Home › 2010 Car Comparison: Cadillac Escalade v Infiniti QX56 v Lexus GX 460

2010 Car Comparison: Cadillac Escalade v Infiniti QX56 v Lexus GX 460

By Jim Gorzelany

The Competitors
Sales of luxury items tend to remain robust in a financial downturn. The wealthy, after all, are the last affected by economic shudders. No such luck for manufacturers of some of the largest and poshest traditional truck-based sport-utility vehicles: the 2010 Cadillac Escalade, 2010 Infiniti QX56, and 2010 Lexus GX 460. Sales of such luxury rigs have been in free-fall since gas prices spiked and the economy tanked in 2008.

Cadillac sales, for example, rose just over 10 percent during the first 11 months of 2009. But at the same time, demand for the mammoth Escalade SUV plummeted 30.3-47.5 percent, depending on the version. Even Toyota’s Lexus division isn’t immune to the downturn. Sales of its GX line fell over the same period by a whopping 61.6 percent – though some of the drop can be attributed to the fact that the first-generation GX was being phased out in favor of the all-new 2010 model.

Of course, someone’s loss is almost always another’s gain. Slumping sales of full-size luxury SUVs translates into unbeatable bargains if you’re flush enough to bankroll a desire to dominate the highways in style. As 2009 drew to a close, Cadillac was slapping a generous $6,000 on the hood of remaining 2009 Escalades. Infiniti matched that amount for 2010 QX56 models. And this doesn’t include the bargaining power you have when negotiating with a dealer who’s stuck with (and continues to finance) bloated SUV inventories.

The 2010 Cadillac Escalade, 2010 Infiniti QX56, and 2010 Lexus GX lines are among the most prominent in the mid-premium full-size luxury SUV segment. Each makes a bold statement and backs it up with strong V-8 engines and roomy, comfortable interiors.

The Cadillac Escalade comes in regular-length, as the extended-body ESV model, or as the EXT, essentially an SUV with a short pickup bed. Escalade was last redesigned for model-year 2007; a gas/electric hybrid version was added to the line for 2009. The Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and the GMC Yukon/Denali are less-plush versions of the Escalade, and all are based on the full-size pickup platform used by the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

The Infiniti QX56 is a gilded version of the Nissan Armada SUV -- which in turn is derived from the full-size Titan pickup truck. The QX56 debuted in 2004 and received a largely cosmetic revamp for 2008.

The Lexus GX 460 is all new for 2010, segueing from an Americanized version of a Japanese-market Toyota SUV to an upscale version of the all-new 2010 Toyota 4Runner. The first-generation GX, called the GX 470, arrived for the 2003 model year. Lexus continues to position the 2010 version in size and price between the smaller Lexus RX crossover SUV and the flagship Lexus LX 570 body-on-frame SUV.

The Similarities

  • In contrast to crossover SUVs that have a car-type integrated body-frame structure called unibody, all three of these SUVs are traditional truck-based SUVs in which the body is joined to a separate frame. This rugged construction makes them more suitable for heavy-duty chores, such as towing big trailers.
  • All come powered by a V-8 engine with an automatic transmission; antilock brakes and stability control are standard across all three lines.
  • Each is big and square-shaped with bold styling cues with generous use of chrome accents outside and wood trim inside.
  • All deliver a reasonably smooth ride with handling that’s tame; they’re at home on the highway but can be difficult to maneuver in tight urban areas.
  • All come well equipped with myriad luxury features, including iPod-ready audio systems, with several top-shelf amenities optional.

The Differences

  • Escalade boasts a wide lead in the muscle department with its 403-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8., This V-8 can save fuel by automatically shutting down and restarting half its cylinders when not needed. It can alternately run on E85 ethanol. The QX56’s 5.6-liter V-8 generates 320 horses. The GX 460’s 4.6-liter V-8 trails at 301 horsepower, though that’s an increase of 38 horsepower over the GX 470.
  • Escalade and the GX 460 put their engines’ power to the pavement via smooth and efficient six-speed automatic transmissions; the QX56’s automatic comes with five gears.
  • The Lexus GX comes with standard four-wheel drive while the Cadillac Escalade and Infiniti QX56 offer a choice of rear-drive or 4x4 versions. The Cadillac’s four-wheel-drive system is actually all-wheel drive and is the only system here that doesn’t include low-range gearing for off-road driving.
  • All but the Escalade EXT have up to three rows of seats, but differ in the number of passengers they can hold. The Infiniti QX56 can seat up to eight. Maximum for the Lexus GX is seven. The Escalade EXT has crew-cab and holds five passengers; the regular-length Escalade accommodates five or seven; the ESV up to eight.
  • The Cadillac Escalade ESV is the roomiest here, the Escalade EXT the most unusual. The EXT is Caddy’s rendition of the Chevy Avalanche, and like that model grafts a short pickup bed behind the second row of seats; the rear seat folds flat, the back window and solid bed cover stow, and a mid-gate (it’s essentially a tailgate located behind the rear seat) lowers to create an open-air full-size pickup with a standard eight-foot bed.
  • The Escalade is also the only model here available as a gas-electric Hybrid version that comes primarily powered by a 6.0-liter V-8 gasoline engine in harness with electric motors embedded in the transmission housing. Total horsepower is 332. Under light loads and/or lower speeds, the Escalade Hybrid can run on electricity, engine power, or a combination of both as warranted. The engine automatically powers down at idle to help preserve fuel. At highway speeds the vehicle generally runs on full engine power, with electric assist provided if needed. It’s hardly an economy car, but its EPA rating of 21/22 mpg (city/highway) is none too shabby for a model of its size and power.
  • All these SUVs come with torso-protecting front-side airbags and head-protecting curtain side-curtain airbags for all seating rows. The Lexus GX is the only one to  include knee-height airbags for the driver and front passenger and seat-mounted side airbags for second row riders.
  • The Escalade Hybrid leads for fuel economy at 21/22 mpg, while the GX 460 is the best of the rest with an at a 15/20 EPA rating. Gas-powered Escalades rate just 12/19 tops, while the QX56 is rated at 12/18.
  • Escalade comes standard with General Motors’ OnStar communications/safety system and includes a one-year subscription to the service, which provides automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance, turn-by-turn voice-command navigation, and hands-free calling. The GX 460 includes Lexus’s similar Safety Connect system with Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assistance, and GPS-based Enhanced Roadside Assistance. Other telematics features are available when the GX is fitted with the optional navigation system.
  • Among the Lexus GX 460’s noteworthy features is an optional pre-collision system that can anticipate a crash and react accordingly; it will preemptively tighten the front seatbelts, prime the Brake Assist system for full stopping force and even apply the brakes if the driver cannot react quickly enough. A driver-adjustable Active Variable Suspension is offered that adapts the stiffness of the GX’s spring rates to maximize either a softer ride or added control while driving off-road, carrying a full load or cruising at highway speeds. An available Crawl Control feature operates like off-road cruise control, automatically limiting speeds to—as the name implies—a crawl for extreme off-road driving.
  • The Lexus GX 460 is the most affordable of this bunch, though that’s relative. Its base pricing is in the $53,000-$58,000 range, depending on model. Base prices for the Infiniti QX56 are in the $57,000-$60,000 range. The Cadillac Escalade has the widest range of base prices, starting $63,000 and running to nearly $85,000 for the top Hybrid model.
  • Warranty coverage is mix and match. The Escalade and GX include bumper-to-bumper coverage for 4 years/50,000 miles, the QX56 for 4/60,000. Powertrain coverage is 6 years/70,000 miles on the Infiniti and Lexus and 5/100,000 on the Cadillac.

The Winner
The 2010 Cadillac Escalade. Its hip-hop image may not be for everyone, but the Caddy brings the bling like few other rides. It has the widest range of models and the strongest V-8 engines. As for the pickup truck-like Escalade EXT, we have trouble imagining anyone purchasing a big luxury model and using it to haul much of anything, but it can be useful among those who, say, ride horses and want to tote saddles and the like without soiling a conventional SUV’s interior. The 2010 Lexus GX 460 is the newest and in many ways the most mechanically sophisticated of this trio, particularly in its long list of high-tech options. It’s also the smaller than the Escalade and QX56 and thus easier to garage and to maneuver in tight spots. The QX56 is just plain big and bulky and doesn’t really justify its price premium over a Nissan Armada.