Does the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Still Impress? | Review | Edmunds

As the luxury SUV market expands to include exotic supercar manufacturers, is there still a space where the Cadillac Escalade stands out? Special correspondent Elana Scherr plays VIP for a day in the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV 4WD Platinum and reports back on where it sits in the high-dollar-hauler lineup.

Q: What's new on the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
A: The 2018 Escalade gets a 10-speed automatic. There are new interior color options, added safety and driver assists such as automatic parking, and some trickle-down of safety features from the higher to lower level trim models.

Q: What is the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
A: The 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV is the extended-wheelbase version of the Escalade. It adds 14 inches to the wheelbase and 20.4 inches to the overall length of the truck. The end result is a small increase in legroom for the third-row passengers but more than double the cargo space behind the seats.

Q: How much is the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
A: The 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV starts at $74,695, but the Platinum trim we tested has a $103,185 price tag. That higher price adds features such as a rear camera mirror, rear-seat entertainment, intelligent headlights, a power sunroof, a theft deterrent system, upgraded automatic braking, 22-inch wheels, additional driver assist packages, retractable running boards, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and a refrigerated console.

Q: What kind of engine does the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV have?
A: The engine in the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV is one of its best features. Unlike rivals Lincoln and Mercedes with turbocharged six-cylinder engines, the Escalade boasts a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. At our test track it ran a 14.8-second quarter-mile at 94.3 mph — frankly rather astounding for a more than 6,000-pound truck.

Q: What kind of fuel mileage does the 2018 Cadillac Escalade get?
A: The standard 2018 Cadillac Escalade gets 17 mpg combined (14 city/21 highway). The four-wheel-drive extended-wheelbase ESV we drove is rated at 13 mpg combined (12 city/16 highway), so it is a bit thirstier. However, with a 31-gallon fuel tank, you can still travel quite a long way between fill-ups. The Escalade's closest competitor is the 2018 Lincoln Navigator L, which has a turbocharged six-cylinder engine and gets 16 mpg combined (15 city/20 highway) in 4WD form.

Q: How big is the 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV's cargo area?
A: The 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV cargo space behind the third row measures 39 cubic feet, and with all the seats down you get 120.9 cubic feet.

Read our review of the 2018 Escalade ESV here: https://www.edmunds.com/cadillac/escalade-esv/2018/suv/

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