>> Good grief I knew these Escalades were huge but, oh alright, but this is at least an Escalade Hybrid the grand apologists of giant
SUV's, let's take it for a spin burn a few hundred gallons and check the tech.
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>> No lack of badging saying it's a hybrid I'm not sure if that's brand messaging or defensive posture. As Molly Wood pointed out
Cooley those are not gonna keep you from getting keyed in downtown San Francisco. Now this hybrid stuff gets a little surreal when
you realize this thing has a 6 liter V8 power plant, 332 horse power, 367 foot pounds of torque, it does get up out of its own way
rather nicely but you never forget you're driving a monolith that would make an Inca envious. But you can't laugh at the results
20/21 MPG, notably better than a standard Escalades miserable 12/19. Helping the mileage is auto stop when you're at a red light,
cylinder shut down that cruises on 4 cylinders when it can, and the laid hybrid runs pure electric at low speeds. Power goes out
of this column mounted 4 speed automatic kind of Neanderthal stuff at this point in history but it does the job, when you've go enough
torque you don't need to fuss with gears to be honest. Magnetic ride control active suspension is standard and it handles chop [phonetic]
as well as height without a lot of boatiness. The hot trend blind spot detection also standard flashes a warning in the mirror but
doesn't correct you if you decide to cream whatever's lurking there. Now the Hybrid Escalade is considered a top-trip ride and just
about everything is standard, big old screen right there, touch-screen, a little tilty action here so you can kill the glare and that
carries a whole lot of different functions of course we're watching a movie right now which is also being shown in our rear seat
entertainment system. Obviously, we have GPS, DVD navigation here, again, DVD based not hard drive yet, great rendering though I've
always liked this current generation GM rig, nice big touch-buttons for a big old horsy folks who drive a ride like this. Now it's
a GM ride so obviously in addition to screen base nav you've also got your OnStar turn by turn navigation you can call them say give
me directions load them onto my little display or you can use the map. The sound comes out of a Bose rig it's a 5.1 surround system,
it's got audio pilot noise cancellation, XM, no HD radio, no iPod adapter, no USB you do have an AUX jack but it's in the form of RCA's
back here that are sort of part of the rear sear entertainment system. Interesting note by the way if you're gonna configure one of these
online the website will tell you with nav you can't have a 6 disc in-dash changer but here it is. Now about that rear seat entertainment
system it is a flip-down center roof right in the way of your rear view mirror, I hate that kind of a cheap out they should have put
two monitors one in each head rest. It comes with a wireless remote, two sets of these wireless headphones that for some reason are
devoid of Cadillac branding missed an opportunity there good looking screen though, Panasonic branded. And of course when you're piloting
something just a little smaller than the USS Missouri you need to have some help with parking so of course standard rearview camera
when you put this thing in reverse. Good visuals but no guidelines to show you how far you are before something goes crunch and you
also have ultrasonic park sensors all standard. For our 5 foot tall viewers who are saying that's cool I want one of them Escalades
and I'll buy an 8 foot ladder to get in it, there's good news you can optionally get power floor boards, open up whenever you open a
door. The Escalade Hybrid comes basically loaded at $74,500, all wheel drive would add $3,550 to the base and that power running board
option another $1,100, a milk stool would be cheaper but not as cool.
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