2007 Cadillac Escalade Vs. 2006 Range Rover Supercharged Interior Comparison

Under the Escalade's sumptuous skin resides a 49-percent-stiffer, fully boxed ladder frame, to which Cadillac has bolted a new control-arm coil-over-shock front suspension--peace out, torsion bars--and a reworked live-axle rear with load-leveling dampers, which also are utilized up front. The old recirculating-ball steering has been annihilated, replaced by a power rack-and-pinion setup, and the disc brakes are larger front and rear. Standard 18-inch alloys supplant the old 17s, while the optional 22s--like the ones on our $66,110 tester--outsize the previous 20-inch dubs. Regardless of tire size, chirping rubber isn't a problem, thanks to an all-aluminum 6.2-liter V-8 that generates 403 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque. Mated to a six-speed automatic, the new 16-valve engine is the first to employ variable valve timing on a mass-produced overhead- valve V-8, according to Cadillac. All of this newfound powertrain technology nets an insignificantly higher combined fuel-economy number--16 mpg versus 15--but Cadillac isn't apologizing; instead, it's promising GM's Displacement-on-Demand and dual-mode hybrid fuel-saving technologies within the next couple years.

Inside, the differences between the old and new Escalade are as striking as a left hook. Whereas the 2006 'Slade interior looks like a gussied-up version of the slab-sided, low-rent cabin of the previous Chevy Tahoe (which is exactly what it was), the 2007 cockpit is downright opulent. Soft leather, real wood on the steering wheel (all other wood trim comes from the environmentally friendly faux tree, although that seems a cheap omission for a truck that costs $66 grand), and brushed-aluminum trim all merge beautifully, highlighting the 1mm interior gaps, blue-lighted gauges, and eight-inch nav screen. For those who appreciate audio, a Bose digital surround-sound system comes stock, and for those who appreciate comfort and convenience, power-release second-row seats and a heated steering wheel and heated and cooled front seats are standard. As far as we're concerned, the only apparent interior oversights are the manually adjustable steering column and the lack of auto-up windows. A "smart key" fob system--like the one Toyota offers on a $23K Prius--would be nice, too.

2006 Range Rover Supercharged

Despite being the elder of the group, the Range Rover still looks decidedly modern, inside and out, and feels friskier than the day it bowed, due to a 4.2-liter Jaguar-sourced supercharged V-8 that Land Rover dropped in for 2006. The 400-horsepower engine, which replaces the former 282-horse, 4.4-liter motor from BMW, joins a lengthy list of improvements that were included in our $93,250 Range Rover Supercharged test vehicle: a six-speed auto, bi-Xenon headlamps with adaptive front lighting, a tire-pressure monitoring system, 20-inch alloys, Brembo front brakes, a rearview camera, a mesh grille and power vents, and revised bumpers.

2007 Cadillac Escalade

The Rover is nearly seven inches shorter in length than the Caddy, not to mention devoid of third-row seats, so it's a bit unexpected that it carries around 48 additional pounds. But, then again, the Rover is an off-road beast and as such comes replete with weight-adding features: a two-speed transfer case, hill-descent control, an electronically controlled active center differential, and a height-adjustable air suspension. The all-wheel-drive Caddy, which doesn't offer a low-range or the other off-road hardware, is meant for about as much mud slinging as a Corvette. In all probability, a Rover will venture off the beaten path about as often, but it at least makes serious off-roading an option.