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Cadillac finally gets a piece of GM's two-mode hybrid action. The 2009 version of Caddy's big luxury SUV Escalade finds itself endowed with the same stout transmission/electric drive motor hardware that powers the General's Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon two-modes. Base price: $70,685. EPA estimates: 20 city/21 highway/20 combined. Warranty: 4 years/50,000-mile basic, 8 years/100,000-mile hybrid powertrain components.
Initial Impression
Christine: When I first set eyes on this baby after the delivery crew had left I did a double take. Big tricked out wheels, chrome accents—this was a hybrid and a Cadillac in all new form. It just so happened that I had daughter’s friends to take home, so we piled in, filled three rows of seating, and were on our way to see how this heavy-duty two-mode performed on the street.
Scott: General Motors spent considerable time and resources perfecting the two-mode hybrid drivetrain, first in a collaborative development program with Chrysler and BMW, and then a year of refinement and bulletproofing in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon that went on sale as 2008 models. In this incarnation, the same basic package of hardware is wrapped up in Cadillac luxury and style. And that's all good; I'm a sucker for pretty as much as the next guy. But for me, it's the nuts and bolts that win at the end of the day, and I was hopeful the two-mode tranny would still be as good as I'd experienced in the Bowtie and the Jimmy.
Look & feel
Yeah, it’s a climb to get in the big girl, but GM’s clever retractable running boards provide a welcome step-up assist. They’re pretty slick as they extend for ingress/egress, and then retract and fold away once the doors shut. And trick they are, but just a bit flimsy feeling too. Scott’s size and bulk (unabashedly 240 pounds) did seem to make them flex a little under his full weight. Once inside though, it’s all leather driver and six/seven passenger seating. Don’t need to carry all those bodies? Seats are fold-able and removable in combinations that open cargo space from 19.9 to 108.9 cubic feet.
Large wheels and their attendant beefy tires definitely help swallow up the bumps, dips and ruts of back country roads—and those attached to the hubs and spindles of this Caddy take it just about to the limit. Used to be that 20-inch diameter wheels--heck even 18 or 19 inchers--were considered premium ride enhancers. Uh-uh, not enough for the Escalade hybrid. Our tester two-mode came decked out with 22-inch chromed-aluminum rims and massive P285/45R22 performance tires. But rolling stock alone is not the reason for such cushiness afforded in this ride. Lots of bulk (5700 pounds of curb weight), which tends to absorb all but the largest of bumps, and GM’s Road Sensing Suspension go a long way in lending the Escalade its signature “Sleep Number Bed” ride. And while all this mass is so good at soaking up the bumps, you might think the Escalade would handle like a dump trunk. Nope. Not even close. No wiggle … no wallow … no roll.
Fuel-ability
The unique two-mode hardware--a combination of conventional automatic transmission and two electric motor/generators working together within the same housing-- combined with Active Fuel Management (GM’s version of cylinder deactivation) on the 6.0-liter V-8 is the difference maker. Escalade Hybrid’s performance is comparable to the 6.2-liter regular (as if anything about Cadillac is regular) Escalade while delivering way better fuel economy (20 mpg combined for the hybrid and 15 for the conventional).
So how does the hybrid package return so much better fuel economy over the standard Escalade? After all, the engines have roughly the same output and both vehicles weigh roughly the same. It’s the two-mode hybrid tranny package. The hybrid system constantly monitors load and speed and then calculates power requirements. Under ever changing scenarios, the system can propel the big SUV on engine power alone, electric power alone, or a combination of the two. In addition, under light load conditions, Active Fuel Management shuts down half of the cylinders essentially allowing the vehicle run on four cylinders with occasional shots of power from the electric motors.
When it’s all said & done
Yes, but why install hybrid hardware on a vehicle that is otherwise so “ungreen?” Well, to borrow (and tweak) from a slogan from President Clinton’s campaign so many years ago, “It’s the FUEL economy stupid.” OK, if someone’s really interested in pure unadulterated fuel economy, they’re probably gonna buy something on the order of a Prius, right? Well, ordinarily yes, but we’re talking segments here. Cadillac serves a luxury buyer who has certain expectations of ride and comfort--with cost/efficiency usually far down the list. And if they’re looking for big SUV capacity as well, Escalade fills the bill. The argument against SUVs is legendary. To wit, these massive and heavy behemoths do have the well-deserved reputation for “suckin’ fuel,” but they do also serve some purpose--and the folks who want/need them are going to buy them regardless. And further, if they want to have their cake (big SUV comfort and capacity) and eat it too (reasonable fuel economy/guilt assuagement), well then. So yes, it does make sense to employ hybrid technology to reduce SUV fuel consumption.
But at nearly $71,000, the Escalade hybrid is frightfully expensive, and it carries a premium of some $8,000 over a similarly equipped standard Escalade. That’s a lot of money to pay for 5 or 6 miles per gallon with a well over five-year payback period (as of this writing, hybrid tax credit information for the Escalade Hybrid is unavailable on the IRS website). But once again, in this segment and at this price point, how much is that going to matter?