Big Daddy in the House: Big, Bold, and Brazen, the Cadillac Escalade Is the Gold-Plated American SUV

HomeCadillacEscalade / Escalade ESV2027CadillacMSRPHIGHSDomineering presence, exquisitely adorned interior, a sure-footed elephant.LOWSChevy Tahoe and Suburban offer similar size and space for far less money, p...

July 6, 2026

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Cadillac

MSRP

HIGHS

Domineering presence, exquisitely adorned interior, a sure-footed elephant.

LOWS

Chevy Tahoe and Suburban offer similar size and space for far less money, plenty of other compelling SUVs for this kind of dough.

VERDICT

The Escalade is the Don of full-size domestic luxury SUVs, asserting its dominance with an imposing presence and opulent trappings.

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By Austin Parsons

Overview

Tony Soprano drove a Cadillac Escalade for a reason. The full-size luxury flagship has been the vehicular embodiment of heavy money bags, overt power, and domestic luxury for decades, and the newest iteration has maxed out its opulence quotient. While it still shares underpinnings with the humble Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, an exquisitely upholstered interior, tech-laden forward cabin, and abundance of quality-of-life-improving features mask its proletariat origins. While the standard model is already palatial, a long-wheelbase ESV model ups both third-row legroom and cargo space.

Two righteous powertrains are on offer to counteract the Escalade's prodigious mass: a 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8 comes as standard, while a 682-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 supplies massive thrust in the sport-oriented V-Series. No matter the trim, the Escalade impresses with a ride that's as smooth as polished marble, uncommonly direct steering, and a level of agility that contradicts its size—traits that are missing from some full-size luxury SUV rivals such as the Infiniti QX80 and Lincoln Navigator.

Expert Tip: The two GMC Yukon models split the difference between the Chevy and Cadillac full-size SUVs in terms of luxury.

What's New for 2027?

The Escalade drops its base rear-wheel drive model for 2027, and the Platinum Sport and Platinum Luxury trims only come with four-wheel drive now. Elsewhere, an Onyx Lite appearance package is available on Sport trims and brings darkened exterior trim. A digital key and trailer tire pressure monitoring system are new features this year, and a new color called Sandstone joins the options sheet. The Aegean Green and Magnus Metal Frost colors have been dropped.

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Pricing and Which One to Buy

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Engines: 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8; 682-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Drivetrains: Rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive

As with its siblings, the current-generation Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and GMC Yukon, the Escalade rides on an independent rear suspension that provides for a low floor and good third-row legroom. Higher-end trims also offer air springs with adaptive dampers. In our testing, we found that the Escalade handled better than many other full-size SUVs.

0–60-MPH Times

C/D 60-mph Test: 6.0 seconds (Escalade), 4.3 seconds (Escalade-V)

In Comparison: When we tested the base 2025 Escalade, it got to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds, which is slower than rivals from Lincoln and Lexus. We also previously put an Escalade-V to the test, and its 682-hp supercharged V-8 propelled the humongous SUV to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. That puts it on equal footing with the last V-8-powered Range Rover P530 that we tested.

Towing and Payload Capacity

Max Towing: 8100 pounds

The Escalade has a maximum towing capacity of 8100 pounds, which is 200 pounds less than its proletarian Chevy Suburban sibling. To unlock the Escalade's maximum towing potential, you'll have to pick a rear-wheel-drive trim fitted with the base 420-hp V-8.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

EPA City Ratings: 11-14 mpg
EPA Highway Ratings: 17-18 mpg

Escalades with the standard V-8 are rated at 14 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 16 mpg combined. The performance-oriented V model is far less efficient, earning EPA ratings of 11 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, and 13 mpg combined. For more information about the Escalade's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

First Row: As the flagship of the Cadillac lineup, the Escalade ups the ante on in-cabin luxury. Faux leather is used in the base Luxury trim, but all other trims receive the real deal, with Platinum models getting extra-soft semi-aniline hides. Leather-covered dash and door panels, aluminum speaker grilles, and adjustable interior ambient lighting provide an upscale appearance, although some switchgear is shared with lesser GM models.

Second Row: The Escalade's interior opulence extends to the second row, surrounding passengers with rich-looking materials and planting them in road-trip-worthy seats. An Executive Second-Row Seating package is also available, which adds rear wireless phone chargers and ventilated massaging captain's chairs.

Third Row: If extra third-row stretch-out space is what you're after, upgrading to the long-wheelbase Escalade ESV is the way to go. It increases wayback legroom while also upping cargo space by a significant amount. Adults can sit comfortably in the rear.

Cargo Capacity: With its 60/40-split third row seats folded, the standard Escalade has a maximum cargo capacity of 73 cubic feet. With the third row in its upright position, cargo capacity drops to 26 cubic feet. The Escalade ESV has a maximum capacity of 94.1 cubic feet behind the second row.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Infotainment: 55-inch widescreen touch display
Connectivity: Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Audio System: 21-speaker AKG audio system (standard); 38-speaker AKG audio system (optional)

Cadillac has tricked out the Escalade in the electronics department. The main showpiece is the digital dashboard, which is comprised of three curved OLED displays that layer on top of one another to create a cool 55.0 inches of combined digital real estate, up from the previous model's 38. As before, the gauge cluster dominates the driver's side, while the rest of the screen's real estate projects the CUE infotainment system.

Other tech features include an augmented-reality navigation system and an available rear-seat entertainment package that includes two 12.6-inch displays with streaming capability. Everybody gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to mirror their smartphones, and a Wi-Fi hotspot is available.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Cadillac is set on making its flagship SUV a showcase for driver-assistance technology, and in addition to making many of the most popular active-safety features standard, Cadillac also offers its excellent Super Cruise hands-free drive mode.

Standard Safety Features: automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
Optional Safety Features: adaptive cruise control with hands-free driving

For information about the Escalade's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

The Escalade offers the same standard warranty package as the rest of the Cadillac lineup. Its powertrain warranty stretches for longer than rivals such as the GLS-class and the BMW X7, but the BMW's complimentary scheduled maintenance plan is far better than the Caddy's.

Limited Warranty: four years or 50,000 miles
Powertrain Warranty: six years or 70,000 miles
Complimentary Maintenance: first visit covered

C/D Test Results and Specs

Each year, we put hundreds of vehicles through our rigorous instrumented testing regimen. If the data in the chart below is for a different model year, that's because this vehicle hasn't changed from when we last tested it, and the test results remain accurate.

Specs panel icon

Specifications

Specifications

2025 Cadillac Escalade Sport 4WD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $106,095/$120,740

ENGINE
pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 376 in3, 6162 cm3
Power: 420 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque: 460 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm

TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.5-in vented disc/13.6-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02
275/50R-22 111H M+S TPC Spec 3155MS

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 120.9 in
Length: 211.9 in
Width: 81.1 in
Height: 76.7 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 71/60/45 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 121/73/26 ft3
Curb Weight: 6125 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.5 sec @ 97 mph
100 mph: 15.4 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.0 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 117 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 180 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.71 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 41 dBA/3 sone
Full Throttle: 78 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 66 dBA/20 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 16 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 16/14/18 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

More Features and Specs

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