Compare the2023 Lamborghini UrusVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade

The Lamborghini Urus 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 Urus. But it costs extra on the Escalade.

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

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

The Urus’ 4.0 turbo V8 produces 237 more horsepower (657 vs. 420) and 167 lbs.-ft. more torque (627 vs. 460) than the Escalade’s 6.2 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lamborghini Urus is faster than the Cadillac Escalade:

On the EPA test cycle the Urus gets better fuel mileage than the Escalade 6.2 OHV V8 4WD (14 city/19 hwy vs. 14 city/18 hwy).

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

The Urus has standard heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Escalade doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Urus stops much shorter than the Escalade:

For better traction, the Urus has larger standard tires than the Escalade (F:285/45R21 & R:315/40R21 vs. 275/50R22). The Urus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escalade (F:285/35R23 & R:325/30R23 vs. 275/50R22).

The Urus’ standard 285/45R21 front and 315/40R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade’s standard 50 series tires. The Urus’ 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 Urus offers optional 23-inch wheels. The Escalade’s largest wheels are only 22-inches.

The Urus 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 Urus 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 Urus S offers an available adjustable 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 Urus handles at 1.02 G’s, while the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Urus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 6.6 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (23.5 seconds @ .87 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Urus’ turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Escalade’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Urus has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escalade (8.4 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Urus to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Lamborghini Urus may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1150 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The Urus S is 10.6 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the Urus easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Urus is 13 inches shorter in height than the Escalade, making the Urus much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Urus’ 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 Urus is quieter than the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD (41 vs. 42 dB).

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Urus offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escalade doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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

The Urus’ optional Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.