Cadillac Escalade

After repeatedly topping the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s list of most stolen cars in recent years, the Dodge Charger has been replaced in the top 20 of this year’s study by another muscle car.

There are lots of choices among the cheaper-to-buy-and-drive mid-size SUVs that, when properly configured, can safely tow at least 5,000 pounds.

Shopping for a three-row SUV means balancing priorities of seat quantity versus comfort. If the number of seats trump all, many three-row SUVs offer a second-row bench, but other models give up the second-row middle seat for captain’s chairs.

When it comes to operation, actually driving and using them, many of us prefer the mainstream-branded versions of big SUVs to the fancier, more luxurious, more expensive luxury-brand versions.

The styling updates look good, and the new screens are impressive, but the 2025 Escalade takes a step back in terms of interior plastics and trim quality, which don’t keep pace with its ever-increasing price tag.

GM’s latest recall affects more than 597,600 SUVs and pickup trucks from its Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands over an issue that may lead to engine damage or failure.

The all-new Escalade IQ prioritizes style and technology over usable space, with a focus on the driver and executive passengers rather than those in the rearmost seats.

The 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL will go on sale in the second half of 2025, carrying a premium of about $2,800 over the shorter Escalade IQ.

The all-new 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is packed with tech and safety features and starts at $129,990.

Another major GM recall affecting diesel-equipped pickup trucks and SUVs involves a transmission control valve that may fail.