People are hitting the streets in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, which is always exciting. It’s a freaking caddy, after all. But does the Cadillac Escalade live up to the luxurious hype, or does it let drivers down? 

Is the 2021 Cadillac Escalade a good SUV? 

Yes, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade is a great SUV. It’s made to raise the bar against rivals such as the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon by providing full-size luxury. It’s pretty different from other three-row SUVs that serve as massive family haulers. 

But the 2021 Escalade starts around $76,195. That’s a lot, especially when rivals start around $50,000. So, for that amount of money, the Cadillac could let some people down. TruckTrend was able to take one around the city to help drivers know about what potential disappointments the 2021 Escalade may provide. 

1. The 2021 Cadillac Escalade lacks pep 

The TruckTrend team expected the 2021 Cadillac Escalade to have a bit more power. The acceleration is noted as brisk, not fast or sporty. Also, the power delivery felt a bit subdued compared to other options. 

They had a model with the 6.2-liter V8 engine with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, which is a substantial amount of power. Also, you can choose the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel engine instead to save on fuel. 

While the Escalade has an excellent ride quality. It has the same suspension setup as the Tahoe and Yukon with a four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case. An electronically limited-slip rear differential is included too. But other rivals packed more of a punch. 

2. The 2021 Escalade interior could be tougher 

On the inside of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, it’s nothing short of luxurious. Except for some visible plastics and a light interior color. Anyone with small children may get to see this interior get quickly destroyed. So, what age of children is this massive family hauler best suited for? 

But forget the idea of children spilling things and focus on the cool features. The 2021 Cadillac Escalade has night vision. It can detect heat signatures up to 300 feet away to show animals in the pitch darkness. 

There are also 38-inches of combined curved OLED displays in the dashboard. The infotainment center screen is 16.9-inches, and the instrument cluster display is 14.2-inches. Plus, there is a 7.2-inch OLED control panel to the left of the driver. 

3. There are disappointing connection issues 

While testing Apple CarPlay in the Cadillac Escalade, TruckTrend noticed that their connection dropped a lot. That’s pretty frustrating. The same problem didn’t occur in the GMC Yukon. 

Also, the OLED infotainment screen had tons of blank space and displayed graphics that appeared to have a lower resolution than the vehicle’s native graphics. 

So, why pick the Escalade over the Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon that provided better experiences? If it doesn’t have a nicer ride and essentially the same suspension as rivals, then you could save thousands. We recommend reading 2021 Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon reviews before making a decision.