With the birth of the first Escalade in 1999, General Motors provided a luxury Sport Utility Vehicle through their popular Cadillac model. The interest in SUVs has increased since the late 90s with consumers searching for intriguing full size, higher end selections. The 2003 Cadillac Escalade came a long way from the basic model, successfully competing against rivals in the German and Japanese SUV market.
The growing concerns of an effected environment, as well as the gas guzzling nature of a sport utility vehicle makes some shy away from the thought of purchasing an Escalade. This has not stopped well known personalities from jumping on the band wagon. Not only can they afford the expensive cost to maintain and fix these SUVs, but use these vehicles to make a trendy fashion statement.A Definite Status SymbolThe ownership of a Cadillac Escalade has become something of a status symbol throughout the years. They are showcased within music videos to denote wealth and flashiness. Movie stars and other celebrities, such as Paris Hilton own one in their personal collection of cars. The Escalade model is also quite popular among athletes. Former Golden State Warrior player, Chris Mills prefers the design of this particular SUV, which was also purchased by more than five of his fellow teammates. Top draft picks from an array of NFL teams have acquired a Cadillac Escalade with their newfound wealth. Besides on the road, this popular model also appears in various movies, commercials and music videos.Customizing Your VehicleA popular trend in today’s society (in regards to cars) is personal customization. Car owners have shaped and transformed their factory models to suit their own tastes and style.
A common upgrade on SUVs is to add larger wheels or chrome rims. Some exchange their factory engine for one that is equipped for racing. One of the more popular customizations is to choose a custom paint color or add visual detail to the body. This allows car owners to fully express themselves through their vehicle.When considering the purchase of an SUV, you will find three different choices that were introduced in the 2003 Cadillac Escalade. Each model possesses an appeal that usually attracts a certain type of customer. There is the standard Escalade Wagon option, as well as the Escalade EXT Pick Up Truck. One of the more expensive choices is the Escalade ESV, which features a lengthy base.2003 Cadillac Escalade UpgradesLike all car models, General Motors is constantly tweaking their line of vehicles to push the envelope within the car industry. This was seen in some of the improvements made within the 2003 Escalade product line. Some of the features attached to this vehicle include Rear Wheel Drive Power assisted pedals; an improved 4 Wheel system; as well as 5.3L V8 or High Output Vortec 6000 V8 engines. In 2003, the EXT Pick Up Truck was introduced to the public. It gave consumers the ability to accommodate a total of five people and featured the convenience of four doors. This model also provided a High Output 6.0L engine as a standard. It will be interesting to see some of the other improvements that come out in future models.Cadillac Escalade: Thieves’ Most Desired CarCadillac Escalade, the sleek, bold and luxurious sport-utility vehicle which is famed by some
Hollywood’s personalities, did not only attract celebrities but the elusive thieves as well. Escalade has been a hot item in the news for several years now because of its record in theft losses. So far, the hype is retained.
To circumvent this fact, Escalade owners see to it that their cars are insured. To date, Escalade has the highest rate of insurance theft claims for 4 consecutive years including this year. This datum was released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Divulged in the study were the top three vehicle models that are often subject to thievery. Escalade bags the highest rank. It was followed by Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab pickup.In the data given by Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the insurance institute, Escalade offers plenty of eye candy parts Cadillac to tempt thieves, from chromed wheels and leather seats to rear-seat DVD systems. Not to mention a marketing campaign that links the Escalade to the hip and trendy.According to Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute, “This is the car that Tony Soprano drives. It’s seen in a lot of rap videos. There are a lot of NFL players who are photographed in it. It’s part of our pop culture as a very large, flashy SUV.”The overall results show the Escalade has not only the highest rate of claims but also very expensive claims when they are filed. In fact, almost one-quarter of theft claims for the Escalade are for $40,000 or more, indicating that thieves often are stealing the whole vehicles and not just their parts,” Hazelbaker, further added.This is the fourth year of Escalade’s record. In fact, 4 models of Escalade top the list of the worst overall insurance losses for theft among all passenger vehicles.
On the part of the automaker, engineers are making sure that electronic ignition system of the car will not start unless the proper key is used. This is done to lessen the percentage of thievery.
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