2005 Cadillac Escalade ESV | Review | Buying Guide
The 2005 Cadillac Escalade ESV is a dual-purpose vehicle that combines massive power, capability and ruggedness with decadent, unadulterated luxury. This massive vehicle has helped put the Escalade family at the epicenter of the luxury SUV class. What’s more, beginning last year Cadillac created the ultimate sport utility vehicle with the Escalade ESV Platinum Edition, a model that features all the standards of the rest and combines it with every option as well. This is the most lavishly appointed interior available in an Escalade and is a fair rival to any luxury vehicle out there- car, truck, SUV or minivan.
Changes for 2005 include updated interior trim designs, new exterior details like chrome exhaust tips, technical innovation in the form of an enhanced cooling system and the additional optional extras that all naturally come standard on the Platinum along with everything else. It would have a kitchen sink as well- that is if there was a kitchen sink nice enough.
Adding to the Cadillac Escalade ESV is no small task. The vehicle is already the roomiest, most powerful full-size luxury SUV on the planet. It's 22 inches longer than the Escalade, translating into more than 20 extra inches of interior length for more premium seating and cargo-carrying capability.
Under the Hood
The Escalade ESV engine is a 6.0-liter Vortec V8 capable of producing 345 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. It is mated to an electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive, designed to improve both torque capacity and durability. The standard trailering package includes hitch, wiring harness, load-levelling suspension and the result is nearly 8000lbs. 4 tonnes is a heck of a lot of weight for what is essentially a luxury vehicle. This car will tow a lot of boat.
All-wheel drive is standard on the 2004 Escalade ESV. It works in conjunction with GM’s traction control system and the StabiliTrak system to produce well-balanced handling features in any weather condition. 20-inch chrome alloy wheels are available for the ESV and standard for the ESV Platinum.
The list of standard safety features is long and comprehensive: a passenger-sensing airbag system that automatically deactivates the passenger-side front airbag under certain conditions to help protect smaller occupants, dual front and front-side airbags, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes, antiskid, traction control, rear-obstacle detection and a tire-pressure monitor.
Standard Features, Options Packages and Style
The giant Escalade ESV, like the regular-length model, can handle a maximum of eight passengers but they have even more room. It has soft tailored seats with Nuance leather seating surfaces on the first and second row and leather appointed surfaces on the third row.
Drivers are presented with a highly functional, calm instrument panel. The cluster, with a Bvlgari-designed analog clock, constantly refined to keep up with the style of the day, has been freshly updated for 2005.
However, for sheer decadence nothing tops the Platinum Edition. It has a specially designed interior trim, a standard DVD navigation system and DVD entertainment system, a chrome grille and Platinum lettering on the liftgate.
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