Compare the2025 Ford Expedition MaxVS 2025 Cadillac Escalade ESV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Ford Expedition Max have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac Escalade ESV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Ford Expedition Max achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Cadillac Escalade ESV has not been tested.

The Expedition Max has standard Post-Impact Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Expedition Max and the Escalade ESV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Expedition Max is safer than the Cadillac Escalade ESV:

	Expedition Max	Escalade ESV
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	23/39 lbs.	152/161 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	47%
Neck Stress	155 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	271/178 lbs.	333/811 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Expedition Max is safer than the Cadillac Escalade ESV:

	Expedition Max	Escalade ESV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	23	25
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	108 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	134	239
Hip Force	569 lbs.	764 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Expedition Max is .4% to 2.6% less likely to roll over than the Escalade ESV.

Warranty

There are over 5 times as many Ford dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition Max’s warranty.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Expedition Max have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade ESV.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 8 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The Expedition Max’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 20 lbs.-ft. more torque (480 vs. 460) than the Escalade ESV’s 6.2 V8. The Expedition Max’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 20 more horsepower (440 vs. 420) and 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 460) than the Escalade ESV’s 6.2 V8.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Expedition Max gets better mileage than the Escalade ESV:

			MPG
Expedition Max
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6 (400 HP)	15 city/22 hwy
		3.5 turbo V6 (440 HP)	15 city/22 hwy
Escalade ESV
	RWD	6.2 OHV V8	15 city/19 hwy
	AWD	6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Expedition Max higher (6 out of 10) than the Cadillac Escalade ESV (5). This means the Expedition Max produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escalade ESV every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Expedition Max’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade ESV:

	Expedition Max	Escalade ESV
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

Suspension and Handling

The Expedition Max’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Expedition Max Platinum 4x4 handles at .78 G’s, while the Escalade ESV Sport 4WD pulls only .71 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Expedition Max Platinum 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Escalade ESV Premium Luxury 4WD (28 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

The Ford Expedition Max may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade ESV.

The Expedition Max is 5.3 inches shorter than the Escalade ESV, making the Expedition Max easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Expedition Max has .6 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room, .6 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.9 inches more third row hip room and 1.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Escalade ESV.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Expedition Max’s middle and third row seats recline. The Escalade ESV’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Expedition Max’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Escalade ESV’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac Escalade ESV is limited to 7500 pounds. The Expedition Max 4x4 offers up to a 9000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Expedition Max’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Expedition Max owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Expedition Max will cost $1190 to $7420 less than the Escalade ESV over a five-year period.

The Expedition Max will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Expedition Max will retain 50.7% to 55.64% of its original price after five years, while the Escalade ESV only retains 46.78% to 50.45%.

Recommendations

The Ford Expedition outsold the Cadillac Escalade by 89% during 2024.

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