An American luxury classic puts a new spin on an old moniker.
Cadillac released the Escalade full-size luxury SUV more than two decades ago, and despite the fact that other luxury brutes existed at the time, what was initially merely a rebadged GMC Yukon Denali became a cultural force and an image of riches, and it resurrected a dying American luxury brand. The Escalade remains a prominent vehicle in its market, and it hasn't slid as a social status symbol: Kim Kardashian made headlines last year with her personalised Escalade.
With the Escalade so thoroughly ingrained in American society, any new rival must offer the luxe-UV goods. That was the task that Jeep faced while designing the 2022 Grand Wagoneer. To beat its crosstown competitor, it would have to pull out all the stops and give even more luxury, comfort, and refinement—and, of course, live up to its Grand Wagoneer forefathers, which discontinued production in 1991 but once stood at the peak of luxury SUVs. So, does it work? To discover out, we set out in an Escalade and a Grand Wagoneer.
Prepared to Compete
The trim levels of our comparative test vehicles, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III 4x4 and the Cadillac Escalade 4WD Sport Platinum, are set for direct competition. Both have as-tested sticker costs of $110,000, are powered by naturally aspirated V-8 engines, and have four-wheel drive. They also feature bright, flamboyant style that sticks out in the midst of more mundane traffic. These two SUVs also include three rows of seating for a total of seven passengers, premium audio systems, and leather-lined, wood-trimmed interiors with massaging seats in the front. This is a true fight between two of the most opulent American SUVs money can buy.
Dynamic Evaluation
The 6.2-liter V-8 engine in the Escalade delivers 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Its engine provides power to the rear wheels or, as in our car, a four-wheel-drive system via a 10-speed automatic transmission. During our test loops, we noticed that the Escalade's powertrain is quite fluid, with effortless acceleration and crisp shifts. We managed a 6.6-second 0-60 mph sprint, which was impressive for such a large beast. It also brakes well for its size, coming to a complete stop from 60 mph in 125 feet, 9 less than the Jeep.
The Grand Wagoneer is powered by a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine. It outperforms the Escalade's eight-cylinder engine, producing 471 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque, and it has a unique, muscle-car-like attitude. (Which is understandable given that it's also featured in some of Dodge's most powerful Challenger and Charger models.) When you press the throttle, the V-8 idles with a loping burble and growls. Greg Fink, senior editor, stated, "It absolutely likes to rev and makes a terrific sound. Of course, it also enjoys guzzling fuel."This is also true of the Cadillac, albeit the 'Slade outperforms the Grand Wagoneer's 13/18 city/highway mileage by 1 mpg. The Jeep, on the other hand, is faster than the Escalade, reaching 60 mph in 5.7 seconds from a standstill.
Cadillac has adjusted this generation of Escalades, particularly Sport variants like ours, more toward the harsher side of the ledger than the soft, luxury side. As a result, hustling—relatively speaking—through a curvy section of our test route was more enjoyable and confidence-inspiring than driving the Grand Wagoneer. It's unquestionably the better handling of the two, with excellent body control and precise, perfectly weighted steering. However, the harsher suspension caused the Escalade's seats to tremble and transmitted thumps into the interior, leaving the experience lacking the overall tranquillity we'd expect from a six-figure luxury car.
The Grand Wagoneer, on the other hand, is plush, cushy, cushy. The steering is overboosted and sticky, which may be a concern on a less opulent mission, but it merely contributes to the lounge-on-wheels atmosphere here. Unlike the Escalade, the Jeep's suspension flexes over irregularities, soaking them up and dispersing them before they intrude on occupants. We are usually sporty, but in this environment and for this money, we want to be pampered.
Which Interior Design Is the Best?
Cadillac gets a lot of things right in the inside of the Escalade. Its numerous OLED panel arrangement is properly scaled to the vehicle's size, giving spectacular, high-resolution images and simple layouts. The Whisper Beige upholstery gave an airy, contemporary vibe that we liked, and there's lots of genuine leather, metal, and wood throughout. Although there are a few lower-quality plastics below your hip position and some switchgear common with lesser vehicles, it's a terrific illustration of how far Cadillac has gone with its interior implementation. These are minor quibbles, but they're all the more disappointing considering Jeep's commitment to totally filling the Grand Wagoneer's cabin in premium materials. The wood is lovely, the leather is silky, and most controls feel custom-made for this car, adding to the luxury vibe.
The second row of the Jeep is simply luxurious. The second row of the Escalade does not feature ventilated seats, although the Grand Wagoneer does. Although both SUVs include rear-seat entertainment, the Grand Wagoneer has a considerably superior control panel for passengers, with a full-color display located between the captain's seats. To put it another way, a captain of industry will feel pampered almost everywhere in the Jeep, but Cadillac only genuinely spoils individuals in the first row.
Discussion in Technology
The Escalade and Grand Wagoneer are both loaded with high-tech amenities. The aforementioned three-screen display is the Escalade's showpiece. The main element is a large 16.9-inch screen that serves as the interface for Cadillac's superb infotainment system. The second is the 14.2-inch digital gauge cluster, which can be customised to display whatever information the driver feels most necessary. Finally, to the left of the steering wheel is a 7.2-inch display with even more readouts. From the driver's seat, the Escalade feels completely in control, with easy access to all of the major settings, plenty of information, and a simple graphic style. Cadillac also mainly avoided capacitive touch controls in favour of hard buttons, allowing for quick no-look tinkering.
The Grand Wagoneer Series III is outfitted with a 12.0-inch infotainment screen that displays Stellantis' new Uconnect 5 system. It's not as simple to use as the previous version, but it's also not drastically faulty; the setup provides swift reactions and attractive visuals.
Jeep, not to be outdone by Cadillac, added a second 10.3-inch screen for HVAC settings and seat functions. The Grand Wagoneer, like the Escalade, has a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that's very visible and gives a plethora of customisable data and information. Second-row passengers get access to a 10.3-inch touchscreen for HVAC settings, as well as optional 10.1-inch seatback entertainment displays. Both the Escalade and the Wagoneer come standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
For a car of this class, a strong and clear-sounding audio system is essential. We've already praised the Cadillac Escalade's 36-speaker AKG system, but Jeep came out with a bang with its 23-speaker McIntosh system. It was difficult to choose a favourite, but after listening to the identical playlist of songs in both SUVs, the Escalade came out on top.
Driver Assistance And Safety
The IIHS has not yet rated any of these SUVs, and the NHTSA has not yet evaluated the Grand Wagoneer. The Escalade, for its part, obtained a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA. As one might anticipate, both cars are crammed with of cutting-edge driving assistance, including outstanding 360-degree surround camera views.
Cadillac includes a hands-free driver assist system in the Escalade, which is a standard feature in current premium automobiles. While Jeep features a highway-assist mode with lane centering for semi-automated driving, it isn't quite as exact or well-executed as General Motors' superb Super Cruise, which utilises mapped route data to help automatically steer the car with more accuracy and can also perform lane changes.
So, which is the best?
We gathered these SUVs to determine which provided the greatest and most enjoyable luxury experience. Jeep's relaunched Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer sub-brands may lack the cultural cachet of the Escalade, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve it: This test was won by it. With as-tested costs approximately on par (our Escalade was $111,465, our Grand Wagoneer was $109,980), the Jeep just delivers a more comprehensive, well-thought-out package. Its approach to luxury is more consistent than that of the Escalade, and its extravagance seems baked in rather than slathered on. Any luxury SUV buyer would be well to consider this opulent machine.
| POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS | 2021 Cadillac Escalade (4WD Sport Platinum) SPECIFICATIONS | 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4X4 Series III Specifications |
| DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT | Front-engine, 4WD | Front-engine, 4WD |
| ENGINE TYPE | Direct-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8, alum block/head | Port-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8, iron block/alum head |
| DISPLACEMENT | 6,162 cc/376.1 cu in | 6,417 cc/391.6 cu in |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 11.5:1 | 10.9:1 |
| POWER (SAE NET) | 420 hp @ 5,600 rpm | 471 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
| TORQUE (SAE NET) | 460 lb-ft @ 4,100 rpm | 455 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm |
| REDLINE | 5,750 rpm | 6,500 rpm |
| WEIGHT TO POWER | 14.5 lb/hp | 13.5 lb/hp |
| TRANSMISSION | 10-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE/LOW RATIO | 3.23:1/2.05:1/2.72:1 | 3.92:1/2.63:1/2.64:1 |
| SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR | Control arms, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar | Control arms, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar |
| STEERING RATIO | 16.6:1 | 16.7:1 |
| TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| BRAKES, F; R | 13.5-in vented disc; 13.6-in vented disc | 14.9-in vented disc; 14.8-in vented disc |
| WHEELS | 9.0 x 22-in cast aluminum | 9.0 x 22-in cast aluminum |
| TIRES | 275/50R22 111H (M+S) Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02 | 285/45R22 114H Goodyear Eagle Touring (M+S) |
| DIMENSIONS | ||
| WHEELBASE | 120.9 in | 123.0 in |
| TRACK, F/R | 68.5/68.3 in | 68.5/68.3 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 211.9 x 81.1 x 76.6-78.6 in | 214.7 x 83.6 x 74.0-77.6 in |
| GROUND CLEARANCE | 8.0-10.0 in | 8.3-10.0 in |
| APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE | 22.0-25.0/20.5-22.5 deg | 21.5-25.0/21.1-24.0 deg |
| TURNING CIRCLE | 39.7 ft | 38.0 ft |
| CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) | 6,092 lb (50/50%) | 6,358 lb (51/49%) |
| SEATING CAPACITY | 7 | 7 |
| HEADROOM, F/M/R | 42.3/38.9/38.2 in | 41.3/40.0/39.0 in |
| LEGROOM, F/M/R | 44.5/41.7/34.9 in | 40.9/42.7/36.6 in |
| SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R | 65.5/64.6/62.7 in | 66.1/65.2/64.4 in |
| CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/M/R | 109.1/63.0/25.5 cu ft | 94.2/70.9/27.4 cu ft |
| TOWING CAPACITY | 8,000 lb | 9,850 lb |
| TEST DATA | ||
| ACCELERATION TO MPH | ||
| 0-30 | 2.3 sec | 1.9 sec |
| 0-40 | 3.5 | 2.9 |
| 0-50 | 4.9 | 4.2 |
| 0-60 | 6.6 | 5.7 |
| 0-70 | 8.5 | 7.3 |
| 0-80 | 10.8 | 9.3 |
| 0-90 | 13.3 | 11.5 |
| PASSING, 45-65 MPH | 3.3 | 3.1 |
| QUARTER MILE | 14.9 sec @ 95.4 mph | 14.1 sec @ 99.1 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 125 ft | 134 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION* | 0.67 g (avg) | 0.65 g (avg)* |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT* | 30.2 sec @ 0.54 g (avg) | 29.2 sec @ 0.57 g (avg)* |
| TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH | 1,300 rpm | 1,700 rpm |
| CONSUMER INFO | ||
| BASE PRICE | $105,290 | $105,995 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $111,465 | $109,980 |
| AIRBAGS | 7: Dual front, front side, f/m/r head, front center | 8: Dual front, front side, f/m/r curtain, front knee |
| BASIC WARRANTY | 4 yrs/50,000 miles | 5 yrs/60,000 miles |
| POWERTRAIN WARRANTY | 6 yrs/70,000 miles | 5 yrs/60,000 miles |
| ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE | 6 yrs/70,000 miles | 5 yrs/60,000 miles |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 24.0 gal | 26.5 gal |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON | 14/19/16 mpg | 13/18/15 mpg |
| RECOMMENDED FUEL | Unleaded premium | Unleaded premium |
| ON SALE | Now | Now |
|
*Performance limited due to electronic stability- and traction-control
|
2nd Place: Cadillac Escalade 2021
Pros .
- Distinct, sharp styling
- Good handling for a three-row SUV
- Super Cruise and AKG audio amaze
Cons .
- Cheap-feeling buttons
- Too much plastic trim in the cabin
- Busy, firm ride
First place goes to the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
Pros .
- Sweet-sounding, powerful V-8
- Plush suspension tuning
- Decadent interior
Cons .
- Even worse fuel economy than the Escalade
- Could use stronger brakes
- Controversial styling
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