Compare the2026 Chevrolet SuburbanVS 2025 Cadillac Escalade ESV

The Suburban (except LS with front bench seat) has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Suburban and the Escalade ESV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and available all wheel drive.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Suburban third among large suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Escalade ESV isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 5 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

The Suburban’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (495 vs. 460) than the Escalade ESV’s 6.2 V8.

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

For better maneuverability, the Suburban’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Escalade ESV’s (41.5 feet vs. 43.3 feet).

The Chevrolet Suburban may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 300 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade ESV.

The Suburban offers optional seating for 9 passengers; the Escalade ESV can only carry up to 8.

The Suburban has .1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear legroom, .3 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escalade ESV.

The Suburban’s cargo area provides more volume than the Escalade ESV.

The Suburban’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade ESV’s (7500 vs. 7300 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac Escalade ESV is only 7500 pounds. The Suburban offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Suburban has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Escalade ESV (1750 vs. 1500 lbs.).

The Suburban has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Escalade ESV (1759 vs. 1600 lbs.).

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Suburban’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.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Suburban is less expensive to operate than the Escalade ESV because typical repairs cost much less on the Suburban than the Escalade ESV, including $34 less for a water pump, $558 less for a muffler, $604 less for front struts and $1006 less for a power steering pump.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Suburban second among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Escalade ESV was rated third in its category.

The Chevrolet Suburban outsold the Cadillac Escalade by 9% during 2024.