2007 Cadillac Escalade AWD

2007 Cadillac Escalade AWD - Our Slade began life with a base price of $58,125. For that we got a 403-hp, 6.2-liter Vortec V-8; a six-speed heavy-duty automatic; all-wheel drive; automatically adjusting shocks and rear leveling; and 18-inch wheels. The Escalade also had heated front- and second-row bucket seats and a third row for two passengers (a no-cost option for the second row, too; a three-passenger bench is standard). Three months of XM radio came with the Bose audio system, and the power liftgate was wonderfully convenient. Standard safety features included curtain airbags, stability control, rear parking assist, and tire-pressure monitors.

We had a mystifying oil-change experience. The service intervals are determined electronically. The first alert came in midsummer at 9800 miles. Changing the oil and the oil filter and a tire rotation ran $61. The next came at 17,600 miles ($88), and then, oddly, the third service wasn’t signaled until 18,700 miles later, at 36,200 ($61). We suspect the SUV’s electronics somehow got reset out of order. GM says an 18,700-mile gap between oil changes is “possible but not likely.” The $210 total was welcome, and there has been no indication of harm to the vehicle. Checking a couple years’ worth of long-term reports, that amount is the lowest we’ve recorded (except for BMWs, which come with free service for four years or 50,000 miles).

At 10,400 miles, we had to repair the rear wiper, which had broken off in a carwash. The other unscheduled service was at 34,800 miles. The serpentine belt had become noisy, and the Slade’s handling was wonky (no doubt the result of off-roading in the U.P.). The belt was replaced under warranty. We footed the bill for a front-end alignment and the replacement of a dented wheel (at $862 per fancy chromed wheel plus $286 per tire, you’ll want to avoid this). The drivers’ logbook was full of comments, pro and con. Let’s cover the bad news first. For a $66,730 truck, we’d have liked auto-up windows in addition to auto down, and a telescoping steering wheel. The wheel does tilt, but only in that finitely robotic GM-parts-bin way.

The loudest complaint had to do with the lack of interior room for passengers and their belongings. Whenever we were challenged to park the sizable Escalade, we would console ourselves with this thought: “Wow, we can take all our stuff along on our trip and take a few friends and their stuff, too.” Think again, though, because the bulky third-row seats must be removed (and they are heavy!) to make room for more than a weekend’s worth of luggage, and at that point, the Escalade becomes a four-passenger conveyance.

The Escalade is a fashionable ride, no doubt about that, and it looks terrific in Black Raven and all that chromed trim. If Cadillac could reconfigure the interior space to better accommodate six people, the handsome Escalade would have “utility” covered as well.