2021 Cadillac Escalade Road Test and Review

It’s been almost a quarter of a century since the first Cadillac Escalade went on sale. At the time, the idea of a luxury SUV was ridiculous, in part because the first Escalade was nothing more than a GMC Yukon Denali with Cadillac badges slapped onto its cheesy plastic body kit.

Now, every luxury automaker sells an SUV — even Bentley, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce. And, starting with the 2021 model year, Cadillac’s cross-town Detroit rival (Lincoln) sells exclusively sport-utes, the first luxury brand to make that transition. Clearly, the trend won’t be letting up any time soon. To ensure its continued survival, Cadillac has deeply invested in the all-new 2021 Escalade. It still shares its underlying structure and mechanicals with the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, but the latest Escalade puts greater daylight between it and its mainstream cousins than ever before. Plus, with this redesign, Cadillac has resolved numerous shortcomings of the previous Escalade. From the driving dynamics and technology to the interior passenger room and cargo space, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade is a better luxury SUV than those which came before it.

Cadillac sells the new Escalade in standard ($76,195) and extended ($79,195) lengths, and with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive ($3,000). Add every option, and this Cadillac flirts with the $125,000 mark.

The Luxury trim level is standard. From there, you decide whether you want the shiny polished metal accents that come with the Premium Luxury upgrade ($84,290) or the gloss black on the Sport model ($86,890). Platinum versions of the Premium Luxury and Sport sit at the top of the lineup, each priced at $101,290. For this review, we drove a standard-length Escalade with Premium Luxury trim. Options included 4WD, Shadow Metallic paint, a Driver Assist Tech Package, a Performance Package, an AKG Studio Reference premium sound system, a rear-seat entertainment system, and power-deploying side steps with perimeter lighting. The test vehicle’s window sticker tallied up to $102,310, including a destination charge of $1,295.

Aside from adopting the latest Cadillac grille, headlight, and running light designs, the new Escalade doesn’t stray too far from the old Escalade. Luxury and Premium Luxury versions employ liberal amounts of Galvano polished chrome to emphasize an upscale appearance, while the Sport gets the ever-popular blacked-out look.

Simulated leather is standard in the new Escalade. To get the real deal, you must upgrade beyond the Luxury model. Do that, and multiple seat stitching and perforation patterns are yours for the taking, paired with seven different genuine wood trims. Interior quality is excellent, though additional soft-touch materials in some parts of the cabin would be nice. Cadillac logically arranges the controls, and, as long as you’re comfortable with modern smartphone and tablet computer interfaces, you’ll have no trouble with the 38-inch widescreen instrumentation and infotainment display. According to Cadillac, the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays are quite sophisticated, offering twice the pixel density of a 4K TV.

Cadillac dramatically improves the 2021 Escalade’s comfort levels. Not much changes up front, where 12-way power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation are standard for all but the Luxury trim. They’ll even give you a massage if you upgrade to Platinum specification.

Second-row captain’s chairs are standard, with a three-person bench seat a no-cost option. They slide forward and back, a new feature for 2021, and comfort is excellent. But the most significant improvement is the third-row seat, where the Escalade’s lower interior floor and longer wheelbase combine to provide substantial gains in legroom and leg support. Those same modifications that result in greater third-row comfort also benefit cargo capacity. Behind the third-row seat, the 2021 Escalade supplies 25.5 cubic feet of cargo space (42.9 cubic feet in the extended-length ESV). Fold the third row down to access 63 cubic feet of volume (81.5 in the ESV). Maximum cargo capacity measures 109.1 cubic feet with the second-row seats flattened (126.6 in the ESV). 

You can’t miss the 2021 Escalade’s curved-glass instrumentation and infotainment display. It’s actually three screens fused together, employing OLED technology under glass. Each screen is relatively easy to configure to specific preferences, but the process takes a long time.

For testing purposes, I used the 7.7-inch left-side display for trip computer data, the 14.2-inch instrumentation display for date, time, gauges, and radio information, and the 16.9-inch infotainment display for navigation. However, throughout more than 140 miles of driving, I wished for an easier way to switch the instrumentation from gauges to the navigation map or the incredibly cool Augmented Reality (AR) Camera display. From wireless smartphone projection and the dual 12.6-inch rear-seat entertainment system screens to the sophisticated 36-speaker AKG Reference high-end audio system and the AR navigation with Google Street View images of your destination, there is no shortage of industry-leading tech inside of the new 2021 Escalade. However, the voice-recognition feature failed two of my standard voice prompt tests, and it does not offer control of the climate system.

The 2021 Escalade includes a comprehensive slate of advanced driving assistance systems, with just a few items sitting on the options list. One of them is adaptive cruise control, which the test vehicle had, and which falsely identified a semi-truck in an adjacent lane as an obstacle ahead, suddenly braking the SUV to avoid the supposed hazard.

Another feature is Super Cruise, Cadillac’s hands-free Level 2 driving assist technology. Super Cruise gains numerous upgrades for smoother and more accurate operation as well as an automated lane-change function. Super Cruise will be available later in the model year, and it was not included on the test vehicle. Additionally, the Escalade comes with safe teen driving technology, connected services with automatic crash notification, and a rear-seat reminder so that you don’t accidentally leave a child or a pet in the back seat. A plethora of cameras supply high-definition views every which way, and the Escalade offers an optional Night Vision system with infrared technology. It is worth noting that the head-up display is terrific. It remains visible when the driver is wearing polarized sunglasses, too, a feat seemingly impossible for some competitors to match.

A 6.2-liter V8 is standard in the Escalade, cranking out 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Cadillac employs direct fuel injection, automatic engine stop/start, Dynamic Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology, and a 10-speed automatic transmission to improve fuel economy. However, the EPA ratings still land at 17 mpg in combined driving with rear-wheel drive (16 mpg with four-wheel drive). The test vehicle returned 15.9 mpg on a loop contained mixed driving conditions.

At no extra cost, you can choose a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline six-cylinder engine. It matches the V8 for torque output, producing its 460 lb-ft lower in the engine’s rev range. The 277 horsepower is also more accessible, but they fall well short of the gas-fueled V8’s 460 ponies. When fuel economy ratings are finalized for this engine, expect a gain of 5 mpg or more. Acceleration with the V8 engine is effortless, and the 10-speed automatic behaves nicely. It offers a Sport mode and paddle shifters, but c’mon. Who is going to use those? The maximum tow rating is 8,200 pounds, falling a bit short of Lincoln’s Navigator.

Cadillac takes significant strides to improve the 2021 Escalade’s ride and handling. Starting with a new independent rear suspension, the automaker offers next-generation adaptive damping Magnetic Ride Control for the Escalade, as well as a 4-Corner Air Ride suspension upgrade. All Escalades have standard 22-inch aluminum wheels and 275/50 all-season tires.

The test vehicle had both of the suspension upgrades, and they’re nothing short of revelatory. Whether you’re driving over speed humps, traveling through potholes, cruising on the freeway, or threading down a canyon road, the Escalade remains calm, cool, and collected. It’s not going to encourage driving with enthusiasm, but neither does it behave like a typical big SUV. Despite its considerable size, I found the Escalade easy to drive on narrow roads and easy to park in shopping centers. No fewer than 15 different camera views undoubtedly help, as well as perfectly weighted steering. The brake pedal could use some improvement in terms of feel and response, but bringing this hefty SUV to a stop is never a problem.

The 2021 Escalade’s primary competitor is the Lincoln Navigator. Both are built on bones that serve beneath full-size pickup trucks, and each is designed to transport significant amounts of people and cargo in maximum comfort.

When equipped with their standard engines, the Lincoln tows more weight and gets better gas mileage. But some people don’t like its twin-turbocharged V6 engine, preferring the Cadillac’s V8 instead. The Escalade’s available turbodiesel engine — and its promise of superior fuel economy combined with stump-pulling torque — could also be a game-changer, especially with livery companies. Other alternatives include the less sophisticated Infiniti QX80 and the more expensive Land Rover Range Rover. Some luxury suv buyers will also cross-shop the Escalade with the smaller BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS models. Another new rival, the reintroduced Jeep Grand Wagoneer, is joining the segment next year. 

A flagship vehicle sets the standards for any automaker in terms of design, quality, technology, and performance. The redesigned 2021 Cadillac Escalade serves well in that role.

Not only that, it is loaded with the kinds of gee-whiz-bang technologies that can put Cadillac on the same playing field with its European-brand competitors. That’s important from an owner’s bragging-rights perspective. After all, nobody wants to spend this kind of money only to feel like they’re driving something less than the best. In the final analysis, though, the Lincoln Navigator is this Cadillac’s primary rival. Though similar in construct and mission, they’re very different in execution and personality. Choosing between them is a matter of personal preference. And soon, they’re both going to have the all-new 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer to worry about.