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.

From The Driver's Seat

When we reviewed the new Cadillac Escalade SUV in this space last November, we made sure to single out for particular praise its 6.0-liter, 345-horsepower V-8 engine. It is the most powerful in its class, capable of blasting the 5,553-pound Escalade from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds. The EXT, which has the same engine but weighs a bit more at 5,752 pounds, is only a hair slower at 8 seconds -- though no less fuel-efficient; like the Escalade, the EXT is one of the biggest gas guzzlers on the planet.

It is still an awesome engine and makes the EXT more fun to drive than the average truck. Also, like the SUV version, it comes with Hydra-Matic 4l60-E HD (heavy duty) four-speed automatic transmission that makes this behemoth surprisingly easy to drive and handle. Because of its suspension and chassis, the EXT is not prone to fishtailing when the cargo bed is empty, as are so many pickups.

Inside, the cab is handsome although susceptible to the same criticism we levied on the SUV for not being luxurious enough. This is, after all, a Cadillac. One expects a certain degree of class yet it is obvious there's not much difference from General Motors' other, less expensive, big trucks such as the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon Denali.

Another gripe is with the rear seat. Granted, this is a pickup, where rear seats are universally cramped and uncomfortable, but come on, this is a Cadillac, right? Would it have killed them to make it more comfortable?

Possibly. By doing so, it would have added so significantly to the production costs of the EXT that it almost certainly could have killed its chance to get beyond the conceptual stages. As with most of Detroit's products today, the EXT shares both parts and chassis with other vehicles. Not only is the EXT a high-priced version of the $30,000 Chevrolet Avalanche SUT but, like the Avalanche (which is actually based on the Suburban's chassis), it features what GM calls the midgate, which essentially allows you to fold up the rear seats to extend the length of the 5-foot-3-inch bed to 8 feet 1 inch. This is a pretty cool feature but explains much of the reason for the rear seats' stiffness. Truly comfortable seats are not expected to fold up.

The question is what the extra room is needed for. You could certainly sling skis or lumber back there, but the hard part is getting them back out. The problem is that the bed of the truck is so high that it's difficult to reach over and grab stuff, like luggage, from the bed (this reviewer is over 6 feet tall with long arms, so that's saying something). Moreover, because the cargo box in the bed is covered in a full-length, very nonstick rubber mat, you can't slide most things.

In order to load and unload the truck, you have to climb up and do it. This is further complicated by the fact that the truck is covered by a watertight three-piece cargo cover that comes apart separately. So that means climbing up and taking off each piece every time you need to load up the truck, which is a real pain. And it gets worse: Now imagine doing it in a rainstorm, as we did, and not only do the cargo covers shed water all over the bed when they're removed, everything gets soaked until you put them back on.