I was in search of a roomy SUV that would provide me with loads of comfort and entertainment. I wanted a luxurious SUV, that was on the high end and was a "full-sized" one, not a "crossover". I went through many car dealerships from (Cadillac/GM, Lincoln/Ford, Lexus/Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Infiniti/Nissan, etc...
I went through each stage inside and outside each SUV, preparing for the worst and best. I looked at the exterior, interior, what the SUV had to provide, engine, entertainment system, miles to the gallon, blah blah blah etc... I was prepared in spending any amount of money on getting the perfect and comfortable driving machine.
I was left with a though, the SUVs I searched through were: Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, Lexus LX470 and the Infiniti QX56. So I went through the Escalade and this is what I found out:

Exterior

The overall size of the SUV was appealing and was large and bold which definately made a statement to me. I was impressed with the line work on the body and the large headlights with xzenon technology. The rear tail lights were not that big of a surprise to me since the GM vehicles like the Denali, Suburban and Tahoe copy the same thing. The rims were 17 inch chrome rims and the colour we looked at was white which is a great presidential colour for the SUV. The SUVs overall height was pretty high and I liked the large Cadillac Logos on the rear and front. The large grille definately makes a statement and the one I looked at was in chrome which definately made the Escalade stand out. However, the Escalade does not come with powered running boards that the navigator has, making it hard to exit or enter. Also, the body style wasn't too appealing, I could pay less and get a Denali which is basically the same exact thing. To me overall, the exterior doesn't really make the Escalade, the king of BLING.

Interior

When I opened the door to take a nice look at the interior of the Escalade, I was heavily alarmed. "Alarmed" meaning I did not like anything from the first sight considering what I saw in the Lincoln Navigator and Lexus LX470. The only thing that comforted me was the leather I was sitting on. However, the look of the captains seats did not appeal to me and gave me a weary feeling that I did not want this SUV. The most discomforting part about the truck was the dashboard, which was really ugly and looked really outdated. The dashboard reminded me of what you would find in a GMC pick up truck in the late 90s.. What's with that? Did Cadillac not give a hoot into working on the inside of the truck? Anyway, the navigation system was alright, but not the best in the car bizz. The sound system did sound good, but it could be better in a lot of ways such as when the sound quality was really bad, it was making a fading sound. I asked if this was normal, and they said it was, I even checked another escalade in the showroom and it was the same. The steering wheel looked hideous to me as it did not provide me with a luxury feel. Also, the wooden trim wasn't looking good either, I could not simply picture myself in this SUV. Also, another thing I did not like was the shifter, I am into sport shifters like inside the sedans and the Navigator so the shifter wasn't for me either. I soon found out that the Escalade resembled the Denali all the time, the Navigator is based on the Expedition but it does not resemble the Expedition in the interior at all!! The Cadillac's rear entertainment system was good though and I liked the video quality but then again the sound did not appeal to me again. Moving onto the rear, it did not provide me with much leg room and I was cramped in the back which wasn't comforting! The leather made my back stiff and I wasn't expecting what happened inside the truck itself. Something else I did not like was that the Escalade did not come with seats that automatically fold into the floor, I mean the Navigator has them.

Engine

The 345 Horse Power engine was something I need to have, so I gave the Escalade a long test drive. Right from the beginning I was at the gas but guess what... the truck wouldn't move!! why? I have no idea, so the dealer checked it out and 15 minutes later, he got it running. So I pushed the gas and I was off, the truck was driving pretty smooth but at high speeds, I noticed A LOT of wind noise running through the passenger side and windshield. The build quality is rediculous is what I noticed from there on. The steering was the worst of all, it handled really bad!! I had to move a lot to steer the damn thing right or left which made me really angered. I simply do not get annoyed with car, but this one really made it uneasy for me. The seats made my back stiff again and I found it hard to move, I am a 6 foot 4 185 pound guy so Im very athletic. I decided to quit from there and let the dealer take over the wheel from there on.

Overall, the Escalade has a great look exterior wise but could use more definition in the exterior and more features, the interior needs touch ups BIG TIME! The interior by far is the worst part of the vehicle in my perspective. I dont know how the average citizen could find him/her self sitting inside. It's comfort is rediculous and you will have to accept back pain if you are like me. I am not even old and the Escalade already has me feeling like an old man!! The steering needs to be tightened up a bit and has to become less loose!

I made my choice back in 2005, and that was to buy the Lincoln Navigator. It was the perfect SUV for me and was the luxury I expected. Im the type of guy who is into the BMWs, Mercedes', Masteratis', Bentleys', etc... and I believe the Lincoln Navigator is an SUV that handles like a sedan and since my taste is soo high, this was my ideal SUV. I was close to buying the Lexus but it had some stuff I wasn't interested in or I did not like. As for the Escalade, lets just say "FORGET it!". The Navigator is the main reason why these SUVs appeared on the market anyway. I am prepared to say that the Lincoln Navigator is clearly the KING of the ROAD!


Amount Paid (US$): didn''t pay
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005
Model and Options: Escalade, Ext, Esv