2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV

If GM's Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon XL are not quite plush or powerful enough, if Cadillac's plush, powerful and popular Escalade isn't quite lengthy or spacious enough to suit your needs, Cadillac has extended, quite literally, its luxury SUV Escalade line to include exactly the vehicle for you.


Caddy's original Escalade, essentially a spruced up Yukon/Suburban with a Cadillac grille and badging, introduced in 1999 as a somewhat reluctant answer to Lincoln's hulking luxury Navigator, was a bigger hit than anyone expected. The new Gen II version that arrived for 2002 has proven even more popular, becoming a darling of pro sports and music stars, and more than a few others seeking performance, room and image. It's also proved to be a significant factor in Cadillac's quest to regain its former position as one of the world's premier marques.

Cadillac bills its Escalade ESV as the largest, most powerful luxury SUV around. Its standard full-time AWD automatically and continuously transfers power for the best possible front/rear torque split.

All Escalades get significant upgrades for 2003, including an advanced multiplexed electrical system that greatly reduces the number of wires, splices and connectors. This also reduces the system's weight, improves packaging efficiency, reliability and durability and enables such features as a much-enhanced driver information center, new infotainment systems, automatic climate control and passenger sensing for airbag deployment. A new dual-stage airbag system calculates crash severity based on vehicle deceleration and decides whether to fire the bags with first- or second-stage levels of energy, or not at all. The idea is to prevent airbag-caused injuries by deploying the bags less forcefully in lower-speed impacts. It also deactivates the front passenger bag under certain conditions (based on weight and belt tension) to protect children and small adults.


New 4-channel electronic brake control, a new Borg-Warner single-speed, open-differential AWD transfer case and an upgraded StabiliTrak system work together to provide anti-lock braking, traction control and yaw (fishtailing) stability. The 4-channel ABS allows independent control of each wheel for more stable stops, greater yaw control and improved fuel economy, reliability and serviceability, according to Cadillac.


Additional new safety features include supplemental brake assist (which automatically provides maximum braking with anti-lock control when it senses an emergency stop), a center rear seat shoulder belt and GM's new LATCH child safety seat anchor system. Also, the Escalade's pedals (like those in Ford and Lincoln competitors) are now power-adjustable to allow shorter drivers to keep a safe distance from the steering wheel.