2017 Cadillac Escalade vs 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe: Which is Best?

2017 Cadillac Escalade rear view ・ Photo by Cadillac

When you need a lot of space, some guts and power for towing, and dashing good looks, where do you turn? Why, a compact SUV, of course. Oh, you occasionally need seating for 8 or 9 people? Out of the way, crossover. This is where large 3-row vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade come in — goliath both in size and in reputation, with power and reliability that's powered them through the fuel economy revolution and kept them relevant today. General Motors has responded by updating them with modern touches that flirt with genuine unrivaled luxury. Everybody wins. But which one is right for you? These categories should give you plenty of information to decide.

Both of these large SUVs know where their bread is buttered. The Tahoe and Escalade treat their guests like royalty, thanks to inviting interior quality and comfortable road manners. The engines are certainly nothing to scoff at: a 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft of torque for the Tahoe; a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft of torque for the Escalade. Technology is another strong point, with caveats. The Tahoe is stocked with an 8-inch touchscreen and 4G LTE hotspot as standard. The Escalade counters with its own 8-inch screen but paired to Cadillac’s much-maligned CUE system; however, Bose premium 16-speaker sound is standard.

Photo by General Motors

Powertrain and Efficiency

One of the main ways in which the Tahoe and Escalade differentiate themselves is under the hood. While that 5.3-liter V8 in the Tahoe is plenty beefy, and the source of great towing capability, its 6-speed automatic transmission is sluggish for this day and age. The 6.2-liter V8 and 8-speed tranny in the Escalade makes for a combination that is not only formidable but civilized and refined, too. It’s good enough to call fuel economy a scratch — even though both feature cylinder deactivation, the Escalade boasts a paltry 15/22 MPG while the Tahoe barely improves at 16/23. Both vehicles are available with either rear-wheel or 4-wheel drive.

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Performance

If you want our advice: keep the Tahoe and Escalade moving in straight lines. Their powerful engines can make for surprisingly quick bursts off the line, their long wheelbases deliver sumptuous ride quality at cruising speed, and the brakes are more than up to the task (with enough advance notice, of course). General Motors even issued a recent update to the springs and shock absorbers to improve harshness, and both models are available with GM’s ingenious Magnetic Ride Control suspension. It all helps, but these are still large vehicles with high centers of gravity, and changing direction ain’t their thing. The Tahoe can struggle at times with a lack of responsiveness, thanks in large part to its transmission.

Photo by General Motors

Capability

No surprise that the muscular powertrains and body-on-frame construction make both the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade great at towing. Owners can hitch up that camper or fishing boat with plenty of confidence. What may be a little surprising is that the Tahoe actually bests its bigger brother here. Where the Escalade achieves a max rating of 8,300 lbs. in 2-wheel-drive versions, the Tahoe tops out at 8,600 lbs. Okay, so it’s only a small difference, and likely won’t turn away anyone intent on buying an Escalade. But the bragging rights may do wonders for the psyche of Tahoe owners.

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Exterior Design

Though their basic lines and proportions are essentially identical, some touches to both the Tahoe and Escalade are intended to illustrate their respective places in the General Motors hierarchy. For instance, the Tahoe features a wider grille with wraparound headlights, lending it a longer and slimmer perception. The Escalade is interested in none of this. It makes its reputation on being big: the grille hardly has any gaps between the chrome; the headlights run vertical; the taillights are 4-foot-long sickles. You can option 22-inch wheels, for goodness' sake. There are also premium touches like chrome door handles and window outlines. The Tahoe is handsome, while the Cadillac is modern and, above all, big.

Photo by General Motors

Interior Design

As with the exterior, there are a lot of interesting design techniques at play inside both the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade. Really, you can’t go wrong with either. The Tahoe provides impressive aesthetics for the class and price range, with accessible and pleasing control layouts and dashboard lines from pillar to pillar, befitting a much more dynamic vehicle. In the end, though, the Tahoe feels like a truck. A well-appointed one, but a truck. The Escalade, meanwhile, is how General Motors does avant garde. There are two sides to this coin — materials are undeniably premium and gloss black accents add an air of superiority, but chic can often come off cold. To each their own.

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Technology and Safety

Whether you’re leaning toward the Tahoe or the Escalade, the sheer amount of standard technology and safety equipment is reason enough to shell out for either over their competition. The Tahoe boasts the accessible MyLink infotainment system on an 8-inch touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both included. The Escalade has an updated version of CUE, but many will no doubt switch right to CarPlay and Android Auto. The real hauls here are the 16-speaker Bose sound system, wireless smartphone charging, and surround-view camera. NHTSA gave the Tahoe a 4-star safety rating but no overall score for the Escalade, and the IIHS hasn’t released scores for either model.

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Cargo Capacity

Being that these vehicles have nearly identical dimensions, their loading and hauling capabilities are just about carbon copies. The long story short: cavernous SUVs have a ton of room behind the front two seats, but little legroom in the third row and less space than some competitors behind that. If you can fold the third row and use the entire length of the Tahoe and Escalade for cargo, you’re good to go with over 94 cu. feet in both. Behind the third row lies slightly more than 15 cu. feet, though. You can always strap your goods to the roof, but then, it seems unlikely the chrome bars atop the Escalade will be asked to do that much.

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Pricing and Trims

You might notice that the Tahoe and Escalade share a lot in common. This will not be reflected here. When it comes to starting prices, the Chevrolet Tahoe represents a relative deal in the $47,215 Tahoe LS. The Tahoe LT comes with leather adjustable seats for $52,345 and the Premier adds high-intensity headlamps, heated seats, tons of safety equipment and Magnetic Ride Control for $62,030. The Escalade, though it does have MRC standard, is available from a lofty $73,395. The Luxury, Premium Luxury and Platinum trims start with 22-inch wheels and take off from there. The Escalade Platinum starts from $92,195 — nearly twice as much as a base Tahoe.

Photo by Cadillac

Which is Best?

Either of these vehicles would make a powerful and reliable addition to your garage. What you really want to hear is this: the Tahoe is a pack mule with arguably better looks and stronger towing for a fraction of the price; the Escalade is a bona fide luxury car packed with technology and safety features but, most importantly, will undoubtedly turn heads thanks to miles of chrome trim. You can nearly option a Tahoe to the features and price of an Escalade, but you can option an Escalade up to challenge anything on the road. Luckily for GM, these two don’t often compete directly. They compete against the rest of the world and, right now, they’re winning.

Photo by General Motors