the cadillac escalade has been king of the hill for american luxury vehicles for many years: an expensive, hulking, leather-lined behemoth that's the picture of ostentation. but not anymore. the redesigned 2018 lincoln navigator has upended the order of things with its newly redesigned aluminum-intensive frame that brings a healthy dose of classic american mid-century modern design to the luxury automotive landscape. lincoln dealers can't keep them in stock, even though fully loaded black label models easily top $100,000 (for the record, escalades aren't any less expensive). but drive the two back-to-back and they couldn't be more different. i recently had time in both the extended-length 2018 lincoln navigator l reserve and the massive 2018 cadillac escalade esv platinum.
the navigator is a stunner, but the escalade is definitely ready for its redo, which should arrive in a year or two. here are our thoughts on five areas where cadillac really needs to focus its efforts to catch up to the latest and greatest lincoln.
1. ditch the touch-sensitive panels
this is the escalade's worst aspect, a bad idea that spread to all cadillac models but one that's slowly being rectified. these blank, touch-sensitive panels don't convey a sense of premium luxury — there is nothing luxurious about flat plastic that doesn't move when you touch it. it feels vague and requires you to take eyes off the road, and it's something even lincoln dropped after going that route for several years. the next escalade needs to go back to some real, high-quality buttons and switches, just as lincoln did.
2. upgrade the interior quality
look at the gap around these console doors. they're just one indication of an interior that doesn't feel anywhere close to the price cadillac charges for it. my escalade esv platinum ran more than $103,000 as tested, but the leather quality, assembly quality and design don't meet that level of scratch. a navigator black label is now on par with a mercedes-benz gls-class or land rover discovery in terms of interior materials and assembly quality. the escalade isn't even close.
3. drop that load floor
gm's full-size suvs all retain a rear axle instead of an independent rear suspension, limiting the ability to used engine er space under the vehicle floor to stow the third row. the lincoln navigator and its ford expedition corporate sibling replace the f-150's rear axle with an independent suspension, making for a lower, flatter load floor and seats that disappear completely. you can see the raised lip of several inches that the escalade needs; hopefully the next truck will switch to an independent rear to improve ride, handling and packaging.
4. lighten it up
the most astonishing aspect of the new navigator is that it drives like a much smaller suv — light, nimble and unintimidating. the escalade, not so much. it has a big 6.2-liter v-8 to the navigator's turbocharged 3.5-liter v-6, and while that doesn't really penalize it any more than the lincoln for fuel economy, the cadillac feels slower, heavier, more ponderous in corners and portlier on the road. strangely, the suvs both weigh the same — about 6,000 pounds in extended-length models despite the navigator moving to an almost entirely aluminum body and structure for 2018. this suggests that the lincoln's center of gravity is considerably lower, which makes sense if the upper structure is now aluminum.
5. improve the packaging
despite the escalade's massive exterior dimensions, the interior is somewhat cramped. the super-wide front console impinges considerably on front passenger space, and the second and third rows lack legroom — certainly not as what you'd expect in such a large vehicle. the navigator, by contrast, feels considerably more spacious, with a third row that's nearly as comfortable as the second.
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