The now-famous Escalade was first introduced to the world in the previous century, back in 1999. And the majority of journalists, experts and auto fans claimed that Caddy was just trying to fit into a segment that it just couldn’t possibly prosper in. However, they were all wrong – the SUV community loved it, cherished it, and, to this day, the Escalade is one of the greatest out there. True, there’s a lot of strong talent on the market, and full-size luxury SUVs are a pretty hard nut to crack – to keep up with the youngsters you gotta put up, bit time. The good news is, the Cadillac Escalade 2016 is still fresh and sweat from last year’s complete overhaul, so, today it’s a pretty strong contestant. Yep, 17 years later the GM luxury brand is still selling their SUV like there’s nothing to it. Gotta respect that kind of grip, guys! Now, speaking of brand-new and exciting stuff, I have to say that the 2016 edition is the same as last year in terms of exterior design (what, did you expect Caddy to change it after ONE year?)
A New Interface For 2016 And Tons Of Tech
So, yeah, the Escalade remains a huge dinosaur on the road, with impressive dimensions and seating for 7 passengers (8 if you go with the 2nd-row bench seat). On the inside the SUV boasts a stylish, up-to-date design, with a sleek dashboard that makes it stand out and appeal to the customers. The biggest improvement over last year is, obviously, the updated CUE infotainment system, which has been a nasty headache for the engineers at Caddy. The new edition comes with a stronger processor and that means no more slow responses and frustrating flaws. Plus, the voice-recognition system has been perfected as well. The upgraded interface is the major selling point of the Cadillac Escalade 2016, even though you’ll still get brand-new lane-departure equipment and tons of other techy/safety features. Aha, it’s one of the most tech-packed large SUVs out there, so, if you’re a fan of tech, kudos! And from now on every Escalade will come standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission. 
Cadillac Escalade 2016 – The Weak Sides & The Powertrain
As for the downsides, the high cargo loading door is still an inconvenience, along with the tiny 3rd-row seat that won’t really be able to seat grow-ups (only kids). But, to be fair, that’s a common side-effect of any truck-based SUV on the market, and the same problems are found in the latest offerings from GM and Chevy. In terms of ride quality the brand-new Cadillac Escalade 2016 is still OK as an SUV, but as a luxury vehicle it falls a bit behind the pack. It’s slow in those turns, clumsy in those corners and a natural disaster in cramped parking spots – you know, the regular large SUV stuff. In terms of powertrain the Caddy monster is all good: it’s got an impressive 6.2-lit V8 under that hood that’s capable of 420 Horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It’s RWD (rear-wheel drive), but you can also go for 4WD.
Summing Up
As for fuel-efficiency, you’ve got the latest Escalade returning 22 miles per gallon on the highway and 15MPG in the city (17MPG combined), which is quite a solid rating, as compared to the rivaling full-size SUVs on the market. Furthermore, it’s also pretty strong on the race-track: the 4WD-equipped Cadillac Escalade 2016 goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.1 seconds, and that makes it one of the quickest in the segment. Properly equipped, it’s a good tower, too: the latest edition can tow anything up to 8.3K pounds. So, at the end of the day, the brand-new Escalade is a blast to own. Yes, it comes with a steep starting price-tag of 73K, but that’s what you gotta pay for a luxury full-size SUV these days. And it’s well worth it.
Watch this video review and start up of Cadillac Escalade 2016:
