Big, bodacious Cadillac Escalade has power to spare

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- Attention!  Clear the streets!  Outta the way!

Here comes the motorcade or government-raid vehicle of choice -- a massive-shouldered 2022 Cadillac Escalade.  And yes, it looks imposing just resting there in a parking space.

My tester was the 4WD Platinum version wearing a sticker with a bottom line of $113,815.

If you're going to build a full-size, three-row luxury liner to compete with the likes of the Lincoln Navigator, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Mercedes-Benz GLS Class or the BMW X7, you might as well throw everything into the pot, right?

The tested Escalade had all that.  Every comfort/convenience perk and state-of-the-art safety/driving-enhancement device you can name was on-board.  Nobody is left out.  Passengers in the rear seats are just as comfortable as the front riders, and they get a bonus the driver does not, thanks to a rear seat entertainment system.

Riding on 22-inch, 10-spoke polished wheels and sporting a grille the approximate size of North Dakota, I found very few motorists willing to get in my way.  Guilty pleasure?  Yes, without question.

Best of all, the tester was equipped with a 6.2-liter V-8 rated at 420 horsepower.  The power plant is a bloody marvel.

Nailing the accelerator produced instant, enthusiastic response off the line.  Numerous times, the voice in my head shouted: "I can't believe this big brute is hitting high speed so quickly." And so effortlessly.

And yet, I never felt like I was dangerously overextending the vehicle's capabilities.  I always felt in control of physics, and the brakes brought instant sanity to the speeding sport-ute.  For the record, the Escalade also is equipped with automatic/emergency braking systems for those who might feel inclined to test the outer limits of adhesion.

What can I say?  It's a rolling five-star luxury hotel room.

Drawbacks?  Well, 14 miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the open road are not impressive numbers, but I'm guessing that the typical Escalade buyer is not overly concerned about fuel costs, even in today's era of Putin-propelled gas prices.

The Escalade rightly owns its reputation as a luxury-laden giant in the SUV world.  It's difficult to float back to earth after a week in one.