2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
by Jim Prueter -12/2008
Big price for small savings
When gas was at $4.39 a gallon a few months back, it seemed as though large SUVs were the scorn and disdain to all but those who owned and drove them. The motoring public was flocking to fuel-sipping small vehicles faster than a greyhound chasing a mechanical rabbit. Big trucks and SUVs took a permanent seat on dealer lots.
Well, times changed quickly. With gas suddenly at $1.50 a gallon, full-sized pickup trucks are once again the sales leader with the gas-sipper sales dropping by 60 percent or more since the summer.
Getting on the “green” bandwagon, General Motors had a trio of full-sized SUV hybrids – Chevy Tahoe hybrid, GMC Yukon hybrid and mechanically identical Cadillac Escalade hybrid — in the pipeline and introduced them earlier this year.
GM boasted that their new hybrids would improve fuel economy by 50 percent over the same non-hybrid offerings in city driving, making them the most fuel-efficient vehicles in their class. Fuel economy ratings of 20 miles per gallon city and 21 highway (for an average 20 mpg overall) for hybrids compare to non-hybrid ratings of 12 mpg city and 19 mpg highway, and an average of 15 mpg overall.
With a base price of $71,685 for the Escalade hybrid (some $3,600 more than the standard Escalade), the questions I hear most often are, “Is it worth it?” and “How much do you actually save?”
We tested the ’09 Escalade hybrid for a week with an approximately 50/50 mix of city and highway driving and averaged 19 mpg. Assuming 15,000 miles per year and $1.50 a gallon, the hybrid saves $317 annually in fuel costs. And, depending on your income you could qualify for a one-time government hybrid tax credit of $2,200.
So on fuel savings alone it would take more than 11 years to recoup the initial $3,600 cost differential for the hybrid. But when you consider the fact that dealers are selling the Escalade Hybrid at or near sticker price, while offering discounts on the non-hybrid Escalade, the price difference is closer to $10,000 and the payback jumps to over 31 years.
The less you drive the longer the payback period. However, if gas prices jump back to $4 per gallon, the payback is 4.2 years on fuel alone. With the discount price, the 31 years drops to just under 12.
But most people I talk to say they don’t drive a hybrid for the money savings alone, that using less fuel has a positive effect on the environment and air quality. I’ll leave the final choice up to you.
GM calls their hybrid system “two-mode” which means the vehicle’s transmission with continuously variable ratios for light loads or with four fixed ratios for heavy loads. The onboard computer system decides to move the vehicle with electric power, gas power or a combination of both.
To save fuel, the Escalade shuts off its 332-horsepower 6-liter V-8 gas engine when idling, like at a stoplight. It also shuts off four cylinders of the eight cylinders when cruising at highway speeds. GM calls this its active fuel management system. A gauge on the dash points where you are getting your best or worst gas mileage, instantly (needle in the blue = battery mode, orange = gas mode).
We found it tempting to drive in the battery mode for as long as possible to prevent the gas engine from kicking in. But this is not practical unless you’re in no hurry or don’t mind the cars lining up behind you; about 23 mph is the fastest you can drive before the gasoline V-8 comes to life with a noticeable shudder.
The test Escalade hybrid drives almost identically to the gasoline-only Escalade: nimble handling with a tight turning circle, quiet and generally free of wind noise even at highway speeds.
Front seats are comfortable; second row seats are offered only with a bench seat in the hybrid because the battery pack is stored beneath. Third row seats are useless for all but the smallest of children. Unlike those in competitive models, the third row seats don’t fold flat or into the floor and only flip against the second row. You’ll need to remove the seats if you need serious cargo room.
Overall, the Escalade is a very nice vehicle and still a good choice for those who aren’t affected by the economy and still find a big SUV either a necessity for hauling people and towing a boat or camper, or who just like driving a nice truck. But we didn’t like all the hybrid badging in thirteen different places on the vehicle — that we could see. Especially garish was the five-foot long “HYBRID” spelled out in six-inch letters on the lower parts of the doors. There’s also hybrid badging on each front fender, b-pillar, doorsills, rear windows, rear tailgate, and either side of the driver’s and passenger’s dash.
Bottom line is that while we certainly enjoyed our week behind the wheel and the hybrid comes loaded with just about every imaginable creature comfort, we couldn’t justify the hefty price for so little payback.
