MotorTrend performed a recent comparison test of the trio of full-size American luxury SUVs. The contenders were the Lincoln Navigator, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and, of course, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade. After thorough real-world testing on Michigan roads, the Escalade was declared the winner among the three.
The specific Escalade that MotorTrend tested was a Sport Platinum 600 4WD model with a sticker price of $125,020. Its competitors were a Navigator Black Label 4×4 priced at $120,490 and a Grand Wagoneer Series III Obsidian 4×4 that cost $119,290. The Escalade won in the overall comparison despite being the most expensive and least powerful of the three SUVs.
“Despite legitimate nits to be picked with its big screen’s functionality and despite its third-place finish in every performance category but braking…the Escalade performed all its intended functions superbly while looking, feeling, and telling the world it was priced way more than $5,000 above the others,” MotorTrend concluded.
MotorTrend highlighted three aspects of the 2025 Cadillac Escalade that it loves: the high level of interior quality, the power doors, and Super Cruise. However, it didn’t like the undeniably heavy 24-inch wheels and noted some frustrations with the 55-inch OLED screen. The editors thought there was too far of a reach to use some functions, and that the front passenger screen is too small to be useful and will soon be outdated.
MotorTrend put the Grand Wagoneer in second place for its supreme ride quality, gutsy turbo-six engine, and superb McIntosh audio system. The MotorTrend editors liked the Navigator’s “pampering spa features,” class-exclusive split liftgate, and second-row seats, but put it in last place in this comparison for comparatively subpar ride quality and noise levels.
The full-size luxury SUV class has been competitive ever since the original Navigator and Escalade faced off in the late 1990s. The Cadillac Escalade has long been a dominant sales leader in the segment, and its 2025 refresh keeps it at the top of its class. That refresh includes an updated front-end design, the aforementioned 55-inch display, a secondary screen for climate controls, standard Super Cruise, and luxurious new options like the power doors that MotorTrend likes and the Executive Second Row Package.
Comments
There really is no excuse for GM not updating V8’s from 420 horsepower after nearly two decades and 3 generations! Clearly a pot head with an inside joke is in control! Add into the fact that a giant TV screen in front is not luxurious and GM is deleting all rear seat entertainment options from all of their vehicle lines, it is a quite confusing premise that that is “luxury”! At this point I would expect AI to provide an in-car chat Butler to deliver information and adjust settings as need be along with recognizing the interior occupants via infrared cameras and automatically applying the right settings for the right driver.
Way over priced
Maybe Ford should do a Mustang Navigator with the big V-8. Ford thinks more of Mustang, Bronco and F150 over Lincoln anyway.