2025 Cadillac Escalade vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its rugged yet refined appearance, with the Wilderness trim receiving a subtle update featuring a new front fascia and LED fog lights. The dark grey cladding provided a striking contrast to the Autumn Green Metallic paint of the Premier XT model, which was described as a “green-tinged dark khaki.” This colour choice was surprisingly appealing, offering a unique alternative to the more common champagne-beige hues. The Outback's various trims showcased different levels of black and chrome exterior fittings, with the Premier XT trim featuring the most chrome, which was tastefully executed. Wheel designs varied across trims, with the Wilderness trim sporting matte black 17-inch alloy wheels, while the Onyx trim upgraded to 18-inch wheels in basic black. The interior of the top-trim test car was impressive, featuring Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery that was both attractive and comfortable. The Outback Limited trims offered standard leather seating, while the Onyx and Wilderness trims featured Subaru’s StarTex synthetic leather, and the Convenience and Touring trims came with cloth seats.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, meanwhile, embodied old-school Cadillac luxury with its updated design, further distinguishing itself from its platform-sharing siblings, the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL. The most significant exterior change was a new front end that aligned the gasoline Escalade stylistically with the Escalade IQ and other Cadillac EVs. The headlights were redesigned as large vertical bars with smaller horizontal daytime running lights, while the rear retained tall, vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillac tailfins. For the first time, 24-inch wheels were available, enhancing the vehicle's imposing presence. Cadillac offered both standard-wheelbase and long-wheelbase Escalade ESV body styles, with various trim levels including Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury Platinum, and Sport Platinum, as well as the performance-oriented Escalade-V. The interior featured a screen-centric design with a 55-inch OLED curved display spanning the dashboard, replacing the previous 38-inch display. The Escalade's interior was luxurious, with options for real leather upholstery and curated interior motifs, such as Renaissance Red leather with open-pore wood trim. The Premium Luxury Platinum test car boasted Whisper Beige upholstery and wood trim, showcasing a level of finish impressive for a mainstream automaker.

The 2024 Subaru Outback was powered by a “Boxer” horizontally opposed engine, with the base model featuring a 2.5-litre flat-four engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness trim, were equipped with a more powerful 2.4-litre turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This turbo setup increased the towing capacity from 1,225 to 1,587 kilograms. Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) were standard across the lineup. The Premier XT test car, with its turbocharged engine, provided a more satisfying driving experience compared to the base engine, which was found to be underpowered. The CVT effectively mimicked the sound and feel of eight distinct gears, and the brake pedal, aided by an electronic booster, offered a reassuring feel. The Outback's steering was adequate, and the suspension contributed to a comfortable ride. The base Outback had 22 centimetres of ground clearance, while the Wilderness trim increased this to 24.1 centimetres and included all-terrain tires and an advanced dual-function version of Subaru’s X-Mode.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade dropped the Duramax turbodiesel inline-six engine option, leaving only the naturally aspirated gasoline 6.2-litre V8 engine, which produced 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The Escalade-V continued with a supercharged 6.2-litre V8, delivering an impressive 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque. All Escalade models featured a 10-speed automatic transmission, providing a balance of low ratios for acceleration and high ratios for efficient highway cruising. In Canada, four-wheel drive (4WD) was standard on most models, while the Escalade-V had a model-specific all-wheel drive (AWD) system designed for performance driving. Most trims, except the base Luxury, 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 V8 power, the Escalade's brakes were less confidence-inspiring, though an optional Performance Upgrade Package with Brembo six-piston front calipers was available.

The 2024 Subaru Outback offered ample interior space despite its sleek proportions. With a moonroof-equipped model, the Outback provided more front headroom than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, though it fell slightly short in rear-seat headroom compared to the RAV4. The Outback excelled in front-row legroom and surpassed the RAV4 in rear-seat legroom. The cargo area measured 923 litres with all seats in place and 2,141 litres with the rear seats folded, outperforming the RAV4 when the rear seats were down. Feature availability was a strong point, with dual-zone climate control standard on most trims, and heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat standard in Canada. Heated outboard rear seats were available from the Onyx trim, while ventilation was exclusive to the Premier XT trim. The hands-free power liftgate and power moonroof were standard from the Touring trim, and the Outback's roof rails with retractable cross bars were a practical touch.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, available in both short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase configurations, offered generous interior space. The long-wheelbase Escalade ESV added 33.5 centimetres between the wheels, benefiting cargo space and third-row legroom. The Escalade accommodated up to eight passengers, or seven with second-row captain’s chairs. It boasted the most first-row headroom among full-size SUVs, though second-row headroom was slightly less than the BMW X7 and Range Rover. The standard-length model provided 722 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, 2,064 litres behind the second-row seats, and 3,412 litres behind the front seats, all best-in-segment figures. ESV models further increased cargo space, surpassing the Lincoln Navigator L. The Escalade's towing capacity was 3,675 kilograms for the standard-wheelbase model and 3,628 kilograms for the ESV, comparable to competitors like the Range Rover and Lexus LX.

The 2024 Subaru Outback Premier XT featured a larger 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, while the Convenience trim retained a dual-7-inch-screen system. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform, though dated in appearance, offered standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless functionality starting from the Touring trim. Climate controls were integrated into the touchscreen, with hard buttons for defoggers and temperature adjustments. Bluetooth and SiriusXM connectivity were standard, and most trims included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, except for the Convenience and Touring models.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade combined traditional truck-like engineering with a futuristic high-tech interface. The new 55-inch door-to-door display incorporated 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, along with an augmented-reality head-up display and night vision. Cadillac retained standalone wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a hard button for vehicle operation. The Escalade offered extensive creature comforts for second-row passengers, with an optional Executive Second Row Package featuring 12.6-inch screens, dual wireless device chargers, and upgraded seats with massage and headrest speakers.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies was standard, including adaptive cruise control, automatic pre-collision braking, and lane-keep assist. Reverse automatic braking was standard from the Touring trim, and a wide-angle camera was added for better detection of cyclists and pedestrians. The Premier XT trim included a digital rearview mirror and a driver-attention monitor.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade featured standard driver assist technologies such as adaptive cruise control, blind-zone steering assist, automatic emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera system. GM-specific features included a vibrating Safety Alert Seat and Super Cruise, a hands-free driving system. Super Cruise allowed for hands-free driving on mapped roads, though the handoff to manual control was abrupt. Current crash test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable at the time of writing.