What do you think of the Escalade?

[Thurnau]

What do you think of the new 08 Cadillac Escalade? Or any thoughts on the brand Cadillac? I am looking for a new luxury SUV and would really prefer an American made product.

Any suggestions?

[steve-o]

High end bling is what most of the poor Escalades I see morph into. Not my style.

[vh_bu98]

Sorry, not a SUV fan especially with gas prices climbing up again.

[Ed Rooney]

I remember when it was $20K cheaper and called a loaded Chevy Tahoe.

Caddies tend to look dated very quickly. You are starting to see Escalades that were blinged out 4 years ago with all of the bling falling off.

If you need a luxury SUV, you are better off with:

A Toyota Land Cruiser
Any Lexus
Any Acura
BMW X-5
Most of the Mercedes line
A loaded GMC or Chevy
A loaded Ford Expedition

However, you will be ahead of the game with an Escalade ahead of any Land Rover.

All of this is contingent on the assumption that you will never go off road and probably won't ever switch into 4WD in southern Louisiana.

[GerardoG]

To be honest, I find the Navigator a nicer ride. Just my 2 cents....

[S2000 Driver]

[Lisa]

A friend of ours talked about getting an Escalade and we told him he'd better not park it in front of our house or the police would think the next door neighbors were dealing drugs again.

[Mrdi]

Originally Posted by Lisa

A friend of ours talked about getting an Escalade and we told him he'd better not park it in front of our house or the police would think the next door neighbors were dealing drugs again.

I don't think it could be stated in a more concise fashion.
Well done Lisa.

Mrdi

[Thurnau]

Stevo, those Escalades do look terrible. I am not into customization though, so it would be all factory.

vh_bu98 Next year they are supposed to roll out a hybrid, but I wasn't sure if i want to wait that long, or if I want the first model version of it.

Ed Rooney I was considering a loaded gmc denali yukon, but after reading a lot of reviews I determined that there is a big difference now between an Escalade and the GMC Yukon Denali after a model change in 2007. Earlier models 2006 and older they said it was a yukon or tahoe with a cadillac logo.

Lisa and Mrdi, you do have a point. I want to feel good about myself, and enjoy being a young successful business owner. I do not want to look like a young successful drug dealer. It is a shame that they added too much chrome. Black with chrome is a little too much and I might have to settle on the color. However pearl white looks a little more classy. The chrome isn't so loud on other colors. The black is more manly though so it is a toss up.

[Lisa]

Ed, you mention the Chevy Tahoe. I'm biased (probably unfairly) toward Japanese-made cars, but I think the Tahoe is a handsome SUV (it has a better looking grille than the Escalade, in my opinion). A black, loaded Tahoe might be very nice... the hybrid is due early next year. http://www.chevrolet.com/hybrid/

[Thurnau]

I also drive 2.1 miles to work and 2.1 miles back. Gas mileage is nice but not important. I drove to the office and reset the trip odometer to check.

Does anyone here have an escalade? That can say anything about it or the brand?

I did consider a Lincoln Navigator, I know a town car has an excellent ride, but the navigator looks like it is too mature, and I heard it doesn't resale easily. I also took a look at someones Navigator on a lot one day. It was probably only a couple of years old and the nice looking red hood emblem was faded inside, the same way plastic looks when it is dried out or failed. Does anyone here have a navigator that can speak first hand about it?

[Thurnau]

I was Japanese biased too, my last 3 cars where two toyotas and a honda. Until the Dolphin abuse thing got onto CNN every day, I was interested in the GX470, or the too pricey LX470, and the Toyota Landcruiser. I happen to love Dolphins, I had the privalage to jet ski in the gulf coast close to a couple of curious dolphins.

Lately though I have gone into a support American made products mode. I try to by American made stuff within reason, unless an Item is not American made at all.

[AZDAYTONA]

Originally Posted by Thurnau

What do you think of the new 08 Cadillac Escalade? Or any thoughts on the brand Cadillac? I am looking for a new luxury SUV and would really prefer an American made product.

Any suggestions?

It's awesome i own one!

[AZDAYTONA]

Mine is a 2007 All wheel Drive 400hp V-8. Heated and cooled seats, tv and xbox 360 system. Onstar,Bose,Built in cell phone,

This thing drives like a dream and has latest in electro magnetic shock system! I can truly say this is no longer a Tahoe with dressing!

[Thurnau]

Cool. I am looking at the 08. I wanted something with a smooth ride, and a great sound, with XM radio without using a tape deck. The back up camera is a nice feature. What seating do you have in the middle row? Buckets or Bench? Did you take out the 3rd row? Or leave it in? Does the parking assist work nicely? Does it help for backing up only? Or does it help with the front bumper too?

[Boopie]

It depends if you need one that large, and if you would rather drive an SUV that is based upon a truck or car platform.

The new Escalade was profiled in either this month's or last month's "Car and Driver." Surprisingly, they indicated that it didn't have as much storage capacity as one would think. Also, the third row of seats needs to be removed for storage--they can't be folded down (as with many other models).

Personally, I think they are too "blingy." For whatever it's worth, my in laws got the Lincoln Navigator when it first came out ('98?). It was really huge.

[ianmedium]

Unless you live somewhere where you are going to need an off road vehicle then I see no sense in these things!
Gas consumption is huge and really and truthfully with the way the planet is going in enviroment terms they seem grossly immature but then that is just my opinion! Why do we need such big vehicles? they are not that good at transporting lot's of folks, In europe they seem to find solutions to large families and all the paraphanalia that that brings and put them into much more enviro-friendly vehicles. Seems to me the States are about thirty years behind the times in this matter, trucks get bigger not smaller, sedans the same and yet when you look at most of these huge vehicles on the road there is one over made up miniscule woman driving them.. or drug dealers! that certainly seems the case here in Vancouver!
As for safety! long ago proven that they are way worse in stability terms.
Vehicles this size only make sense if they are working vehicles, again, just my opinion!

[vh_bu98]

Originally Posted by Thurnau

I was Japanese biased too, my last 3 cars where two toyotas and a honda. Until the Dolphin abuse thing got onto CNN every day, I was interested in the GX470, or the too pricey LX470, and the Toyota Landcruiser. I happen to love Dolphins, I had the privalage to jet ski in the gulf coast close to a couple of curious dolphins.

Lately though I have gone into a support American made products mode. I try to by American made stuff within reason, unless an Item is not American made at all.

I'm not quite sure what Toyota and Honda has to do with dolphins.

A lot of those imports are actually made in the US. And some of those domestics are actually made out of the US.

If I had to get a SUV, I would look at the Porshe Cayenne, BMW x models or the Lexus RX series.

[jasonbellevue]

Nothing wrong with an Escalade, just too rich for me. I drive a 2008 Chevy Tahoe, and from the heated leather seats, to the sunroof, and the spacious interior, I love it. The only thing that I need to figure out is how to turn off the automatic reverse-tilt side mirrors, it drives me nuts every time I back up the vehicle.

[astcell]

I think that vehicles would be the perfect "watch box" for the Dreadnought. :-)

[Thurnau]

Some animal rights activists would boycott goods from a country that abuses animals. Japanese fisherman are slaughtering dolphin. Unless Japan makes a law to publicly not support it, abusing dolphins might actually sway me not to buy Japanese vehicles. Similar to boycotting USA made products if you didn't support our war.

I never plan on going offroad, however I do live in southern Louisiana. I do know what it is like to evacuate for a hurricane and carry my wife, dogs, and belongings and not be sure whether or not I still have a home. It sucks when it rains to hard and streets flood temporarily on a hard rainstorm. This SUV will not commute but 4 miles per day so I do not think that it will consume as badly as a guy driving 30 miles per day in a hybrid. This vehicle is not going to be a workhorse, but it will take some materials, and equipment around on occasions. My 4 runner did the same but the cargo was a little more limited, and I am a little to big for the driver seat. Had I not owned a business that required picking things up on occasion I may be asking for the best mid size car.

[AZDAYTONA]

Originally Posted by Thurnau

Cool. I am looking at the 08. I wanted something with a smooth ride, and a great sound, with XM radio without using a tape deck. The back up camera is a nice feature. What seating do you have in the middle row? Buckets or Bench? Did you take out the 3rd row? Or leave it in? Does the parking assist work nicely? Does it help for backing up only? Or does it help with the front bumper too?

I have rear bench for kids! Easier and safer with car seat. Back up camera is awesome and park assist works well. I leave thir row in folded up unless hauling alot. Park assist is for backing up only!

[AZDAYTONA]

Originally Posted by Boopie

It depends if you need one that large, and if you would rather drive an SUV that is based upon a truck or car platform.

The new Escalade was profiled in either this month's or last month's "Car and Driver." Surprisingly, they indicated that it didn't have as much storage capacity as one would think. Also, the third row of seats needs to be removed for storage--they can't be folded down (as with many other models).

Personally, I think they are too "blingy." For whatever it's worth, my in laws got the Lincoln Navigator when it first came out ('98?). It was really huge.

I would disagree. Plenty of room for a stroller and groceries. Also the third row seats fold up easy and remove easy i have never had a problem. And why get a Navigator might as well buy a loaded expedition!

[AZDAYTONA]

In the end get what you like. As for the enviroment that is your choice. I have a v8 corvette and v8 suv and v8 diesel truck! But we recycle so i drive what makes me happy and you will never catch me in a japenese car in this life time! German auto maybe but for cars my Z06 will whip the hell out of 99% of german autos on the road for 1/2 the money!

[ohsixx]

The Escalade has been adopted by a certain sector of American Society.

The first thing they do is get the windows tinted very dark and put on 22 inch wheels that continue to spin after the vehicle comes to a halt.

The aftermarket Boom Box makes the Earth shake and can be heard for miles around.

If you ever get a glimpse of the occupants they are almost always bald and slumped way down in the seats with dark glasses. thumbsdow

[AZDAYTONA]

wow i am white, have 22'' wheels and tinted windows and sit upright in my escalade. I have a full head of hair and fit into a specific club of self made CEO's! Wow so now their are two classes escalade people fit into!

[Lisa]

Maybe it depends on where you live. If projecting a questionable image is an issue, why not spend a few days checking out who's driving the Escalades around your town? Then draw your own conclusions.

[AZDAYTONA]

Wow i thought we were a race neutral non prejudice web site! Guess Not!

[steve-o]

Originally Posted by AZDAYTONA

Wow i thought we were a race neutral non prejudice web site! Guess Not!

It's all those damn Irish-Italian-Americans driving Chevy's that bug the crap out of me.










Steve-O
Irish-Italian-American

[Ed Rooney]

If you want an Escalade go get an Escalade. It's just like a watch. You have to sit in a bunch and then pick the one that sings to you. It would be a boring world if we all drove Toyotas and Hondas. Reliable....but boring.