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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2007 Cadillac Escalade

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Cadillac Escalade

Overview

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2007 Cadillac Escalade Review

By KBB.com Editors

Fast-living rappers and bling-dazzled celebrities swooned over the previous-generation Escalade. In addition to adding power and a few inches of length to Cadillac's full-size SUV, the 2007 redesign stresses finesse over flashiness. Cadillac says it sought Nissan's athleticism but without its harshness, Toyota's suppleness without its vagueness, and Ford's isolation without its heaviness. Refinements are easily noticeable, inside and out, and the latest Escalade behaves more admirably on the road than its predecessor. Marketers claim segment-leading horsepower and torque for the new "Gen IV" 6.2-liter V8. At 60 mph, the V8 lazes along at just 1500 rpm.

You'll Like This Car If...

If your driving life demands plenty of room for people plus cargo, along with luxury amenities and a brash aura, the Escalade could be your breed of SUV. Though not quite as glitzy in this iteration as the last, the audacious Escalade continues to get you noticed.

You May Not Like This Car If...

Full-size dimensions translate to improved but still so-so gas mileage, plus a rather high climb into the passenger compartment. So, if you can survive with a less-bulky luxury SUV, you may want to consider the Escalade an also-ran.

What's Significant About This Car?

Fresh, distinctive styling is meant to differentiate the Escalade from its GM stablemates, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, while available 22-inch tires may enhance its "street cred."

Driving the Escalade

Driving Impressions Sure, this Escalade is energetic with its new powertrain—but not exactly dramatic. Hitting the gas at lower speeds doesn't always produce vigorous response. Gruff engine growls during acceleration don't sound...

Cadillac-like. Automatic-transmission shifts are impressively smooth, though on upgrades it sometimes seems uncertain what to do next. Handling isn't really trucklike, but in curves, the Escalade doesn't always feel fully confident, making it tempting to ease up on the gas. Steering feel is pleasing—definitely not scary-light as in old Escalades. Expect a smooth ride on good surfaces. Minor bumps make the vehicle jumpy, if it's wearing 22-inch tires.

Favorite Features

Manual-mode Transmission Operation
Placing the + and - (upshift/downshift) buttons on the column gearshift might not seem like a good idea at first. Most vehicles with a manual-shift provision have a floor lever. Even so, these buttons are unusually easy to find and use, and the transmission responds with satisfying promptness.

Power Fold-and-Tumble Second-row Seating
Third-row access is a serious issue in big SUVs, and an easy-folding second-row seat can save a lot of irritation. This option powers down at the push of a console or door-pillar button.

2007 Cadillac Escalade Details

Interior

Details count inside, too. "Live bigger on the inside, but drive smaller on the outside" is the slogan for the 2007 Escalade, which promises premium materials and low gloss levels. Seating is available for six to eight passengers. No exposed fasteners are visible, and close-out panels conceal seat hardware. Pillars are fabric-wrapped. Cadillac moved the instrument panel down and forward four inches. Thinner seats contain sculpted backs. Seats recline further, and front-seat travel is an inch greater. Gauges are large enough, but blue pointers impair readability. Sadly, there's no driver's grab handle, and the passenger handle is a long reach.

Exterior

Besides concentrating on proportions and execution, designers strove toward such detail refinements as reduced body gaps. All major components and sheet metal are new, according to Cadillac, including fully-wrapped front and rear fascias, triple-stack HID headlamps, and a unique D-pillar treatment. Noteworthy doors, inspired by Cadillac's Sixteen concept car, wrap over the rocker panels. Ventiports adorn the front fenders, and the windshield is steeper. Track width has grown by three inches up front, and a coil-over-shock suspension replaces the prior torsion bars. The boxed frame promises 49-percent greater torsional stiffness. Standard wheels are 18-inch, but hard-to-miss 22-inch tires are available.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

A power rear liftgate heads the list of standard features in the amply-equipped Escalade. Compatibility brackets, built into the front frame, could reduce damage to other vehicles in a collision. Side-curtain airbags include tethers for enhanced rollover protection. Front seatbelt pretensioners activate in rear impacts—said to be an "industry-exclusive" feature. GM's StabiliTrak system incorporates rollover mitigation technology. Audiophiles can enjoy Bose 5.1 Digital Surround Sound, while everyone benefits from Cadillac's Auto Ride suspension. Integrated tow hooks are standard. A tap-up/tap-down manual mode for the transmission works easily and promptly, using buttons on the column-mounted gearshift lever.

Optional Equipment

Power fold-and-tumble second-row seats, for an extra $425, are called an "industry exclusive." Heated seats now are offered in all models, as part of a $625 Climate Package. Rear parking assist is available, along with a rearview camera. Both are incorporated into a $2,495 Information Package that also includes Cadillac's navigation system. Installing 22-inch wheels adds a hefty $2,995 to the Escalade's price. Power-deployable running boards will join the option list this summer. When properly equipped, an all-wheel-drive Escalade can tow up to 7700 pounds, which could be good news for boaters and RVers.

Under the Hood

Cadillac has enlarged its V8 engine from 6.0 to 6.2 liters, and given it a substantial boost beyond the previous 345 horsepower. With its two overdrive ratios and wide gear-ratio spread, the new Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission is said to be nearly equivalent to a seven-speed. Manual-shift mode uses column-lever buttons.

6.2-liter V8
403 horsepower at 5700 rpm
417 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/18 (2WD), 13/17 (AWD)

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2007 Cadillac Escalade Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.2

Out of 10

Based on 141 Ratings for the 2007 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.2/10

Quality

8.4/10
Reliability

8.7/10

Performance

8.7/10
Comfort

8.9/10

Styling

9.0/10

It's a Cadillac...

By Tom (CA) on Saturday, April 27, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,200

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Great drive..."

Cons: "No sun blocker at the sun roof opening."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Now part of the Cadillac Family...this is a vehicle I will drive and keep...pass on to my son...it is a forever vehicle..."

5 people out of 6 found this review helpful

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Unsurpassable

By GN BRINT (TX) on Sunday, February 03, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 12,800

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Excellent Quietness and Ride"

Cons: "Not enough Caddy options available ..."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This is the Top of the Line... The seating is excellent as is the comfort for 5 people on Extended Trips... You will arrive at your destination almost as though you never took the Trip... 600 pluse miles a day is an absolute Joy... The bed has more uses than anything out there and only the Avalanche has a comparative pickup Bed.... Trailer pulling is unsurpassed as the 6.2 Liter 403 HP High Torque Engine effortlessly will pull any load up to its capacity rating... It is hard to believe GM will stop building this Super Great Vehicle so this will be the last one I will ever be able to purchase... I fully intend for this Caddy to be he last one I will ever buy and fully intend for it to last for the remainder of my Life Time... I owned the Cadllac 2009 XLR Before trading it in on this EXT and even though I throughly miss the fabulous EXR as the ultimate Roadster I needed a more versatile vehicle .... The EXT almost has all the amenities I would have preferred such as Vehicle Warning on the Outside Mirrors, Heads up Display on the Windshield, and Adaptive Radar Cruse Control... The front Seats on my 2005 DeVille were more confortable in the seating portion but the EXT front Seats are fully acceptable... Other than those unavailable options and being spoiled by the Deville Seats I am fully content with my 2012 EXT... One more thing; I have never heard a complaint from riders about the spacious and comfortable seating and no one can believe how Quiet the interior is even at extended speeds on all the various highway surfaces... This is one incredible Cadillac and what a Ride it is in typical Caddy Fashion..."

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Awesome

By Happy (NJ) on Tuesday, January 29, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 78,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Everything"

Cons: "Nothing"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Never thought we would buy a caddy but I am glad we did. This SUV is definitely awesome, everything works like a dream and it handles like a sports car. Can flick it in and out of parking spaces and down the highway. Comfort for every passenger and diamond white with black definitely gets the looks with the huge chromed 22's. mileage avg 15 city and 19 hwy use premium every 2nd or 3rd fill and reg or plus otherwise."

6 people out of 7 found this review helpful

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Never thought I'd own a Cadillac

By George (FL) on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Well built, great service, cool features."

Cons: "MPG could be better but after all it is a 400HP V8"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"After years of owning nothing but BMW's and Range Rovers if anyone had told me that I would buy a Cadillac I would have laughed at them. Then a couple of years ago both my 550i and my RR were coming up for lease end so my wife and I would need new cars. We test drove the ML550 thought it was nice but too "car like", we test drove a new RR; same old same old and then my wife suggested we look at an Escalade at first I thought "No way" but we went and arranged for an extended test drive as we had done with the others. We were no more than 1/4 mi from the dealer when we looked at each other and said this is the one. We went back and bought it and a month later I went back and bought the CTS Coupe. I'm now on my second Escalade and all cars were/are flawless. They drive and feel as if they were carved from a single block of steel. I just can't say enough good things about these vehicles and the dealer has treated me like gold. I doubt that I will ever own another foreign car or a different domestic for that matter."

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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Ended up buying the Navigator

By Bates (CA) on Saturday, November 03, 2012

I don't own this car

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 5/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Stylish"

Cons: "Loud, poor visibility, 3rdrow seats don't flatten"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 5

"I test drove the Porsche Cayenne S and GTS, Range Rover, Q7, Escalade, Yukon Denali, and Expedition. I chose the Navigator. Spouse and i thought we would just try the Escalade since reviews say it beats the Navigator and because it looks stylish and has 400 hp. But its visibility was worse than Lincoln, 3rd row seats did not go flat plus did not have button that you could just push like the Navigator and Expeditions had. Also did not have better acceleration at high speeds and worse visibility made passing more cumbersome. Plus engine was louder by far. THX stereo system in Navigator was much betterr sound. And Navigator had smoother ride on the bumps and cracks. I am used to Lexus and have driven SC 430s for the past several yrs. Before that i drove a little G35, and before that i had a couple Integras and a Prelude. Also had a 2007 MDX. The Navigator was the best SUV, hands down and we can tow 9,000 lbs. Still kept my cute SC 430 though"

6 people out of 11 found this review helpful

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