Compare the2024 Cadillac Escalade ESVVS 2023 GMC Yukon XL

The Escalade ESV Premium/Platinum/Sport’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Yukon XL doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

An active infrared night vision system optional on the Escalade ESV Premium/Platinum/Sport helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Yukon XL doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Escalade ESV and the Yukon XL 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Escalade ESV comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Yukon XL’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the Escalade ESV 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than GMC covers the Yukon XL. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Yukon XL ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Escalade ESV’s 6 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Yukon XL runs out after 100,000 miles.

The Escalade ESV has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Yukon XL doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Escalade ESV offers larger standard and optional batteries than the Yukon XL:

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escalade ESV first among large premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Yukon XL was rated second in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, GMC is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 4 places higher in reliability than GMC.

The Escalade ESV’s 6.2 V8 produces 65 more horsepower (420 vs. 355) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 383) than the Yukon XL’s standard 5.3 V8.

On the EPA test cycle the Escalade ESV gets better mileage than the Yukon XL:

The Escalade ESV has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Yukon XL. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

For better traction, the Escalade ESV has larger tires than the Yukon XL (275/50R22 vs. 265/65R18).

The Escalade ESV’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Yukon XL’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escalade ESV has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Yukon XL.

The Escalade ESV’s cargo area provides more volume than the Yukon XL.

The Escalade ESV’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Yukon XL’s (7800 vs. 7500 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than GMC. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 27% lower rating, GMC is ranked 15th.

The Escalade ESV’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Yukon XL’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Escalade ESV the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Yukon XL can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Escalade ESV Premium/Platinum/Sport offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Yukon XL doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Escalade ESV has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Yukon XL.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Cadillac Escalade ESV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Yukon XL SLT/AT4/Denali offers wireless charging.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Escalade ESV is less expensive to operate than the Yukon XL because typical repairs cost much less on the Escalade ESV than the Yukon XL, including $113 less for a water pump, $10 less for a starter, $6 less for fuel injection, $28 less for a fuel pump and $246 less for a timing belt/chain.