2015 Cadillac Escalade - The Oppo Mini-review

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
07/28/2014 at 12:00 • Filed to: None

I drove the new Escalade 2 days ago. I liked it. Some things I noticed are:

The interior, even without the Kona brown seats I like, is great. Every button (of which there aren't many, because touchscreen), piece of trim, and surface is pleasant to see and touch.

Cadillac says it will do 0-60 in under 6 seconds. I believe them. That thing was seriously quick.

The interior space is probably smaller than our Flex.

It was very quiet and comfortable, but my car, even at 1/10th of the cost and with 12 years and 117k miles under its belt, is even quieter and more comfortable, so that was slightly disappointing.

The steering wheel is particularly good.

The 2015 Escalade drives like a sports sedan, but still feels like a massive house.

I cannot stress enough how much of an improvement this new Escalade is over its predecessor. It's like night and day. And did I mention it's fast?

It looks good.

Not only don't I like the column shifter as a concept, but this one shifts directly from neutral to low, and you have to hunt around for drive.

The one we drove was a base model. Only option was four wheel drive. Not even a sunroof. $77,000. That's a lot. Loaded up, it's over $90,000. And the Platinum hasn't even come out yet. Expect that to top $100k easily.

The only major problem I can see with the Escalade is the Yukon Denali. I will report back on whether it's worth the premium after I drive the GMC.

If someone 2 years ago had told me that they picked an Escalade over a Lexus, Mercedes, or Range Rover, I would've laughed at them. With this new one, I'd be tempted to pick it as well.

DISCUSSION (34)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:04

The 2015 Escalade drives like a sports sedan, but still feels like a massive house.

Does it really drive that well?

Massive is a given though... because it is.

Brian Silvestro > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:07

Dear god those taillights are massive!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/28/2014 at 12:07

It really does. The thing goes like a gunshot, has good pedal feel and feedback, and the steering is not at all vague or loose. It's actually fairly precise.

The suspension does a fairly good job minimizing body roll. But there is still body roll. I wouldn't compare it to an M3, but for a non-sports SUV, it was damn impressive. It reminded me of the Cayenne GTS, only bigger, and tippier.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Brian Silvestro
07/28/2014 at 12:08

As is everything else about it. Except for the interior.

Brian Silvestro > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:09

Dat 0-60 though. So fast

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:09

Now that's a compliment to something built on a truck chassis.

I'm so glad they improved it that much.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Brian Silvestro
07/28/2014 at 12:10

I was surprised to find myself completely willing to believe it will do a 5.9 second 0-60.

Brian Silvestro > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:12

That's like a second faster than my Fiesta!!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/28/2014 at 12:12

They improved it immeasurably. The only problem was, even though it had handled relatively well, the size, height, and body roll meant that doing so is a scary experience.

Also, for $77k, throw in a fucking sunroof.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:14

But throwing in a sunroof might piss off the 5-10 people who don't want one, and they wouldn't want to do that.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Brian Silvestro
07/28/2014 at 12:15

You could put your Fiesta on a trailer behind the Caddy, like so, and make it faster:

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/28/2014 at 12:15

That was the best you could come up with?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:18

For the record, I was being sarcastic and think it's ridiculous they don't.

According to the online configurator, it isn't even an option on the Standard model, you have to step up to Luxury.

Brian Silvestro > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:22

I can't see the video because I'm at wörk, but I assume it's the Chris Harris one.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/28/2014 at 12:27

I figured you were being sarcastic. I was more saying I expected something wittier.

That reminds me though; I drove a nameless near-luxury car once, and the power passenger seat had no up/down motion. On a $40k car, you get to move up and down, especially when you're 5'6" and can't see over the dash. When I asked the salesman about this, he said,

"Oh, the passenger seat is permanently fixed in the lowest position for maximum comfort. You know, for people taller than you."

OH REALLY?!?! THEN WHY DOESN'T ROLLS-ROYCE JUST PICK A SEATING POSITION AND MAKE ALL THE SEATS IN ALL THEIR CARS STAY THERE? COULD IT BE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE PASSENGER, AND NOT THE MANUFACTURER, KNOWS HOW THE PASSENGER WANTS TO SIT? AND IS IT POSSIBLE YOU JUST GAVE ME THE MOST B.S. EXCUSE EVER RECORDED BY MAN FOR WHY YOUR CAR HAS A CHEAP CORNER-CUTTING FLAW?

What I actually said to him was, "Yeah, sure."

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Brian Silvestro
07/28/2014 at 12:28

Nope. Top Gear drag race: Overfinch Range Rover towing a Ford Focus on a trailer is faster than a Ford Focus.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:31

My uncle's 2011 Ram 1500 Laramie doesn't have up-down adjustment on the passenger seat either! I'm just like the fuck is this!? My head was brushing on the roof the entire time.

What was this nameless near-luxury car?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/28/2014 at 12:34

Cadenza limited

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:35

Oh Kia, how hard you try. How up short you come.

shieldsdb > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:46

80k, GTFO!

I would like to see a side by side comparison of the Escalade, Yukon, and Suburban.

I find it hard to believe that the Escalade is $30k nicer than a Yukon.

I guess that Caddy badge is really that important.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 12:57

Kinja'd!!!

My favorite part

macanamera > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 13:21

Anyone that spends 100k on an Escalade needs to take a close look at their life choices. 80 is the max and even then...80k for an Escalade?!?!

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 13:40

Its an option because the limo companies who buy a Sclade won't want it.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > shieldsdb
07/28/2014 at 13:51

I dunno, the Caddy is pretty nice. You are right though, it would be hard to justify the extra 30k.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > macanamera
07/28/2014 at 13:54

With the last one, that would be insane. But while the price may be steep for the new one, it's no longer any more ridiculous than any other 80k car. It really is that good.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
07/28/2014 at 13:55

Is that actually the reason? Because it seems like they could just do a livery version without it. It's not even available on the base model, apparently.

macanamera > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 13:56

There are plenty of just-sub-100k cars that are very worth it and not ridiculous. For example, a base 911.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > macanamera
07/28/2014 at 13:59

That's a different thing. For someone who has a lot of money and wants an S-Class that can take their family, dog, and boat, there are only a few options. Plus, some very wealthy people are willing to pay a lot of money for the stuff they want.

As the salesman said, you can't justify the price of a car like the Escalade. You buy it because you want one, and you can afford it. I want one, but alas cannot afford it.

Brian Silvestro > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 14:11

Dat Overfinch though

nostradimas > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 14:43

We need to make people get some lower level of CDL classification before they can even drive these things. It's a great car, but the drivers scare the bejesus out of me when they float between two lanes 4.5 cm from my back bumper during rain/snow BECUZ 4WD

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 15:23

Right the base model will be the defacto livery model. It's just a guess, maybe the main purpose was to nickle and dime people.

heliochrome85 > macanamera
07/28/2014 at 17:09

you do realize that this is marketed the same as the range rover, as an S-Class alternative.

heliochrome85 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/28/2014 at 17:12

I've said it before, and ill say it again. THE ESCALADE BUYER ISNT INTERESTED IN THE DENALI OR SUBURBAN. The Escalade has a personality all its own, and the people who buy them are looking for that personality. The GMC, while nice is not the same.

Given that you and most of the guys here are not the intended target, I do not expect you to understand why the Escalade is better than its siblings. VALUE DOESNT MATTER WHEN YOU CROSS THE 50K MARK.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > heliochrome85
07/28/2014 at 17:59

I totally get it. I've been saying that that, but all people want to know is "can you justify every center of the mark-up", so that's what I write about.

And my parents are basically exactly the target market. Only difference is, as my dad puts it, he'd rather buy a sports sedan and a pickup than an SUV.