Interior

When I first got into the Escalde Hybrid, I thought, “Wow, that’s a lot of plastic!” As I spent more time in it, I found even more plastic. I didn’t know what was the bigger contradiction: all the plastic in a supposedly “green” vehicle or all the plastic in a supposedly “luxury” vehicle. I’m not talking about cleverly disguised plastic that’s textured and painted; I’m talking about cheap, lightweight, molded plastic. The bottom half of the doors are plastic. The door bins are molded plastic. The fake wood trim is “tap, tap,” yep, plastic. The center instrument stack is set in flat, black plastic.

The seats and center armrest are covered in a supple leather. The front seats are heated and cooled, and they adjust in 14 ways, including height. The pedals also are power adjustable, and when you factor in the power tilt steering wheel, finding the perfect driving position is easy for drivers of any size. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped and has controls for the audio system and the Bluetooth connection. I had no problem setting things up, and my phone worked well.

A large color touch-screen provides navigation and traffic information; it also shows a graphical representation of the SUV’s hybrid system. The Escalade Hybrid comes with satellite radio, an MP3 jack and a six-disc CD changer. The touch-screen system’s panel seemed clumsy and old-fashioned in its design. The DVD-driven navigation system didn’t seem to be well-planned either. A drive just below the touch-screen houses the map info, and I could hear it running as soon as I started the car. Most navigation systems are housed somewhere out of the way; with little people who like to press buttons in the car, I think out of the way is generally a good idea.

Storage isn’t a problem in the Escalade. There are plenty of cupholders and bottleholders. A decent-sized center console bin holds all the essentials; the top of the large armrest is a great place to set electronics. There are two seatback pockets and four door bins.

The second row folds and tilts to provide access to the third row, but it’s heavy and cumbersome to use. Usually, my kids had jumped over the seatbacks long before I had managed to tilt the second-row seats. I also wasn’t fond of the rear seat belts. They have a cozy little pocket to hide in and tend to flop around while little ones are trying to buckle up.

There was plenty of room in both the second and third rows for child-safety seats, and a rear-facing infant-safety seat could easily fit in the second row. The Latch connectors are easy to access and not hidden at all.

The third row is fairly mediocre. It only sits about 3 inches off the floor, so legroom is nonexistent. I’d feel awful asking an adult to sit back there. It was bad enough when I climbed back there to check it out. I almost couldn’t get out! When the third row is in place, there’s almost no cargo room. I could fit a few grocery bags or backpacks back there, but that was it. Folding the third-row seats is a chore, as well. It’s a two-part process that involves folding the seats, then tilting them forward. It’s awkward and clumsy and leaves large tracks on the cargo floor — just perfect for collecting gunk — instead of a nice, smooth floor like in other SUVs.

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

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