Review Car

2011 Cadillac ESV

The 2011 Cadillac ESV combines the storage and hauling capabilities of a full-sized pick-up truck with the people-carrying capacity of an SUV, packaged with the creature comforts of a luxury car. 2011 Cadillac ESV is designed to give drivers an alternative to owning an SUV and a truck. It comes with full-time four-wheel drive, five-passenger seating, a spacious interior and the unmatched cargo space of a full pick-up bed. 2011 Cadillac ESV is, of course, designed for an upscale audience.

Trucks are popular with this crowd, and Cadillac says nearly a fourth of all of its customers own a pickups. At the same time, an increasing number of SUV buyers are women – and that’s particularly true of the Escalade SUV. Surely, some of these people would like Cadillac levels of luxury and technology combined with a pickup bed, so, voila! Escalade EXT.

With aggressive styling and a powerful 345-horsepower V8 the new Escalade EXT is no pussycat. Park it next to your average SUV and it looks like it would eat it for lunch. All of this comes at a price. 2011 Cadillac ESV starts at $49,990. Only one well-equipped model is available, which comes loaded with the Midgate storage system, GM’s OnStar communications and navigation system, Stabilitrak traction control and road-sensing suspension, four-wheel ABS, front and side air bags, and Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist. At first glance, The 2011 Cadillac ESV is unabashedly masculine and hulking.

A wide-slatted front grille and oversized and squared, jeweled headlamps are key elements to its bold-faced look that continues with monochromatic fenders and body moldings, as well as a high ground clearance of nearly a foot and a bed height of 25 inches. Running boards help those more vertically challenged to find their way into the roomy cabin. Despite its aggressive appearance, 2011 Cadillac ESV is still modern and sleek looking and clearly strikes the pose of a country club pedigree. 2011 Cadillac ESV is offered in three basic colors – Sable Black, Silver Sand and White Diamond – which adds to its simple, yet powerful, presence. The heart of its handling, though, is an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system supported by a viscous coupling case that provides surefooted performance aided by a computer-controlled road-sensing suspension called Stabilitrak.

This system brings stability and ride comfort by controlling the wheel motion; it improves the skills of even the best drivers with its quick response to sharp corners, emergency lane changes, and panic braking.