When it comes to splurging on a massive luxury SUV, the Escalade ESV Platinum is too big to ignore.
During the course of this video, Doug DeMuro argues both for as well as against owning such a vehicle, which means it’s up to you to decide whether we could live with its shortcomings.
Speaking of which, you don’t have to look far in order to find a bit too much Chevy Tahoe inside of the Escalade, which is unfortunate for the expensive ESV Platinum model.
The first thing that might throw you off, is the floppy column shifter, which looks and feels nothing like a gear selector should on a luxury car. Then there’s the lower half of the door panels, which again, doesn’t appear worthy of that $100,000 sticker price.
Of course, it’s not all bad with the Escalade ESV Platinum. Apparently, all you need to do in order to justify this as a purchase is go for a drive and immerse yourself in the ultra-quiet cabin and smooth ride. On paper, even performance is good, although you won’t feel it as much as you would in a smaller vehicle.
In the end, buying something like the Escalade ESV Platinum comes down to personal preferences. On one hand, it’s big, super capacious and comfortable, rides really well and has plenty of on-board tech to keep you busy. Then again, if you’re a stickler for detail and a fan of fine craftsmanship, you might want to consider downsizing a bit and looking at a Range Rover or a Mercedes GLS instead.