2017 Cadillac Escalade Review

Standard Escalade trim includes 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with automatic high beams, automatic windshield wipers, power-folding and auto-dimming outside mirrors, rocker-sill passenger steps, a hands-free, power-operated liftgate, cargo rails for the roof, a trailer hitch receiver and wiring harness, cruise control, Magnetic Ride Control suspension, keyless entry and ignition, remote ignition, front and rear parking sensors, and a system for automated parking.

Within the Escalade cabin, you’ll find three-zone automatic climate control, a customizable instrument display, leather upholstery, power-adjustable pedals, a power-operated and heated tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with wood trim, heated and cooled 12-way power-adjustable front seats, driver seat memory functions, heated second-row bucket seats, a power 60/40-split folding third-row seat, and a 110-volt power outlet.

Other technology-related features include active noise cancellation, a teen-driver monitor with control over certain vehicle settings, universal garage-door opener, OnStar emergency telematics, an 8-inch touchscreen interface, surround-view outside camera system, CUE infotainment system,  a navigation system with real-time traffic and voice recognition, Wi-Fi hot spot, mobile apps, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, wireless charging pad, and a 16-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system with CD player, satellite and HD radio, auxiliary audio input, and five USB ports.

The Luxury trim adds 22-inch wheels, adaptive headlights, sunroof, forward collision alert with low-speed crash mitigation, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, head-up instrument display, vibrating safety-alert driver seat, and power-adjustable second-row seats. A new rearview mirror system uses the rearview camera to simulate a view unobstructed by passengers or roof pillars. When the simulated view is deactivated, the mirror gives you a conventional reflection of the view to the rear.

Stepping up to the Premium Luxury trim adds adaptive cruise control, a single-screen rear-seat entertainment system with HDMI and MHL input, plus two wireless headphones. The Platinum trim includes power-retractable passenger steps, unique exterior and interior style treatments, a cooled center console bin, premium leather upholstery, 18-way power front seats with driver massage functions, dual rear entertainment screens and a faux-suede headliner.

Select features are available on supporting trims as options. A power-adjustable second-row bench seat is available for Premium and above trims, increasing seating capacity to eight.

Under the hood of the 2017 Cadillac Escalade is a 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It’s matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive is standard. Four-wheel drive is available as an option, and it comes with a two-speed transfer case for low-speed mobility over off-road terrain.

In Edmunds testing, a four-wheel-drive Escalade accelerated to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, which is a quick time for a large SUV. Towing capacity is 8,300 pounds for the rear-wheel-drive Escalade and drops slightly to 8,100 pounds for the heavier four-wheel-drive model.

The EPA estimates fuel economy at 17 mpg combined (15 city/22 highway) for the rear-wheel-drive model and 17 mpg combined (15 city/20 highway) for the four-wheel-drive. These figures are about average for the class.