At $11,995, Could This 2013 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Make You 'Slade In The Shade?

Today's Nice Price or No Dice Cadillac Escalade is a rare Hybrid model with two electric motors sandwiched between its V8 engine and 4WD. Once very expensive, we'll have to see if this Champagne-hued luxury SUV now fits our beer budget.

For the longest time, Bentley Motors and Rolls-Royce were intrinsically intertwined, with Bentley often getting the short shrift in the partnership. In the latter half of the 20^th Century, Bentley's cars often felt like an afterthought compared to the Parthenon-grilled Rolls models. That's an unfortunate bit of history, as before Rolls-Royce bought Bentley in 1931, the latter company built entire automobiles, rather than just foisting chassis and drivetrains on commissioned coachbuilders like the former.

The 1997 Bentley Brooklands we looked at on Wednesday attempted to distinguish itself from its near-twin Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit by offering a tauter suspension, toned-down body-color grille surround, and a turbocharger bolted to its 6.75-liter V8 engine. Presented in excellent condition and, in the seller's words, "needing nothing," our Bentley came with an $18,000 asking price. That's about a tenth of what the car cost new, but when it came down to brass tacks, opinions were fairly evenly split on its value. Ultimately, the brave—or foolhardy—among us lost out, as the Bentley bombed in an excruciatingly narrow 52% 'No Dice' loss.

Regardless of outcome, yesterday's Bentley was a textbook example of what the ultimate in luxury travel was intended to be in the later decades of the 20th Century. By comparison, the 2013 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid that comes our way today is a more modern execution of that concept.

The Escalade, of course, is the vehicle that arguably saved Cadillac. Originally a slapped-together version of the GMC Denali SUV, the Escalade proved so successful that GM added additional versions and further differentiation with later iterations. Those included the comically weird ESV version based on the Chevy Avalanche pickup. One of the rarest Escalade models is the initial 4WD Hybrid, produced between 2009 and 2013.

The Hybrid Escalade's party piece is the dual-mode AHS2 (Advanced Hybrid System 2, Electric Boogaloo), which replaces the traditional automatic transmission. Co-developed by GM, Daimler-Chrysler, and BMW, the hybrid drive unit was used in several of GM's SUVs, along with Mercedes and BMW sedans and the Dodge Durango. Dual mode means the truck can be powered by the gasoline engine, one of the 60-kilowatt electric motors, or a combination of both. Another 60kW electric motor serves as a generator for the nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This was technology that all three partners in the development consortium thought would pave the way to greater efficiency, but ultimately proved overly complicated for the task. All three dropped the hybrid drive unit by the end of the 2013 model year.

This Escalade Hybrid is one result of that short-lived partnership and product run. According to the ad, it has done 140,000 miles (132k according to the text, 140k according to the sidebar listing details — we'll go with the larger number) and, aside from some minor wear and tear, presents admirably for those miles.

Naturally, the most expensive component of any hybrid or fully electric vehicle is the battery, and it's reassuring to know the pack in this Escalade was replaced at 90K. That gives it at least another 40K if the current pack has the same lifespan as the first.

On the gas side of things, there's a 6.0-liter LZ1 V8, making 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque all by its lonesome. Specs indicate that, combined with the electric motors, power jumps to 379 horses.

Per the seller, the HV battery isn't the only new component this truck has seen. It also has new shocks and suspension components, refreshed brake pads, and new tires on its chrome-plated factory alloys. The ad claims no issues with the truck's performance, saying that it has been "extremely well maintained with all the expensive items already taken care of."

Overall, the truck looks as nice as its description lets on. The exterior, appropriately enough in metallic Champagne, is said to only suffer from some minor scuffs on the rear bumper cap. Other than that, it still shines and is matched with clear, unclouded headlamp covers.

The interior looks lived-in but far from abused. The leather on the driver's seat has the patina of many posteriors, but seems fully intact. So too does the leather on the steering wheel, albeit with a glossy sheen expected given the truck's age and miles. The only other really glaring issue is the wear evident on the fan control in the automatic climate control panel. Geez, people, just leave it on auto!

Craigslist

This is a three-row SUV with room for seven, so it should be as versatile as it is efficient. It comes with built-in navigation, a tow package, and, most importantly, a clean title.

When new, this Escalade commanded over $77,000 to drive it off the dealership lot. That was a long time ago, with many miles and a long-expired warranty in the rearview, so naturally it should cost less now. We need to decide whether the seller's set price of $11,995 is low enough.

Since this one comes with the promise that all the expensive work is already done, it may be a safe bet to take ownership. Also, I think the less said about the AI-generated image of the truck in the ad as some sort of weird road boat, the better.

What do you say? Is this rare hybrid Escalade worth $11,995 as it sits? Or is that too much for a truck with an abandoned technology, no matter how fancy it is?

You decide!

Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!

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