Is the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ worth $129,990?
If you like living large and driving green, Cadillac's newest EV SUV may be your next ride.
OK, so you love the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. Cadillac regards it as their flagship EV, and with good reason. It’s the battery-electric version of the now-iconic Escalade, which never met a fueling station it didn’t like. By comparison, the Escalade IQ runs on electrons.
Still, you have to wonder: is it worth $129,990?
It’s Cadillac’s flagship SUV
As Cadillac’s flagship SUV, the Escalade IQ was meant to outdo the rest of the Cadillac SUV lineup.
And it does. Cadillac
This is the most powerful Cadillac SUV ever built, even more so than the Escalade V. It has the expected space you require, with three rows of seats, adult-size legroom, and more cargo space than you’ll ever use. Its indulgence factor is high, boasting such over-the-top extravagances as power opening and closing doors and seat massagers, an option first offered in the 2000 Cadillac DHS.
Related: 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ pushes technology to new heights Cadillac
The Escalade IQ has all the tech you’d expect, such as Super Cruise, Cadillac’s hands-free driver assistance technology, and an Adaptive Air Ride Suspension. Then there’s the 55-inch front screen and dual second-row screens, along with a third screen for vehicle controls.
It also boasts some unexpected frills, such as four-wheel steering, which allows it to move diagonally to better access tight spaces, and let’s not overlook the availability of a 40-speaker AKG Studio Reference audio system and an infotainment system powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon automotive platform.
There's more than enough power under the "hood"
Best of all, this Caddy has the muscle to move. A pair of electric motors provide 680 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque, which increases to 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque when Velocity Max mode is activated. It even has standard four-wheel drive and 460 miles of range.
Best of all, it recharges quickly, gaining 100 miles of range in 10 minutes using a DC fast charger.
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It provides vehicle-to-home charging
When the power goes out, you’ll appreciate the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ’s Vehicle-to-Home charging, which can send power to GM Energy’s Ultium-equipped home products from the vehicle when needed. The Escalade IQ can also power external equipment, which is handy when camping or at job sites. Cadillac
It’s really, really large
At 224.3 inches long, 76.1 inches high, and 94.1 inches wide, this vehicle has a road presence, to put it politely. It is the definition of "living large." Thankfully, several systems help alleviate the pain of its size, including surround-view cameras, Blind Zone Steering Assist, Automatic Parking Assist, and Front Pedestrian and Bicyclist Braking.
And while it does block a lot of sunlight, it also has an incredibly roomy cabin and cargo hold, both front and rear. Cadillac
Such excellence doesn’t come cheap
OK, yes, it does cost $129,990 to start. But check out the few competitors, few, if any, that are EVs with 460 miles of range, and you’ll find the Escalade IQ is competitively priced for its class, even if its price seems spendy.
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Final thoughts
The Escalade is Cadillac’s modern-day icon, so any reinterpretation sets the stage for a modern-day rethink of this 122-year-old car brand, which it admirably does.
Certainly, the Escalade IQ’s large, bold design, powerful drivetrain, uncompromised technology, and roomy, indulgent cabin make a statement that few, if any, other electrified utility vehicles can make. And while you might be able to match some of its features, you won’t match its unparalleled bold, luxury aura.
One might be tempted to call it “The standard of the world.”
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