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2007 Cadillac Escalade Road Test

New Escalade Resets the Full-Size SUV Benchmark

I heard the skidding, although it wasnt the kind of screeching thats normally associated with a car sliding out of control. The rain was falling too hard to allow for much friction between rubber and pavement, so it was more of a long, drawn out skid, and then, with enough time for me to look over my shoulder towards the back window while saying "Brace yourselves!" to the kids, something indistinguishable through the soaked rear glass but nevertheless white hit my rear end and shook the Escalade.

Not a big shake mind you, but enough to be sure that someone was going to be paying for damages. I asked the kids if they were alright, at which point came an affirmative but dumbfounded nod from each one, so I stepped out to survey the situation. The something white was a Jeep Cherokee, probably vintage 1988 or so, with questionable tire treads, as could be guessed. Its left front corner

It looks so good from the front... (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

looking pretty pranged up, a realization not lost on the distraught looking driver.

"Im sorry", he said. "You stopped so fast." Yes, I suppose I was lucky not to hit the car in front of me, being that he had braked for a car in front of him who stopped suddenly for a pedestrian who decided to walk out in front of everyone. I had brand new tires, not to mention antilock enhanced four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist. This poor sod was probably running on worn front pads with worn shoes at the back, and definitely no ABS. I was lucky in another way too. Somehow

.... but after a quick kick in the pants its not quite as pretty from behind. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

he had struck the Escalade dead center, demolishing the plastic trailer hitch cover but doing nothing more. Thats a $100 part,  or so, with another $50 or so for paint. No doubt, his insurance adjuster wont even get a call from GM; the legal costs it would incur just filling out the paperwork and making the appropriate calls would far outweigh paying for the part and labor.

After writing down his particulars I climbed back into the Escalade, and once again made my inquiries with the kids. Kaden, my 6 year old son was sitting in the third row (by choice of course), and spoke about how hard the car hit us. I suppose he felt the impact more, or at least heard a much louder thump than I did. His

The damaged panel, which merely covers the trailer hitch, pulled away easily after twisting a couple of tabs, and it looked like many other Escalades looked, ready to tow something big. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

booster seat kept him at the right height so that the seatbelt had worked properly, so he didnt look any worse for wear. Julia, my 13 year old daughter said she hardly felt it, as did my youngest daughter Anika, almost 3 and held in place by a child safety seat latched into place and then strapped down with the seatbelt for extra precaution. We drove home.

That night, speaking with my wife, I mused about what damage we may have sustained if we werent in the Escalade, but rather a smaller subcompact or compact. Would we all be booking chiropractic appointments right now? Probably not, but there certainly would have been much more damage sustained to the car, and possibly downtime getting

That third row seat, that is accommodating enough for most adults, was my sons favorite perch when in the Escalade. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

it fixed. No doubt, when it comes to getting hit while stationary, size really does matter.

If I, on the other hand, had been the one traveling behind and needing to avoid the accident by veering out of the way, however, I might be singing a different tune. Id be cursing its mammoth proportions, frustrated by its archaic live rear axle and be facing a much larger repair bill; theres no trailer hitch cover in the front bumper. Something more agile would have been better, that is until an accident actually occurs, at which time Id be grateful for having so much vehicle around to protect me and my family.
Does this make any sense or is my brain scrambled from getting hit? Theres a myth bantered about by large SUV owners that says theyre safer vehicles, due to their mass. In the case of my accident,

While safer in accidents, the Escalades overall mass makes it difficult to avoid potential MVAs. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

I heartily agree, but this isnt true when taking accident avoidance measures, so are they really that much safer. I suppose that most people arent trained in proper accident avoidance maneuvers anyway, such as applying opposite lock steering when necessary, and then applying the throttle instead of the brake, when called, so big is probably better after all.

When it came to hauling the family and all of our belongings for the two and a half weeks we had the Escalade, big definitely was a bonus. Even with all three rows in place there was room in the cargo hold for some gear. The liftgate was powered, of course, but the same remote key fob used for lifting it could also pop open the rear glass, for smaller items. This said, mind you, I found it too difficult to reach over and grab whatever was down below, so once tested never used this feature again. Taller folk might not have this issue.

Lots of room to get in and out,of the back, but the mechanism for doing so was a pain to operate. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

The rear seats dont fold into the floor when not in use, but rather lift up and forward on a front hinge, and can be removed entirely if more space is needed. This is good, but not as convenient as it would be if you could simply drop them into the floor like some of the Escalades rivals. The second row seats work much the same way, and when tipped forward allow enough room to easily crawl into the back. Theyre a pain to operate though, as sometimes theyd open and close easily, and other times I couldnt get the backrest to go back into place. Actually, in the end I just left it down all week because I couldnt be bothered getting out the manual to figure out whatever intricate system was needed to pull it upright. After all, with seven seats to its credit and only needing five, it simply wasnt necessary. I suppose thats the luxury of size.

Theres more to the luxurious experience I had with the Escalade than its interior space, mind you, but rather

This photo hardly does the clock justice, but Im just getting used to my latest digital camera; a point and shoot Casio 7.2 mpx about the size of a credit card that I bought at the Frankfurt airport last week. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the overall design itself. Gone is the old models pickup truck styling motif, replete with brittle plastics, bulbous buttons and acres of fake woodgrain, replaced with an almost European design featuring high quality soft-touch plastics, sophisticated, well damped switchgear and beautiful aluminum trim mixed with less fake woodgrain accents, fortunately. But why knock the fact that the wood isnt real. Rather, lets celebrate the fact that no Brazilian hardwood forests were clear cut in order to make this SUV; other than the steering wheel trim that appears to be the genuine article. Hmmm... why bother?

In the middle of a long span of aluminum, right above the center stack, sits one of the coolest analog clocks Ive ever laid eyes on in any vehicle, setting the tone for the rest of the interior. A large infotainment screen is just below, with an integrated nav system and various controls for adjusting audio settings, or choosing between AM, FM, CD, DVD or XM satellite radio; a

I love the blue needles... just like the hands on my Cartier Roadster wristwatch. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

personal favorite. The screen turns into a rear-facing camera when you put the gear lever in reverse, and as long as its not raining too hard this increases visibility immensely. The HVAC controls are as easy to use as those for the audio/nav setup, and are fully automatic as is expected in the Escalades fairly steep price range. A switch for adjusting the foot pedals sits at the very base of the stack, just before the faux wood that trims both sides takes a bend and then levels out, meeting up with the ashtray and cupholders. Theres no shifter where a shifter should be, but rather its located on the steering column just like such things were when I was a kid. In retrospect its probably a more efficient use of space, being that not much can be housed in the air space between the wheel and the gauges as it is, other than the usual stalks for windshield wipers, turn signals and the like.

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