Compare the2023 Dodge DurangoVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Dodge Durango 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 Durango has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Escalade doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Durango 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 Durango 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 Durango 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 Durango and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems and front parking sensors.

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

	Durango	Escalade
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	47%
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	303/32 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 Dodge Durango is safer than the Cadillac Escalade:

	Durango	Escalade
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	111 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	194	239
Hip Force	714 lbs.	764 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are over 4 times as many Dodge dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Durango’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Durango has a standard 850-amp battery. The Escalade only offers a standard 800-amp battery.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 8th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in long-term dependability. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Cadillac is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Dodge vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Dodge 11 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Durango
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 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 Dodge Durango uses regular unleaded gasoline (mid-grade octane recommended with the 5.7 V8 engine for maximum performance). The Escalade requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Dodge Durango higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Cadillac Escalade (3 to 6). This means the Durango produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escalade every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Durango	Escalade
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Durango R/T’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escalade (295/45R20 vs. 275/50R22).

The Durango R/T’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade’s 50 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Durango can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Escalade doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Durango GT 4x4 handles at .76 G’s, while the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Durango R/T 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.7 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Durango has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escalade (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Durango to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Dodge Durango may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 900 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The Durango is 11.1 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the Durango easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Durango is 5.3 inches narrower than the Escalade, making the Durango easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

Unibody construction lowers the Durango’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 while at idle, the interior of the Durango GT 4x4 is quieter than the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD (38 vs. 42 dB).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Durango easier. The Durango’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.4 inches, while the Escalade’s liftover is 37 inches.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac Escalade is limited to 8200 pounds. The Durango 4x4 offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Durango owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Durango will cost $605 to $3367 less than the Escalade over a five-year period.

The Durango will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Durango will retain 51.72% to 54.97% 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 Durango is less expensive to operate than the Escalade because it costs $364 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Durango than the Escalade, including $102 less for a water pump, $687 less for a muffler, $136 less for fuel injection, $77 less for a fuel pump, $387 less for front struts, $51 less for a timing belt/chain and $773 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Dodge Durango will be $39092 to $40930 less than for the Cadillac Escalade.

Recommendations

The Dodge Durango outsold the Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV by 34% during the 2022 model year.

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