The third-generation EXT carries the Escalade pick-up formula into an even more flamboyant and more luxurious execution. It is a niche vehicle, almost a recent collector's item, blending a high-end cabin with a genuinely usable cargo bed. Its natural territory sits close to a Lincoln Navigator reimagined with a practical dimension, though the Cadillac leans far harder into pure spectacle.
The 6.2 V8 L92 and all-wheel drive handle the workload with ease, but this kind of vehicle ages mostly according to how hard it was previously used. Towing, heavy loading, ostentatious driving and oversized wheels all leave very tangible marks on the suspension, gearbox and chassis. An EXT must therefore be assessed well beyond its styling and equipment level, because even moderate hard use is expensive to correct on such a heavy platform.