2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV Road Test and Review

2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV ・ Photo by Cadillac

Big SUVs mean big dollars for automakers. Buyers don’t seem to mind spending more and more on the latest utility vehicles, and to keep them coming back for more, companies are adding more tech, safety features, and more luxurious interiors every year. The Cadillac Escalade was already on the extreme end of the luxury spectrum, offering one of the most comfortable and stylish experiences in its class, but the legendary luxury ute had begun to show its age. Cadillac took care of that in 2021 with a ground-up redesign of its most famous nameplate, which brought more of the features that buyers want in a $100,000 SUV. Let’s take a closer look at the 2021 Escalade.  

True Luxury Styling

The Escalade has always been an imposing, almost immediately recognizable SUV, but Cadillac’s styling changes for the 2021 model year have taken it further into exclusive territory. The SUV is sleek and long, especially so in stretched ESV format, and features clean slab sides that accent its status as Cadillac’s flagship. Sharp new headlights flank the Escalade’s large grille, and the SUV’s signature vertical LED running lights remain in place from models past. Standard 22-inch wheels give the vehicle a strong and imposing stance, and the tall vertical taillights will be familiar to Escalade fans.

Photo by General Motors

Interior Opulence

From the driver’s seat, there’s no mistaking that you’re in a special vehicle. The Escalade’s dash is dominated by an expansive 38-plus inches of curved OLED display, which spans from the infotainment system on the right to a small touchscreen control pad to the left of the all-digital gauge cluster. The effect goes beyond technology and gives the Escalade’s cabin an almost spaceship-like feel.

Elsewhere, beautiful upscale materials, exquisite stitching, and gorgeous color contrasts fill the spacious cabin. Cadillac offers eight color and trim choices with various perforation and quilting patterns for the seats. The Escalade also brings 40 percent more third-row legroom, which makes it one of few SUVs on the market with three full rows of seating that are comfortable for adults. Cadillac notes that the new suv features 25.5 cubic-feet of cargo space when the third-row seats are folded upright, so there’s no need to choose between carrying more people or carrying gear.

Photo by General Motors

Screen(s) for Days

The Escalade’s panoramic screen is actually three separate displays mounted under one huge piece of curved glass. To the left of the gauge cluster, there’s a 7.2-inch touchscreen that houses controls for the head-up display and other functions. The gauge cluster itself is a 14.2-inch display, and the infotainment system runs on a 16.9-inch touchscreen. Cadillac says that the screen’s brightness and image quality eliminate the need for a hood or cover to assist with direct-light visibility.

Screens are great, but what you can see and do with them matter. Cadillac makes good use of the real estate with an available augmented reality navigation system that displays a camera view of the road ahead in the gauge cluster and overlays driving directions on the live image. The brand’s night vision system uses infrared tech to alert the driver to the presence of people and large animals right in the gauge cluster.

Photo by General Motors

Strong, Refined Powertrain

The Escalade comes standard with a new 6.2-liter V8 engine that makes 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. While that sounds like a massive engine and a strong power output (both true), the powertrain is quiet and refined and stays mostly out of the way. A punch of the throttle sends the big Caddy forward with gusto, but the SUV’s size and noise insulation help prevent any real drama from unfolding. The 10-speed transmission shifts quickly and smoothly and is more than responsive enough for both everyday driving and towing.

Photo by General Motors

Torque-Heavy, Efficient Diesel

Cadillac offers a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six engine in the Escalade for the first time in 2021. The mill produces 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, and uses the same 10-speed automatic transmission that its gas-powered counterpart does. The diesel isn’t as graceful as the gas engine, and its sound can be coarse at times, but there’s a noticeable fuel economy benefit and plenty of torque for towing.

Torque from the diesel comes on low and offers its benefits much closer to the time the driver’s foot hits the pedal than the gas engine does. The Duramax gives the big Escalade a spritelier feel, allowing it to jump off the line with enthusiasm. That sensation fizzles at higher speeds, but there’s still plenty of power for passing on the highway

Photo by General Motors

Plush Ride and Relaxed Handling

On the road, the Escalade floats over all but the worst broken pavement and allows only the most powerful sounds to penetrate its strong noise cancellation and sound insulation. The large 22-inch wheels do mean that vibrations can become an issue at times, but for the most part, the large SUV glides along. Body roll and motion are absolutely an issue, but only in the most aggressive driving situations, as the Escalade is much more a boulevard cruiser than a canyon carver.

The Escalade’s size becomes a bit of a liability in the city, where the hefty SUV makes maneuvering and parking difficult. Even with a barrage of cameras and views, the Cadillac is not the friendliest vehicle for the urban commuter. That said, its turning radius and handling are surprisingly accurate and usable for such a large vehicle, which does help.

Photo by General Motors

True Luxury-Tier Pricing

The base Escalade Luxury starts at $77,790. From there, pricing increases quickly with trims and options. The Premium Luxury model starts at $84,790, the Sport starts at $87,490, the Premium Luxury Platinum starts at $101,290, and the Sport Platinum starts at $102,190. Packages include a $600 Heavy-Duty Trailering Package, which brings a trailer tire monitoring system and extra camera views, and a $795 Cargo Convenience package with various storage upgrades.

If the Escalade seems expensive, it’s because you’re not looking at the rest of the vehicles in its class, most of which either match or outpace the Caddy in price. The BMW X7 starts around $75,000, the Land Rover Range rover at $92,000, the Lincoln Navigator at just under $78,000, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS Class at around $76,000. Buyers wanting to save a few dollars can opt for the still-plush but far less expensive GMC Yukon or Chevrolet Suburban.

Photo by General Motors

World-Class Rivals

Luxury SUVs are among the most popular vehicles on the roads, so it should come as no surprise that the Escalade is not left wanting for competitors. Ford Motor Company alone offers two strong entrants with the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition twins. Within General Motors, there’s the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, as well as the GMC Yukon. 

That’s all before we even get to the Europeans, where large luxe SUVs are serious business. The BMW X7 debuted a couple of years ago as a new range-topping model with great tech, an opulent interior, and room for the whole family. The Land Rover Range Rover is fit for royalty and has a price tag to match. It’s also offered with a high-powered V8 powertrain. Finally, the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class offers three-row transportation with the best in build and materials quality and neat powertrain tech. The Benz also offers standard all-wheel drive.

Photo by Lincoln

Final Thoughts

The old saying that “there are Cadillacs and then there is the Escalade” is true. The SUV is head and shoulders above the rest of the automaker’s lineup in tech, luxury equipment, comfort, and style. It offers full-size SUV utility with a solid towing capacity, great payload, and available four-wheel drive, and Cadillac did a good job at hiding its truck-like body-on-frame construction.

Inside, the Escalade features some of the most compelling and useful tech features seen in any SUV today, and its screen setup is genuinely impressive. Cadillac’s infotainment is easy to use, and despite its size, the overall vehicle is quite driver-friendly as well. Just don’t expect to squeeze into a tight parallel-parking spot.

Photo by Cadillac