A pop culture icon in its own time, the Cadillac Escalade offers unmatched gravitas and presence—if that's your thing.The Cadillac Escalade is the big hoss of GM's luxury lineup. It's more than just the high-falutin' version of the Suburbans, Tahoes, and Yukons that almost rival it for luxury fittings; it's probably the most recognizable Cadillac on the road today, thanks as much to its beveled edges to its imposing stance. Available in base, Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum configurations, the Escalade goes from well to lavishly-equipped with the tick of a few option boxes.
Pros Imposing style Impressive technology suite Strong V-8 engine Voluminous cargo area
Cons Still a luxurious Suburban, albeit a much fancier one than before Awfully expensive, even against its rivals Is it simply too brash?
The 2017 Cadillac Escalade is unique among luxury SUVs for its large size, powerful engine and bold styling, but it comes up a bit short in terms of refinement and convenience. For 2017, the Cadillac Escalade has made minor changes to the content of its trim levels and also renamed them. New features include a teen-driver monitoring system, a rear passenger reminder (so you don't leave your kids in a hot car), an automated system for parking, and an innovative rearview mirror that incorporates a camera view.
Pros More than enough power from the standard 6.2-liter V8 engine Luxurious cabin remains pleasantly quiet in nearly any circumstance Optional second-row bench increases seating capacity to eight Impressive towing abilities that most competitors can't match.
Cons Truck-based chassis translates into a less refined ride quality High cargo floor makes loading more difficult Third-row seats are uncomfortable even for children The infotainment system can sometimes be frustrating.
The 2017 Cadillac Escalade ranks 4 out of 8 Luxury Large SUVs. In the realm of large luxury SUVs, the 2017 Cadillac Escalade is one of the biggest you can buy, with a robust V8 engine and an upscale, plush cabin. However, refinement you’ll find in the interior doesn't carry over into ride quality.
Pros Elegant, well-built cabin Muscular V8 engine Extended-wheelbase ESV expands third-row and cargo space
Cons Infotainment system can be slow and confusing Cramped third-row seat in standard configuration Ride and handling are less refined than rivals Limited cargo space behind third row in standard configuration
The Fortuner may only be the latest of many additions to the confusion of choice that is a booming SUV market segment, but Toyota has a steely-eyed confidence about it. “Fortuner definitely lives up to the promise of its road-less-travelled 4WD heritage “Fortuner is positioned perfectly between Kluger and Prado; diesel alternatives to Kluger are selling around 1400 vehicles a month, or almost 17,000 a year. Fortuner will give us a significant slice of that action.
“It’s a great choice for people who aspire to a luxury SUV … they want a stylish vehicle, they want seven seats and the safety of a high-seating position and great visibility; they also want genuine 4X4 ability.
The Fortuner, shorter and narrower than Kluger and Prado, is chunky and solid; it looks like a mad scientist fused a Land Cruiser, Prado and Kluger together, threw in a bit of RAV4 for a laugh and then pumped the resulting mix full of steroids. It looks good; not too city-smooth, as do plenty of modern-day 4WDs, but country tough with class.
Driving position is nice, high and secure; the seats are comfortable and offer plenty of support. Steering is rake- and reach-adjustable. The paddle shifts will seem like a nice touch for some, but we reckon they’re wasted here. Visibility from the driver’s seat is more than generous with open spaces all-round.
The Toyota Fortuner boasts impressive off-road credentials, along with the benefit of thousands of kilometers of local engineering and testing, with Toyota’s local engineering team involved in a great deal of design and testing for the Fortuner
While it may look big from the outside, the Fortuner is actually shorter and narrower than both the Prado and Kluger. Despite the exterior size deficit, the cargo capacity wins out on volume and versatility. With the third row in place, there is 200 liters of cargo volume on offer (to the roof). The rear door is manually operated on GX and GXL variants, while the top-spec Crusade gets a motorised rear door.
High quality materials and premium fit and finish sets the Fortuner apart from the HILux (except the bit of trim that popped out unexpectedly on the passenger side door). Leather-look highlights on the top-spec Crusade model make it feel more like a Prado than an SUV derived from a commercial vehicle.
Under the Fortuner’s shell is a dual-range transmission with switchable four-wheel drive. The driver can switch between a two- and four-wheel drive high-range mode and a four-wheel drive low-range mode
Normally, when a car maker launches an all-new product, it opens not just a chapter in that vehicle’s history, but an entirely new volume. That said, Toyota didn’t get the memo with the all-new Fortuner. Granted it looks sleeker and much more sophisticated than ever before, it adheres too closely to the concept of kaizen or continuous improvement. It ends up telling pretty much the same story, remixed and retold
Toyota has done with the Fortuner’s design. While the first-generation model looked sturdy, the new one is sleek. It’s all fluid and swoopy with a strong crossover-vibe.
Moving to the second and third row though, the experience feels largely unchanged. Yes, it’s still quite roomy, but there’s surprisingly not a lot of head room available (especially the middle occupant in the second row and the entire third row). Apart from that, it doesn’t learn any new tricks. The second row still folds, slides, and tumbles in a 60/40 split, but a one-touch tumble mechanism allows easier access to the third row. The third row meanwhile still flips to the side, but a spring loaded mechanism and rear-mounted latch point, attached to the rearmost seat belts, make it easier to store
