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What's Under the Hood

Some might think it strange that Cadillac would introduce a new Escalade equipped with a 403-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 engine when gas prices are so high, but when GM began planning this model years ago, it could not have predicted the unfortunate timing. But really, if you can spend upwards of $50,000 on a new SUV, are you really pinching your pennies at the pump? In addition to the 58-horsepower gain over last year, the Escalade’s motor generates 417 lb.-ft. of torque, and Cadillac thinks this new SUV will garner fuel economy ratings of 14/19 with 2WD and 13/19 with 4WD, slight improvements over the old model. Keep in mind, though, that Cadillac recommends premium fuel. A new six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control sends the power to the pavement. Surprisingly, the new motor doesn’t come with GM’s Displacement on Demand (DOD) technology, which shuts four cylinders down under low-load conditions, such as when driving on the highway. Right now, according to Cadillac, DOD is available only on the 5.3-liter V8 found in the redesigned Tahoe and Yukon. However, DOD is due to arrive for the Escalade for 2008. The 2007 Cadillac Escalade rides on standard 18-inch wheels, but chrome 22-inch “double dubs” riding on 285/45 Bridgestone Dueler performance tires are an option. By engineering the Escalade to accommodate 22-inch wheels from the factory, ride, handling, and safety are not compromised by the popular oversized wheels. Rack-and-pinion steering guides the front wheels, and the 2007 Cadillac Escalade is equipped with larger four-wheel-disc brakes. A five-link solid axle holds up the Escalade’s rear end, while up front there’s an independent coil-over-shock suspension and road-sensing automatic dampers. Traction control comes standard, too.

What's Inside

If there’s any reason to wait for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade to arrive, it’s for the interior. Stylists have made a huge improvement inside this SUV, ridding the new ‘Slade of all its cheap plastic Chevy pickup parts and replacing them with luscious leather, brushed aluminum, real wood, and a plush woven fabric headliner. Nothing inside looks cheap – except the giant script on the stereo and climate control buttons, which are smushed together in a jumbled grid near the bottom of the dashboard where they’re hard to see and use. At eye level, a lovely set of gauges is readily visible, accented with soothing blue lighting. Soothing, that is, unless you’ve got the latest download from 50 Cent thumping through the Bose 5.1 Surround Sound system. Cadillac has injected a bunch of content into the 2007 Escalade. You can order DVD entertainment screens for the second- and third-row seats, a reversing camera that displays objects behind the Escalade on the navigation screen is available, and you can opt for a power fold-and-tumble second row to make getting into the way-back that much easier. Up front there’s a heated steering wheel as well as heated-and-cooled front seats, and with the Escalade’s remote start feature, you can automatically cool your truck on hot days and warm it on cold ones. Side curtain airbags are standard, and deploy in side, rollover, and severe frontal impacts. Rear crash sensors work to tighten the front seatbelts in an effort to reduce whiplash injury.

How It Looks

Unfortunately for Cadillac, the new 2007 Escalade looks plenty like the 2007 GMC Yukon, but with a beautiful egg-crate grille inspired by the Cadillac Sixteen concept car decorating the nose. The headlights contain vertically-stacked projector beams embossed with the wreath-and-crest emblem, and match the jeweled appearance of the driving lights that define the outer edges of the lower air dam. Chrome coats the grille, lighting bezels, wheels, mirrors, side moldings, greenhouse trim, and door handles – lots and lots of chrome. It means luxury, y’know. There’s a vent port in the front fenders for a sportier appearance, and in the back is a Cadillac badge big enough to make a rodeo winner’s belt buckle jealous. It’s encased in a shiny trim panel that would do a Rolls-Royce Phantom proud, pasted between twin vertical LED taillights. Perhaps best of all, the fake cladding used to differentiate the Caddy from its Chevy and GMC siblings in the past is gone, leaving tastefully clean flanks. Unquestionably, this is a good looking vehicle, with tight shut lines and a minimum of panel gaps. You know it’s a Cadillac Escalade the minute you see it. But it still looks too much like its less-expensive brethren.