1999 Cadillac Escalade Review

So it finally has come to this: a Cadillac truck.

The high, wide and handsome Escalade is the very first truck from Cadillac and should satisfy most folks who want a sport/utility with a Caddy nameplate.

The $45,875 Escalade really is a mildly modified version of General Motors' GMC Denali sport/utility, which is a posh version of the rugged Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon.

Confused by all that? If so, you're not alone. It's getting harder to tell the players without a scorecard in the booming light truck market, which includes sport/utes, minivans and pickup trucks.

Don't throw rocks at Cadillac because it has modified an existing truck and is selling it as its own model. After all, the big, plush Lincoln Navigator is just a dressed-up Ford Expedition. And the midsize Honda Passport sport/ute is a mildly modified Isuzu Rodeo with the Honda nameplate.

If you want to be a big player in the U.S. vehicle market, you need a light truck--even if you are Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. Such trucks have been hot for years in this country, and finally outsold cars for the first time last month by grabbing 51.9 percent of the market.

Why are trucks so popular? Gasoline is dirt cheap, there are many new carlike truck models, and a lots of people feel that trucks offer more utility for the money than cars.

Cadillac is working on a smaller hybrid sport/utility, but such development takes time and that vehicle won't be here until about 2001.

Meanwhile, the Navigator has been hurting Cadillac because this top GM car division hasn't had a rival truck. In fact, the Navigator may allow the Lincoln nameplate to outsell the Cadillac nameplate for the first time in many decades.

``Most of my customers who buy an Escalade already have a Cadillac and want to add a sport/utility to the family,'' said Bruce Olsen of the Chicago area's Olsen Cadillac.

So how good is the Escalade? For one thing, it's so loaded with equipment that there are no options. Even an improved version of GM's nifty OnStar navigation/assistance system is standard, along with such things as rear-seat sound system controls.

All big sport/utes look like boxes. So dressing up the Denali with items such as a special grille with the Cadillac logo and adding a lavish ``soft Nuance leather'' interior with Zebrano wood accents acceptably transforms the GMC truck into the Escalade.

The Escalade steering wheel has the all-important Caddy wreath-and-crest logo. The dashboard layout is shared with the Denali, but Escalade occupants enjoy Cadillac-modified seats. While the chromed aluminum wheels come from the Denali, they also have the Cadillac logo.

Too bad the Escalade lacks Cadillac's silky overhead-camshaft Northstar V-8. But its big pushrod V-8 from the Denali/Tahoe generates 255 horsepower. That's sufficient for lively acceleration (0 to 60 m.p.h. in 10.5 seconds) and easy highway cruising, although the Escalade weighs a pavement-crushing 5,572-pounds.

The smooth four-speed automatic transmission shifts effectively, but don't even ask about fuel economy. (Just between us, it's only an estimated 12 m.p.g. in the city and 16 on the highway.)

The Escalade stands very tall, so climbing in and out can be a chore for the nonathletic, with rear-door openings making it especially difficult for backseat occupants. But running boards are there to assist, and occupants have great visibility.

The church-quiet interior easily seats four professional basketball players--or five in a pinch--and there's gobs of easily accessed cargo space. Controls work smoothly and big outside mirrors help provide good rear visibility in heavy traffic.

The speed-sensitive power steering is fast enough and has decent road feel. A sophisticated four-wheel-drive system provides good traction for off-road driving and has a full-time, all-wheel-drive setting for slippery roads.

Handling and braking are acceptable for a full-size sport/ute. The ride generally is smooth, although there is no mistaking you are in a truck on some roads.

Cadillac brought the Escalade to market in 10 months, which is a very short time in the vehicle business. It generally did a good job.