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Speaking of the economy, the Escalade Hybrid may someday be viewed as the worst-timed car introduction ever — a luxury hybrid that arrives just as Americans are losing their shirts, taking the shine off flashy S.U.V.’s, and as gas prices are plunging, perhaps making the shift to hybrids less urgent. No single vehicle is going to rescue General Motors from its perilous financial situation, of course, but the company certainly did not catch a break with this one.
I managed to eke out 22.3 miles a gallon on one highway-biased trip, and about 20 m.p.g. over all. The hybrid system’s benefit is most pronounced in urban driving, where Cadillac claims a 50 percent improvement in fuel economy. (The gas-only Escalade is rated 12 m.p.g. in town, 18 on the highway, with all-wheel drive.) . . .