2009 Cadillac Escalade EXT

The Escalade EXT's cabin is certainly plush, reviewers say, with stitched leather seats and wood-and-metal trim, although more than one critic notes the presence of some chintzy plastic panels. The Caddy pickup's chunky styling makes it very hard to see to the rear, testers say, but standard rear parking sensors and a backup camera help. An Ultra Luxury package adds Magnetic Ride Control -- an even more sophisticated setup than the Escalade EXT's standard adaptive suspension -- as well as heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic high-low beam headlights, a sunroof and 22-inch, chrome-clad wheels.

The Cadillac Escalade EXT uses full-time all-wheel drive; a 403-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 engine; and a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. It's worth noting that the manual shifting in all Escalade models is done via a rocker switch in the column mounted shifter, which some drivers may find to be an unorthodox setup. Testers say the Escalade EXT's powerful V-8 engine accelerates strongly, even under load, but the Cadillac pickup's maximum towing capacity is a mediocre 7,500 pounds -- 600 less than the Chevy Avalanche and nearly 4,000 less than a maxed-out Ford F-150. Fuel economy is rated at a dismal 14 mpg in mixed driving (12 mpg city and 19 mpg highway).

Like the Chevy Avalanche, the Cadillac Escalade EXT does an excellent job protecting passengers in front and side crash tests, but it is more likely to roll over than most other pickups -- a 21 percent chance in a single-vehicle crash, government tests show. The Escalade EXT is not reliable, according to one major owner survey. Its four-year, 50,000-mile basic warranty and five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty are now backed by the U.S. government.

Best testing of the Cadillac Escalade EXT

Edmunds.com provides the best in-depth road test and review of the Cadillac Escalade EXT. ConsumerGuide.com also tests the EXT and rates it numerically in several categories (fuel economy, ride quality, etc.), but this review includes very little narrative detail. Car and Driver's review is short and to the point. ConsumerReports.org is usually one of the best expert review sources, but editors here have tested only the SUV version of the Escalade. The nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had not yet crash tested the Escalade when we checked, but we did find crash and rollover tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides official fuel-economy estimates. TheCarConnection.com gives the Escalade EXT a Best In Class award, but its review mainly quotes other sources' opinions.