Used 2020 Cadillac Escalade ESV

The 2020 Cadillac Escalade is a full-size body-on-frame luxury SUV with copious amounts of chrome trim, yards of supple leather, a 420-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine and just about every electronic gadget known to the automotive industry. Offered in regular and stretched (Escalade ESV) varieties, the Chevrolet Suburban-based Escalade has everything it needs to compete with the Range Rover, Lexus LX and Infiniti QX80. Perhaps the most formidable foe for the Escalade, though, is the Lincoln Navigator, an equally large and luxurious SUV with more power, better towing abilities, a more modern interior and better crash-test scores.

Cadillac’s full-size SUV looks imposing but from behind the wheel it’s a comfortable and surefooted pussycat with the power and grace of a Bengal tiger. Yes, the Escalade is big, which can make tight parking garages a challenge, but it feels like a high-riding luxury sedan on the road, where it boasts refined manners and a plush ride.

Moreover, Cadillac’s 420-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 is a brute. Power for passing and merging is in abundant supply, and the 10-speed automatic transmission delivers smooth shifts. The power-steering assist feels about right, and GM’s Magnetic Ride Control suspension does a fine job of managing the Escalade’s bulk, which can top 6,000 pounds if you order a 4-wheel-drive (4WD) Escalade ESV. With 4WD, the 2020 Escalade is much more capable in wintry road conditions.

The 2020 Cadillac Escalade, especially the ESV, has an abundance of interior room in all three rows. Supple leather is used for the seats, while beautifully finished wood inlays grace the dash, door panels and wide center console. When equipped with the 2nd-row bench option the Escalade can seat eight, but we like how the 7-seat Escalade’s center buckets ease access to the third row. That third row, incidentally, can fold flat into the floor, but it creates a slight rise at the rear liftgate opening that means items must be lifted a few additional inches before being slid in. When the second and third rows are folded, the standard Escalade has 94.2 cubic feet of space while the ESV has 120.

The 2020 Cadillac Escalade has a refined appearance highlighted by a massive grille with active aerodynamic shutters that close at highway speeds to improve aerodynamics and increase fuel economy. The Escalade also benefits from LED headlights and taillights, plus a rear spoiler that also serves to hide the rear windshield wiper.

For a sportier and more aggressive-looking Escalade, consider ordering the $2,700 Sport Edition Package. It includes black trim on the grille, grille header, the lower grille surround and the body-side molding, plus 12-spoke 22-inch alloy wheels in a Midnight Silver finish. The Sport Edition Package is available only in these three colors: Red Passion Tintcoat, Satin Steel Metallic and Black Raven.

DRIVER AWARENESS PACKAGE
This comprehensive safety suite, standard on all 2020 Luxury, Premium Luxury and Platinum Escalades, includes Safety Seat Alert, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Keep Assist (with Lane-Departure Warning), Lane-Change Alert (with Blind-Zone Alert), Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking and automatic high-beam headlights.

MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL
This standard suspension works like magic on the Escalade, greatly improving its ride and handling on a variety of road surfaces. By using a magnetic field to continuously adjust the viscosity of the shock fluid at each wheel, Magnetic Ride Control creates an Escalade that’s comfortable yet far more agile than a vehicle weighing nearly three tons has a right to be.

Standard features abound in the 2020 Cadillac Escalade. They include Magnetic Ride Control suspension, 20-inch chrome wheels, a 16-speaker Bose audio system, a hands-free liftgate, heated and cooled 12-way power-adjustable front seats, deep-tinted glass, front and rear Park Assist and center-row bucket seats (a center bench is an option).

All Escalades also have a single-slot CD player, Surround Vision, wireless smartphone charging, rain-sensing wipers and a surround-vision camera. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, are also standard.

Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning, along with Lane Keep Assist and Side Blind-Zone Alert, are part of the Driver Awareness Package. Also available: a Rear Camera Mirror (that provides a superb view of what’s behind the Escalade), plus an upgraded braking system and 22-inch machine-finished wheels. A head-up display also is available, as are a sunroof and a rear-entertainment system with wireless headphones. If you want an Escalade with Adaptive Cruise Control, it’s part of the Driver Assist Package that’s standard on the Premium Luxury and Platinum Escalades.

One engine powers the 2020 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV: a direct-injected 6.2-liter V8 that smoothly pumps out 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Standard Escalades are 2-(rear)-wheel drive (2WD); ordering one with 4-wheel drive (4WD) adds $3,000 to the price.

GM’s 10-speed automatic transmission shifts in a smooth fashion, while Active Fuel Management (Cadillac’s name for cylinder deactivation) improves fuel economy on the highway. Note: Premium fuel is not required, but Cadillac recommends it to exploit the full might of the Escalade’s big pushrod V8.

6.2-liter V8
420 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
460 lb-ft of torque @ 4,100 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/23 mpg (2WD), 14/21 mpg (4WD), 14/23 mpg (ESV 2WD), 14/21 mpg (ESV 4WD)