2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT Surpasses Competitors In Looks, Comfort and Luxury

Author's Rating:

Pros: Power, midgate, luxury, comfort, reliability and adaptability

Cons: Price

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
If you want to distinguish yourself on the road, the 2002 Cadillac EXT will you improve your public image. There is no doubt about that!

Author's Review
Versatile and sophisticated, it stands out by its looks which exude superior class and good taste in luxury transportation sub-category. It's the response of Cadillac to all the craze about trucks and the fight to recapture the luxury target market. In a subtle way, with the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Cadillac is telling the other automakers that its engineers and designers know how to please its customer base. They know how to make a super truck with all the bells and whistles. Now, the much-loved American brand wants to recapture its faded moment of glory back in the 1950s and 1960s. It went after it with all the might of its technological experience and know-how. The result is this 6.0 liter Cadillac V8, boasting 345 horsepower with a large torque curve. There is no doubt that the potential customer who is familiar with the vehicles of this well-known brand will be pleased by the EXT.

Let's take a few good looks at this luxury sport utility truck

If you are into hauling stuff, then you strike it good with the EXT. All EXTs are delivered trailer ready, with a tow rating of 8,000 lbs. In addition, the luxury SUV has full time AWD, computer-controlled road sensing suspension and renowned Cadillac's Stabilitrak stability system.

It comes equipped with a heavy-duty 4-speed automatic transmission. This is a truly imposing truck on the road. When I was testing it, I had fun merging in and out of the fast lanes. I did not have to worry about any misses. When I accelerated, I could rely on the immediacy of the response. Just like my Chevrolet Avalanche's owners usually say, "once you step on the juice, you will know whether or not you will want the truck no matter how hard it will hit your pocket." Sitting behind the steering wheel, I felt I was on top of the world. Even the big rig drivers who don't usually respect anybody on the more and more crowded freeways of Central California seem to pay attention to my wheels. It's my opinion that they would avoid scratching such beautiful combination of metal sheets and iron.

Unique in its class, impressive and imposing!

The two competitors in this category appear to fall far behind this truck. (I may not forward this review to my Chevy Avalanche's owners http://www.epinions.com/content_68407365252). In fact, the only close similarity the 2002 Chevy Avalanche has to this Cadillac Escalade is the midgate innovation. In a lot of ways, they are similar in that sense. Then, you have the 2002 Lincoln Blackwood which is also a nice truck, but the 2002 Esclade EXT has more of a presence and soul looks.

Starting with GM's full-size SUV chassis, the engineers arrived at this great feature, named midgate. The midgate replaces the back wall of a normal pickup. It offers lots of flexibility to the driver and his loads. Let's say you have a large cargo. All you need to do is to fold the rear seats away. Then, you can drop the midgate and open the bed to get access to a full 8'1" floor space. If you want to transport your motorcycles, a fridge or any large-sized items, you can revert to that use. Furthermore, you can also leave the midgate up and remove the window and you'll get an open-air feeling. Ventilation is good for the truck any way. What the engineers have done with this truck is that they were concerned about marrying the comfort of a full-size SUV with the utility of a pickup truck. Who can beat this great deal? In terms of utility, nothing is lost on this truck. The sides of the truck's bed are converted to two lockable storage boxes.

How does it drive, what kind of comfort does it offer?

For us in California, driving has to do with our state of mind. It's a lifestyle thing. The excitement starts even before you get into the vehicle. No one can help noticing the crisp and smooth style of this SUV. Checking it out from the front to the back, you will notice the symetry. By the time you get behind the steering wheels and drive out of the dealership, you will catch the attention of most other car shoppers and fellow drivers. It's a given! They'll want to be where you are at. If you stop at the light, they will not take their eyes off your sets of wheels. That's what happened to me when I was testing this black SUV truck. By the way, the EXTs are available in black, silver and pearl white.

Safety and theft deterrent issues

Standard features include, but are not limited to the following

All standard features on a luxury truck. It's worth noting that the EXT has front side-impact air bags, ultrasonic rear parking assist, a premium level Onstar System with virtual advisor and personal calling capability, air cleaner, high capacity, air bag, drive; air bag passenger etc.

Recommendation

This SUV was designed to provide luxury, comfort and utility. If that's what you are looking for, then you'd better invest in the know-how of Cadillac. It's an investment in what we know to be good and reliable.