I've always liked the Escalade, even though they're ridiculous. I'd like to get a full-sized SUV to tow my boat but a new Escalade can get close to $100,000. And $60,000 on a loaded new Tahoe is still too much for such a boring vehicle. What are some used luxury options? – Alex, White Rock, B.C.
If you're getting an apartment-sized vehicle to tow your boat, why not do it in style?
Sales of new full-sized luxury SUVs have been rising. According to Good Car Bad Car, Canadians have bought 1,689 Escalades so far this year – already more than the 1,366 sold in all of 2015.
If you want big and flashy, there are other options, like the Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX 570, Lincoln Navigator, Mercedes-Benz GL and R-Class, and the Land Rover LR4.
Here, we're looking at how the Escalade compares to Infiniti's QX56 in size and style. Consumer Reports doesn't predict used car reliability for either.
2011 Cadillac Escalade
- Third generation: 2007-2014
- Average price: $41,859 (Canadian Black Book)
- Engine: 6.2-litre V-8
- Transmission/drive: six-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 17 city; 11.9 highway; premium gas
While Lincoln has embraced Matthew McConaughey, GM has been downplaying the fourth-generation Escalade’s reputation as a hauler for loaded celebrities – and selling it as a family hauler.
But the third-generation Escalade was a celebrity in its own right – and looks like one.
“There are full-size SUVs and then there’s the Escalade,” said Edmunds. “You could buy any number of big, luxurious vehicles instead, but there’s just no true substitute for Cadillac’s celebration of power, brashness and wheels in a package so large the Amish could stick one in a river to power a grain mill.”
The Escalade can tow up to 3,764 kilograms thanks to a 403-horsepower V-8. It seats up to eight – but, because the cramped third row has to be removed to use the row for cargo space, it’s not as practical as alternatives like the QX56. It’s also not as responsive, Edmunds said.
Edmunds praised the Escalade’s “unmatched visual presence; long list of standard features; gutsy V-8; civilized road manners,” and panned its lacklustre braking and its reputation as a target for car thieves.
There’s also a longer ESV and, perhaps surprisingly, a hybrid that gets 11.8 litres/100 km city, 10.1 highway, and takes regular gas.
The Escalade is part of the Takata airbag recall. There were also recalls of 3,945 GM trucks and SUVs, including the Escalade, for a rear axle cross pin that could potentially break and cause the axle to lock. There was a smaller recall of 97 vehicles to fix loose bolts in the steering shaft that could cause a loss of steering.
2011 Infiniti QX56
- Second generation: 2011-2014 (2014-present as the QX80)
- Average price: $38,933 (Canadian Black Book)
- Engine: 5.6-litre V-8
- Transmission/drive: seven-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 17.4 city; 12.1 highway; premium gas
For 2011, Nissan brought its Patrol to Canadian shores as the QX56, replacing the old version based on the Nissan Titan. It was a big step up.
“The Patrol/QX56 competes worldwide with the Toyota Land Cruiser – here in North America, it’s an SUV for the landed gentry and the country-club set,” said then-Globe Drive contributor Jeremy Cato. “Elsewhere, the Patrol is aimed at sheiks in Saudi Arabia and that sort.”
The 400-horsepower engine can tow up to 3,850 kilograms and take you from 0-100 km/h in about seven seconds, faster than the Escalade, Cato said. And, it does it in style.
“This segment revels in oversize brashness, and this three-row, body-on-frame, eight-passenger behemoth delivers plenty of it.,” said then-Drive contributor Michael Bettencourt. “The shiny chrome grille at the front looks like it could double as a display wall of curved Samurai swords, while it’s even harder to ignore the massive 22-inch wheels.”
Even though the QX56 is huge and thirsty, “it really is quite easy to fall for an SUV with so much space, so much luxury and so much power… as long as you’re not trying to park it in tight spaces,” Cato said. Although, the overhead 360-degree view helps a little with the parking.
Gripes? Steering is oversensitive and the third row is okay for two kids, but not adults, Cato said.
There was a Transport Canada recall to fix a fuel pressure sensor that wasn’t properly tightened and could lead to a fuel leak and, potentially, an engine fire. There was another recall to replace daytime running light bulbs that could burn out too soon.