Cadillac Escalade – Christian Wardlaw’s Driving Impressions:
The difference between this new 2007 Cadillac Escalade and the old one is like night and day, taking it from a re-hashed Chevy Tahoe into the realm of Land Rovers and Lexuses. The 403-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 is powerful, loves to rev, and sounds terrific. In fact, the exhaust note mimics the resonant rumble of an aftermarket system right out of the box. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly when cruising and quickly when dipping into the impressive well of power. The brake pedal features excellent feel and modulation, the optional 22-inch wheels wearing 285/45 Bridgestone tires grip tenaciously, and body motions are well controlled for such a heavy, tall vehicle. Steering is too light at speed, but lots of assist is on tap to twist those huge tires in parking lots. Even the ride quality, despite the low-profile rubber and the truck-based suspension, is a huge improvement, if not quite up to the standards of the competition in this price range.

Still, for all its impressive traits, the Escalade is not fun to drive. It struggles to maintain speeds over 75 mph, it lumbers around turns despite the grip and roll control, it barely squeezes into parking garages and spaces, and it’s got no more off-roading capability than a ten-year-old Subaru Outback. Furthermore, it consumes fuel at the rate of one gallon of regular unleaded fuel for every 11.9 miles traveled. So on top of the steep purchase price and the sales tax you’ll pay, you can figure in a fuel bill of several hundred bucks a month, too.

Cadillac Escalade – James Fabin’s Driving Impressions:
I first saw the 2007 Cadillac Escalade at a star-studded unveiling up in Beverly Hills. Standing on Rodeo Drive, I got to talk to celebrities like Frankie Muniz, Wilmer Valderrama and Adrien Brody – all of whom were part of a focus group performed by Cadillac to ensure that this Escalade was even more successful than the last. For my test drive, there were no celebrities around but this time I had something I didn’t have before – the keys!

The first thing I noticed about the new Escalade is its striking appearance, which brings one word to mind…luxury. Getting into the driver’s seat is very easy, thanks to large door openings and a useful set of integrated running boards. Be careful, though, with that front door – the chrome trim forms a pointed dagger that is eager to put a ding in the cars parked next to you. Adjusting the mirrors and driver’s seat is easy, but the steering wheel only offers a tilt function – a vehicle in this class and price range should also have a telescoping function. The plastics and buttons used on the dash were all high quality and had an outstanding feel that reminded me of a European luxury car.

Taking to the road was a pleasure. While the Escalade is a full-size SUV, it feels smaller on the road. The steering is very light, making the Escalade easy to drive and park, though parking lot speeds require excessive turning of the steering wheel. The only time the Escalade’s size was really noticeable was while driving in reverse. To overcome this, the Escalade is equipped with a back-up camera and obstacle detection system that work great.

Enough talk about size and driving in reverse, let’s switch gears to moving forward. The Escalade’s engine does a great job propelling it to highway speeds, though it doesn’t feel as powerful as the numbers say it is. The automatic transmission shifts smoothly but wanted to downshift more often then I preferred. A manual mode is offered for the transmission, but I found it very awkward to use and more of a gimmick. Road noise was well controlled and acceptable – it would be easy to have a conversation with passengers in the back without yelling.

Cadillac Escalade – Ron Perry’s Driving Impressions:
You can’t help but want to turn the radio station to a rap channel, crank up the bass, slide down in the seat and assume the gangsta lean, drop the shades, and cruise with your cool on behind the wheel of the new Cadillac Escalade. That is the image with which society has christened the Escalade, and that’s a shame since it has so much to offer every demographic.

I found driving the Escalade to be a pleasure. You sit very high with an unobstructed view of the traffic and surroundings, but when dealing with difficult traffic this Caddy’s size does matter. However, the Escalade does offer lots of low-end torque that allows you to quickly hit openings in traffic. A pretty good view out the windows helps with navigation but there’s a large blind spot off the rear passenger quarter that is blocked by the third-row seatback and headrests. Thankfully the large side and rearview mirrors compensate nicely. The steering is too light at speed and feedback is minimal but comes in handy when piloting the Escalade at slow speeds through parking lots and traffic. Brakes are great and give superb feedback as you apply pressure.

The engine has lots of torque to propel the massive Escalade from a stop, but when stomping the go-pedal at speed you get more growl than bite. I love the exhaust note so much that I am afraid my gas mileage would suffer because of it. Tire noise is minimal but I did hear a surprising amount of wind noise around the windscreen. The highlight of the drivetrain has to be the smoothness of the transmission.

When it comes to handling, the Cadillac Escalade does better than most SUVs its size, but it does get top heavy and sets your body leaning in the opposite direction while trying to compensate in tight turns. The ride is smooth and luxurious over most surfaces but speed bumps transfer abrupt punishment to your senses.