Cadillac Escalade vs Cadillac Escalade ESV

Over roughly two decades in production, the Cadillac Escalade has become the General Motors luxury brand’s de facto flagship. It may share underpinnings with more pedestrian SUVs and pickup trucks from other GM brands, but the Escalade sits at the top of the Cadillac hierarchy in price, size, and—thanks to Cadillac’s constant reshuffling of its other nameplates—name recognition. It’s also an established player in a robust niche of big luxury SUVs.

The Escalade’s competitive set splits into two camps: other truck-like body-on-frame SUVs (Lincoln Navigator, Infiniti QX80, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Lexus LX) and upscale unibody SUVs (BMW X7, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class). It’s a good time to be shopping for a full-size luxury SUV, in other words.

Cadillac has one of the freshest entries in this group. The Escalade was redesigned for the 2021 model year, adding a number of notable features like a 38-inch OLED display screen and GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system.

Changes for this generation’s sophomore model year are minor. A Buckle to Drive feature that forces the driver to buckle their seatbelt before setting off is now standard, lane-keep assist and lane-departure warning are now standard on the base Escalade Luxury trim level, and Premium Luxury Platinum and Sport Platinum models gets standard puddle lamps. Cadillac also added three extra-cost colors: Mahogany Metallic, Galactic Gray Metallic, and Wilder Metallic.

The Escalade is available in standard-wheelbase and long-wheelbase Escalade ESV body styles (the latter will be covered in a separate review), with the option of gasoline or diesel engines and five trim levels: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury Platinum, and Sport Platinum. We hoisted ourselves into a standard-length Premium Luxury diesel model for this review.