Compare the2023 Subaru AscentVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Ascent 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 Subaru Ascent has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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.

The Ascent has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Escalade doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

The Ascent Limited/Touring’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Escalade doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Ascent 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 Ascent and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Ascent is safer than the Cadillac Escalade:

	Ascent	Escalade
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	23%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	8 lbs.	51 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	210	233
Neck Injury Risk	33%	47%
Neck Stress	197 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	35/30 lbs.	333/811 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Ascent is safer than the Cadillac Escalade:

	Ascent	Escalade
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	73 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	81	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	149	239
Hip Force	637 lbs.	764 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Ascent, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 4.2% to 4.9% less likely to roll over than the Escalade, which received a three-star rating.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ascent its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escalade has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

There are over 12 percent more Subaru dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Ascent’s warranty.

Reliability

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ascent’s reliability 14 points higher than the Escalade.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 10 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Ascent lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Escalade doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Ascent
	AWD	2.4 turbo flat-4	20 city/26 hwy
		Limited/Touring/Onyx 2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/25 hwy
Escalade
	RWD	6.2 OHV V8	14 city/19 hwy
	AWD	6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Ascent uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Escalade requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Ascent has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Escalade doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Ascent stops shorter than the Escalade:

	Ascent	Escalade
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Ascent Touring handles at .80 G’s, while the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ascent Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.9 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Ascent’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Escalade’s (38 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Ascent has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escalade (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Ascent to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Subaru Ascent may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1200 to 1450 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The Ascent is 1 foot, 3.1 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the Ascent easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Ascent is 5.1 inches narrower than the Escalade, making the Ascent easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

Unibody construction lowers the Ascent’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.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Ascent Limited is quieter than the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD:

	Ascent	Escalade
At idle	40 dB	42 dB
Full-Throttle	70 dB	75 dB
70 MPH Cruising	64 dB	66 dB

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ascent’s middle and third row seats recline. The Escalade’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Ascent easier. The Ascent’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 32 inches, while the Escalade’s liftover is 37 inches.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Ascent’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Ascent Base). The Escalade doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Ascent to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escalade doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Ascent owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Ascent will cost $1790 to $4212 less than the Escalade over a five-year period.

The Ascent will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Ascent will retain 52.78% to 54.99% of its original price after five years, while the Escalade only retains 49.34% to 50.01%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Ascent is less expensive to operate than the Escalade because it costs $218 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Ascent than the Escalade, including $908 less for a muffler, $37 less for front brake pads, $142 less for fuel injection, $146 less for a fuel pump, $265 less for front struts, $711 less for a timing belt/chain and $1177 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Ascent will be $42942 to $53189 less than for the Cadillac Escalade.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Ascent, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Cadillac Escalade isn't recommended.

The Subaru Ascent outsold the Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV by 58% during 2022.

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