Compare the2025 Aston Martin DBXVS 2024 Cadillac Escalade-V

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Aston Martin DBX 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 Aston Martin DBX 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 DBX and Escalade-V have rear cross-traffic warning, but the DBX has Rear Cross Traffic Warning (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.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the DBX 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-V uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the DBX and the Escalade-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The DBX comes with a full 3-year/unlimited-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escalade-V’s 50,000-mile basic warranty expires sooner.

The DBX’s corrosion warranty is 4 years and unlimited miles longer than the Escalade-V’s (10/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

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

The DBX’s 4.0 turbo V8 produces 15 more horsepower (697 vs. 682) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (664 vs. 653) than the Escalade-V’s 6.2 supercharged V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the Aston Martin DBX is faster than the Cadillac Escalade-V:

On the EPA test cycle the DBX707 gets better fuel mileage than the Escalade-V (15 city/20 hwy vs. 11 city/16 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the DBX’s 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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Aston Martin DBX higher (5 out of 10) than the Cadillac Escalade-V (3). This means the DBX produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escalade-V every 15,000 miles.

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

The DBX 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-V doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The DBX stops much shorter than the Escalade-V:

For better traction, the DBX has larger tires than the Escalade-V (F:285/40R22 & R:325/35R22 vs. 275/50R22).

The DBX’s standard 285/40R22 front and 325/35R22 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade-V’s standard 50 series tires. The DBX’s optional 285/35R23 front and 325/30R23 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Escalade-V’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the DBX offers optional 23-inch wheels. The Escalade-V’s largest wheels are only 22-inches.

The DBX 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-V doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The DBX offers an available 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-V.

The DBX707 handles at .97 G’s, while the Escalade-V pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Aston Martin DBX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1300 to 1450 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade-V.

The DBX is 1 foot, 1.5 inches shorter than the Escalade-V, making the DBX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The DBX is 10.3 inches shorter in height than the Escalade-V, making the DBX much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the DBX’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-V doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the DBX707 is quieter than the Escalade-V (82 vs. 85 dB).

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the DBX when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the liftgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The Escalade-V doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the DBX easier. The DBX’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.9 inches, while the Escalade-V’s liftover is 37 inches.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Escalade-V, the DBX has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the DBX has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the DBX’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.