The Magnetic Ride Control does lend the Escalade credible cornering skills, and the ride is car-like to the extent that it’s free of the rubbery, floaty feel that plagued big SUVs of yore, but if you’re expecting that the Magnetic Ride Control will make the Escalade handle and ride like Cadillac’s ATS sedan then you’re going to be sorely disappointed. The Escalade may handle and ride a bit better than expected, but it’s still unmistakably like driving a big truck, and it exhibits a certain degree of choppiness over irregular pavement.

The Premium trim’s massively wide 22-inch wheels also meant that when it really started bucketing down with torrential rain on BC’s picturesque but twisty Sea-to-Sky highway, hydroplaning become an issue well within the speed limit, giving me a couple of unsettling moments behind the wheel. I’m not sure whether this had anything to do with the particular tires fitted to my test vehicle (285/45R22 Bridgestone M+S Duelers), but it’s not an issue I’ve ever experienced on that road when driving smaller vehicles with skinnier tires.

When the rain was merely pelting down the Escalade rewarded with an easy-going highway manner, and the Premium trim’s various driving aids – including fully adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, collision avoidance, and lane departure warning – allowed me to arrive relaxed and refreshed (I’m not sure if the rear DVD player counts as a driving aid, but I suspect it might for those with younger kids). The Escalade also features front and rear automatic braking, but this was a little less effective in keeping me relaxed since on a couple of occasions the auto-braking kicked in for non-objects when I was backing up (one was a floor grating in an underground parkade, and the other was a curb I was intentionally backing up to), and the resultant squawking and hard braking gave me an unpleasant adrenaline rush (both times I thought I’d actually gone and hit something).

All-in-all, by the end of a week filled with several hundred kilometres of mountain roads, city streets and suburban thoroughfares, I think I finally came to terms with the Escalade: sure it’s big, and sure it’s a little brash, but so what? For folks who want near-minivan practicality without the minivan stigma, and who want that practicality wrapped up in luxury-car comfort, the Escalade is just the ticket. It features an admirably high level of standard and available equipment, together with lusty power and stout towing capacity, all while still delivering fuel economy nearly on par with most minivans.

It’s not the cheapest luxury-SUV out there, mind you. Indeed at a base price of $84,945 including the $1,700 destination fee (and $92,200 destination in for my Premium test vehicle) the Escalade is downright spendy, pricing out higher than the Infiniti QX80, the Lincoln Navigator and even the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class. But by the time you’re shopping in this market, a few thousand dollars in price difference isn’t likely to be the main consideration – otherwise you’d opt for a well-equipped GMC Yukon Denali and be done with it. No, in this market it’s about style, image and features, and the Escalade has all three in abundance.

Warranty:
4 years/80,000 km; 6 years/110,000 km powertrain; 6 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 6 years/110,000 km 24-hour roadside assistance

Competitors:
Infiniti QX80
Lincoln Navigator
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

Pricing: 2015 Cadillac Escalade
Base price: $90,500 (Premium trim)
Options: $1,980 (Power retractable running boards – $1,920; wheel locks – $60)
Freight: $1,700
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $94,280

Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

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