Cadillac Escalade

Cadillac has updated the 2020 Escalade by incorporating two new metallic exterior color schemes, an illuminated company logo, and a hands-free liftgate. These minor updates do not seem worthy of the SUV which was once world-renowned for being a shining example of a quintessentially “Bling” ride. The 2020 Cadillac Escalade tries its best to offer high-class luxury but its efforts do fall short in few aspects. Like the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing, Cadillac’s premium exteriors drenched in an abundance of chrome accents fail to make up for its humble underpinnings. With an interior sourced from Cadillacs parts bin, superficial quality, pickup truck platform, and bumpy ride it does not take long before one gets dissatisfied by this alleged luxury offering. 

These flaws would have been warranted if the 2020 Escalade was an inexpensive option to a luxury SUV but all variants feature price tags which are upwards of $75,000. Things get even worse when we come to the variants with price tags that are just shy of six figures. The SUV is equipped with a V8 powertrain which is not exactly the most frugal option in the market but all Escalade variants are offered with 3 rows of seats which can comfortably accommodate 8 passengers. The interiors also come with Cadillac’s wide range of standard features which include a power-adjustable steering wheel and pedals and heated and cold front seats. More premium features like seats with massage function, wood accents, leather-wrapped central console, and upper door panels are only offered in the unreasonably expensive Platinum trim. 

Cadillac offers the option of either a 40/60 split-folding bench seat or that of a pair of captain’s chairs for the second row. There is also a longer ESL Escalade variant which offers an extra 9.7 inches of legroom for the third-row passengers. Gadgets offered in the 2019 Escalade include an 8-inch touchscreen CUE infotainment system which comes with Apple Carplay and Android Auto as standard. Every Escalade variant also gets a 4G-LTE powered mobile hotspot Wi-Fi and there is also an option of equipping this SUV with a refrigerated bin.

The prices for the 2020 Cadillac Escalade start from $75,195 for the Standard model followed by the Luxury variant with prices starting from $80,795. The pricier models include the Premium Luxury trim with prices starting from $85,195 and finally the top of the range Platinum trim with prices starting from a whopping $92,295. All models feature the same 6.2-liter V8 engine which comes mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and produces 420 bhp of power and 460 lb-ft of torque. The SUV is available in both two-wheel drive and All-Wheel-Drive setups and can tow over 8000 pounds. The 2020 Cadillac Escalade offers an EPA estimated combined fuel economy of 17 mpg.

Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have not evaluated or rated the 2019 Escalade so far. Cadillac does offer several standard safety and driver assistance features which include automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert,   departure warning, active parking assist, forward collision warning, and front and rear parking sensors as standard in every Escalade model.