This is my first post, but I've been stalking y'all for about a month.

I've been researching for a choice between an escalade and a QX56. Thoughts so far:

-I've test driven both and to be honest I loved the way the QX drove over the Escalade. Even though the Escalade is running almost 100 more HP, I thought the QX felt like it had better acceleration and shifted much more smoothly.

-There's no comparison when it comes to ride quality. The 22's on the escalade make it ride like the 03 Yukon I'm driving now. The QX is a serious luxury cruiser, and it blows GM out of the water.

-Interior styling is also hands down superior to the escalade. I dunno if the government takeover of GM caused them to cut corners on fit and finish, but there's a lot of cheap plastic crap in the cabin, and the seats aren't nearly as comfortable as my 03 yukon.

-The QX has 4wd with a 4-lo option. The escalade is 2wd (I live in south texas so its not really an issue but nice to have anyway).

I'm not in love with the exterior of the QX, I like the body on the escalade more, but there's way too much chrome and bling for my taste. That said, there are so many positives with this vehicle, I'll live with the body.

Gas mileage is about the same, and normally I'd choose the 405HP with the same mileage stats, but like I said I loved the way the QX accelerated and cruised even with the lower output.

So, I'm close to pulling the trigger on the QX but I want to get some real world opinions/likes/dislikes from guys and gals that drive on every day.

*What kind of problems have you had?
*What do you love? Hate?
*I'm planning on throwing on a cold air intake and a superchip. Anybody done either of these mods and what kind of results (if any) did you see?
*Real world MPG?

I'm sure this thread's been done to death, but for some reason the search option has been erroring out on me and I can't search for one.

Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

EZ

I would look at a 2008 qx56 because they have an even nicer interior. Other than that I personally prefer the looks and handling of the infiniti over the gm.

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I tested both 2010 QX and Escalade. I decided to get the QX because of the 3rd row seat. So far i have not experienced any problems. First thing i noticed is the bump steer. So, I replaced the front strut with Rancho and bump steer is 99% gone. Second mod is the Banks Ram Air and Superchips Cortex.

I would look at a 2008 qx56 because they have an even nicer interior. Other than that I personally prefer the looks and handling of the infiniti over the gm.

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Ditto this.

07 Escalade > 07 QX merely bc the interior of the Escalade is nicer than the old style QX and I really like the exterior of the Escalade. We would have gotten a white diamond pearl Caddy to tone down the bling.

07 Escalade < 08 QX easily. The improvements on the QX blew the new Escalade away. The tech and the 3rd row were big things for us.

If I were you, I'd stretch to get a 08 QX and get the best of both worlds.

Good luck on your choice!

As an aside, after we got the QX, we had a 3rd child so I had to get another SUV to supplement our QX on off times that we both had to drive the kids. The Escalade was one of my finalists since it would not be our primary family vehicle. I ended up getting an Audi Q7 b/c I fell in love with the German dynamics but I would have been very happy in the Escalade.

Welcome to CA EZ_!

Sounds to me like you have already discovered the differences and from what I hear, there is no problems with the '07 QX56.

:eek: So... What are you waiting for?

Welcome to the Club!!! Sounds like you've made your decision, you'll be glad you did!

I would look at a 2008 qx56 because they have an even nicer interior. Other than that I personally prefer the looks and handling of the infiniti over the gm.

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yeah you gotta go with 08, better interior, power third row seat, hard drive to store music, better keyless entry and updated grill and chrome roof rack...

My neighbor has an Escalade and my coworker has an 08 Qx-56 and I much prefer the Qx

Ive had my share of GM rides and I can say as far as the interiors: CHEAP

If I could I would get the out side of the Escalade with everything engine,trany,ECU, interior,space, from a 08 QX56


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I recently did what you did but took it one step further comparing the Mercedes GL550 and Lexus LX570 as well. Obviously the lexus and mercedes are pricier, but for the sake of a class comparison across the board i did a ton of research on a good number of full size models, and came down to the QX56, Escalade, Mercedes and Lexus models. I did opt for the 2008 model as they seemed to due the most significant "in model revision" this year and I liked the differences. Interior has upgrades, electronics and some subtle but nice items like heated steering wheel.

Bottom line, after test driving and researching to death, the QX56 won hands down. It also has the smoothest ride (mercedes was on par) and the most features surprisingly. In addition when I researched repairs the QX56 consistently received the highest marks for reliability (I still opted to get a carchex 4 year, 60k add on warranty for peace of mind.) From my research most of the frequently known problems have become TSB's or recalls, as Nissan/Infiniti is good about standing behind their product. The only other item I've seen have some issues is the tire pressure sensors (which have since been revised with newer parts, my understanding is the issue is resolved), a gas seal/sensor (also TSB'd and fixed) and the rear actuator that lifts the door (not sure if this is TSB'd but my understanding is the newer part no longer suffers from the high failure rate the originals did.)

Anyway, my two cents. Get what's best for you. I had to shop around for a long time because I wanted a bench in the second row, not captains chairs, but I'm happy with my purchase. If I could add one thing it would be the front sonar sensors (part of the ICC package, I thought it was standard) but not a huge deal.

Good luck on your car hunt! I recommend using sites like edmunds to do plenty of research on the year make and model of your vehicle, as well as to get a decent idea of what you can expect to pay.

Like others have said try and go with an 08 for the interior upgrades and other improvements. I would replace the front struts with Bilstein (Many on here have including myself) and it will handle even better and you lose the bump-steer issue. I also looked at used Escalade's before buying the QX. I liked the QX fold-flat third seat, interior, the drive and handling and fit/finish better. In my area there are a ton of Escalade's and Denali's so it is also nice to be more exclusive. I have only seen a handfull of Armada's and QX's here. I have had some minor issues but they were due mostly to prior owner negligence not the car itself. You will not be disappointed in the QX. Good luck!

Thanks for all the responses guys! I've decided to go with the 08 QX, mainly because of the input from this thread. Hope to find one in the next month or so, I'll post pics when I pull the trigger

Thanks for all the responses guys! I've decided to go with the 08 QX, mainly because of the input from this thread. Hope to find one in the next month or so, I'll post pics when I pull the trigger

Good Choice! Good luck looking and I am sure you will love it once you find one.

Great call!!!! Any idea what colors you're looking for?

Well when I purchased my 07 QX, it was that or a yukon/tahoe z71. You couldn't give me a Caddy and catch me driving it if my life depended on it!!! My dad drives an 06 z71 tahoe so I knew what to expect with GM. I was also familiar with Infiniti because I have owned a g35 since 06. It was a great car with zero problems at 155k miles. When we drove the Q, it was night and day difference between the Tahoe and the Q. The Q has a much smoother ride and much more comfort. This was the biggest deciding factor due to me breaking my back from a motorcycle accident a few years back

I had an 05 escalade. It was all stock and had 31k miles when i sold it. The ride on the escalade was smoother than my 2010 mada but the 4wd in escalades is a joke...and i mean it. If i wud buy another suv again i would def go with the new qx. Escalades are just more classy and flashyy in my opinion.