2017 Cadillac Escalade
The biggest, baddest luxury vehicle in America is, without a doubt, the Escalade, a blingy behemoth which prowls the roads of the U.S. in all of its chrome grille glory, roaring and rumbling its anti-environmental presence. As foreign auto manufacturers sustain flagship sedans, such as the Lexus LS 460 and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the American adoration for trucks elevated rigs such as the Cadillac Escalade to this position.
Styling and Exterior
The Cadillac Escalade's garish grille of chrome includes the only blemish upon an otherwise smooth-sided, modern and slick design. Incorporated side steps which fold out as its doors open add an additional design sophistication level, and allow for the function of running boards without a design interruption of fixed boards. In spite of a few of its more outlandish elements of design, the Escalade still is a more sophisticated and subdued design than prior models; it does not look out of place while parked amongst Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class sports utility vehicles and Land Rover Range Rovers inside the parking lot of the country club.
How Does It Drive?
Still constructed on a steel, stout body-on-frame truck design, the model has not undergone any of GM's most recent efforts at weight reduction. The Escalade features General Motor's Magnetic Ride Control, the adjustable suspension which reads the road and will adapt shock absorber firmness within lightning fast time, helping to control dive, squat, roll and additional body motions.
It does not help handling and steering much, as its heft will make it a better cruiser than dancer. Also, it does not make for a very supple or quiet ride, as there only is so much possible to do to damp 22" wheels that are shod with ultra-low-profile tires. Its smaller 20" wheels that have taller sidewalls on lesser trims likely would make its ride more luxurious.
Interior
Open up the door to the Platinum's fully leather wrapped interior and its automatic integrated side step will fold out of its lower sills to help you as you climb up. This is presumably because the model does not provide users an adjustable air suspension that raises and lowers the model, as most of its competitors will. At one time located inside the cabin, you will realize an excellent effort was made to make it feel upscale and special - an effort which does not quite succeed.
The vehicle does not feel all that spacious for something so enormous on the outside. Its wide center console will eat into passenger hip room. Its driving position is awkward; its steering wheel is not centered on the driver, a characteristic that is common to General Motor's full sized trucks which must be corrected. Front passengers have an abundance of headroom and legroom, yet second row occupants might be shocked to discover legroom is not as abundant as they may expect in a model this massive.
Electronics and Ergonomics
The User Experience multi-media program is situated front and center inside the Escalade. It is a more sophisticated edition of the Chevy MyLink and GMC/Buick IntelliLink programs. It features a more upscale appearance to it, and it absolutely functions better than it once did, with reliable voice recognition and speedy actions. Its touchscreen offers haptic feedback while making selections; there is a barely detectable "thump" as you push an icon. The CUE is better than any program from Infiniti or Lexus in its elegance, speed and ease of operation; however, the Mercedes-Benz program appears classier and equally works well.
Cargo and Storage
The Cadillac Escalade is available in two sizes: ESV and regular. Basically, they correspond to the lengths of the Chevy Tahoe (reg.) as well as longer Suburban (ESV). This additional length is available in the wheelbase and rear cargo compartment alike.
Safety
The 2017 Cadillac Escalade hasn't been crash tested by the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), yet has been tested by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). They awarded it a 4-star rating out of 5, but just a 3-star rollover rating.
Visit a Faulkner Cadillac dealership in your area today and see the all that the 2017 Cadillac Escalade has to offer.
