The Escalade’s fuel economy after the same distance? 11.84. That’s incredible. Perhaps more surprising is the fact that the Navigator with all its V6 turbocharged goodness, was barely any better than the QX, earning 16.5 L/100 km. That’s a pretty big knock when your 380-horse count is the lowest here; you can see, however, why the engine does so well in the F-150 when you glance at the torque figure, which is a strong 460 lb-ft. That’s the most here, but the Navigator just didn’t feel as fast as the other two, which is always a benefit of natural aspiration.

As good as the QX’s V8 feels, you’ve got to hand this category to the Escalade. That fuel economy figure is fantastic, and better than GM’s claimed figures for trucks equipped either with the six-speed auto or optional eight-speed. Impressive.

Brendan says:

I know, right? 11.8 L/100 km is just ridiculous for a truck of this avoirdupois. In fact, it caused us both to question fellow writer Simon Hill, who kindly sat in to round out our convoy. “Are you sure you’ve filled it properly? Try it again.” This incredulity may have been somewhat annoying.

Short of GM pulling a Smokey Yunnick and bolting in a cheater auxiliary fuel bladder, the big bad Caddy’s performance is jaw-dropping. It sounds the best, feels the quickest, isn’t unmanageable around town, and returned great fuel economy. Three more reasons why it’s still hovering around the top of my chart.

Features and Value

Our three big machines all have big price tags, but there’s a definite hierarchy here.  Surprisingly, it’s the Infiniti that’d nearly qualify as a bargain, starting out around $73K for a base model that’s jammed with options. Power tailgate, rear DVD player, standard running boards, satellite navigation: this ain’t a Micra, that’s for sure. Add in the tech package, as-equipped and you add more than 10 percent to the purchase price, but with an upgrade to 22-inch alloys, collision and blind spot warning systems, adaptive headlights, and intelligent cruise control, it’s well bundled indeed.

Our Navigator was the least expensive of the trio, coming in at $76K plus freight and taxes. Like the Infiniti, the standard feature list is lengthy, and while Ford’s Sync system isn’t widely loved, it does become easier with familiarity.

The Cadillac is far and away the most expensive machine here, kicking off at over $90K right from the get-go. It has everything the fully loaded Infiniti does, once equipped with Cadillac’s Premium Collection Package (an exhaustive list encompassing driver aids to a head-up display). Still, at a full $10K more than the QX, the Cadillac’s option list fails to have standout features that seem worth the premium. Its style and presence are the aspects that justify the big ticket pricing here, at least in GM’s eyes.

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