The four-speed transmission shifts smoothly, particularly around town. But it didn't seem programmed to take advantage of the humongous torque. Its features include something called passive shift stabilization, which delays upshifts, and Cadillac claims it does not induce downshifts. However, something does; ours frequently kicked down out of overdrive, in places and at speeds that other powerful new cars and trucks buzz right through, such as uphill on a 65-mph freeway at a steady cruise-controlled 70.

Like other full-size SUVs from GM, the Escalade is equipped with a Tow/Haul mode. Press a button on the end of the shift stalk and the Tow mode reduces hunting among gears by delaying upshifts and downshifts. The shifting is also harder and more abrupt. This reduces heat buildup in the transmission when towing reducing wear.

The computer-controlled all-wheel-drive system directs engine power where it's needed and compensates whenever and wherever wheel spin occurs. In dry conditions, the front wheels get 38 percent of the driving torque, and the rear wheels get 62 percent; as any wheel slips, torque is transferred away, until it can be restored to regain that 38/62 optimum split. This increases stability and performance in slippery conditions.

The computer-controlled self-leveling suspension with extra large high-tech Bilstein shock absorbers sounds impressive on paper ("through a complex software algorithm, it computes the individual optimal shock demand for each wheel"), but paper is easy, the road is rough. In simpler words, we think the Escalade feels floaty. There's a switch on the dash that allows a suspension setting for towing or off-road. In the Columbia River valley where wind reigns supreme, the Escalade did not feel as stable as it should be. And you can feel the patches on the freeway more than you might like to. On two-lanes with curves it doesn't feel as agile as a BMW X5-or even a Ford Expedition, for that matter-but at least there isn't a lot of body roll.

The Escalade feels very stable when driven hard through on-ramps and off-ramps. In back-to-back driving with a Lexus LX 470, the Escalade felt more stable in corners and in braking-and-turning maneuvers.

The brakes are four-wheel disc with ABS, 12-inch diameter front, 13-inch rear, not ventilated. That doesn't sound impressive for such as big vehicle, particularly if it's headed downhill with a trailer weighing the maximum 8500 pounds towing capacity. But they felt good in hard use on winding roads and delivered stable performance under hard braking. The brakes are an enormous improvement over the brakes that used to come on Suburbans.