Walkaround

The front end of every Escalade is dominated by a bold, egg-crate grille that's dripping with chrome trim. The grille is flanked by three-element, vertical headlamps that tie the vehicle more closely than ever to the rest of Cadillac's lineup. Both of those elements are set into a one-piece fascia that eliminates the unsightly gap between the grille and the bumper, conveying a sense of integrity and quality.

Similarly, the side-view styling is smoothly contoured, with no clunky side cladding as found on other luxury SUVs. As with the front end, there is abundant chrome, including on the door handles, the huge exterior mirrors, the full-length metal roof rails (which provide anchor points for accessory crossbars for securing cargo on the roof) and "ventiports" above the front wheels that seem to be a clear response to the trendy elements found on Range Rover models and some Jaguars.

Another clear response to market trends are the optional 22-inch chrome wheels, which visually plant the vehicle, completely filling the Escalade's huge wheelwells and making the standard 18-inch wheels look positively puny by comparison.

Particularly appreciable in colder climates are the pull-type door handles that are easy to grasp, even with gloves on. They're also more comfortable, less likely to snap away from your fingers and less likely to break a fingernail.

The rear view features the nicest modern interpretation of Cadillac's classic skinny taillights, which recall the dramatic tailfins of Cadillacs of the '60s and '70s, but are now rendered in crisp LED strips. A high-mounted, horizontal brake light with LED illumination crosses the top. But the dominant feature of the Escalade's tail is the enormous badge set within a chunky block of chrome trim.

A surprisingly low bumper height both reduces the trucky look while providing easier access to the cargo area; from the ground to the cargo floor is a respectable 32.3 inches. The standard Class III tow hitch is covered by a trim panel that is removable when not need, and which easily can be refitted once a trailer is detached

Interior Features

The Escalade's interior was designed to provide luxury both in terms of space as well as features. Escalade comes standard with seven-passenger seating, with second-row bucket seats separated by a center console, with a three-passenger, third-row bench behind it. A second-row bench seat is available as a no-cost option. The third-row bench on the standard Escalade has marginal legroom, making it suitable for adults for short trips only; kids should be fine for longer trips.

Escalade ESV adds nearly 10 inches of additional legroom for the third row, making it a pleasant place even for six-footers. Also, getting into the third row is easier with ESV, its longer rear door providing a larger opening when the second-row seat is folded. The EXT pickup is only available with a three-across bench seat in the second row.

Though step-in is somewhat high, which is to be expected for a full-size SUV, the driving position is stellar. Escalade's streamlined, low dashboard is much more like a car-like than expected, providing easy access to controls without resorting to an imposing bank of buttons and switches. The result is a feeling of openness, with excellent outward vision to the front and side.

Interior trim is very high in quality. The mix of soft, padded materials, genuine aluminum trim, chrome details and relatively convincing faux wood trim combine with soft leather seats for an ambience on par with other luxury-brand SUVs in this price range. Two color schemes are offered: all black or cocoa-over-cashmere.

The Escalade's white-on-black, backlit gauges are clear and bright, featuring an information display that cycles through several menus via buttons on the steering wheel. The stalk controls for the turn signals and wipers have the supple, expensive feel worthy of the Cadillac name, as do the buttons and knobs on the radio and climate controls.

Escalade comes standard with a 10-speaker (eight-speaker on EXT) stereo that features a six-disc changer that plays both CDs and audio DVDs. Bose designed the speaker system, outfitting the vehicle with 5.1 surround sound, an eight-channel amplifier and a subwoofer. XM radio comes standard.

On vehicles without the navigation system, the head unit presents audio information clearly. On vehicles with the navigation system, which itself is about mid-pack in terms of clarity and simplicity within its competitive set, the radio features are incorporated into the touch screen-based interface. The latter takes a bit of familiarization to operate smoothly, but offers more functionality and fine-tuning capability once you're comfortable with it all. OnStar route guidance is also included, for those times when getting directions from a live person is preferred.