Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Pricing Announced

I'd still like to see one of these explode into a million pieces, then urinated on to make a statement to GM on not building any more of this crap.

This is downright ludicrous. I do not even like the colours these bloody things come in.

VERY IMPRESSIVE

While I appreciate the effort of GM with their dual-mode hybrid system, I think developing the system for an SUV initially was poor planning. For Cadillac, the system should have been developed in six cylinders and debuted in the second gen CTS first. Chevy should have been Malibu and Traverse, Saturn, the Aura and Outlook, etc...

But here in Beverly Hills I'm sure we'll see plenty of them around - the standard Escalades make up about 3 of every 5 luxury utes as it is.

I think what GM should have done with this good-for-nothing Crapscalade was make it a cross-over SUV like the trend of the market is headed. They are somewhat lighter, somewhat better gas economy (though not by much, but better than this hunk of junk), and they handle much better as well. But keeping the same design, weight, ugliness, no performance, appeal to the low-life (c)Rap stars and "gangstas" (shows you what kind of car this appeals to), barely any good technology aside from this attempt at a hybrid setup, is not going to make any sane person with an IQ above a doorstop get one of these.

If GM decided to at least put the bloody thing on a diet, made it look slightly more aerodynamic, better braking system, diesel engine (big if here), and actually made the damn thing look "intelligent", I'd take back my words. But this is a very weak and "cheap" way out to expand on a dying car lineup.

Back on topic - we can all agree that this vehicle is 100% marketing. It serves no purpose, and in the US market today it stands to drop 33.4% of its value at the moment it is driven off the lot, simply because its SUV vehicle class. Add the devalued state of anything in a truck class to the premium for the hybrid and its a tulip bulb for a foolish buyer.

As far as all the pimpmobile comments and name calling... I read these and two conclusions come to mind. The writer either detests those individuals out of envy because he/she doesn't have the income to drop the cash necessary to buy even one of the custom wheels rappers seem to like to handicap these vehicles with. Or the other, the writer is a juvenile without the intelligence to make a point without resorting to name calling. Either way, save us all the wasted time reading your comments. They are as stupid as the Escalade looks!

The problem with the Escalade is in the US you can purchase the very same vehicle with the same options and drivetrains without paying for the Cadallac badge (and gaudy styling) on the grille. GM sells these vehicles under the brands Chevrolet and GMC with nice leather interiors, exact same electronics packages and same towing capability. There is a place for vehicles of this size for people who need the towing capability and for those who need the seating for passengers and luggage so I can't fault those who buy them as long as they are using the vehicle for it's intended purpose. In a way, an Escalade used to pull a large boat or haul a large family is way more practical than a sports car and yet the enthusiasts on this site all oogle over the various sports cars despite their impracticality. The fact is every vehicle is series of comprmises and those made in the design of this type of vehilce are opposite that of a high-performance design. Call a spade a spade... These aren't excuses to justify the design, they are the facts. If I need to tow a boat I'm sure not going to visit a BMW dealer! If I used the same line of thinking some of you have used in your comments I should go on every crossover and performance car article and comment that the vehicle sucks because you can't tow with it. If I did my comment would be equally stupid as some I have read on this page. Personally, I'd much rather drive something smaller on a daily basis. The gas mileage on full-size vehicles is rediculous and even mid-sized vehicles need vast improvements in mileage. There isn't a single manufacturer today that builds a vehicle that is capable of both carrying a family of six or more that also gets good gas mileage. Hybrids are great if you don't need additional seating and have the extra money to burn on top of a typical vehicle purchase but beyond that you are paying for additional fuel economy at the cost of additional hardware. Not until hybrids offer plug-in capability will the added cost be worth the purchase premium. This is unfortunate because the environment will continue to suffer until prices drop and plug-in capability becomes available. I agree with the earlier comment that GM needs to be focusing on the midsize market where the public is now spending their money instead of these full-size, limited use tanks.

I stand corrected. Never would have guessed the Escalade is sold in Europe. Can't imagine they sell many in that location.

Re-read my post. I'm quite in agreement that the Escalade is a showy purchase. The Cadilac Hybrid is $72,000 while the Chevy is around $50,000 and the only major difference is the looks and badging.

I checked MSN and the GL has a max towing capacity of 7,500 pounds where the Escalade is at 8,000. The hybrid, however, drops that to only 6,200. The only folks buying these are those with more money than sense.

We take Escaldes in trade all the time here at the dealership and I have to say they are some of the fastest depreciating vehicles I have ever seen, as are all the domestic brands. It's not that they are not nice vehicles, but to pay over $70k for an alleged luxury SUV that is built on a chassis that was developed in the dark ages, with the same features you can get on and other GM products is just nuts.

The Mercedes-Benz GL tows relatively the same as the Escalade, but rides and handles like a dream, and the diesel version will hold it's value better then any other full size SUV. Check the pre-owned market if you don't believe me. I am sure the hybrid motor will help the resale value of the Escalade, but it will still be one of the worst depreciating vehicles, espcially when GM starts offering $10k rebates on the cars to get rid of them.

As diesels become cleaner, they are by far the best choice when cosidering cost of ownership, fuel ecomony, and going forward, being "green" when choosing your vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz has already confirmed they will be first to market with a diesel hybrid in the S-Class. Do a google search for "S400 diesel hybrid". It will achieve 40mpg on the highway and produce over 450lb/ft of torque.