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2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid – Driving Impressions

The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid drives like, well, a regular Cadillac Escalade—and that's the point. Cadillac aimed to compromise as little as possible when creating this vehicle, and unless you actively watch the real-time hybrid information readout on the in-dash screen while driving (which is inadvisable anyways), you really won't notice the vehicle switching between its various modes. It's all quite seamless. And while the Escalade Hybrid is working with 71 fewer horsepower, it's plenty quick when you need it (like outrunning camera-wielding paparazzi), and if you're looking for better gas mileage, you probably aren't trying to Dale Earnhardt around town anyways.

The regular Escalade handles smoothly and confidently for a vehicle of its size, and even with the extra weight, the Escalade Hybrid is no different here. Cadillac claims you can go up to 30 mph on the battery alone, but in the rolling terrain and steep inclines of Beverly Hills where we tested the vehicle we had no such luck. That said, it was nice seeing the vehicle's engine shut off completely when we were sitting in traffic, which happens quite frequently in an area like Los Angeles. For those who live outside the confines of a state that only sees snow on movie sets, four-wheel drive is available on the Escalade Hybrid as well.

Both inside and outside the vehicle, the hybrid version is almost identical to the luxurious regular Escalade (interior pictured above) with leather covering the seats, door trim and center console (so while you might get a hesitant nod from the people at the Sierra Club, the folks at PETA will still hate you). Some of the packaging is slightly different (DVD-Navigation comes standard on the Hybrid), but just about anything you can get on the regular Escalade is available on its gas/battery-powered brother. This means a Bose 5.1 surround sound system, High Intensity Discharge headlamps, and a power-assisted rear liftgate that opens and closes with the touch of a button like a mechanical monster waiting to consume your Whole Foods grocery bags. And with 108.9 cubic feet of cargo space, that's a lot of grocery bags.

Superficially, one of the only things distinguishing the Escalade Hybrid from the regular Escalade is badging. And speaking of which, the hybrid decals all over the exterior of the vehicle need to go. They're as tacky as leaving the price tag on a birthday gift.