Compare the2025 Cadillac EscaladeVS 2024 Buick Enclave

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Cadillac Escalade are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Buick Enclave doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Cadillac Escalade 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 Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Escalade (except Luxury) helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Enclave doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Escalade and Enclave have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the Escalade has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Enclave’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The Escalade’s 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 Enclave doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Escalade and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The Cadillac Escalade weighs 1122 to 1655 pounds more than the Buick Enclave. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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

	Escalade	Enclave
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	216
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	77 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	233	333
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.9 inches

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 Cadillac Escalade is safer than the Buick Enclave:

	Escalade	Enclave
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	69
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	111 lbs.	161 lbs.
Hip Force	118 lbs.	204 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	134
Spine Acceleration	24 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	248 lbs.	716 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	239	251

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

Warranty

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

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

Reliability

The Escalade 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 Enclave 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 power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Escalade has a standard 220-amp alternator. The Enclave’s 170-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Escalade has a standard 800-amp battery. The Enclave’s 730-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escalade second among large premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Enclave isn’t in the top three in its category.

Engine

The Escalade’s 6.2 V8 produces 110 more horsepower (420 vs. 310) and 194 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 266) than the Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cadillac Escalade is faster than the Buick Enclave:

	Escalade	Enclave
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.6 MPH	84.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Escalade’s fuel efficiency. The Enclave doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Escalade has 4.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank (24 vs. 19.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Escalade has 2.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank (24 vs. 21.7 gallons).

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

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac Escalade, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Enclave.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Escalade	Escalade	Enclave
Front Rotors	13.5 inches	16.1 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	13.6 inches	12.4 inches

The Escalade stops much shorter than the Enclave:

	Escalade	Enclave
70 to 0 MPH	174 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Escalade has larger standard tires than the Enclave (275/50R22 vs. 255/65R18). The Escalade’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Enclave (285/40R24 vs. 255/65R18).

The Escalade’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Enclave’s standard 65 series tires. The Escalade’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Enclave’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escalade has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Enclave. The Escalade’s optional 24-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Enclave.

The Escalade has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Enclave; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Escalade Permium/Sport/Platinum has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Enclave doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escalade is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Enclave.

For greater off-road capability the Escalade has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Escalade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Escalade Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 2.5 inches higher than on the Enclave (10 vs. 7.5 inches).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD is quieter than the Enclave Essence (75 vs. 78 dB).

Passenger Space

The Escalade offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Enclave can only carry 7.

The Escalade has 11.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Enclave (168.4 vs. 157.3).

The Escalade has 3.3 inches more front legroom, 2.7 inches more front hip room, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, 3.5 inches more rear legroom, 3.3 inches more rear hip room, 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room, .6 inches more third row headroom, 1.4 inches more third row legroom, .9 inches more third row hip room and 5.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Enclave.

Cargo Capacity

The Escalade’s cargo area provides more volume than the Enclave.

	Escalade	Enclave
Behind Third Seat	25.5 cubic feet	23.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	72.9 cubic feet	57.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	120.5 cubic feet	97.4 cubic feet

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Escalade’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Enclave doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Escalade. The Enclave doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Escalade’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (7900 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Escalade 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Escalade can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Enclave can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Escalade uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Enclave doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Escalade is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Enclave. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Escalade’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Enclave does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Escalade’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 Enclave’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The Escalade’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Enclave’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Escalade has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Enclave doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Cadillac Escalade has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Enclave Premium/Avenir.

The Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport has standard front air conditioned seats and the Escalade Platinum offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Enclave doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Both the Escalade and the Enclave offer available massaging front seats. The Escalade Platinum also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Enclave.

The Escalade’s Adaptive Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Enclave doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Escalade owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Escalade with a number “5” insurance rate while the Enclave is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Escalade is less expensive to operate than the Enclave because typical repairs cost much less on the Escalade than the Enclave, including $287 less for a water pump, $76 less for front brake pads, $95 less for a starter and $56 less for fuel injection.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escalade second among large premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Enclave isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Cadillac Escalade outsold the Buick Enclave by 6% during 2023.