Compare the2022 Aston Martin DBXVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Aston Martin DBX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac Escalade doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Aston Martin DBX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Escalade doesn’t offer knee airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the DBX. But it costs extra on the Escalade.

The DBX has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the DBX has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport has a rear cross-path warning system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the DBX uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the DBX and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The DBX comes with a full 3-year/unlimited-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escalade’s 50,000-mile basic warranty expires sooner.

The DBX’s corrosion warranty is 4 years longer than the Escalade’s (10 vs. 6 years).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the DBX has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade.

The DBX’s 4.0 turbo V8 produces 122 more horsepower (542 vs. 420) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 460) than the Escalade’s 6.2 V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the Aston Martin DBX is faster than the Cadillac Escalade:

On the EPA test cycle the DBX gets better mileage than the Escalade:

For better stopping power the DBX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade:

The DBX stops much shorter than the Escalade:

For better traction, the DBX has larger tires than the Escalade (F:285/40R22 & R:325/35R22 vs. 275/50R22).

The DBX’s standard 285/40R22 front and 325/35R22 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade’s standard 50 series tires. The DBX’s optional 285/35R23 front and 325/30R23 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Escalade’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the DBX offers optional 23-inch wheels. The Escalade’s largest wheels are only 22-inches.

The DBX has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Escalade doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the DBX uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Escalade, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The DBX offers an available active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Cadillac doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Escalade.

The DBX handles at .92 G’s, while the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The DBX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 5.7 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (24.4 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the DBX has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Escalade (9.3 vs. 8 inches), allowing the DBX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Aston Martin DBX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 900 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The DBX is 1 foot, 1.5 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the DBX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The DBX is 10.6 inches shorter in height than the Escalade, making the DBX much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the DBX’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Escalade uses body-on-frame design instead.

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the DBX when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the liftgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The Escalade doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the DBX easier. The DBX’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.9 inches, while the Escalade’s liftover is 37 inches.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the DBX’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Escalade doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.