SPECIAL INTEREST 
2000 Cadillac Escalade vs. 2000 Lincoln Navigator
Luxury On The Rocks
by Eric Schofield & Jon Ratty

Sport utility vehicles are the status symbol of the millennium and the record number of units sold each year is a testament to their ever growing popularity. So, if it’s beef you need, might we suggest two heavy hitting possibilities in the luxury SUV market: Lincoln and Cadillac.

Here we have old adversaries that happen to be at the top of the SUV luxury list. The Lincoln Navigator has staked out a comfortable position as being the SUV of choice for the movie stars and professional athletes. The Navigator has been an overwhelming success for Lincoln and they don’t look ready to give up the reigns any time soon.

Escalade - Eric Schofield

GM has sat on the sidelines long enough though, and through their Cadillac division has come out with their Navigator fighter - the Escalade. Does Caddy have what it takes to take on Lincoln’s crown prince? The following pages will give you more information on this interesting showdown. Don’t look at it as a street brawl, rather envision a formal duel between two royal princes.

We had several reviewers from Auto Insight drive both vehicles to provide a diverse range of opinions. An interesting twist was thrown into the review by having one of our staff writers, Jennifer Malecky who is a whopping 5’ 0” in height, drive both SUVs to add a smaller woman’s perspective to the review. So if there are any vertically-challenged soccer moms out there, we’ve been thinking of you!

The 2000 Escalade is based on the ‘99 Chevy Tahoe, a fine SUV in its own right and very capable of taking on anything in the Ford stable. The Escalade is an attractive vehicle though slightly more boxy than the Navigator. The look is elegant but a bit on the muscular side - which is not necessarily bad for a SUV.

The front fascia provides a bold look with it’s large grille, fog lights and rectangular headlight design. The wheel wells sport fender flares which have a chiseled look adding to the muscular appeal to the Escalade. Chrome wheels and meaty P265/70R16 all terrain tires add additional panache to an already alluring package.

The Escalade has plenty of horses under the hood to move its 6800 lbs. around. Using a Vortec 5700 5.7 liter over head cam V-8 engine producing 255 hp @ 4600 rpm and 330 ft. lbs. of torque at 2800 rpm, the Escalade makes its way around efficiently. Jumping on the gas will provide plenty of pickup while the finely tuned 4-speed automatic slid through the gears smoothly without any sudden jerks. Towing capacity is rated at 6600 lbs. All Escalades come standard with 4WD, a luxury many local residents were hungry for back in January!

The Escalade’s suspension is nearly perfect for everyday commuting. Manufacturers have struggled to find the fine balance between sport and luxury. When making sharp turns and sudden lane changes, the Escalade did not display excessive body roll as one would expect from such a heavy vehicle. It held the road competently, while absorbing the vibrations from numerous potholes in stride. The suspension would be too soft for serious off-roading but who in their right mind would take a luxury vehicle such as this to the back woods? Kudos to Caddy for getting it done right - we were all very impressed.

The excellent sound insulation of this Caddy was noticed almost immediately by all testers. Road and engine noise were minimally noticeable while driving. This SUV is quiet and smooth which is exactly what you would expect from this class of automobile.

Automobiles costing over $40,000 should provide passengers with a wealth of features and the Escalade certainly delivers the goods. The 10-way power-assisted driver’s seat allowed for perfect adjustments for most any body frame. All seats, front and rear, were heated for quick relief during cold winter nights. My only complaint here was the lack of memory settings for different drivers. An oversight we’re sure Cadillac will address in the 2001 model. This aside, the seats were extremely plush and were much to my liking - they weren’t as firm as the Navigator’s but I found them to be more comfortable overall.

The Bose stereo system, which featured AM/FM, cassette, single CD in dash and a 6 disc changer in the center console, provided the rich, full sound we’ve grown accustomed to from Bose. Separate music controls and headphone jacks for rear seat passengers were positioned in the center console thus eliminating the fight for a certain type of music on long family trips.

The Escalade features a split 60/40 rear folding seat which allows for versatility whether hauling an antique Chippendale Highboy or a mess of two-by-fours and particle board. Regardless of your cargo, the Escalade’s barn doors allow for easy loading. The most noticeable feature missing from this model year’s Escalade that was available on the Navigator was 3rd row seating. So if your rug rats number more than three, the Escalade may not be large enough for your family.

For you tech-heads, the Escalade provides plenty of plug-in outlets for all your computer accessories. We found numerous outlets in the front as well as in the rear for your passengers. A universal garage door opener comes standard with the ability to control 3 transmitter frequencies. Overhead consoles hold sunglasses and credit cards. The Escalade has plenty of storage with compartments to store important documents and cup holders galore to carry various sized refreshments.

The dual air conditioning system in the Escalade is one of the best we’ve seen. The controls were easy to use and the system performed quickly. There were controls for the front passengers as well as the rear passengers. Rear passengers had several vents to choose from with the ability to completely control air flow. The rear vents were much easier to operate than those in the Navigator though both units performed admirably.

The thing that really makes this Caddy first rate for the luxury conscience is the highly marketed OnStar communications and assistance service. This wonderful system comes standard with all Escalades. With a press of a button, you are greeted by a friendly voice that can help you in times of need or for general questions and concerns. It’s like having your own personal assistant...now that’s we call first class service!

The Escalade’s analog instrument cluster was organized logically and was very easy to read. The leather and wood steering wheel was very comfortable and provided for a classy look and feel. I would have liked controls on the steering wheel which would have allowed me to make adjustments to the climate control system, cruise control and the radio. Cruise control (which is located on the turn signal) was very easily accessible but I prefer the controls to be on the steering wheel. It’s just a matter of personal preference.

The Escalade is a fun vehicle to drive considering the shear heft of this machine. It feels fairly nimble and it certainly provides for a lavish interior. The prominent Cadillac badges, muscular exterior and plush interior certainly makes snobbery in this vehicle a divine adventure. I think Cadillac is on the right track and once they convert the Escalade to the refreshed 2000 Tahoe body style, which provides even more room and 3rd row seating, things will get even better. Considering the standard 4WD, countless amenities, standard OnStar and a price tag several thousands less than a comparable Navigator, I’d say that the Escalade will win many hearts.

Navigator - Jon Ratty

The Navigator is huge and looks like it is ready to conquer anything that may come its way. The grille is flaring and rearing at you like a rhino in a tuxedo. This SUV looks muscular and sleek all at the same time. Few cars are capable of awakening the weary with its striking looks. The Navigator screams in the name of class and properness.

It is no surprise that this behemoth is so popular with superstar athletes, musicians, and actors alike. Our test model was luxurious in every fashion. Kingly seating is provided for with its all-power, heated and cooled-air-forced driver and passenger seats (like air conditioning all over your backside). Even your passengers will feel princely atop the leather “couch-like” second and third row bench seats. The amount of pampering this vehicle provides defines it as a comfort cruiser. The ride is soft and supple. It rides with the smooth elegance of a Lincoln Continental, but with 8.5 inches of ground clearance.

One area where the Navigator is unique from its other SUV brethren is the adjustable brake and accelerator pedals. Pedal height is completely adjustable with a push of a button. The smaller driver will benefit from this greatly because they won’t be bunched up all over the steering wheel, thus occupying a safer distance from the airbag if it is deployed and providing better visibility.

The Navigator is a little over 17 feet long and almost 7 feet wide and according to Leith Lincoln Mer4cury it has a tighter turning radius than a Ford Explorer. Making U-turns in tight spots was amazingly easy. Parking in cramped spaces is easier as well, due to an optional push-button-activated Reverse Sensing System. As you approach obstructions a warning signal, heard only inside the cabin, alerts the driver that there is object in the vicinity. This is extremely helpful with a vehicle of this size with so many blind spots.

Our Navigator rode on healthy P275/60R17 tires. The transmission is a 4-sp automatic with overdrive. Acceleration in the Navigator was brisk considering the size and heft. The power comes from a V8 5.4 liter engine which produces 300 horses @ 5000 rpm and offers 355 lb-ft of torque. Power is up 70 horsepower from last year. Hey, mama always said, “Mo’ power, mo’ better.” The engine is touted to go 100,000 miles without a scheduled tune-up. With this sweet baby you can haul over 8000 pounds worth of fun in the sun or 8000 pounds of horse manure (depending on your needs). The suspension is load leveling, which means if you have a heavy load in the back, your vehicle won’t look like a low rider since the suspension will adjust itself accordingly. With the recent gas crunch, the Navigator makes things a little easier on your wallet as it can drink 87 octane petro.

Safety is a major selling point these days and Lincoln has come full circle with driver and passenger front airbags as well as driver and passenger side-impact head and chest airbags. It comes standard with 4-wheel disc ABS and height adjustable seat belts to accommodate people of all sizes.

Body roll was not too excessive, though it gave more than the Escalade. The suspension swallowed up road imperfections with grace. The ride was quiet and smooth, with little engine noise intrusion. The driver and passenger seats were very comfortable with seemlying infinite adjustments. There are two memory settings so if you have different size drivers, the seats, pedals, and exterior mirrors can be easily adjusted with a push of a button. And let’s talk about legroom, it didn’t end! I’m about six-three and there was just as much room legroom in the back row as in the front. Shaq needs to check this out if he hasn’t already.

The dashboard layout is simple yet pleasant. Controls for audio, climate, and cruise were all located on the wood and leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel so your hands do not have to rove around the console. The multi-functional instrument cluster is well laid out and all buttons are clearly labeled. The Navigator features a programmable Home Link 3-button communicator. Located on the sun visor, it can be easily programmed to operate home-based devices such as garage doors and driveway/house lights.

With all the storage space offered the Navigator, it could double as an office. There are numerous cubbyholes and pockets to hold your important documents or your kid’s coloring books. The numerous drink holders were huge and could easily accommodate a Super Big Gulp. There are also many plug-in outlets for you computer accessories. The roof is as well equiped as the rest of the with a power sunroof and a mini overhead console which housed map lights, storage for sunglasses and tissues, and an electronic display which relayed data about fuel mileage and other miscellaneous information.

Our Navigator came with a premium seven speaker Alpine stereo system that featured am/fm, cassette, 6-disc CD changer, and subwoofer. There are separate music controls as well as headphone jacks for rear seat passengers. A side note, the rear volume controls cannot exceed the setting of the main controls, so if you’re worried about your kids blowing out their ear drums while listening on the headphones, you’ve got complete control of their maximum volume level.

The dual climate control system was slick. The controls were easy to use and the system worked quickly and quietly. There were controls for the front and rear passengers. There were several vents located in the ceiling for the second and third row passengers to control, though the circular vents were a little difficult to operate. Keep in mind that the driver still controls everything, so if your passengers are annoying, you can shut off their A/C (can you hear my villainous laugh?).

The cargo capacity that the Navigator offers is enormous. Ours had the optional second row 60/40 split bench seat; bucket seats are standard second row seating. If you fold down the second row and remove the third row you have a whopping 109.9 cubic feet of storage. Install a disco ball and you can have your own swingers party!

The Navigator is one classy mobile. Its sheer presence is marked with status and prominence. Automobiles over the $40,000 range should provide numerous luxurious features and the Navigator exceeds and even raises the bar for other SUVs. With available 4WD this titan is not afraid to get its slacks dirty.

Both vehicles are fine SUVs that offer incredible luxury, accoutrements galore, and a degree of flamboyance which is deserved for cars in this class. You truly can’t go wrong with either vehicle. By the time you add 4WD and GPS to the Navigator, it is nearly $6,000 more than the Escalade. So if you’re looking to spend about $48,000 and are happy with the standard features offered by Cadillac, the Escalade is a good buy. If price is no object, the Navigator delivers more goods but at a price that is slightly higher. Either way, you’re likely to turn a few heads at the reunion!