Private jets may be the ultimate aspirational mode of transport. You’re usually looking at spending tens of millions of dollars to buy one, then tens of thousands every time you actually go anywhere with it. But aspirations are a bit like stepping stones, and you can get a taste of that “private jet” experience in the 2025 Cadillac Escalade.
The inside features a lot of leather and wood, which you’ll also find cladding the interior of many a luxury aircraft. The ride is also famously smooth, with the little “turbulence” you may experience requiring a particularly aggressive pothole or something similar. Surprisingly, the more time you spend with the Cadillac, the more private jet-like it becomes.
All the luxury touches you normally see up front
Luxury brands, perhaps understandably, tend to focus on the driver, with some offerings even giving the person behind the wheel the only massage seat. Things tend to get worse the further back you go, with the second row usually having heated seats at best and the third row not even getting leg room.
This isn’t the case in the Escalade, with the second row packing both heated and vented seats and a massage function on certain trims. This serves to increase the comfort factor for passengers massively. All of these features can be controlled from the front, if the passengers like to have the “staff” doing everything for them, and can also be controlled via a panel that rests between the second-row captain’s chairs. All four of the vehicle’s doors are automatic, and the back doors can be opened via the same panel.
Infotainment “takes a back seat”
Usually, when you refer to something taking a back seat, you’re implying it’s a bit of an afterthought. However, in the case of the Cadillac Escalade’s infotainment system, that could not be further from the truth. Up front, there’s a dash-length display with customizable sections. Passengers and the driver can watch things on this display while the vehicle is stationary, but the passenger side turns itself off when the SUV is in motion.
This isn’t the case in the back, where both second-row passengers have their own 12.6-inch display, which connects to a set of AKG headphones. Oddly enough, the headphones do serve to take a little bit of shine off the vehicle. I’m a fan of AKG audio, and the vehicle’s actual speaker system is superb. But these headphones are pretty uncomfortable and can be a pain to connect. Worse still, they don’t stay connected when the vehicle is switched off and have to be awkwardly re-paired with the screens whenever a passenger wants to use them. Luckily, you can bring your own headphones and connect them via Bluetooth if you prefer.
Questionable accessories aside, the infotainment system is Android-based and very versatile. You can download all of the popular streaming apps, like Max, Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube. The system works over the vehicle’s own WiFi connection, so streaming shouldn’t be an issue in many locations. You may also have something more important to do.
You can actually get a lot of work done
Traveling and work shouldn’t go hand-in-hand. Time on the road is tiring, so you should really be able to kick back and relax when you’re in motion. Unfortunately, what should be the case often contradicts reality.
If you find yourself having to write on the road (and you aren’t behind the wheel) then the Escalade is probably one of the best vehicles you can ride in. The vehicle has built-in WiFi, which is becoming pretty standard in a lot of premium and luxury vehicles. Said WiFi runs off the cell network so signal strength will depend on where you’re driving exactly.
What really sets Cadillac’s flagship apart is its folding tray table. The tables are similar to what you usually encounter on a plane and can comfortably support a laptop. You can also eat lunch from one while watching something on your infotainment screen. Provided you can convince your driver to swing by a drive-thru or at least hand you something from the fridge.
You also get close to 42 inches of legroom in the second row of the Escalade, which is significantly more than you would get on a commercial flight, and a lot more than most passenger-carrying vehicles tend to offer, too.
It has one of the best “autopilot” systems on four wheels
If you’re not fortunate enough to be in the back of a fully specced 2025 Escalade, don’t worry. The chauffeur gets some perks too. Your seat will have the same massage, heating, and cooling functions as your passengers are getting. You’ll even have easier access to the frankly excellent fridge/freezer that lives underneath the central armrest. The aforementioned cooling chamber is an absolute game changer on hot days and long road trips.
Another major game changer is GM’s SuperCruise system, which is present on the Escalade. It’s as good as Level 2 assisted driving gets, with automatic overtaking on highways and a good number of backroads covered. There was even a point in New York’s Catskills region where I was convinced the system worked on every major stretch of road without a set of lights or a stop sign.
The 2025 Escalade starts at just over $90,000, but you can spend around $170,000 on one if you pick the top trim level and start piling on the options. Those options are completely necessary if you really want that private jet experience we’ve been talking about, though a driver can probably get away with a lot less Escalade.
