2025 Cadillac Escalade vs 2024 Buick Envista

The 2024 Buick Envista, while sharing its platform with the Chevy Trax, took a distinct styling path. Its sloping roofline gave it a "crossover coupe" appearance, reminiscent of more upscale models like the BMW X2, X4, and X6. Although a more traditional roofline might have enhanced rear visibility, the design was deemed acceptable. The Envista's front-end styling, inspired by the Buick Wildcat EV concept, featured a split lighting design with thin daytime running lights above and vertical headlights flanking the grille. This sleek arrangement, similar to those on the Hyundai Kona and Jeep Cherokee, was a first for Buick, setting the Envista apart from the Envision and Encore GX. The ST grade boasted black exterior trim and 18-inch wheels, while the Avenir trim offered bright exterior trim and standard 19-inch wheels. Inside, the Envista's cabin, though similar to the Trax, featured smoother surfaces and softer materials, albeit with a somewhat artificial texture. The interior was a step up from the Trax, but still aligned with its entry-level status.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, aside from the low-volume Celestiq EV, was Cadillac's largest and most expensive offering. It embodied old-school Cadillac luxury, distinguishing itself from the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL with which it shared a platform. The updated design brought the Escalade closer to Cadillac's EVs, with large vertical headlights and tall, vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillac tailfins. Available in standard and long-wheelbase ESV configurations, the Escalade offered various trim levels, including the performance-oriented Escalade-V. Inside, Cadillac worked to mask the shared platform with a screen-centric interior design, featuring a 55-inch display spanning the dashboard. The Escalade offered a range of upholstery options, from synthetic leather to semi-aniline leather, with curated interior motifs. The Premium Luxury Platinum model impressed with its Whisper Beige upholstery and wood trim, making it hard to believe it shared a platform with a Chevy.

The 2024 Buick Envista featured a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This setup, shared with the Trax, offered a refined driving experience, delivering power smoothly. Unlike its predecessor, the Buick Encore, the Envista did not offer all-wheel drive, differentiating it from the Encore GX. The Envista's suspension included a torsion-beam rear setup for base models, while models with 19-inch wheels received a Buick-exclusive Watts Link rear suspension for improved ride quality. The front suspension was a MacPherson strut setup with Buick-specific tuning. The Envista handled bumps well, though it felt nervous on less-than-perfect pavement. Despite its small engine, the Envista accelerated with urgency and offered a quieter, more comfortable ride than the Trax.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade dropped the Duramax turbodiesel option, leaving the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 engine, producing 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The Escalade-V continued with a supercharged 6.2-litre V8, delivering 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. All models featured a 10-speed automatic transmission, providing a balance of low and high ratios for efficient driving. In Canada, four-wheel drive was standard, with the Escalade-V offering a performance-oriented all-wheel drive system. Most trims included an electronic rear limited-slip differential and a two-speed transfer case. Magnetic Ride Control damping was standard on all but the base Luxury grade, offering adaptive damping for a smoother ride. Despite its power, the Escalade's brakes lacked confidence, though a Performance Upgrade Package with Brembo calipers was available.

The 2024 Buick Envista, 36 centimetres longer than the outgoing Encore, featured a 14.5-centimetre wheelbase stretch. This resulted in increased rear-seat legroom by 7.6 cm and greater shoulder room in both rows. However, the coupe-like design reduced headroom, particularly in the second row. The seats were comfortable, and a power moonroof was optional on Sport Touring and standard on Avenir. The Envista offered 586 litres of cargo space with the rear seats up and 1,189 litres with them folded, less than the Trax and the old Encore.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, available in short and long-wheelbase configurations, offered ample interior space. The ESV model, with a 33.5-centimetre longer wheelbase, provided increased cargo space and third-row legroom. The Escalade boasted the most first-row headroom in its class, though second and third-row headroom lagged behind competitors. Cargo space was best-in-segment, with 722 litres behind the rear seats in the standard model and 1,175 litres in the ESV. The Escalade's towing capacity met segment expectations, though it lacked some of the towing features offered by competitors like Lincoln.

The 2024 Buick Envista came standard with an 11-inch touchscreen and 8-inch digital instrument cluster, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The interface was user-friendly, with retained buttons and knobs for climate control and audio volume. However, the centre stack's tilt towards the driver made controls a bit of a reach for passengers. The Envista lacked optional tech features like a head-up display, but offered a competitive amount of features for its price range.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade featured a 55-inch door-to-door display, incorporating a digital instrument cluster, central infotainment touchscreen, and front-passenger touchscreen. A 19-speaker AKG audio system was standard, with a 36-speaker version available. The Escalade retained standalone wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a hard button for vehicle operation. The interface was user-friendly, though Cadillac's voice recognition lagged behind competitors. The optional Executive Second Row Package added 12.6-inch screens, dual wireless chargers, and upgraded seats with massage and headrest speakers.

The 2024 Buick Envista's crash-test ratings were unavailable at the time of publication. Standard driver assist features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. In Canada, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade offered adaptive cruise control, blind-zone steering assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and a 360-degree camera system. GM's Safety Alert Seat provided warnings through vibrations, and Super Cruise allowed for hands-free driving on mapped roads. Crash test ratings were unavailable at the time of writing.