2025 US-Built SUV And Luxury Vehicle Of The Year™: Cadillac Escalade IQ
The Cadillac Escalade has been the brand’s flagship model for decades and, despite the arrival of the new ultra-luxurious Celestiq, we think it still is.
It’s also Cadillac’s bestseller and the best-selling full-size luxury SUV. That’s a rare combination, so it’s fitting that the electric Escalade IQ is the winner of two US-Built Car Of The Year AwardsTM.
We’ve named it US-Built SUV Of The YearTM and US-Built Luxury Vehicle Of The YearTM, because there’s nothing else quite like it that can compare in either category.
The Michigan-made Escalade IQ boasts a range of 460 miles per charge, which is a luxury unto itself. It achieves it with an enormous battery pack that weighs about three tons, but a 750 hp all-wheel-drive system makes it feel as light as a feather floating on air. That might also be because it has a standard computer-controlled air suspension that provides the kind of silky-smooth ride typically reserved for magic carpets.
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The $130,090 Escalade IQ has four-wheel steering that allows it to drive circles around the competition and diagonally when pulling up to curbs, plus the hands-free Super Cruise highway driving system that’s like having a part-time chauffeur. It is also available with four power opening and closing doors, a 38-speaker audio system and second-row seats complete with TVs and tray tables that make some airline business classes look like coach.
It might be a while before the Escalade IQ unseats the Escalade as Cadillac’s best-selling model, but it has been off to a strong start and you’ll enjoy sitting it for the ride to the top.
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