Quality-wise, the battle is one-sided. Though Caddy has improved its interiors over the last decade, it’s tough going up against a Mercedes, even more so when it has an “S” in its name.
The quality of the Merc’s interior is befitting of a car with a $130k + asking price, but we’re not entirely convinced Caddy can justify asking $150k. Add roughly $30,000 to the price, and you’re in Bentley Bentayga territory, and it’s a cut above both these SUVs.
The Escalade-V’s interior is ergonomically superior. Merc’s touchpad is outdated, while Cadillac’s iDrive-like system isn’t half bad. The Mercedes comes standard with MBUX, an operating system built around voice activation. You say, “Hey Mercedes,” followed by whatever you need.
We’re not particularly fond of talking to cars, mainly because it’s counterproductive. You say, “Hey Mercedes. I’m cold.” So it increases the interior temperature but by how much? It seems to depend on the model. This to and fro is pointless, and it’s much easier to simply use the separate shortcut buttons below the vents.