2007 Cadillac Escalade Review

An all-new 402-horsepower, 6.2L aluminum V8 exclusively powers the Escalade. The new engine incorporates variable valve timing to allow both low-rev torque and high-rev passing power, and it's hooked up to a new six-speed automatic transmission with a wide ratio to balance performance and fuel efficiency.

A new, stronger boxed frame is shared with GM's other full-size SUVs and brings increased strength and stiffness, for a more controlled ride and improved handling.

The Escalade gets extra stopping power as well, with larger, stronger disc brakes on all four wheels and improved Bosch anti-lock braking. The anti-lock brakes now function together with the new rollover mitigation technology, included with the standard StabiliTrak stability control. The system applies the brakes to help avoid situations that may lead to a vehicle rollover.

Other safety features include side curtain air bags for all three rows of outboard seating, along with a new 360-degree front seatbelt pretensioner system.

The new Escalade has a more aerodynamic appearance for 2007, with its windshield more sloped than before and a low 0.36 coefficient of drag. Overall, the look is more integrated, too, with wrap-around fascias, styled mirrors, and integral running boards.

The well-appointed cabin includes a power folding second-row seat along with plush leather upholstery and other premium materials inside, while the instrument panel has eye-catching white LED backlighting with blue inlays and white indicator needles. The interior comes in two colors, Ebony and Cashmere.

Big, shiny wheels have become part of the Escalade's look, and stylish 22-inch wheels are available on the Escalade and ESV as a factory option for the first time.

Audiophiles will be interested in the Bose 5.1 Digital Surround Sound system that's available, and all audio systems on the Escalade play DVD, CD, and MP3 formats, along with XM satellite radio. An eight-inch in-dash touch-screen navigation system is available, as is a DVD player with eight-inch flip-down screen. Even if you don't opt for the navigation system, the standard Generation 7 OnStar system now has Turn-by-Turn navigation through the vehicle's sound system.

The Escalade ESV is nearly identical in features and equipment to the standard Escalade, but it adds 21 inches of additional length, for improved rear seating space and cargo capacity. The only exception is the availability of an extra DVD system with eight-inch flip-down screen for third-row riders.

The Escalade EXT closely resembles the other Escalade models from the front, and includes many of the same features, but it follows a so-called Sport-Utility Truck (SUT) body style. Part SUV, part pickup, it has a midgate panel that allows one to easily convert the EXT from a five-passenger SUV with a small cargo bed to a two-passenger SUV with a larger bed. With the midgate, the bed can either be five or eight feet long. The EXT comes with a lockable tonneau cover to secure items in the cargo bed.

Significant standard luxury equipment on the Escalade and ESV models include tri-zone climate control, rear parking assist, remote vehicle start, and a power-assisted rear liftgate. Notable options on those models include a Sport Package, requisite for the 22-inch wheels, an automatic-leveling air suspension, and a Climate Package, which includes heated and cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel.

The standard Escalade is available with all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, while the ESV and EXT is available in all-wheel drive only.
Cadillac's flagship Escalade luxury SUV is completely new for 2007, with an upgraded powertrain, improved ride and handling, a new, upgraded interior, and expanded safety features. The Escalade gains nearly 60 horsepower versus last year's model, with a unique 403-horsepower, 6.2L aluminum V8 with variable valve timing, delivering its power through a new six-speed automatic transmission. Cadillac also claims that the Escalade's V8 has the industry's first application of variable valve timing on a mass-produced V8 overhead-valve engine. Head curtain air bags with rollover protection now cover all three rows of seating. see less