Test Drive Cadillac Escalade since 2006 SUV

By itself

If you think about, we have a lot in common with the states. And McDonalds is, and the White House, and the gasoline is about the same amount. In Russia, there are also disliked diesel engines and small trays, and multiliery motors and large cars - respect. It is not surprising that cars from America goes to us more than any other European country.

 

The basis of the American car park is not sedans and not Wenna, but SUVs. In the early 90s Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Blazer quickly found in Russia a lot of fans - a comfortable insensitive suspension, powerful and non-critical to the quality of gasoline engine, leather interior, air conditioning and many other seemingly magical options could not do not come to taste Russian novels. Since then, the market has changed significantly. The presidential administration introduced the fashion (and to this day the current) at Gelandewagen, a bunch of Japanese appeared, including the American pedigree, began a boom of parcktails. However, the steady demand for real American SUVs preserved.

 

Meanwhile, in America there was a new kind of sporting and economic SUVs (SUV - Sport Utility Vehicles) - an elite, representational class. Their production was engaged in prestigious Ford and General Motors offices. The pioneer in 1997 became the Lincoln Navigator, worked out on the Expedition base (luxury SUV, analogues from GM - Chevrolet Tahoe with twins). At first, it was perceived negatively: they say, not Lincolnovskoe is the case - the pots of burning. However, contrary to the forecasts, Navigator was raised as hot cakes, the proposal did not have time for demand. Tahoe competed with him was unable. GM did not remain anything but to act by the same scheme - to build a new model on the finished base by the forces of the elite compartment of Cadillac. So appeared Escalade.

 

In 2001, the model was updated, and quite seriously (the test of the first model, see Motor # 5, 1999) - Critical to the criticism and wishes of the owners. (Navigator, by the way, is still available at an initial form.) The body design is resolved in the new Cadillakov style, the first carrier of which was the concept of Cadillac EVOQ. From also updated Chevrolet Tahoe / GMC Yukon, the car is now distinguished by the hood, front wings, rear door, bumpers, plastic linings on wings and doors, lighting. All this is performed in the already mentioned style with the sharp grains peculiar to it. Large transparent headlights visually increase the height of the hood, the front seems more massive. There are other differences - on trivia, such as chrome plates. Well, of course, it was not without huge emblems of the coat of arms and as impressive sizes of chrome inscription Cadillac Escalade.

 

Small readiness - rails / skis on the roof, the top trunk is that. Plastic plugs in the front ends skis have a tendency to fall out on the first uhab. In the cabin reported that the manufacturer knows about this shortness, and unquestionably replaces the trunk returned to him to a new one, from which the plugs are also falling out. Etc...

 

The car that was rolled out to us for the test was painted with beige-gold metallic - it looks unusual and festive, not as an example of strict black Escalade, which consistently met me earlier. Inside you get without difficulty - the openings are very large. The axis of the loop of the door-gate is inclined - opening the door to 1/3, it can be released: to the end it will swing the itself, hitting the limiter. If you open the door from the inside, then with unusual, it literally pulls out of the hands. But the doors are closed clearly, you will not say anything. Very by the way the thresholds - because of the big road lumen without them to get inside it would be not easy. True, they seemed chlipoty - rushed under the weight of the body.

 

There is enough change in the cabin. New seats. Compared with previous sofas, they can be called sports and, given the quality of finishing, chic. In addition to conventional electrically regulators, there is a pneumatic skipping of a lumbar backpage and lateral support. There is a memory of two settings.

 

Access to all controls is very easy. The AKP selector is still on the steering wheel, and I could not get used to him during the test. The steering wheel is set at altitude and in length, the design of the rebel itself has not changed. The front panel looks somewhat old-fashioned - big, angular, as in the Americans of the early 90s. The devices are the same as on TAHOE, only framed by aluminum rings. In general, as for the cabin, Escalade is not much different from Tahoe, and to give the luxury interior, we used wooden inserts (more precisely, imitation) on the steering wheel, doors, front panel and central console. The console, by the way, is different than on Chevrolet.

 

As is characteristic of American models, the comfort of the cabin is paid to special attention. Built-in armrests, an abundance of cupboards and all kinds of containers, a multifunctional bedside table between the front chairs, which are heated and inserts from perforated leather (in order not to sweat in the summer), air conditioning (driven by three rotary switches) ... in the second row, even with fully shifted backwards. The front seats are plenty. The rear passengers are autonomous climate control and lighting, again the cup holders and the armrest with the drawer.

 

The previous Escalade was reproached in the absence of a third row of seats (here he lossed Navigator - so seven places). Now he is, and, in principle, even eight people can accommodate in the car. However, access is inconvenient there - it is necessary to fully add part (1/3 or 2/3) of the second row. To do this, you first need to overturn the pillow forward, and then omit the back (well, even though the head restraints do not need to be removed - they automatically fold back). The operation is quite complicated. Perhaps for this reason, and also because of a considerable value, there is no third row in TaHoe.

 

The luggage compartment of Escalade with a folded third row of seats is huge. If you remove it, and the second to be folded, it will turn out no longer compartment, but a whole cargo body. To facilitate loading, the rear window opens separately from the door. Probably, based on women who are probably not easy to close the fifth door raised by powerful springs. I almost forgot about music - in Escalade there is a Bose stereo with a cassette deck, a CD changer, ten speakers and a subwoofer.

 

As for technical equipment, it also has something to talk about. First, the motors. To replace the outdated voracious Vortec V8 with a volume of 5.7 liters and with a capacity of 285 hp The updated engines of the same family came. VORTEC 6000, 6-liter and 345-strong, has a truly tank torque - 516 nm. This is the most powerful engine of all ever mounted on SUVs. It is used only on all-wheel drive Escalade - just such a thing. There is another 5.3 liter engine and a capacity of 285 hp - They equip rear-wheel drive Escalade and all Tahoe. All cars are equipped with a 4-range adaptive automaton. The drive is a permanent full with the distribution of torque over the axes in the ratio of 38:62, there are no blockages and lower transmissions - no one will have a dirt on Cadillac.

 

Secondly, updated the suspension, replacing the rear springs on the springs. All four shock absorber are now active - with a variable stiffness controlled by electronics (as on large Cadillac sedans). Thirdly, on Escalade now there is a STABILITRAK course stability system, acting on the principle of braking the slipping wheels. The system operates both active safety and permeability.

 

The engine is practically not heard, no vibrations. Dynamics - from a place in a quarry, on the first gear firmly presses in the chair, then the acceleration intensity smoothly decreases - but the speedometer arrows by that time already exceeds the mark of 150. The declared 8.6 seconds. Up to hundreds are masked by a large mass and excellent car noise insulation, the speed is not felt.

 

This bullfin is very easy to manage. The steering wheel is easy both in place and in motion. The dimensions are easy to read thanks to clearly indicated angles (thanks to chopped design). Review - I sit high, I look far, as it should be an SUV. The windshield is somewhat narrowed by a high front panel and low ceiling edge. With reverse, there are no problems - large external mirrors are automatically leaving on the rear wheels. In extreme cases will help Parktronic.

 

The suspension swallows literally everything that she offers the road, comfort - Cadillakovsky. When braking, Escalade is strongly kept the nose, the turns are noticeably roll. But there is no longitudinal and transverse swing - contrary to the expected. Even with strong rolls, the car remains under control, nevertheless, the desire does not cause anyone.

 

The brakes are well coped with three tons of weight, but it is felt that it is not easy for them. ABS is triggered a little earlier than you expect. The effort on pedals is quite decent and compared to the steering wheel seems great.

 

What is Cadillac Escalade? Previously, it was just a Chevrolet Tahoe with a maximum set of options, violently included in standard equipment. Now Escalade is an independent model. High comfort, excellent noise insulation, hurricane dynamics, soft suspension and malfunctionability, for all - $ 86 thousand. A lot. But it is Cadillac.

 

Text: Sergey Yakubov
 
 

 

Source: Motor magazine [№10 / 2001]