Cadillac Escalade IQ

First Impressions — This Thing Is Massive

I mean, look at this car. This is by far the biggest SUV I've ever reviewed, and I was so excited to get my hands on it. The Cadillac Escalade IQ is the all-electric version of the iconic Escalade, and it does not disappoint. It has the classic Cadillac styling we all know and love — those beautiful vertical running lights, the presence, the sheer size of it. You don't drive an Escalade without having presence when you're driving down the road.

I'm 5'10" and standing next to those 24-inch wheels with 35-inch tires? Enormous. You are way up off the ground when you drive this thing. It literally feels like you're driving a boat — and I kind of mean that as a compliment.

The Frunk Is Insane

Because it's electric, you get an automatic frunk that's a little over 12 cubic feet. That is huge — I don't think I've ever seen a frunk quite as large as this one. You tap the button twice, it opens automatically, and it even has power outlets inside. This comes in super handy because the back of the car isn't extremely spacious when you have the third row up. So you'll probably use the frunk a lot for grocery runs, a small stroller, beach gear — whatever. And you hold the button down to close it automatically. Easy.

Exterior & Doors

The doors open and close automatically — front and back rows. And not just automatically, they open up very wide, basically 90 degrees. Plenty of space to get your kids in and out. The roof is very tall, the opening is very large, and if you're short, there's a running board step to help you up.

Around the back, you have the charge port. They have a NACS adapter available today for the Tesla Supercharging Network, and they told me NACS will be built in natively soon. The rear trunk is honestly not that large when the third row is up — you'd probably just keep your charging adapter and stuff back there. With the third row down, it gets a lot bigger.

The Cabin — 55-Inch Curved Display

Now we're inside, and I mean — beautiful. I love the tan leather, the wood styling accents. You tap the brake and the door shuts automatically. But the star of the show is the 55-inch curved display. It's stunning.

And my favorite part — you have this massive secondary screen just for climate control. Not even a mini screen, it's actually huge. This is as big as some people's car's entire screen, just for climate. Front row, second row, third row — all your air controls, seat heating, cooling, massaging, seat positioning. Everything you'd want to customize is right there.

The main screen has your maps (Google Maps built in), cameras, charging stats. It's all Google-based and pretty responsive — I haven't had any issues with touch lag, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. There's also a heads-up display with speed, speed limit, and navigation directions.

Cool Tech Features

• Door control from the screen: You can open and close all doors from the center display. Imagine rolling up to pick up your friend and opening their door for them. So cool.
• Polarized passenger screen: When you're in drive, your passenger can watch YouTube, Hulu, whatever — and the driver literally cannot see what they're watching. Privacy built in.
• Two wireless phone chargers up front, two more in the back row
• Digital rearview mirror: Flip it down for a traditional mirror, flip it up for the digital camera view
• 42-speaker AKG sound system: 360 surround sound throughout the entire cabin

The Executive Second Row

This is where it gets crazy. Your passengers are literally riding in style. The second row has so much leg room, and the seats are heated, ventilated, and massaging — just like the front. They have integrated speakers in the headrests. Each seat gets its own screen — watch YouTube, Hulu, YouTube Kids for the little ones. You can even plug headphones in.

And the most unique feature? These little stowable snack trays that fold out. It's like you're flying first class. It's literally like an airplane. I love that — I think it's a really great idea. There's also a control panel for climate so the kids don't have to bug mom to change the air.

Underneath the screen you have a storage tray for stowing things or purses, a power outlet, and two HDMI ports — so you could plug in a gaming console and display it on the screen. Insane.

The Third Row — Let's Be Real

The third row is a pretty tight squeeze, which to be fair is like most third rows. It's going to be best for small children, but you do get three seats, making this a seven-seater SUV. They have air vents back there (which I like — helps it not feel claustrophobic) and a USB-C charge port.

As a taller person, I had to do some maneuvering to get in — the seat belt catches your foot a bit. Realistically, you're going to put younger kids who don't need car seats in the back, adults and car seats in the second row. The executive row is obviously the priority here, and that's totally fine.

Driving Experience — After a Full Week

I drove this car every single day for a week as my daily driver, and I have thoughts. First: it takes some getting used to. This thing is almost 9,000 pounds. When you initially start driving it, it literally feels like you're driving a boat. But you get used to it, and then it doesn't really bother you.

The four-wheel steering definitely helps — it makes tight parking, pulling out of the driveway, and making tight turns way more manageable. Is it as nimble as the Cybertruck with steer-by-wire? No, but nothing really is right now. It's still impressively maneuverable for how large it is.

It's very smooth thanks to the air suspension. Pretty peppy at 0-60 in about 4.7 seconds. It doesn't feel sporty like some other EVs I've driven, but that's not the point. It's not trying to be a sporty EV — it's trying to be a comfortable, spacious, luxurious EV that has some pep to it. And it nails that.

Every single person I had sit in it was like, "Oh my gosh, this is so comfortable." And it is. Even without the massaging seat on, it's super comfortable — and then the massage just takes it to the next level.

Range — Seriously Impressive

After a full week of driving — including a 50-mile trip and all my daily errands, gym runs, and grocery trips — I was at 44% battery with 196 miles remaining. I hadn't charged it all week. The 460-mile claimed range seems to track really well from what I experienced. That is incredible, especially for an SUV this size.

Super Cruise

The Escalade IQ comes with GM Super Cruise — hands-free highway driving on over 400,000 miles of mapped roads. We used it for almost an hour on a highway trip and it works. It handles adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and will even do lane changes that you initiate.

A couple things I'd note: the braking can be abrupt. Like, it hit the brakes hard at one point without much warning, and that was freaky as a driver. There's no visualization of the cars around you like you get with Tesla. And when Super Cruise disengages, the steering wheel flashes red and the seat vibrates, but there's no audible ding — I'd like one. But overall, it does exactly what it's supposed to do and will be really great for long road trips.

Who Should Buy This

If you want a big, luxurious, all-electric SUV with presence — you're tall and in charge when you drive this car around. The Escalade IQ is beautiful, it's luxurious, it has all of the tech and features you would want in a car of this caliber. The range is amazing, the ride is incredibly smooth, and the executive second row is unlike anything I've experienced in a car.

If that's what you're looking for, you don't mind having a big car, and it'll fit in your garage — this could be the SUV of your dreams. It does not come at a cheap price tag at around $160,000, but you're getting an incredible machine.