Compare the2026 Cadillac Escalade IQVS 2025 Rivian R1S

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Escalade IQ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The R1S doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Escalade IQ has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The R1S doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Escalade IQ has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The R1S doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

A passive infrared night vision system standard on the Escalade IQ Premium 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 R1S doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Rivian R1S does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Escalade IQ and R1S have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Escalade IQ has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The R1S’ Rear Cross-Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Escalade IQ and the R1S have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ weighs 2294 to 2658 pounds more than the Rivian R1S. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

There are almost 12 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Rivian dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escalade IQ’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Rivian vehicles. With 74 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Cadillac higher than Rivian.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Rivian vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 1 place higher in reliability than Rivian.

Engine

The Escalade IQ’s electric motors produces 217 more horsepower (750 vs. 533) and 175 lbs.-ft. more torque (785 vs. 610) than the R1S Dual Motor’s standard electric motors. The Escalade IQ’s electric motors produces 85 more horsepower (750 vs. 665) than the R1S Dual Motor Performance’s standard electric motors.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Escalade IQ can travel longer on a full charge than the R1S on a full charge:

			Miles
Escalade IQ
	AWD	Electric Motors	460 miles
R1S
	AWD	Dual Max 22" Wheels Electric Motors	410 miles
		Dual Max All-Terrain Electric Motors	370 miles
		Dual Large Plus 22" Wheels Electric Motors	330 miles
		Performance Dual Large 20" Wheels Electric Motors	300 miles
		Performance Dual Large Plus All-Terrain Electric Motors	292 miles

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Escalade IQ’s brake rotors are larger than those on the R1S:

	Escalade IQ	R1S
Front Rotors	14 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	14 inches	12.9 inches

Tires and Wheels

The Escalade IQ’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the R1S’ 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escalade IQ has standard 24-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the R1S. The R1S’ largest wheels are only 22-inches.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Rivian R1S only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Escalade IQ has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The R1S doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escalade IQ’s wheelbase is 15.1 inches longer than on the R1S (136.2 inches vs. 121.1 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Escalade IQ’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the R1S Quad Max Ascend’s (39.3 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

For excellent aerodynamics, the Escalade IQ has standard flush composite headlights. The R1S has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The Escalade IQ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The R1S doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Cargo Capacity

The Escalade IQ’s cargo area provides more volume than the R1S.

	Escalade IQ	R1S
Behind Third Seat	23.6 cubic feet	17.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	69.1 cubic feet	48.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	119.1 cubic feet	90.7 cubic feet

Both the Escalade IQ and the R1S have standard second row automatic folding seats. The Escalade IQ’s third row seats also fold up or down at the press of a switch. The R1S doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

The Escalade IQ’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The R1S’ tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Escalade IQ’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The R1S doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its tailgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Rivian R1S is limited to 7700 pounds. The Escalade IQ offers up to a 8000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the R1S, the Escalade IQ Premium has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Escalade IQ has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The R1S doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escalade IQ’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. An advanced key system standard on the R1S doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Escalade IQ Premium’s power side swing out doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the sport utility. The R1S doesn’t offer a power rear door.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Escalade IQ to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The R1S doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Escalade IQ is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The R1S’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Escalade IQ has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The R1S doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Escalade IQ Premium has standard massaging front and rear seats (rear massaging seats optional on Premium). Massaging seats aren’t available in the R1S.

The Escalade IQ is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the R1S, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the Escalade IQ offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the R1S.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the Escalade IQ equipped with available HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The R1S, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Cadillac Escalade IQ empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

Compared to the Rivian R1S’ traditional radio, the Cadillac Escalade IQ equipped with standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks.

Both the Cadillac Escalade IQ and the Rivian R1S have a standard Qi wireless phone charging system in the front seat. To easily keep personal devices charged in the second row seat, without cables tangling and wearing out, the Escalade IQ Premium also offers an optional wireless charging system in the second row seat with chargers for two devices. The R1S does not.

The Escalade IQ’s Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Auto Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The R1S doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Cadillac Escalade outsold the Rivian R1S by 52% during 2024.

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