Review: 2025 Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade is meant to be a no-compromise luxury SUV, but it doesn't totally feel that way
The Escalade is meant to be a no-compromise luxury SUV, but it doesn't totally feel that way

by Imran Salam

Published June 24, 2025

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The Escalade holds a soft spot for us elder millennials. It was the it car of the 2000s, driven by all the celebrities and featured in countless music videos and song lyrics — Ludacris anyone? Today, the Escalade faces a whole ‘lotta players in the luxury SUV space that didn’t exist back then, or weren’t putting their best foot farward in the early 2000s. Is this 2025 Cadillac Escalade still the “standard of the world” when it comes to full size SUVs?

In the sun or up in the shade, on the top of my Escalade

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade certainly looks the part. The imposing body spans over 211 inches front to back — about 17 and a half feet — and stretches about 82 inches (almost seven feet) wide. Both figures that surpass even the long-wheelbase Range Rover.  Finished in all black with a matching black mesh grille, which is standard on the Sport trim, a large Cadillac emblem and slim, smoky headlights ensure you get out of the way of this Escalade when it’s on your bumper in the left lane. Massive 24-inch wheels, son, make most everything else feel inferior in its presence.

The 2025 Escalade’s tall body greets you with a set of powered running boards as soon as you open the door. It’s boxy all around, with a nearly horizontal hood and a side profile devoid of any drama but plenty of sheetmetal. It’s refreshed for 2025, with minor changes inside and out, though you probably won’t spot them right away. Out back is probably my least favorite view of the Escalade; the vertical LED tail lamps look a bit dated, but they do match the also-vertical DRLs up front. Like the rest of the Escalade, the tailgate is straight as an arrow with nary a curve to speak of. It looks mostly modern while staying close to the prototypical large SUV formula.  The best way I can describe it is, if I asked my kid to draw an SUV, its silouhette would totally match the Escalade — or any other GMT800-based SUV — to a tee. Whether that’s a good thing or bad is up to you, but face-to-face, you can’t ignore it’s a very big box.

I can’t fit ’em all inside the Escalade

Luxury means technology in the Escalde. It leans rather heavily on tech to deliver on the luxury experience for anyone inside. Powered running boards greet you, and Rolls Royce-style doors that open and close automatically come at all four corners. Once you’re seated up front, you’re treated to a 55-inch end-to-end screen up front, along with dual monitors for the second-row captain’s chairs. I’m not big on the screen. It’s clearly split two-thirds of the way through, and the look in general is becoming a bit too common industry-wide. The gauge cluster graphics are rather dated and uninspired, too. There’s also a secondary control screen in the center console for HVAC and other controls within the car, the coolest being the ability to swipe to open any of the doors.

The highlight of the cabin is the 36-speaker AKG audio system. It has to be the absolute best of all the car audio sound systems I’ve ever heard, blowing everything else out there away in both clarity and sheer power. Highs are crisp, bass is deep and strong, and vocals come through loud and clear with great positioning. It might be worth the price of entry for the Escalade on the AKG system alone. It doesn’t only let you get your party on, but even has a “conversation enhancer feature” which projects voices from the front row backwards and even from the third row to the front.  Neat.

Tech isn’t limited to stationary functions.  GM’s fabulous Super Cruise system is on board, allowing you to drive long highway stretches without touching any of the controls. There’s even an augmented reality camera which superimposes directions onto a video feed of the road ahead — kinda useless but a cool idea nonetheless — and a thermal night vision camera which clearly identifies pedestrians and wildlife at night. This is actually a great feature.

Space is plentiful as you could imagine, with no issues fitting adults across all three rows of seating. Coincidentally, I had run to the airport twice with the Escalade, even managing to woo Nathan, our deputy editor, by swiping the door open for him from the driver’s seat. I even managed to woo myself by fitting a full-size suitcase in the trunk with the third row still up.

The dubs on the bus go round and round

I mean, my toddler kept calling it a bus, and it kind of feels like one on the road. The ride isn’t offensive by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s obvious this is built on a body-on-frame chassis. Mid to large bumps really shuddering throughout the cabin, but it could be the result of the gargantuan 24-inch wheels, too. Still, I feel like the Yukon Denali Ultimate rode better. Perspective matters here and I’m splitting hairs here, but if you expect the Escalade to be the Rolls Royce of SUVs, it isn’t. [They call that the Cullinan! —Ed.] It’s still very much a work truck that went to private school. Handling is also a little less-than-expected; the Yukon Denali felt composed and surprisingly flat around corners, but the Escalade felt more floaty and boaty by comparison without riding that much better.

I was pleasantly surprised at the fuel economy. The 2025 Cadillac Escalade is rated at 15 L/100 kilometres combined, but our tester came in under the advertised figures during my week, averaging 14.3 L/100 km.  Credit goes to the 10-speed automatic and primarily keeping the 4WD system in 2WD mode during my stint. No doubt the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 delivers solid real world fuel economy compared to some turbocharged rivals, which generally do well on paper but less-so in the real world. That being said, the V8 has a nice old-school charm, and 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque are solid numbers, but it isn’t the highlight here. By comparison, the twin-turbocharged V6 in the new Nissan Armada offers more power and torque all throughout the rev range, while returning decent-for-a-bus fuel economy. Then again, Cadillac has the ludacris Escalade-V, if you’re looking to win a few races.

Does it hit the mark?

The Escalade does and it doesn’t. It has loads of stage presence, so if you’re looking to roll up to a wedding, work, or other place of influence, you make an impression rather quickly. The tech bits do give you a premium vibe, especially things like the AKG audio and power-operated doors. Materials are actually a bit hit-and-miss, with some trim pieces looking and feeling and looking premium while others, like the MMI controller, look and feel a bit low-rent for the price. It’s also missing some theatrics like the arguably over-the-top but trick ambient lighting used in many competitor vehicles. And I think GM needs to differentiate Cadillac from their other products a bit better by using better-looking and feeling switchgear.  At $148,453 as-tested for this Sport trim, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade is meant to be a no-compromise vehicle, but it doesn’t completely feel that way. Still, being able to say, “yo, check out the 24s on my Escalade” holds a special spot in my heart, and I can’t put a price on that.

 

Vehicle Specs
Segment
Full-size, body-on-frame luxury SUV
Engine Size
6.2L normally aspirated V8
Horsepower (at RPM)
420 hp @ 5,600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft.)
460 lb-ft of torque @ 4,100 rpm
Fuel Efficiency (L/100km, City/Highway/Combined)
16.6/13.0/15.0
Observed Fuel Efficiency (L/100km)
14.3
Cargo Capacity (in L)
722/2,056/3,480 (all seats up/third row down/all seats down)
Base Price (CAD)
$126,080
As-Tested Price (CAD)
$148,453
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About Imran Salam

Staff Writer

Imran is a true enthusiast who you'll find at shows, local meets, Sunday drives or the track. He appreciates the variety the car industry has to offer, having owned over a dozen cars from different manufacturers. Imran is grateful to own one of his childhood poster cars and enjoys inspiring the next generation. When Imran is not behind wheel he is found playing basketball or spending time with family.

Current Toys: '13 Boxster S 6MT, '24 Integra Type S, '08 328xi

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