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.

Should You Buy This Car?

It's hard to determine who exactly the EXT is intended for.

While Escalade's brand manager, Susan Docherty, states that Cadillac's research "showed there was a real need for the EXT," it leaves one wondering whose needs they are talking about. No one needs a truck like this. What's worse, it's too impractical to sell to traditional pickup buyers and too expensive to sell to the people who would be its natural market, which, judging by its design, is 16-year-old boys.

Nor is it for families. As mentioned above, the cramped rear seat and difficulty in loading and unloading the cargo bed makes it a poor choice over much more practical and roomier cars such as the Suburban and Lincoln Navigator. And those who want a really classy yet still practical pickup -- with a king cab and frankly better leather seats than in the EXT -- have only to check out the $34K Ford F-150 Lariat King Ranch.

It's unlikely that general contractors will want it, because they won't want to get it dirty. They have much less expensive trucks for that. On the other hand, a corporate lawyer in a midlife crisis might choose it over the more traditional sports car, but he'd find a Porsche a lot more fun to drive.

It is likely, however, that a number of buyers will want one for its novelty value alone. For the next year or so, the combination of its scarcity, high cost, unusual shape and bold grille work emblematic of both the Escalade and the EXT will probably allow it to enjoy a brief spate of popularity. Whether it lasts much longer, and if the nascent fad for luxury SUTs picks up, remains to be seen.

Both Cadillac and Lincoln appear to be hedging their bets. The production estimates for 2002 for both the EXT and the Blackwood are modest: Cadillac expects to make only between 12,000 and 14,000 EXTs this year, and Lincoln less than 10,000 Blackwoods.

Because the sector is still so new, a little restraint on the part of both companies makes sense. In time, just as with the minivan and the SUV, the luxury SUT could prove to be a hot seller. But we doubt it. Nevertheless, there is still something cool, if somewhat vulgar, about the EXT. It might not make any sense but sometimes that doesn't matter. If you are one of the handful of people out there looking for a luxury pickup, has Cadillac got the right truck for you.