2019 Cadillac Escalade Owner’s Manual

The 2019 Cadillac Escalade comes in 4 trim levels: Escalade, Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum. It’s not a cheap ride with the base-level starting price sitting at $76,490 and the Platinum starting at $95,590, but the 2019 version did also get a hands-free liftgate and some new and unique exterior colors.

Under the hood of this Cadillac, you’ll find a mighty V8 engine putting out up to 420-hp. That’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission in a potent combination that gives a massive towing capacity of 8,300-lbs. The standard drivetrain is RWD, but AWD is available too.

Underneath is the same platform shared with other large SUVs and pickup trucks such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Silverado.

The 2019 Escalade is a mammoth 3-row SUV, as big as they come, especially when you buy the long-wheelbase version that creates more cargo space behind the third seating row. However, despite this, the potent combination of V8 engine and seamless transmission make for a surprisingly nimble ride.

Fast and powerful it certainly is, but the suspension and damping leave a little to be desired. If you drive over a pothole, you’ll feel every vibration. It’s also not terribly efficient, getting 14-mpg in the city and 21-mpg on the highway for the AWD model. You can expect 2 miles per gallon extra on each one if you drive the RWD version.

Those with a need for passenger and cargo space get a lot of benefits from buying the long-wheelbase version. It’s not just more legroom for the rear passengers, but more space to put everyone’s bags, luggage, groceries and more. The third row, for instance, gets an extra 9 inches of legroom in the long-wheelbase Escalade. That’s a big jump!

The interior gets an 8-inch infotainment screen with Cadillac’s pleasing system known as CUE. There are plenty of charging points, as well as a 4G LTE mobile hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.