---
title: "The Finest 2021 Cadillac Escalade Will Now Start at $101,000"
description: "That's an $8,000 price bump over its 2020 sibling."
date: "2020-04-20"
modified: "2020-04-20"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Tsui"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-tsui"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/33089/the-finest-2021-cadillac-escalade-will-now-start-at-101000"
categories:
  - "Cadillac News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Cadillac"
  - "Escalade"
  - "luxury"
  - "suv/crossover"
---

# The Finest 2021 Cadillac Escalade Will Now Start at $101,000

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/04/2021-Cadillac-Escalade-046.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The [2021 Cadillac Escalade](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32055/the-2021-cadillac-escalade-abounds-with-executive-style-excess>) may have a less bling-tastic exterior than its predecessors but that certainly didn't mean it was going to get any cheaper. GM's luxury marque released pricing for its all-new flagship SUV and as it happens, parking Caddy's biggest and baddest clout-mobile on your driveway just became more expensive than ever.

In its base Luxury trim, the 2021 Escalade will cost $77,490 post-destination, a price bump of exactly $1,000 compared to this year's model. Admittedly not too big of a deal especially in this price bracket. Things get a little more eye-watering, however, when opting for the new Escalade's highest trims. The new Escalade's top-dog Platinum Luxury and Platinum Sport trims will start at almost $8,000 more than its equivalent 2020 models did, resulting in a bill for $101,290. A fully loaded [Cadillac](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32519/exclusive-photos-show-the-2021-cadillac-ct5-v-will-have-a-manual-transmission>) Escalade has been a six-figure vehicle for a while now, but the fact that certain trims will now *start* at that milestone is quite somethin'.

In exchange for all that cash, Platinum 2021 Escalades get 16-way adjustable massaging front seats lined in something called Opus semi-aniline leather, the 36 AKG speakers rather than the standard 19, soft-close doors, and a configurable, adaptive air suspension system with Magnetic Ride Control.

![message-editor%2F1587413702741-2021-cadillac-escalade-062.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1587413702741-2021-cadillac-escalade-062.jpg>)
**Cadillac**

Regardless of trim, all-wheel drive is a $3,000 option.

All that said, we can't honestly see this price hike affecting Escalade sales all that much considering [most of them will almost certainly be leased or financed over a bazillion months](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/24489/over-half-of-new-car-loans-in-canada-have-84-month-terms-as-sales-continue-to-rise>). I mean, what's another $8,000 spread over seven years? The cost of another trip to Starbucks per day? Curved, 38-inch OLED [digital dashboards](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31505/it-looks-like-the-2021-cadillac-escalades-interior-will-be-just-one-massive-screen>) don't come cheap, y'know. Plus, an argument could probably be made for the Escalade as enough of a [Veblen good](<https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/veblen-good.asp>) in which a six-figure price tag is actually a feature, not a bug.

So, while its increase in price is unlikely to hurt Caddy's newest truck, we can't say the same about [economy-halting pandemics.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32859/the-coronavirus-outbreak-is-devastating-new-car-sales-and-april-will-be-far-worse>)

*h/t:* [*Car & Driver*](<https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a32210398/2020-cadillac-escalade-pricing/>)

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## Author
Chris Tsui is *The Drive*'s former Reviews Editor and current freelance automotive journalist. He's based in Toronto.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/cltsuii/>)