Compare the2023 Mercedes G-ClassVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes G-Class 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-V doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Mercedes G-Class 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-V doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the G-Class and Escalade-V have rear cross-traffic warning, but the G-Class has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Escalade-V’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The G-Class’ 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-V doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the G-Class and the Escalade-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the G-Class have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade-V.

As tested in Car and Driver the AMG G 63 is faster than the Cadillac Escalade-V:

On the EPA test cycle the G-Class gets better mileage than the Escalade-V:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the G-Class’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The G-Class has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escalade-V’s standard fuel tank (26.4 vs. 24 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the G-Class’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade-V:

The G-Class stops much shorter than the Escalade-V:

For better traction, the G-Class’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escalade-V (295/40R22 vs. 275/50R22).

The G-Class’ optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade-V’s 50 series tires.

The AMG G 63 handles at .75 G’s, while the Escalade-V pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Mercedes G-Class may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 650 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade-V.

The G 550 is 1 foot, 10.2 inches shorter than the Escalade-V, making the G-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The G-Class has a much larger cargo volume than the Escalade-V with its rear seat up (38.1 vs. 25.5 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the G-Class easier. The G-Class’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.3 inches, while the Escalade-V’s liftover is 37 inches.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The G-Class has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer headlight washers.