CAR WARS! Big Ass American SUV Edition: Cadillac Escalade vs. Lincoln Navigator

The Escalade was not literally "all new"...substantially updated is more like it. It's a great vehicle. It need's a class-leading buttery smooth turbodiesel. GM should suck it up and buy one from Mercedes.

The Lincoln is almost as nice, but it is OLDE underneath. Much of its bones date back to the original Expedition with the last major update being IRS. This is another "Crown Victoria" product from Ford. Profitable but OLD.

Of these two I would go with the Cadillac first.

You can get virtually the same options and save money by dropping down to the Yukon, Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition class.

The Yukon Denali is pretty sexy for such a HUGE vehicle.

Hmmm, I dunno seeing them side by side, there's something slightly more timeless about the Navigator's exterior and looking back on previous generations it seems as if the Navigatior always ages more gracefully even though the Escalade seems as if it's the sharper one when they first hit the market.

However just like current Caddy sedans, the Escalade does not age as well as its rivals. It just benefits from a bold grille, slick headlights and LED designs, while the Lincoln actually appears more stately.

Dare I say it's as timeless as a Crown Vic? *ducks* LOL

I'm not saying it's a bad vehicle, but if you're buying today...Escalade by far. If it's 2 years away...Navigator because it will be all new.

Ford is on a roll. The Fusion is done well. Ditto the Escape, Focus, and Fiesta.

They shored up the front ugliness of the Exploder...

BUT

The Mustang is home run great for it becoming a sports car without losing its muscle car essence.

The F150 will really impress as more and more people experience them and the Chevy/GMC/Ram pickups will need to scramble to aluminumize (sic).

The aluminum Expedition/Navigator will be the ones to beat when they arrive I predict.

you might want to do more research... the escalade was a full remodel.. not just a refresh

Think what you like, but it was a refresh/rehash/re-engineer not starting from scratch. The power trains were 100% carry over. They boxed the existing frame for more rigidity and threw on some new styling. They were not start-from-scratch designs. Why should they be? The platform was competent to begin with, so they did a nip/tuck. That in no way diminishes them.

Marketing needs to be able to say "all new" but manufacturers fear literally all new because so much can go wrong. Improving on what works is infinitely more logical.

If you'll permit a tangent...

Consider, for example, the "all new" Mustang is really a heavy evolution of the DEWlite platform with IRS bolted in, the firewall moved slightly for styling, and with a literally new front suspension, but it is very much a heavy evolution. The 05-14 Mustang was a competent product no need the throw it all away. Improve on what works is the tack they take.

Trivia: The 05 Mustang was designed for IRS and Ford switched to live axle at the 11th hour delaying the car a year--it was to be an 04--thus the engineering for an IRS rear existed 10 years ago.

The GM trucks are not as intensive a redesign as the Mustang, because they did not need to be. They are quite competent, but are careful evolutions of the previous platform.

The Caddie looks like it's in a class above. The Lincoln moustache and the wimpish LED driving lights aren't helping here and it now looks like it's two generations behind.

The Lincoln redo was amateurish at best owing to an all-aluminum replacement coming soon is why.

I love Navigator. No matter what people say, the new design is so much better than the previous model.

But for me, Escalade always has been something special.

So, Escalade.

Yeah...there sure is something 'timeless' about the two of these...kind of like the way dinosaurs are timeless.

the new one looks exactly like the old one except for different headlights and til lights. I can't say its so much better considering it has barely even changed, aside from the ecoboost engine. The escalalde finally has its own interior, but for the price I'd just get a yukon denali. same with the navigator, its just a dressed up expedition. I wouldn't consider any of them. If I wanted a giant luxury SUV bigger than my Mercedes GL, I'd get a QX56.