2023 Volkswagen ID.4 vs 2023 Cadillac Escalade

The 2023 Cadillac Escalade stood tall at nearly six-and-a-half feet and required between 18 and 19 feet of length to park. It was a motorized cargo container with three rows of leather seats and more computers than the command center of an actual port. The standard Escalade was already massive, but the Escalade ESV stretched an additional 15 inches, primarily extending the wheelbase. The Escalade, along with its Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL siblings, was designed for show, appealing to pop musicians, overzealous parents, wannabe federal agents, or boaters with big families. Its imposing presence was underscored by Cadillac’s tagline, “Never stop arriving,” while others hoped it wouldn’t hit them.

Despite its size, the latest Escalade managed to look relatively athletic and trim. Cadillac achieved this by using thin LED taillights, headlights, and running lights that visually narrowed the vehicle’s girth. The Sport Platinum trim darkened the chrome bits, masking the Escalade’s mass. The design included horizontal leading lines on the side profile and contours on the front end to suggest some aerodynamics. The Escalade’s six trims all featured 22-inch wheels and elaborate lighting sequences when unlocking the vehicle. The interior boasted a rich first row with a 38-inch curved array of screens and seven choices of wood trim. However, the allure faded with cheaper GM parts in the second and third rows, and the seats were the same unsupportive ones found in Chevy Silverado pickups.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 received subtle styling changes, including gloss black trim on the front bumper and a more squared-off rear bumper design for improved aerodynamics. All wheel designs and colors were new for 2023, and the rear VW logo now lit up. While the ID.4 was easily distinguished as an EV compared to VW’s gasoline models, it lacked the upright profile and added ground clearance of traditional SUVs, which might have been a drawback for some buyers. However, this was a common trait among many current electric vehicles.

The ID.4 was based on VW’s MEB platform, designed specifically for EVs with built-in modularity to support various models. The interior carried over the best qualities from recent VW gasoline-car interiors, including a minimalist design and an overall feeling of quality. The base ID.4 Standard model, aside from a manual driver’s seat, didn’t feel like much of a downgrade from the higher-level ID.4 Pro S. Leatherette upholstery with seat and door-panel inserts made partly from recycled fibers were standard for 2023.

Driving the 2023 Cadillac Escalade was a pleasant experience, though the standard 6.2-liter gasoline V8 engine didn’t deliver the speed its muscle-car sound suggested. It was fine for gentle cruising, with the V8 smartly shutting off up to six cylinders under a mild load, achieving a combined 16 mpg with optional 4WD. The V8’s 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque were sufficient for towing up to 8,200 pounds on the RWD model, but the Escalade felt heavy in passing situations. The 10-speed automatic transmission responded well, but the powertrain in Sport mode seemed to beg for a reprieve. Competitors like the Grand Wagoneer, Navigator, and Infiniti QX80 were more sprightly.

The Cadillac Escalade-V addressed acceleration issues with a supercharged Corvette V8, delivering 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. It was the only Escalade with appropriately sized front brakes, but the output seemed like overkill. Cadillac also offered an optional 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, which provided smooth torque and better fuel economy at a combined 22 mpg with 4WD. The 4WD system was rudimentary, with a center differential that locked the engine’s torque 50:50 front to rear. The Escalade’s magnetic dampers reduced body roll, and its superbly tuned steering made it nimbler than many big SUVs. However, wind noise at highway speeds made it feel more like an open-bed pickup truck than a luxury SUV.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 offered a new 62-kWh battery pack for the base Standard and S models, available only with RWD. The Pro, Pro S, and Pro S Plus retained the 82-kWh pack, available with RWD or AWD. Single-motor RWD models were rated at 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, while dual-motor AWD models upped output to 295 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, achieving zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The smaller battery pack reduced curb weight by 240 pounds, improving acceleration and handling. The 62-kWh ID.4 Standard felt spritely during a short drive, but more seat time was needed for a proper comparison with the larger-battery RWD version.

With AWD, the ID.4 had the acceleration to rival hot hatchbacks like VW’s Golf GTI and Golf R, but not the handling. It allowed too much body roll to be truly entertaining on twisty roads, though it was comfortable and refined for long drives. The ID.4 used regenerative braking to recover energy while decelerating, but VW didn’t pursue one-pedal driving, providing a more familiar experience for EV first-timers.

The 2023 Cadillac Escalade had the most space-efficient interior of any large SUV, with 25 cubic feet behind the third row, 73 cubic feet behind the second row, and 121 cubic feet with both rows down. The Escalade ESV maxed out at 143 cubic feet, with 41 cubic feet and 94 cubic feet behind the third and second rows, respectively. The independent rear suspension provided generous headroom and legroom in every row, including the third row. The controls were simple to use, with a smart and fast main menu and multiple gauge layouts accessible by a mini touchscreen. An optional front console refrigerator had two temperature settings, and power-retractable side steps eased access. The air suspension could lower the truck when parked, and the tailgate had a separate glass window for easy access.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 offered more interior space than other affordable EVs, with more front-seat and rear-seat legroom than a Chevrolet Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf, and more headroom than the 2023 Kia Niro EV. It had 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. While it fell short of gasoline crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 in interior space, it was the SUV of affordable EVs in terms of practicality. The ID.4 also had some towing capability, with a quoted towing capacity of 2,200 pounds for RWD models and 2,700 pounds for AWD models. VW made small changes to the interior for 2023, including a conventional lid for the center console and a better spot for a phone. Three-zone climate control was now available, with rear-seat controls and heated outboard rear seats.

The 2023 Cadillac Escalade featured a huge span of OLED screens across the dash, among the sharpest and clearest in the industry. A front camera displayed a high-res feed of the road across the instrument panel, overlaying directional arrows and street names when navigation was active. Super Cruise, a $2,500 option, was the best hands-free highway driving system, using infrared eye-tracking cameras to ensure the driver was looking ahead. Super Cruise worked on more than 200,000 miles of marked U.S. highways and required no driver intervention except for initiating a lane change. Cadillac also offered night vision with pedestrian detection, a 36-speaker AKG audio system, front seats with five massage modes, and a rear-seat entertainment system that could stream Hulu and other apps.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 now came standard with a 12.0-inch touchscreen, replacing the 10.0-inch screen on lower trim levels. The infotainment system received software updates to improve responsiveness, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remaining standard. The ID.Cockpit digital instrument cluster was also standard. The infotainment system offered sharp graphics, a choice of smartphone-like icons or a traditional automotive split-screen view, and natural-language voice recognition. However, the haptic touchpads on the dashboard and steering wheel were distracting, though the voice recognition made them redundant in most situations. The ID.4 also featured ID.Light, an ambient lighting system that changed color depending on the drive mode and flashed to indicate navigation directions.

The 2023 Cadillac Escalade earned four out of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with a lower four-star rating for front-passenger protection in a frontal crash test and a three-star rating for rollover resistance. It received five stars in all other NHTSA crash tests but hadn’t received safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard safety features included forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a Safety Alert seat, rear parking sensors, and a rear seat reminder. Optional features included reverse emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and Super Cruise.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash tests. The 2022 model received the IIHS’ highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests, a “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention, and an “Advanced” rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian collision prevention in daylight. The only blemish was an “Average” score for the standard headlights, while the Pro S model’s headlights received a “Good” score. The ID.4 also had a good complement of standard driver-assist features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear park distance control, automatic high beams, traffic-sign recognition, and VW’s Travel Assist 2.0. For 2023, the ID.4 added standard Park Assist Plus automated parking, an automated lane-change feature for Travel Assist, and a 360-degree camera system.