Compare the2026 Cadillac Escalade IQVS 2025 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
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 Model X 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 Model X 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 Model X 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 Model X doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Escalade IQ has a standard HD Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

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

The Escalade IQ has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Escalade IQ and the Model X 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, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ weighs 3872 to 3972 pounds more than the Tesla Model X. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escalade IQ’s warranty.

Engine

The Escalade IQ’s electric motors produces 80 more horsepower (750 vs. 670) and 62 lbs.-ft. more torque (785 vs. 723) than the Model X’s standard electric motors.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			Miles
Escalade IQ
	AWD	Electric Motors	460 miles
Model X
	AWD	Electric Motors	329 miles
		22" Wheels Electric Motors	322 miles
		Plaid Electric Motors	314 miles
		Plaid 22" Wheels Electric Motors	294 miles

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Escalade IQ has larger tires than the Model X (275/50R24 vs. 265/45R20). The Escalade IQ’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model X (275/50R24 vs. 265/35R22).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escalade IQ has standard 24-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the Model X. The Model X’s 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 Tesla Model X 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 Model X doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escalade IQ’s wheelbase is 19.5 inches longer than on the Model X (136.2 inches vs. 116.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escalade IQ is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Model X.

For better maneuverability, the Escalade IQ’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Model X’s (39.3 feet vs. 40.3 feet). The Escalade IQL’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Model X’s (39.9 feet vs. 40.3 feet).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Escalade IQ	Model X
Behind Third Seat	23.6 cubic feet	15 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	69.1 cubic feet	33.8 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	119.1 cubic feet	88.2 cubic feet

The Escalade IQ’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

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

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 Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The Escalade IQ’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Model X’s (7500 vs. 5000 pounds).

While the Model X w/22” wheels can only tow 3500, any Escalade IQ can tow a minimum of 7500 pounds.

Ergonomics

The Escalade IQ’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model X, 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 Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escalade IQ’s cruise control switch is lit from behind, making it plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Escalade IQ has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Escalade IQ has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Escalade IQ’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

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

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

The Escalade IQ has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

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

The Escalade IQ is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the Model X, 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 Model X.

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 Model X, 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.

The Escalade IQ has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Model X doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

The Cadillac Escalade outsold the Tesla Model X by 78% during 2024.

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