Full 2012 Cadillac Escalade Review
What's New for 2012
The 2012 Cadillac Escalade gets minor enhancements to its navigation system.
Introduction
There are big SUVs, and then there's the 2012 Cadillac Escalade. There are luxury SUVs, and then there's the Escalade. You could buy any number of more sensible and all-around better vehicles instead, but there's just no substitute for the Escalade's visual presence and grand celebration of wealth and power.
The Escalade is the king of General Motors' full-size truck and SUV platform. It shares its basic body structure and dimensions with the Chevy Tahoe, but from there thorough upgrades make it so much more than just a rebadging exercise (unlike early Escalades). The 403-horsepower V8 gets the Escalade up to speed quicker than you'd expect from something so big. The suspension is adaptive, allowing for a more compliant and controlled ride. The styling obviously sports Cadillac's unique brand of pomp, but it's the interior that demonstrates a more luxurious aesthetic.
That said, there are still significant practical drawbacks. First of all, the third-row seat is cramped and uncomfortable for the middle passenger and must be physically removed should you need extra cargo space. The third-row seat in most competing vehicles folds neatly into the floor. The Escalade is also unwieldy on tighter roads, suffers from lackluster brakes and is very thirsty.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2012 Cadillac Escalade is a full-size SUV available in Base, Luxury, Premium and Platinum Edition trim levels. It comes standard with seating for seven, but all except the Platinum can be fitted with a second-row bench seat that increases capacity to eight. Other Escalade variants -- the Hybrid, the extended-length ESV and the pickup-style EXT -- are reviewed separately.
The base Escalade comes standard with 18-inch wheels, an adaptive and auto-leveling suspension, a locking rear differential, a tow package, rear parking sensors, a power liftgate, automatic xenon headlights, foglamps and heated mirrors with power-folding and driver-side dimming. Interior features include remote ignition, tri-zone automatic climate control, a power tilt-only steering wheel, power-adjustable pedals, heated and ventilated 10-way power front seats with four-way lumbar adjustment, driver memory functions, heated second-row captain's chairs, leather upholstery and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Additional features include a rearview camera, Bluetooth, OnStar, a navigation system, a touchscreen interface, real-time traffic and a 10-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system with a CD/DVD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack, an iPod/USB audio interface, rear audio controls and two rear headphone jacks.
The Escalade Luxury adds 22-inch chromed aluminum wheels, a magnetically controlled adaptive suspension, automatic high beams, a blind-spot warning system, a sunroof, power flip-and-fold second-row seats and a heated steering wheel. Options include power-retractable side steps and a rear-seat entertainment system with a single display.
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