SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – The Cadillac brand has renewed energy. That energy isn’t limited to Cadillac’s full battery electric Lyriq and Optiq models. The latest Cadillac Escalade 4WD Sport Platinum steps up boldly to the new realities of the marketplace.
For a 6,000 lb. luxury 3-row 7 passenger 4-wheel drive Cadillac Escalade with enough safety, infotainment, and technology to outfit the International Space Station, you are looking at a 6-figure investment in a depreciating asset.
“This Escalade that we’re driving now. I mean, it is amazing,” said automotive journalist George Polgar. “Spectacular.”
The technology alone is spectacular. The Escalade features self-driving capabilities that enable the driver to relinquish control of the wheel. My 13-year-old son, Colton, was far more comfortable with that technology than I was.
Polgar, though, says the technology is exceedingly safe and the driver can actually look away from the road periodically. “In a very intuitive way, the vehicle is the one that’s actually watching the road,” said Polgar. “And, it’s watching it more closely than any driver could ever watch it.”
Under the hood — accentuated by a front grille and lighting array that is charted in acreage and possibly visible from space – a monster 6.2-liter V8 delivers 420 horsepower thrust seemingly capable of clearing a low earth orbit.
Inside, the Cadillac Escalade does opulence with a modicum of restraint. Spectacularly comfortable, articulated, and flawlessly stitched 16-way adjustable semi-aniline leather seating, with heated and cooling functions and massage features in the front and second rows, makes a long ride really civilized.
My favorite car guy, Rick Ferrara, of Rick’s Auten Road, though, says the Escalade has one glaring Achilles heel. “These things have air suspensions that will go bad at some point,” said Ferrara. “And, it’s very expensive to fix.”
The air suspension has become a large enough issue that after-market manufacturer Strutmasters has created a successful conversion kit to replace the air suspension. DIY mechanics can reportedly install the kit in an afternoon.
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