There is something I like about the Cadillac Escalade. I always have. This is weird because I am not a huge luxury SUV fan. I also don’t love wheeling these huge three-row SUVs through Manhattan traffic. As much as traffic sucks, the worst part of this giant school bus is parking. But, somehow, those negative feelings weren’t enough to keep me from feeling cool every time I got in and out of our beefy yet somehow sleek 2022 Cadillac Escalade. Although, the thing that stuck with me was the Super Cruise feature. 

Is the Cadillac Escalade Super Cruise any good? 

If you struggle past the size and weight, the Cadillac Escalade makes amends with a fine interior – maybe one of the best interiors on the market. 

The 2022 Cadillac Escalade has gadgets galore. Right off the top, I have to talk about the Cadillac’s autonomous driving feature, Super Cruise. I am openly and proudly disinterested in the subject of autonomous driving. It seems dangerous, scary, expensive, and ultimately unnecessary. 

However, being an automotive journalist, I knew I had to try it, and I did. In under 30 seconds of using the feature, I tried to take a video while keeping my left hand hovering only inches from the wheel for fear of this robot killing me, and the car prompted me to take control. I did as I was bid. Not getting much of a taste of the main event, I tried again. However, I had angered my robot overlord, and it would not let me engage Super Cruise again until I reset something or another. I didn’t bother. 

The next day, I gathered the remnants of courage and tried it again. This time I left my phone alone and just watched my SUV drive for me. It was truly terrifying and my years of driving and habits installed from my teen years screamed to take control of the wheel. I resisted. At least for a while. 

After a few minutes, my nerves couldn’t handle it any longer, and I took control. During this time, I watched the Escalade ebb and flow with the traffic. It changed lanes multiple times. It even braked sharply when the car ahead did the same, preparing for a traffic jam. I must say it was terrifying but ultimately impressive. There were moments when the car’s actions were jerky, as if the car couldn’t quite decide what it should do. This was an unsettling feeling, but the Cadillac eventually worked out its indecision.

As much as that feeling unsettled me, the Escalade never made a “choice” I wouldn’t have also made. What I mean to say is that Super Cruise works. Granted, you must be on a major road and have stronger nerves than me, but it did work. 

How much does the 2022 Cadillac Escalade cost? 

The Escalade is probably the most iconic car for famous or otherwise very wealthy people to be driven around in. This is interesting because they are the upper crust of SUVs yet aren’t as expensive as you might think. 

I had the 2022 Cadillac Escalade 4WD Sport model. It was loaded with over $14,000 worth of options bringing the standard vehicle price of $90,595 up to a flexy $106,865. However, the base model Escalade starts at a surprisingly reasonable $76,295. That is Toyota Land Cruiser money. Despite its fair price and high-end interior, Consumer Reports still wasn’t too impressed.

Is the Escalade fast? 

Not exactly. But that doesn’t mean it’s slow either. Cadillac’s biggest offering comes with only two engine options for the 2022 model year; the 3.0 -liter 6-cylinder turbodiesel (277 hp) and the 6.2-liter V8 (the one I had) making a whopping 420 hp. The beefy 6.2-liter takes the lumbering three-row SUV from 0-60 mph in only 6.5 seconds. That ain’t quick, but it ain’t slow either. 

That said, getting the Cadillac Escalade around a corner quickly is another story entirely. The Escalade is big, and you feel every inch and pound in the corners. Whether you are driving slowly or doing your best, Lewis Hamilton takes corners about as well as a middle school building would. Even still, I felt cool.