Part II: '07 Escalade Exposed

[dutch]

I have no doubt that many will line up to buy it... but this is not the kind of vehicle that Cadillac needs to restore its "Standard of the World" reputation. It's a well-built, well-equipped, and glittery Yukon. It's not a game changer like the CTS was

[jbartley]

those pictures make me love the escalade more... and HATE the front of the yukon! why didn't THAT look like the Graphtye concept?

[mystik]

Really makes you wonder what the process was for the new Escalade. A & S will no doubt still be alive in the new CTS...expectations were INSANELY high for this vehicle...it fell short. The Tahoe, which will be the best selling of the 3 and GM's biggest cash cow, did NOT fall short of expectations. It looks good, inside and out, and really blew people away. Does anyone know when the Avalanche is set to debut? Is it going to have the jelly-bean sides too? Thats one thing I loved about the previous Avalanche was how aggressive it was. How original it was. It screamed American.

[dutch]

For all y'all. 







*

[post="41291"][/post]

Like I said... it's the Den-Yuk-Alade. Onve vehicle... three different grills. If I'm paying $60 Large for a Slade, I at least would expect a distinct steering wheel. How dumb do they think we are?

[Cory Wolfe]

You also hate everything that is Pontiac except the Fiero.

This truck is meant to appeal to the masses which I'm sure it will.

Here's a slight hint. Do you really think the "bling" crowd they had approve of this will not be lined up for commercials/taking delivery of one of these bad boys? The truck will be a huge hit.

Imagine: "The First Ultra-Luxury Hybrid SUV"

C'mon now.

Uhh... What? :blink:

I have no idea what the hell you're implying, first of all.

As for the rest of what you said... it reeks highly of "it's good enough". Well guess what, "good enough never is". Remember that saying? Yeah... Just the fact that Cadillac is only making it good enough for that crowd (of all crowds :rolleyes: ) is retarded. Cadillac should be competing with the best of Japan and Europe. Not this. No way, no how. It's as stupid a move as they could make. As if bastardizing A&S by watering it down wasn't bad enough...

BTW, I'm not arguing against its success. Those retards will snatch these things up... That doesn't make this a good move on GM's part. It's ruining Cadillac and if you guys can't see it now... you will after its probably too late. I'm sick of this BS. End of story. Edited November 10, 2005 by blackviper8891

[Croc]

Anyone else notice that the interior of the Escalade has a flowing, one-piece center stack whereas the others do not? Classy.

[CSpec]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Escalade pic is a Photoshop of the Yukon. I think it will look better in real pics and better angles tomorrow.

[Variance]

Well, it seems the production version has that extremely-jacked up look I don't care for and the headlights are kind of eh... I like the guages and the center stack (maybe a little too much plastic). But I like the two-tone door panels on the Yukon and Tahoe better.

[bobo]

The interior looks good. Styling is up there with Mercedes and Lexus. As for the exterior, from this pic it is somewhat underwhelming. It does have a touch of Sixteen, but it's no raving beauty. Perhaps our expectations were too high, but maybe more pics will make it look better.

[pow]

Yawn... I liked the first three "new" Caddys, the CTS, XLR, and SRX, but the STS, DTS, and Escalade are all headed toward the wrong direction. There's nothing that says Cadillac about the interior. To be honest, I don't see it as an improvement to the Tahoe at all... I'd rather have the Chevy, at least appearance-wise. Oh well, now that its an established nameplate, it'll still sell well.

[mphmag]

hey guys we posted more pics. I'm guessing josh will have them up soon but if not click my sig.

[z28luvr01]

For what it is, I like it. The exterior is very well done and at least doesn't look like a Tahoe with $5K in add-ons from the JC Whitney catalog. The interior is fantastic...far and away the best looking GM interior I've ever seen. I love the center stack that flows into the console, and those gauges are just sick.

[Ultra Magnus]

Well with the release of the official pictures I can say i am officially DISAPPOINTED. Where is the aggressive look of the past Escalade. It really does look like a Tahoe with a different front end. Thats something a body shop can do for you. Granted the interior and some specs are better but it still looks like a tahoe. I dont see anything that really makes it stand out.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

You also hate everything that is Pontiac except the Fiero.

This truck is meant to appeal to the masses which I'm sure it will.

Here's a slight hint. Do you really think the "bling" crowd they had approve of this will not be lined up for commercials/taking delivery of one of these bad boys? The truck will be a huge hit.

Imagine: "The First Ultra-Luxury Hybrid SUV"

C'mon now.

[post="41287"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

So the Escalade will retain sales... GOOD

But will it conquest like the old one did? Absolutely not... A big thank you to Lutz for completely ruining Cadillac... And any other division at GM that had a design direction.

Yawn... I liked the first three "new" Caddys, the CTS, XLR, and SRX, but the STS, DTS, and Escalade are all headed toward the wrong direction. There's nothing that says Cadillac about the interior. To be honest, I don't see it as an improvement to the Tahoe at all... I'd rather have the Chevy, at least appearance-wise. Oh well, now that its an established nameplate, it'll still sell well.

My sentiments exactly...

Why buy this when you can get a MORE stylish vehicle with MOST of the innovation for half the price?

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Really makes you wonder what the process was for the new Escalade. A & S will no doubt still be alive in the new CTS...expectations were INSANELY high for this vehicle...it fell short. The Tahoe, which will be the best selling of the 3 and GM's biggest cash cow, did NOT fall short of expectations. It looks good, inside and out, and really blew people away. Does anyone know when the Avalanche is set to debut? Is it going to have the jelly-bean sides too? Thats one thing I loved about the previous Avalanche was how aggressive it was. How original it was. It screamed American.

[post="41295"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Well, it's a Lutz vehicle so I'd expect a lot of 90's and jellybean crap.

And, HEY, look at that..... The Denali even has a nicer interior (Style-wise)

It's the EXACT same front as the Yukon, just with a different grille bolted in and different headlight covers.. LAME GM.... LAME.

Seriously, you have to see it in person, it has so many rich details and has a better presence than the pictures represent. The current Escalade is just tacky looking, while this one is so refined. Make a point to check it out at a car show when it arrives in your area. LOL! You guys are too funny.

Sorry AH-HA, I mean no disrespect, but I'm sure it'll look just as bad at the show. Of course, I will be nice and give it ONE MORE CHANCE.

No it isn't. Details are Lutz.

Whatever.... I'm sorry for being so negative guys, but damn I'm just fed up with empty GM promises... How hard can it be to get the look of a new Escalade right? This is probably one of the biggest GM icons in 20-30 years and they go and SCREW it up by making it look like a Landau edition of a 'plebian' GMC Yukon. Jesus, they changed the front for the Tahoe, why not Cadillac? It's half baked IMO. But, I hope an in person look makes me change my opinion

(pontiac1 @ Nov 10 2005, 09:20 AM)
so many whiners and complainers....never satisified, geesh.

what the hell...this escalade looks great.  interior looks first rate, definitely different when compared to the outgoing.  exterior looks great. looks nothing like the others. 

why dont you just go to the competitors blog sites and bitch and moan there and rave about their products so that your word of mouth spreads faster to help kill gm.  yeah thats right, kick them when they're already down on their luck.  this is exactly what they need.

i on the other hand wish gm good fortune and i know these suvs will sell well.
GO GM!

:rolleyes:


I'm not even going to justify that with a response, everyone here knows where my loyalty lies.

EDIT: Okay, in the new PR shots it's REALLY starting to grow on me.... But, I'm still not pleased with the abandonment of A&S and I still think it could've been differentiated more... That's right, I like it and I'm not afraid to admit that I was wrong, EXCEPT on my above points, which are major.

[evok]

Well, it's a Lutz vehicle so I'd expect a lot of 90's and jellybean crap.

No it isn't. This is the last of the Zarella's. Details are Lutz, though.

Well for a little history of the evolution of the design:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/[email protected]@.ef270e9/8 Edited November 10, 2005 by evok

[pontiac1]

so many whiners and complainers....never satisified, geesh. what the hell...this escalade looks great. interior looks first rate, definitely different when compared to the outgoing. exterior looks great. looks nothing like the others. why dont you just go to the competitors blog sites and bitch and moan there and rave about their products so that your word of mouth spreads faster to help kill gm. yeah thats right, kick them when they're already down on their luck. this is exactly what they need. i on the other hand wish gm good fortune and i know these suvs will sell well. GO GM!

[GMan]

I really like it! B) B)

[intrigued]

I agree with AH-HA how can you judge a car you havent even seen in person. The interior looks great but im going to reserve judgment till i sit in it. Exterior looks fantastic, very classy and refined maybe not quite a gressive enough but still imposing. The only exterior element im on the wall about is the grill. Still dont prejudge guys...

[Chief]

The gauge cluster looks like something from Ford. Other than that, pretty much what I'd expect out of GM. Chief

[bobo]

I agree that all the GMT-900s have much cleaner, more cohesive designs than the outgoing models. They do look a whole lot more refined.

[bowtie_dude]

Wow, I love it! I love the details in the headlights and grill, fantastic. My one and only beef is the amount of black plastic on the center stack and the fact that its the same thing from the STS. Other than that, its beautiful!

[Clownzilla]

It's a nice vehicle, but not as "offensive" as I would like to see it. Has there been any talk (rumors or official) for a V series of this SUV?

[Shantanu]

fudge yeah! That's right Toyota, go back to Tokyo!!! :CG_all: :booyah:

[C.H.U.D.]

It looks nice, but why did they even give it different doors? All it really changes is the shape of the side glass from the B-pillar back. They should have incorporated round wheel openings. Instead, they cheaped out and cut a hole out of a Yukon front fender and called it a day. But I must say, the interior is the nicest yet from GM. This will be hot shyte, make no mistake.

[johnnyb]

I'm just disappointed with the so-called Sixteen influence. I'm sorry, but that's more clunky DTS than the refined Sixteen. I'll hold my final judgments until later... I have to admit though, it has the 'in your face' look of the previous one. Edited November 10, 2005 by johnnyb

[Shantanu]

AH-HA is right. What do you guys want? A flying car?

[G. David Felt]

:( FIRE LUTZ & WAGONER!!! :angry: This is all Wrong, so many of you say good enough, really nice, etc. Any person who looks at the 3 with any intelligence will see that the value will be in the GMC, Cadillac has ruined the Escalade! The A&S that set it apart and got so many of my sister and brother inlaws to buy a CTS and Escalade are not happy. A Rebadged Yukon., Interior I am sure is nice, better smoother flowing lines, yet again, they follow everyone else with a stupid center floor console that eats up leg room. Commen sense will tell you that the large football players, large anyone over 6' will have a hard time sitting long term in this thing. You can see just how much right side leg room they ate up with that stupid center stack. You can clearly see more room in the Chevy and Yukon over this one. Maybe all you guys want to pinch you penise and have your leg rubbed while on a long drive, but this just tell's me I will be holding onto my suburban a while longer. :( They must have had some girly guy in charge of doing this interior. :( Here I was excited to get a new ride to drive that would be bold, in your face Lead the world in distinct Style, Quality and Status and they water it down. DAMN LUTZ, Retire and go away, you are destroying all that has brought Cadillac back.!!! :angry: No matter what anyone else says, I agree the quality will be there, but this one they screwed up big time!

[evok]

AH-HA is right.  What do you guys want?  A flying car?

[post="41347"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

People got it into their heads that the "Sixteen" is the future styling direction for Cadillac. That is not the case for future Cadillacs.

[Shantanu]

People got it into their heads that the "Sixteen" is the future styling direction for Cadillac.  That is not the case for future Cadillacs.

[post="41349"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

That's fine with me. I wasn't that big of a fan of the Cadillac 16.

The first Escalade was tacky. It sold well because of the Cadillac name, lack of competition, and the massive amounts of chrome.

The new Escalade looks very refined from the outside, without giving up the chrome that made the original so popular. That was no doubt a difficult balancing act, and I'm really surprised they pulled it off as well as they did. This thing will appeal to professionals as well as movie stars.

As for the interior, do we even need to go there? It's class leading, period. Perhaps the first time ever GM can legitimatly claim that.

The powertrain is no doubt top notch. This vehicle has turned out I think about as well as it could. For me it definitely falls under the "best case scenario". Edited November 10, 2005 by Shantanu

[Lance Truthhammer]

I think this is great for Cadillac. It attempts (I am not saying it completely succeeds) to combine the best of the Sixteen (in my opinion the third most beautiful concept ever created) with the best aspects of the last Escalade, and at the same time dropping the cheesy overdone nature of the last model. This is what art and science was supposed to be about. - E.S. Mail

[Cory Wolfe]

People got it into their heads that the "Sixteen" is the future styling direction for Cadillac. That is not the case for future Cadillacs.

Nah... I'm not a big fan of the Sixteen. I'm just disappointed to see that A&S, which helped turn around Caddy's image, is being thrown in the trash. This Escalade... is just another stupid SUV to me... it could have been more. Period.

[Justin Bimmer]

The photos over at Cadillac's website make the truck look way better than those first few photos. I like the 22" rims and all the wood in the interior.... would be nice to see it in white diamond.

[Flybrian]

I think this is great for Cadillac.  It attempts (I am not saying it completely succeeds) to combine the best of the Sixteen (in my opinion the third most beautiful concept ever created) with the best aspects of the last Escalade, and at the same time dropping the cheesy overdone nature of the last model.  This is what art and science was supposed to be about. 

- E.S. Mail

[post="41353"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

What he said.

There was nothing really wrong with the general look of the '02 Escalade. As AH-HA pointed out, its lowpoints were the tacked-on look of the bumpers and door molding; as a design, its still standout and aggressive. The '06 simply refines it to make it more appealing to the Navigator crowd while keeping enough bling to maintain its current audience.

GM trucks and SUVs have always been on the conservative side and if you look at the figures, it helps explain why they sell so damn well. Regardless of the interior, the 2000 Suburban remains the most balanced, well-proportioned, most handsome SUV of any size on the market today. How many SUVs are there today that would still look good and unkitschy ten years from now? I would argue GM makes all of them on such a list. Even lame ducks like the Bravada and Rainier have a solid, purposeful character about them. The same can hardly be said about the likes of Pathfinder, Durango, and others that went for shock value instead of design shelf life.

Anyway, Infiniti went the bold and brash route, too, and went waaaaay overboard with the disjointed, ill-shaped, poorly-detailed QX56. Everytime I see that beast now, I'll thank my lucky stars for this beautiful Escalade.

[Shantanu]

Nah... I'm not a big fan of the Sixteen. I'm just disappointed to see that A&S, which helped turn around Caddy's image, is being thrown in the trash. This Escalade... is just another stupid SUV to me... it could have been more. Period.

[post="41356"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I think this is vehicle is more of a return to A&S than was the STS, which completely through A&S out the window. It doesn't make sense for GM to make every vehicle like the CTS. Also that style has become a bit old now, so things have to evolve forward. Still, when I look at the front end with the creased bumpers, and the stacked headlights, it is most definitely a return to A&S.

Creases elsewhere on the body probably would not look so good on this vehicle. If you place design philosophy ahead of designing things to look good practically, then you get vehicles like BMW has, with weird Bangle designs across the lineup. But even they have begun to pull away with the new 3-series, because they realize that it does not make sense to have a bunch of cars that all look the same. Edited November 10, 2005 by Shantanu

[Cadillacfan]

I give up on you guys.  Only people with more money than brains buy the current Escalade, it's awful in execution.  The new one is a true luxury SUV worth the price of admission.  It's all about refinement with some edge.  The current one is in your face ugly and tacky with the plastic fender add-ons and such while the new one is a cohesive design.  Go study the hi-res photos and really take a look at the three GMT900 SUV before you make ignorant comments.  The problem is you guys hype things up in your heads far too much that you can only be disappointed, like you will when they don't show a Camaro concept.  You haven't seen it in person let alone felt the materials and studied it on mutiple occasions.  Out. :angry:

[post="41330"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Amen AH-HA. You'd think we were on the Toyota message boards from the responses we're getting from people here.
This is the one of the best GM products to come out in over a decade and it's not good enough for them.
Fine. Be bitter. I don't care. It's getting to the point where I'm not enjoying coming to this website anymore. People are being too bitchy.
If I want to hear someone complain about GM, I'd go to Autoweek or Autoblog.
The fact remains that the new Escalade is a great vehicle. Much better than the current one, and I like the current Escalade. It's moving upscale and providing a more universal look to the A&S theme.
If you guys don't like change, go buy a Toyota or a Hyundai. Their cars are all formed from the same dull piece of clay. You won't be dissapointed with each new model since it will look the same as the last model.

[sciguy_0504]

Wow... Out of the 3 GMT900 SUVs, the Escalade was the one I was dying to see. Luckily, I didn't die because it wouldn't have been worth it. AH-HA mentioned that the last Escalade was in-your-face and I think that is exactly the way it should be. The new one barely gets up to your neck, if you get what I'm saying. Sure, there were tons of tacked on goodies on the previous-gen but it looked hot and it pulled people into Cadillac dealerships. Unlike the rest of you, I like the grille, minus the chrome strip at the top. I think the grille details are amazing and I like it. The rest of the exterior is plain. The interior, obviously, is a major step up. The flowing console is great and adds a lot to the quality feel of the interior. I think there's a little too much plastic on the center stack and if you look at the Tahoe/Yukon buttons/knobs on the center stack, they look nicer than the ones in the Escalade! Disgusting. I love the blue instrumentation, however. Very different and beautiful. I guess I'll have to wait to see it at Philadelphia but I have a feeling this is not going to live up to the hype of the previous-gen. Unfortunate but what can you do? I think the Tahoe makes the biggest splash by far.

[Robert Hall]

It's too bad the interior didn't include a unique steering wheel for the Escalade..it's the same with a different badge as far as I can tell. I'm dissapointed the Escalade didn't get more unique sheetmetal (the greenhouse and doors look the same as the Tahoe and Yukon) but such are the realities of tooling costs.. :( Edited November 10, 2005 by moltar

[Croc]

No, AH-HA is right. Y'all are being brutal, calling this thing a "Yukon clone" and other such rubbish. There is a large amount of differentiation between the three GMT-900s, more than there was on the 800s or really ever has been in the past of these vehicles. YET the people on C&G are still finding things to b!tch about. Y'all are hopeless. This Escalade features an ALL-NEW interior that is very much DISTINCT from the Tahoe/Yukon. The front is all new. For crying out loud the thing doesn't even have a grille! It has sixteen minigrilles located in the front sheet metal! Look at some more pictures...that is sheet metal between the grilles, not plastic. So WHOOPS! there goes some of your arguments about "just swapped out a Yukon grille" I mean please how ignorant can you get?

As far as I'm concerned, this Escalade is an out-of-the-park grand slam.

Exterior: A
Interior: A+

You see that? I don't think I've EVER rated a new GM that highly before!

Cadillac shouldn't be "in your face" with its styling. That just makes it another wannabe luxo-marque. Cadillac should have distinct styling that is CLASSY. NOT overdone. NOT tacky, and YES, the GMT800 Escalade is TACKY in every aspect and every sense of the word.

[griff7774]

I like to see the escalade in person.....after comparing photos with it rivals, the escalade is a contender .... you are what you are Edited November 10, 2005 by griff7774

[Velite]

b-e-a-utiful

[Enzora]

What's the finish on the center stack/type of wood being used? Because in these pictures it just looks like black plastic surrounded by shiny black plastic.

[Enzora]

I like to see the escalade in person.....after comparing photos with it rivals, the escalade is a contender .... you are what you are

[post="41381"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

But it shouldn't be a contender. It should be Muhammad Ali to everyone else's Sonny Liston.

[griff7774]

But it shouldn't be a contender.  It should be Muhammad Ali to everyone else's Sonny Liston.

[post="41386"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Champion are not made over night.....and never judge a book bye its cover ( unless it the aztek) :lol:

[The O.C.]

I like it! I'm glad they made some minor changes to the greenhouse such as on the trailing edge of the rear door windows. I'm thrilled about the new 6.2L/6-speed combo too.... The interior is BEAUTIFUL! Looks to be the nicest Cadillac interior so far. One thing REALLY pisses me off.... That EFFING column-mounted shifter is TOTALLY out of place in this beautiful interior. How nice would it be to have a classy, wood-topped gated shifter in the console.... This thing is going to, for the FIRST time, appeal to people usually used to Range Rovers, Lexus LX450s, and even the Cayenne/Toureg duo. The column shifter just shouts "OLD SCHOOL GM." It's a major shame.... Kinda makes the Yukon/Denali twins totally redundant to me. I think the best lineup would be Tahoe/Z71 and Escalade. There is very little business case in keeping GMC and their badge-engineered Chevy-copies around..... Any production and sales from GMC could easily be rolled into Chevrolet. It's the same old problem of "too many divisions and too many models" at General Motors and there's no way you can argue against that.... Other than THAT......way to go GM!

[Croc]

There is very little business case in keeping GMC and their badge-engineered Chevy-copies around.....

Any production and sales from GMC could easily be rolled into Chevrolet.  It's the same old problem of "too many divisions and too many models" at General Motors and there's no way you can argue against that....

[post="41390"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Are you kidding me? Maybe you should talk to you good friend evok about this, he'll set you straight.

There is a VERY good business case for GMC...namely that there are a lot of people who won't buy a Chevy, but will shell out MORE money for a 95% identical GMC. GMC is essentially pure profit, only minor sheetmetal changes. GMC buyers rarely cross-shop Chevy, and vice versa.

I thought you had a pretty good sense of the industry...??

[IbuyGM]

Really you haters of the new Escalade, it is unbelievable. Just sit down in the front seat, even people over 6ft will be comfortable (dont judge size by pics), and put the pedal to the floor. The engine sounds fricken sweet. It looks great on the inside, especially with the black on black material. And wait until you see the interior lights on the IP. This is truly high class and will for sure take out all the competition. Cadillac did one heck of a job with this one. Every baller and blinger is going to want one, and any mid-life crisis man, and of course rich soccer moms. By the way, look at the headlights, INTIMIDATION. Oh, and who can forget, the automatic trunk door and automatic hitch cover. Lutz and Wagoner, GM is coming back. Thank you for succeeding 100% in the GMT 900. I cannot wait for the trucks.

[ichbinjohnk]

Today's GM DriveTime on the GM media site is about the Escalade...towards the end (before stock update), they give a quick shot of the EXT.

[ToniCipriani]

If they could stick the steering wheel from the STS and CTS here (at least the design), it would be nice. The one right now looks too corporate-ish. Otherwise, looks good.

[evok]

Are you kidding me?  Maybe you should talk to you good friend evok about this, he'll set you straight.

There is a VERY good business case for GMC...namely that there are a lot of people who won't buy a Chevy, but will shell out MORE money for a 95% identical GMC.  GMC is essentially pure profit, only minor sheetmetal changes.  GMC buyers rarely cross-shop Chevy, and vice versa.

I thought you had a pretty good sense of the industry...??

[post="41396"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Back in the 2000 time frame there was a business being drawn up to do just that, get rid of GMC and Olds. GMC was saved at the time because the fleet mix was changing towards light trucks. Things appear to be changing the other way right now.

You fail to take into consideration that there is a huge marketing cost associated with supporting the clones and the brand. Not to mention the structural and human costs.