Tested: 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL on a 1600-Mile Road Trip
Key takeaways
- Cadillac's giant electric SUV proves well suited to a multi-state highway cruise.
- In April, I drove the largest electric Escalade, the IQL, 1600 miles in nine days through five states and one province.
- The trip taught me that an electric Escalade is a superb road-trip vehicle, perfectly suited to interstate highways.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Cadillac's giant electric SUV proves well suited to a multi-state highway cruise.
View exterior photos Michael Simari|Car and Driver If you want a three-row electric luxury SUV with at least 400 miles of EPA or manufacturer estimated range, you have three choices: the Cadillac Escalade IQ, the Lucid Gravity, or the Rivian R1S. In April, I drove the largest electric Escalade, the IQL, 1600 miles in nine days through five states and one province. I recharged it six times, using a mix of DC fast-charging—which the EV routed me to—and slower overnight charging at home and at a hotel.
The trip taught me that an electric Escalade is a superb road-trip vehicle, perfectly suited to interstate highways. It's possibly the smoothest, quietest, and most comfortable way I've traveled. GM's Super Cruise remains among my favorite hands-off adaptive cruise control systems, with some new features recently added. On the other hand, despite truly fast DC fast-charging, the IQL is the least energy-efficient EV I've ever driven, and its heft and girth made it a handful to park in my little village, which was laid out well before automobiles existed.