2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT Preview

High Class Pickup Truck

Who wants to spend $50,000 on a luxury pickup truck? Cadillac must have an idea, because we sure don't.

We are not normally in the practice of referring to other publications in our articles but thought we'd make an exception in the case of a hilarious review in the March 2002 issue of Car and Driver of the Cadillac Escalade EXT. We will not go into the details of the piece but we mention it to make a larger point: Car reviews are not usually funny, but the EXT is so over-the-top that it practically begs to be laughed at.

The reason? While, over the years, many automakers have introduced fancier versions of their basic pickups, offering such details as chrome wheels and high-grade leather seats, it was always understood that a pickup truck's highest priority was to be functional. No matter how tricked-out it might be, it was still expected to at least convey the notion that it could pull a trailer, carry fertilizer and occasionally uproot a tree stump.

It is, however, unlikely that anyone will be filling the back of the EXT with a load of manure any time soon. This is, after all, a car that retails for around $51,000 and, for most buyers, its pedigree is more Fleetwood than hauling wood. This sport utility truck (SUT) may be about being big, it may be about being comfortable, it may even be about power -- all Cadillac hallmarks -- but it is definitely not about work.

And that's why there is something faintly ridiculous about the EXT. Sort of like a purebred hunting dog that doesn't hunt or a diamond watch that doesn't tell time. It's a two-ton oxymoron, which begs the question: What is the point?

The obvious answer is that the point is to sell cars, a lot of them. Pickup trucks have been among the best-selling sectors in the automotive market for years, accounting for 20% of overall sales in 2001. As the SUV craze begins to fade, it is no secret that the folks in Detroit have been casting around for a replacement. But it is questionable whether Cadillac -- or longtime rival Lincoln, which is rolling out its own luxury pickup, the Blackwood -- will find there's much of a market for $50,000 SUTs.