Cadillac Escalade vs Infiniti QX50: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Infiniti QX50 burns about $2,800 of fuel annually against $3,450 for the Cadillac Escalade. That $650 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,250 over five years and $5,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Infiniti QX50 leads in both cycles — 24 mpg city and 31 mpg highway against 21 and 27 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Cadillac Escalade is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, 3.0, SIDI; Stop-Start), the Infiniti QX50 with 3 (SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; VCR, 3.7). Across 46 recorded Cadillac Escalade configurations and 20 for the Infiniti QX50, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Cadillac Escalade is offered with 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the Infiniti QX50 with Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Infiniti QX50 emits 336 g/mile of CO2 versus 437 g/mile for the Cadillac Escalade. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.