The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Mountain of torque
- Stunning cabin
- Refined ride
- Slick Super Cruise system
- Adults can fit in the third row
Dislikes
- Takes up an entire garage
- Expensive turbodiesel
- Needs a hybrid option
- Not quite as space-efficient as a minivan
Buying tip
features & specs
A flagship in every sense of the word, the massive 2023 Cadillac Escalade oozes tech, luxury, and comfort.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Cadillac Escalade? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Cadillac Escalade is a luxurious full-size SUV that can compete with a wide range of similarly plush models including the Lincoln Navigator, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and Land Rover Range Rover.
Is the 2023 Cadillac Escalade a good SUV?
The Escalade is Cadillac’s old-school flagship, and yet it’s dripping with modern tech and a high-performance variant. We rate it at 6.8 out of 10. It’s held back primarily by its lousy fuel economy. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 Cadillac Escalade?
This year, Cadillac introduces the Escalade-V and its 682-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. The. Escalade can harness its surround-view camera system to record short driving (or even parking) snippets to an SD card for later review.
The 2023 Escalade comes in two lengths—big and bigger, or Escalade and Escalade ESV in Cadillac-speak. Both share genes with the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon, though the Caddy models wear their own crisply-tailored styling touches outside and feature a pampering cabin with massive screen space.
The ultra-smooth 6.2-liter V-8 pumps out 420 hp via a 10-speed automatic transmission. It trades efficiency for effortless torque. A 277-hp 3.0-liter turbodiesel offers improved economy, but it’s a costly upcharge that may take a long time to pay out.
A fully independent suspension and available magnetic dampers cancel out what would otherwise be a flinty ride with gargantuan wheels wrapped in tires with tiny sidewalls.
Even the shorter Escalade has spectacular cabin and cargo space, though the longer one has the edge with a bit more leg room and way more luggage-hauling ability.
The expected slew of crash-avoidance tech can be augmented with automatic park assist, night vision, and a trick system called SuperCruise that enables stints of true hands-free driving on many highways.
How much does the 2023 Cadillac Escalade cost?
It's $82,690 for the base model, including a $1,500 3-year subscription to OnStar mandated by the brand. For about $10,000 more, the Escalade Sport throws in leather, magnetic dampers, adaptive cruise control, and a few other niceties.
Where is the 2023 Cadillac Escalade made?
In Arlington, Texas.
2023 Cadillac Escalade Styling
Brawn without brash, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade strikes an imposing silhouette.
Is the Cadillac Escalade a good-looking SUV?
A linebacker in a custom suit, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade offers plenty of presence. There’s nothing subtle about its design, which stretches 212 inches long in base form and commands another 15 inches of tarmac when built as an Escalade ESV.
Still, the ‘Slade handles its heft well, from its huge front grille flanked to its vertical, retro-esque taillights. Sport versions have less chrome, which makes them sharper to our eyes.
The biggest thrill comes inside, where 38 total inches of curved OLED screens (14.2 inches in the instrument cluster and 16.9- and 7.2-inch displays in the dash) literally light up the cabin. They’re beautifully integrated and visually staggering, and they pair well with traditional luxury cues such as buttery soft leather and glossy wood trim on most versions.
Overall, the 2023 Escalade rates 8 out of 10 for styling – with many of those points allocated to its cabin.
2023 Cadillac Escalade Performance
Fuel prices be damned, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade its best with the 420-hp V-8.
The standard V-8 delivers bullet train-like acceleration in the 2023 Cadillac Escalade. Pair its muscle with a supple ride and it’s easy for us to assign it a 7 out of 10 score.
Is the Cadillac Escalade 4WD?
Cadillac offers sun-belters a rear-drive Escalade, but four-wheel-drive versions have a 2-speed transfer case and a limited-slip rear differential for optimal traction. Just make sure to replace those sporty tires – yes, really – with winter rubber.
How fast is the Cadillac Escalade?
It’s downright muscular with the 420-hp V-8, which teams brilliantly with the 10-speed automatic transmission to deliver a 0-60 mph sprint of about 6 seconds. That’s especially impressive when you figure it doesn’t take more than a few optional extras to bump curb weight over 6,000 pounds.
The Escalade-V brings more attitude to go with immense power. Its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 increases output to 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. It rumbles and barks as it launches the three-ton SUV from 0-60 mph in a scant 4.4 seconds. A standard limited-slip differential helps send that power efficiently to the pavement, and a V mode quickens the throttle response, shortens the shifts, and makes the Escalade all-around more responsive.
We’re less smitten with the 277-hp 3.0-liter turbodiesel 6-cylinder, which has a lower towing capacity and costs a pretty penny to buy. While not slow, it’s definitely not as peppy as the V-8, either.
This three-ton beast can be light on its feet, too, thanks to comfortable suspension tuning and nicely weighted steering with quick response. Adaptive magnetic dampers are worth the upcharge here thanks to the way they take care of both minor road imperfections and bigger bumps and swells. Paired with the air suspension, which can drop the Escalade’s body at speed to save fuel, this vehicle offers up a sublimely comfortable ride.
For as loud as the Escalade-V is, its handling is little changed. The steering builds up a bit more weight at speed, and bigger Brembo brakes help bring down the big SUV from the high speeds it wants to achieve. While the suspension is also tweaked, that’s mostly to offset the weight shift caused by the more powerful engine.
The only downside is heft. The Escalade takes up the better part of a typical parking spot or road lane, making it a challenge to maneuver.
2023 Cadillac Escalade Comfort & Quality
Few vehicles pamper the way the 2023 Cadillac Escalade does.
Luxurious in its spaciousness, its feature set, and its design, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade easily earns a 10 for comfort in both standard and ESV guise.
Real leather may be optional, but there’s not a dowdy-feeling Escalade. Multi-adjustable front seats can offer massage, cooling, and heating, while the second row serves up gobs of leg room once you’ve made a fairly high step aboard. A second-row bench is standard, but most ‘Slades head out of the Texas factory with middle-row buckets.
The third row can handle two or three adults in reasonable comfort, too, though climbing back there can be a bit of a chore.
Cargo space is ample no matter the setup, ranging from a minimum of 25.5 cubic feet behind the third row in standard-wheelbase Escalades to a small village-like 142.8 cubes in the ESV with rows two and three folded.
Occasional inexpensive plastic trim reveals the Escalade’s relationship to its Chevy and GMC siblings, but overall these cabins hold up well to the kind of close scrutiny expected by someone spending the better part of six figures.
2023 Cadillac Escalade Safety
The 2023 Cadillac Escalade disappoints on the NHTSA test regimen.
How safe is the Cadillac Escalade?
The NHTSA gives the Escalade four stars overall, a disappointing score for a new vehicle. The IIHS hasn't tested the big SUV yet.
The Escalade comes with standard automatic emergency braking, parking sensors front and rear, and active lane control. That earns it the point it loses for its NHTSA score.
It gains another for additional safety features offered as options. Blind-spot monitors and adaptive cruise control are included in most configurations; available night vision provides some extra security on country roads.
If you’re buying an Escalade to eat up highway miles, consider adding Super Cruise. This system reads more than 130,000 miles of pre-mapped highways for stints of hands-free driving.
2023 Cadillac Escalade Features
Expensive but well-equipped, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade comes loaded with luxury.
We give the Escalade an 8 out of 10 thanks to good standard and optional features plus a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty that includes a free first oil change.
The 2023 Cadillac Escalade starts at $82,690. Base models come with 12-way power-adjustable front seats, AKG audio, a hands-free tailgate, 22-inch alloy wheels, and synthetic leather seats that are heated in rows one and two. And don’t forget about those OLED displays, which can display wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Which Cadillac Escalade should I buy?
We’d bypass the base model for the $97,615 Escalade Sport, mostly for its real leather trim, its magnetic dampers, and its adaptive cruise control, though the big panoramic sunroof is an added bonus.
How much is a fully loaded Cadillac Escalade?
Platinum Luxury and Sport Luxury versions approach $110,000 with softer leather and 30-speaker audio systems, plus an air suspension. The Escalade-V starts at $151,090 for the standard-wheelbase model. They’re equipped like the Sport Platinum trim, with the addition of the limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes, V mode, and Zebra Wood trim.
2023 Cadillac Escalade Fuel Economy
The 2023 Cadillac Escalade is downright thirsty.
Is the Cadillac Escalade good on gas?
Nope. Look for 14 mpg city, 19 highway, 16 combined according to the EPA, which scores a lowly 1 out of 10 on the TCC scale. Turbodiesels can slurp down costlier diesel fuel at a rate of 20/26/22 mpg, which is quite a bit better but likely not enough to offset the engine’s upcharge for most shoppers. The supercharged Escalade V gulps fuel to the tune of 11/16/13 mpg.
An Escalade hybrid would be nice to see again.
