadillac Escalade Luxury 4dr SUV 4WD (6.2L 8cyl 10A)
Great vehicle as far as options and comfort however after driving a few hundred miles I feel a shudder in the transmission and after doing research I see that this is a common issue and the only fix is to replace the entire transmission and torque converter.
Edmunds Summary Review of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade Luxury SUV
Pros & Cons
- Pro:Strong V8 engine is never at a loss for power
- Pro:Capable of towing up to 8,300 pounds
- Pro:Cabin remains quiet regardless of road conditions
- Con:Less refined ride and seat comfort than other luxury SUVs
- Con:Low handling limits and heavy steering
- Con:High, uneven cargo floor makes loading objects difficult
Which Escalade does Edmunds recommend?
All versions of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade come with the same powerful V8, sophisticated dampers and unmistakable styling. To get the best interior features, however, we suggest getting the Premium Luxury trim. That gives you some desirable extras from the one-tier-lower Luxury trim (such as blind-spot monitoring and forward collision mitigation) and adds the Premium Luxury's rear entertainment system and adaptive cruise control.
Full Edmunds Review: 2018 Cadillac Escalade SUV
Driving
8.0Big V8 power is the primary driver of the Escalade's performance. A new 10-speed automatic transmission makes it more efficient than before. The transmission shifts smoothly and even rev-matches downshifts, but the Escalade is too big to be a competent handler.
Comfort
7.0Oddly, ride comfort, once a Cadillac strength, suffers noticeably in the Escalade. 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.
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 compromises to the floor of the cabin and third-row seats made for the solid rear axle and non-sliding second-row seats.
Utility
5.0Utility 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. Unfortunately, it lacks the towing-friendly tech usually found in the other GM products on an otherwise capable platform.
Technology
The Escalade's only real fault is that it doesn't have top-level driver's aids. Where's Cadillac's Super Cruise on this otherwise great road-trip hauler? Otherwise, the CUE haptic-touch feedback system suffers due to its gloss-black finish and lack of dedicated audio source select button.
Edmunds Insurance Estimator
The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a 2018 Cadillac Escalade in Ohio is:
not availableLegal