What a Difference $48,000 Makes

by Joe LaMuraglia

For those of you that keep on top of the comings and goings here at Gaywheels.com, you know that the last vehicle we wrote about in this blog format was the 2007 Chevrolet Aveo LT Sedan. While we were pleasantly surprised with the Aveo, our latest ride put any memories of such mundane transportation modules out of our minds. Our latest set of wheels? A 2007 Cadillac Escalade.

Tuesday, January 30th – We picked up the Cadillac Escalade today and set out on the familiar Atlanta to Nashville route. This trip was to shuttle the recovering boyfriend back to the Country Music capital and help him move into his first house. Needless to say the sheer cargo capacity of the Escalade will come in handy for all the ancillary crap that is always a part of a move.

To be honest, I am conflicted about vehicles of this size. On one hand, they seem wasteful but on the other, their sheer size and luxurious interiors speak to my emotional being. In the case of the Escalade, the interior is gorgeous, comfortable and has just about every amenity known to man. The trip was effortless. The heated seats (cushion and lower back) kept us toasty in the cold January afternoon, the XM Satellite radio provided uniterrupted entertainment and news, the navigation system satisfied my enternal quest for location information and we even utilized the GM-exclusive OnStar system with turn-by-turn directions to find the closest Chick-fil-A. It was an altogether pleasant 3.5 hours. Did I NEED a 6.2 liter V8 engine and seating for 6? No. Did I enjoy having a 6.2 liter V8 engine and seating for 6? Hell yes!

Wednesday, January 31st – Our first priority today was to get to the closing so my man could spend 2 hours signing papers. The rest of the day was spend schlepping the aformentioned stuff to his new abode. The Escalade turned out to be almost as good around town as it was on the open road. The engineers did a really nice job making it drive a lot smaller than it is. The steering is American-luxury light and the turning radius gives much smaller vehicles a run for their money. Visibility is excellent and the rear camera is a perfect aide when backing up. For the move, we tilted the rear seats forward and the second row flat. While not as spacious as a minivan or as easy to use as its competitors with power tilt and fold seats, we had no trouble getting all of his stuff in. If I were to purchase this vehicle and I had more than two children, I’d go for the extended version as there isn’t too much usable space behind the third row.

Thursday, February 1st – They were calling for snow here in Nashville and I was looking forward to seeing how the RWD Escalade handled the slippery stuff. Alas, despite the over-hyped weather reports and runs on bread and milk, we are just COLD here today. Which brings me to a feature on the Escalade that I simply LOVE. Hit a button on the remote and the vehicle starts remotely and warms up to the last tempature you had it set to. Simply awesome when it is 20 degrees out. This feature has made it downstream to non-luxury vehicles as well and I highly recommend it. My love affair with my blue ‘Slade hit a bump in the road this AM – at the gas station. While we were averaging 18 MPG on the highway, all the running around town (and me gunning the engine) dropped that to approximately 14 MPG. When I went to fill up, I almost fell over – $47! Ouch. That Aveo is starting to sound good about now…… More later 🙂

Friday, February 2nd – Not too much to report today. The more I drive the Escalade, the more I like it. Yes, the exterior styling can be a bit much, and yes at over $60K it is rather expensive but those are all rational thoughts. This isn’t a rational vehicle. Favorite feature today? Heated steering wheel. Turn it on and driving in mid-20 degree tempatures no longer feels like a chore.It is amazing how the little things can make such a big difference. Least favorite feature today? Gas mileage is average 10 MPG around town. All that idling and warming up with the remote start might have something to do with it (and my heavy foot). Back to Atlanta tomorrow.

Sunday, February 4th – They came and took away the Escalade today. It was a guilty pleasure and am surprised at how much I will miss it. The ride back to the ATL from Nashville was unventful. The Escalade proved to be an excellent highway cruiser but only managed 18 MPG again. I suppose the published 20 MPG is at 60 MPH and doesn’t involve the hills that I must traverse on my travels back and forth here in the southeast. Being alone this trip, I was able to test the stereo and I am here to report that JT sounds just FINE blasting through the speakers of the Escalde.

Verdict – At an as-tested price of $64,820, the 2007 Escalade has priced itself right up there with the luxury SUVs from Germany – the Audi Q7 and the Merecedes-Benz GL450. While some will argue that both Germans feel more luxurious and have more classic styling, neither can match the Escalade’s 403 HP and neither make the bold statement the Escalade does. ( If you love GMs new SUVs as much as we do but don’t like the styling of the Escalade, there is always the 2007 GMC Yukon Denali)
The rationale being in us says the Escalade is perfect for wealthy people that want to tow their toys and need passenger capacity. Our emotional side says “I want one”.
If you want to get an amazing price on an Escalade, our friends at Classic Cadillac have an awesome inventory and can ship anywhere in the U.S. They have supported gay pride here in Atlanta and are really great people. Tell them Gaywheels.com sent ya!

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