Compare the2025 Cadillac EscaladeVS 2024 GMC Yukon

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 Yukon 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 Yukon doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Escalade has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Yukon’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Escalade has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. GMC charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Yukon and the Yukon’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

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 Yukon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Escalade and the Yukon 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 and available all wheel drive.

The Escalade comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Yukon’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 GMC covers the Yukon. 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 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 Yukon 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 has a 800-amp battery. The Yukon only offers a standard 730-amp battery.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Escalade’s reliability 11 points higher than the Yukon.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 With 10 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Cadillac higher than GMC.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 8 places higher in reliability than GMC.

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

As tested in Motor Trend the Cadillac Escalade is faster than the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8:

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 Yukon. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The Escalade stops shorter than the Yukon:

For better traction, the Escalade has larger standard tires than the Yukon (275/50R22 vs. 265/65R18). The Escalade’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Yukon (285/40R24 vs. 275/60R20).

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 Yukon SLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Escalade’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Yukon’s optional 50 series tires.

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

The Escalade has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Escalade flat and controlled during cornering. The Yukon’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Escalade Sport 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Yukon AT4 4x4 (30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

The Escalade (except Luxury) offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Yukon doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

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

The Escalade’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Yukon’s (7900 vs. 7700 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than GMC. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 31% lower rating, GMC is ranked 20th.

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 Yukon’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 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 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Yukon 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 costs extra on the Yukon and aren't offered on the SLE.

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 Yukon doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Escalade 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.

Both the Escalade and the Yukon 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 Yukon.

The Cadillac Escalade has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the overhead console. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Yukon SLT/AT4/Denali.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Cadillac Escalade has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Yukon SLT/AT4/Denali offers wireless charging. The Escalade also offers Qi charging for two devices in the second row seat. The Yukon doesn’t offer wireless charging in its second row seat.

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 Yukon is rated higher at a number “6” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Escalade is less expensive to operate than the Yukon because typical repairs cost much less on the Escalade than the Yukon, including $113 less for a water pump, $10 less for a starter, $6 less for fuel injection, $53 less for a fuel pump and $246 less for a timing belt/chain.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2020 issue and they ranked the Cadillac Escalade Sport 4WD higher than the GMC Yukon AT4 4x4.