Item: 2021 Cadillac Escalade
Rating: 3.6
Author: Joel Patel

Overview

What's New

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade has been totally designed with emphasis on technology and interior room. New features include four standard exterior cameras, navigation with live street views, a curved OLED dashboard, and an available 36-speaker sound system.

The switch to an independent rear suspension and a longer wheel base permit more cargo space and dramatically improved third-row comfort. Outside are horizontal headlights and standard 22-inch wheels. A turbodiesel engine is now available as a no-cost option, while the new Sport trim promises sprightly handling for a vehicle of this size.

Choosing Your Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade now comes in five trim levels: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury Platinum, and Sport Platinum. Pricing starts at $77,490 including destination for the base model and climbs to $101,290 for either of the top two trims.

Engine Choices

The Cadillac Escalade's familiar 6.2-liter V8 engine continues as standard on all five trims. A 3.0-liter turbodiesel six-cylinder is available on all models at no extra cost.

Engine Type	Horsepower	Torque	Max Towing	Fuel Economy (Combined)
6.2L V8	420 hp	460 lb-ft	8,200 pounds	17 mpg
3.0L Turbodiesel 6-Cylinder	277 hp	460 lb-ft	8,000 pounds	23 mpg

Both engines use a 10-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard across the lineup, and four-wheel drive can be added to any model for $3,000.

Passenger and Cargo Capacity

The Escalade is a full-size, three-row SUV that seats seven with the standard second-row captain's chairs. A second-row bench seat is available at no cost, boosting passenger capacity to eight. Both configurations feature power release for easier access to the third row, which gains 10 inches of leg room this year.

The standard Escalade offers 25.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, and 72.9 with it folded. With both back rows down, buyers have 109.1 cubic feet to work with.

An extended-length Escalade ESV is also available in all five trim levels for an extra $3,000. Most of Escalade ESV's extra length shows up behind the third row, where there's 42.9 cubic feet available. Total cargo capacity is 126.6.

Safety Features

As expected in this price class, the Cadillac Escalade comes standard with most major driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking, front and rear pedestrian alert, parking sensors, a surround-view camera, automatic high beams, and a vibrating safety alert in the driver seat.

Stepping up to the Premium Luxury brings lane keeping assist, an automated parking system, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rearview mirror camera display with exterior washer.

The Driver Assist Tech Package ($3,650) for the Premium Luxury and Sport trims includes adaptive cruise control, automatic seat belt tightening, and sonar-enhanced automatic braking with reverse function. These features are standard Premium Luxury Platinum and Sport Platinum.

Optional on the Premium Luxury and above are Cadillac's Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system for $2,500, and night vision for $2,000.

Connectivity

The Escalade's standard infotainment system includes a gigantic 16.9-inch touchscreen, a 19-speaker AKG audio system, navigation with integrated front camera views, wireless device charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, HD radio, SiriusXM satellite radio with 360L, and seven USB ports. The Premium Luxury adds a head-up display to the list of equipment.

A 36-speaker AKG system is optional on the Premium Luxury and Sport for $4,300, and standard on the Premium Luxury Platinum and Sport Platinum. The system features independent front volume control and in-vehicle conversation enhancement.

Luxury - From $77,490

Even the base Escalade Luxury comes fully loaded with comfort and convenience features. Standard equipment includes tri-zone automatic climate control, abundant wood interior trim, heated and 12-way power front seats with driver memory, heated second-row seats, a power-adjustable steering wheel with automatic heating, a hands-free power liftgate, and 22-inch wheels.

The Luxury does lack genuine leather upholstery – the seats are leatherette – and a sunroof.

Premium Luxury - From $84,290

The Premium luxury picks up leather upholstery for the first and second rows, a panoramic sunroof, and ventilated front seats.

The Performance Package ($2,700) provides an electronic limited-slip differential, magnetic ride control, trailer blind-spot monitoring, a hitch view camera, and in-vehicle trailering apps. A rear entertainment system with dual screens becomes available for $1,995.

Sport - From $86,890

The Sport gets gloss black exterior trim and dark wheels, plus the equipment from the Performance Package as standard. Other options are shared with Premium Luxury.

Premium Luxury Platinum - From $101,290

The Premium Luxury Platinum comes standard with the rear entertainment system and Performance Package upgrades. An adaptive air suspension enhances handling and ride quality. All three rows are covered in premium semi-aniline leather that extends to the dashboard, front console, and upper door panels. The front seats gain 16-way power and massage functionality. Other touches include a platinum-color grille, laser-etched wheels, and a sueded microfiber headliner.

Sport Platinum - From $101,290

The Platinum Sport carries the same equipment, interior finishes, and price as the Premium Luxury Platinum. The only difference is the Sport's gloss black exterior trim and dark wheels.

Compare Escalade Trims Side-By-Side

CarsDirect Tip

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury and Sport can provide the full Escalade experience for under $100,000, which translates to good value when shopping in this class. The Platinum upgrades do indeed make it extra special in return for an equally special price.

John Diether

Automotive Editor - December 21, 2020

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Expert Review

Pros

Available Super Cruise
Adults can fit in back
Power engines, available diesel
Opulent cabin and design

Cons

Prices rise quickly
Similar in size to a bus
Forget about off-roading

Expert Rating

3.6

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

Joel Patel

Automotive Editor - November 24, 2020

Completely overhauled. Forget what you know about large SUVs, because the 2021 Cadillac Escalade practically rewrites the book on them. While still a Cadillac with a blocky design, copious amounts of chrome, and an enormous grille, the all-new Escalade enters its fifth generation as an impressive status symbol.

The updated Escalade certainly doesn’t stray too far away from the current model on the outside, but that’s not a bad thing. The large SUV still has a commanding presence and it’s roughly 8 inches longer and sports a much more impressive front end. At the front sits Cadillac’s latest version of its shield grille, slim headlights, and vertically-oriented LED daytime running lights. The rear end isn’t much different, though it’s been cleaned up a bit.

Where Cadillac made the most changes to the Escalade is on the inside. Massive screens dominate the sprawling dashboard, while the lines have been cleaned up thanks to a modern center console-mounted electronic gear selector instead of the ancient column-mounted shifter. Last year’s Escalade had a hard time justifying its higher price tag compared to other GM products, but the new model exudes luxury.

Comfortable in all rows. Despite the old Escalade’s sprawling size, last year’s model still didn’t feel comfortable for passengers in the third row. The move to an independent rear suspension instead of a live axle allowed Cadillac’s engineers to lower the two rows of rear seats, making the cabin feel roomier.

Space in the back has grown considerably over last year’s model. It now has more second-row and third-row head and leg room.Third-row leg room has gone up by 10.1 inches, making it much more accommodating for adults. Beyond offering more space, Cadillac made the door openings larger to make egress and ingress easier.

Additionally, the Escalade can hold more cargo than before. Cargo capacity measures in at 25.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 72.9 behind the second row, and 121 behind the first row. The long-wheelbase ESV model can hold up to 126.6 cubic feet of cargo.

Cadillac Escalade

Loaded with tech. The amount of technology Cadillac offers in the new Escalade is staggering. Even the base Luxury trim has a massive 16.9-inch infotainment screen that spans the majority of the dashboard and leads into a 14.2-inch digital instrument cluster. On the far left side of the dash sits a 7.2-inch control panel, bringing the Escalade’s total real estate of OLED screens to 38 inches. Other standard tech features include wireless smartphone compatibility, a 19-speaker audio system, and a wireless smartphone charger.

Cadillac packed the Escalade with a variety of safety features. While it comes with all of the normal features one would expect, noteworthy options include night vision and Cadillac’s semi-autonomous Super Cruise system. Unfortunately, Super Cruise isn’t available on the base Luxury trim and it's an extra $8,850 for the Premium Luxury trim. So, it’s not exactly cheap.

Still has a V8. It wouldn’t be an Escalade if it didn’t have a V8 engine, and luckily, Cadillac still offers one. The standard motor for the Escalade is a 6.2-liter V8 that produces 420 horsepower. It’s a carryover from last year.

New for 2021 is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six that generates 277 hp and matches the V8’s torque figure of 460 pound-feet. When equipped with the V8, the Escalade can tow up to 8,200 pounds, while the diesel is rated at 8,000 pounds.

While the V8 remains the same from last year, the new Escalade’s independent suspension design results in a much more comfortable ride. Now, one side of it is isolated from the other, meaning road imperfections aren't translated throughout the cabin. GM’s excellent adaptive suspension system is available starting on the Premium Luxury trim for an extra $2,700. Adaptive air ride suspension is also available, but it’s priced at $6,350 for the trim.

Final thoughts. Luxury SUVs have never been more popular, so the introduction of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade couldn’t have come at a better time. Offering some of the most tech features available on the market in an upscale, yet iconic design, the Escalade is a true luxury vehicle.

With more tech, upscale features, and room, the Escalade is more expensive than before. Adding a few packages raises its price by an alarming amount, and the range-topping Sport Platinum trim now starts in the six figures before any available options. Of course, with a vehicle that’s as big as the Escalade, it’s not exactly easy to drive or efficient.

The Lincoln Navigator is the Escalade’s main rival. It comes with a more powerful V6 engine and is slightly more affordable than the Cadillac, but doesn’t have the same tech features or spacious cabin. The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class has a similar amount of technology as the Escalade, has more upscale styling, and is more affordable, but it’s not as spacious as the Cadillac.

Check prices for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade »

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Specs & Features

Highlights

Overall Crash Safety Rating

Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque

Standard: 6.2L V-8 / 420 HP / 460 ft.lbs.

Available: 3.0L I-6 / 277 HP / 460 ft.lbs.

Transmission

10-spd Driver Shift Control w/OD

Drive Type

Rear-wheel

Fuel Economy - City/Highway/Combined

15 / 20 / 17 Mpg

Passenger Capacity

7 / 8

Bumper to Bumper Warranty

48 Months / 50,000 Miles

Mechanical Specs

Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque	Standard: 6.2L V-8 / 420 HP / 460 ft.lbs. Available: 3.0L I-6 / 277 HP / 460 ft.lbs.
Drive Type	Rear-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Hwy/Combined	15 / 20 / 17 Mpg
Brakes	Duralife 4-wheel Disc
Front Suspension	Short And Long Arm
Rear Suspension	Independent Multi-link
Spare Tire And Wheel	Full-size Steel
Fuel Tank	24.0 Gal.
Recommended Fuel Type	Premium Unleaded / Diesel
Average Cost To Fill Tank	$92

Dimensions & Capabilities

Maximum Cargo Volume	109.1 Cu.ft.
Passenger Volume	168 Cu.ft.
Exterior Length	211.9 "
Exterior Width	81.1 "
Exterior Height	76.7 "
Front Headroom	42.3 "
Rear Headroom	38.9 "
Front Legroom	44.5 "
Rear Legroom	41.7 "
Front Shoulder Room	65.5 "
Rear Shoulder Room	64.6 "
Front Hip Room
Rear Hip Room
Curb Weight	5,635 Lbs.
Wheel Base	121 "
Turning Radius	19.8 '

Exterior Features

Door Count	4 Doors
Wheels	22.0 " Silver Aluminum / 22.0 " Chrome Aluminum / 22.0 " Polished W/painted Accents Aluminum / 22.0 " Black Aluminum
Paint	Clearcoat Monotone / Tri-coat Monotone / Metallic Monotone
Exterior Mirrors	Dual Power Remote W/tilt Down Heated
Bumpers	Body-colored With Metal-look Insert
Grille Moldings	Metal-look / Chrome W/metal-look Surround
Rear Spoiler	Lip
Exhaust	Dual Stainless Steel With Polished Tailpipe Finish

Interior Features

Seating

Passenger Capacity	7 / 8
Seat Trim	Leatherette
Front Seat Type	Bucket
Heated Front Seats	Driver And Front Passenger Heated-cushion, Heated-seatback
Front Driver Seat Direction Controls	(8-way Power)
Front Passenger Seat Direction Controls	(8-way Power)
Front Armrests	(8-way Power)
Rear Armrests	Center
Rear Seats	Bucket / 60-40 Split-bench

Radio & Infotainment

Radio	Siriusxm With 360l Am/fm/hd/satellite, Clock, Seek-scan / Siriusxm With 360l Am/fm/hd/satellite, Seek-scan
Speakers	19 Akg Studio
Radio Steering Wheel Controls
Apple Car Play
Android Auto
Bluetooth w/ Hands-Free Connectivity

Convenience Features

Steering Wheel Type	Power Telescopic Tilt
Climate Control	Automatic Air Conditioning
Cruise Control	With Steering Wheel Controls
Sun Roof
Rearview Mirror	Day-night
One Touch Open Window	Front And Rear
Tinted Windows	Deep
Vanity Mirrors	Dual Illuminated
Remote Keyless Entry	Keyfob (all Doors)
Power Outlets	2

Safety Features

Overall Crash Safety Rating
Overall Front Crash Safety Rating
Overall Side Crash Safety Rating
Rollover Crash Safety Rating
Front Impact Airbags	Driver And Passenger
Driver Side Impact Airbags	Seat Mounted
Knee Airbag
Passenger Side Impact Airbag	Seat Mounted
Rear Side Airbag
Seatbelt Pretensioners	Front
Anti-Lock Brakes	4-wheel Anti-lock Brakes (abs)
Forward Collision Warning	Automatic Emergency Braking Forward Collision Mitigation
Blind Spot Sensor
Lane Departure Warning	Lane Keep Assist With Lane Departure Warning Lane Departure
Autonomous Cruise Control
Pedestrian Detection	Front Pedestrian Braking Front Pedestrian Detection Prevention
Driver Attention Alert
Daytime Running Lights
Auto High Beams	Intellibeam Auto High-beam
Adaptive Headlights
Parking Sensors	Front And Rear Park Assist Front And Rear
Security Systems
Panic Alarm
Ignition Disable	Immobilizer

Warranty

Bumper To Bumper Months Miles	48 Months / 50,000 Miles
Major Components Months	72 Months / 70,000 Miles
Included Maintenance Months	12 Months / Unlimited Miles
Roadside Assistance Months	72 Months / 70,000 Miles
Corrosion Perforation	72 Months / Unlimited Miles
Accessories Months

Used 2021 Cadillac Escalade for Sale

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