Why I bought an 02-06 Cadillac Escalade ESV | GMT800

I bought a 2004 Cadillac Escalade ESV with only 100K miles on it. In great shape and it's such a nice truck to drive. This is an overview of my truck with some reasons as to why you might want to buy one as well

[@Bikers_against_pedophiles]

Most reliable suv ever built! Super excellent trucks! Bought a 03 with 170k runs like a dream

[@ayoooooodaniel]

How’s it treating you so far?

[@RyanAllen-zh2li]

​@@ayoooooodaniel mines got 380k miles no trans swap or engine she cruises at 130 on highway

[@DJMACK193]

My dad’s has 270k to 300k. My big sister has it still going strong 💪.

[@eastcoastoutdoorsman55]

My family bought our 05 ESV Platinum in 2012 with 96k. Sitting at 230k now still running strong and over the years has made numerous cross country trips, towed boats, yearly weekend tailgates, and more. That vortec is incredible. Vehicle is indispensable one of the best ever made

[@henktulp4400]

I purchased an Escalade some 3 months ago.... on LPG,well over 250.000 miles on the counter.... I use it very much for pulling a heavy trailer... It is the nicest drive I ever owned!!!.... the previous (lady-) owner drove it for ten years and had it SUPER well maintained!! So I hope it won’t cost me too much in repairs,I guess I’ll be driving it for years to come!! Greetings,Henk,the Netherlands....

[@07stanggg6]

Beautiful truck! I bought one as my first car last Halloween and I’ve loved it since. Such a comfy floaty ride, unlike anything modern, it’s a beast!

[@beardedreviews]

very solid truck!!

[@amritsingh2171]

Just picked up an 06 today. 💪

[@beardedreviews]

got the stock e-fans!! How many miles?

[@amritsingh2171]

@@beardedreviews 58k 😉

[@beardedreviews]

@@amritsingh2171 holy crap you found a unicorn!

[@ZAKU-GD]

Congrats welcome to the Escalade trim. I bought my 2002 gmt800 escalade 2 years ago to this day been an awesome daily. i love mines!! 6.0 v8 AWD is the way to go!! Enjoy it!!

[@whatta7793]

Any mods done to it?

[@ZAKU-GD]

@@whatta7793 just muff delete and a 3 inch dump. For now.

[@aaronkarltan]

Just bought my 2004 GMC yukon denail xl. With orig 24k miles only. One owner. Originally imported from the US to here in the Philippines. And i must say, it rides like a bubble bath 😅

[@beardedreviews]

they are very smooth!!

[@Jason-xb3jh]

I have the same truck (year/model) only mine is “white diamond pearl”. With the ESV you also get the 31 gallon fuel tank. Verses the 21 gallon tank on the smaller Escalade or the EXT. I love mine. Super comfortable. Big and heavy making you feel safe and grounded. Awesome dual front/rear climate control systems. So much room for cargo or passengers. Very quiet ride in the cabin (well insulated). Probably the most comfortable seats out of all the vehicles I have owned (I’ve had some high end vehicles). Also pretty reasonable as far as repair costs. This car is made for road-trips. Cadillac designed the Escalade to “Win the Boulevard”. In my opinion, it does!👍✨ Congrats! I bet you will love it!

[@gingin1050]

2000 hand me down. Had it for 2 yrs. Exterior is in perfect condition. Interior trashed. 330,000 miles . Rides like a dream. I don't maintain it. Just check the fluids. I can't believe it still goes😅 I want to upgrade to one like this✌

[@khill1101]

You got an amazing deal for that thing. It's not missing a damn thing. I bought an 04 Z71 Suburban a few years ago and I've been enjoying it ever since. They're great vehicles and I intend to keep mine for a long long time.

[@beardedreviews]

Yea I switched to this from a Yukon XL I got recently. Decided I wanted the 6.0 and the nice escalade interior stuff. But yea GMT800 are great trucks!

[@khill1101]

@beardedreviews the only thing I wish my Z71 had is the 6.0 and the e-fan. Other than that it's perfect

[@beardedreviews]

@@khill1101 Man, mine's an 04 so it has the 6.0, b ut no e fans. Have you seen the conversions? It's actually pretty easy to do. If yhou already have the 34 inch radiator, you just need the fans and they bolt right in and you get the harness from amazon for like 50 bucks or spring $150 for the nelson performance one. Then you just need somebody with HP tuners to reprogram your ecu to activate the fans

[@khill1101]

@beardedreviews it's been on my to do list since having the truck. I have been digging around junk yards and part outs but I can't find the e-fans. I also need to measure my radiator to be certain it'll take it. I'll most likely try to pin it in myself and have it programmed. Another thing I've been wanting for my truck is the darn trans temp guage. The Escalade should have it but I bet the Yuk don't. That is a handy guage to have. There's companies that'll repair guages and add the trans temp guage. That's what I'll end up doing.

[@beardedreviews]

@@khill1101 yea or you can buy the fans for like $120 from 1A Auto. Might be worth it to have brand new ones. If you look at your radiator bolts from the inside of the engine bay towards the front, you can tell if they're in the inner most holes or outer holes. Outer holes are 34. Yea the escalade has it and man it's such a peace of mind upgrade. Knowing I'm not overheating the trans!

[@anwarthomas6594]

Had an 02 Escalade then an 05 EXT loved both

[@Robert-yb8is]

Just got 2003 exactly like yours black with 185000 miles rear main seal leaking for 2,000 runs great

[@Speakerboxers]

I have the same one (platinum trim). Had it for 4 years now. I’ll be following

[@bandz7885]

What’s your regular maintenance?? Anything major within the last 4 years??

[@Bendaboioffical]

I’m go to warn you about the issues you might encounter: We were stranded at Winn Dixie waiting for the engine to cool, so we could open the coolant tank, (we were lucky there was a dunkin next to where we were parked) and the coolant ran out, and we had to get 6 gallons of non drinking water. When we were pulling into the Winn Dixie, every time we tried to accelerate, it would jack back and forth at about 5 thousand rpm. The OBD-II port just went out, like nothing works on that thing. My dad fixed it tho

[@SteelTimeify]

Do these trucks tend to overheat because of the non electric fans?

[@Bendaboioffical]

@@SteelTimeify well, my hasn’t so, I think as long as you take good care of it, it probably won’t overheat

[@Beltran1017]

Cylinder deactivation or also known as DOD started until 2010 for the Escalades. Or as early as 2007 for the Yukon and Tahoe which were running the 5.3L v8 engine so Yukons (Denalis) and Escalades with the 6.2 engine weren’t introduced to DOD until 2010 and up. So any 2010 and up gm truck with a 6.2 will have cylinder deactivation. Any Escalade between 07-09 will have vvt with the 09 Escalades being the ones flex fuel compatible.

[@beardedreviews]

How sure are you about that? I have wanted a gmt900 escalade for a long time, but am always scared of DOD

[@antoniop5889]

I have a 2002 ext I was thinking about doing the electric fan conversion because my a/c was not cooling enough. Turns out to be whoever had it before me had to much oil in the a/c system. Now that I fixed that issue all is good. Keeping the clutch fan

[@JustdoinDeez]

Great deal and nice suv!

[@beardedreviews]

thanks man!!

[@BloxWheels]

Clean truck, looks great! Just finished watching the video on your Yukon XL where you said you didn't like the Escalades of this era and then saw this video. Interesting progression 😂

[@beardedreviews]

Man it's funny I watched that as well and was listening to myself like "what the hell are you even talking about" lol. I guess it grew on me real quickly haha!!

[@matthewjensen9550]

Just picked up a MINT White Diamond 2006 Escalade, love it

[@beardedreviews]

what a find!!

[@mangoman8057]

04 Escalade non ESV, 145k $2,000 needed a driver mirror, headlights and fog lights. As well as new wheels. She’s now mint and sitting at 206k. It’s my favorite SUV of the era without a doubt. Love my wife’s 03 Yukon SLT 1 transmission later and it’s at 278k. Both clean up well. But I’ve spent a good bit on the Escalade. In terms of upgrading the 6.0 and borla exhaust and such. It’s the only Cadillac you’ll see on Jeep trails around here but still cleans up plenty good enough for a date night out. Been harping on buddies for years for not finding them while they was cheaper and lower miles. Instead they break down in 2016 or newer trucks while my 04 keeps on going.

[@beardedreviews]

GMT800 is the only immortal truck ever :) Glad you love yours like I love mine!!

[@19993gt]

My cousin has one of these. Just rode in it the other day. I forgot how comfortable these are… man. I’m feeling like owning one too now

[@beardedreviews]

super comfy, and super easy to work on!

[@02WIFE]

I got a 2002 escalade base from Florida with 167,000 miles 5.3

[@ernielarkin4793]

Bought one for 500 bucks...swapped the transmission....replaced almost everything at this point. Love it.

[@camarosilverado7416]

Looks as nice a my 2500 Suburban man I'm so happy for you!

[@beardedreviews]

man once I get a new third brake light lol

[@blockboy5820]

I agree, the 01-06 Yukon denali is basically mechanicly the same truck and equally reliable with the 6.0 Vortec V8

[@jhu2319]

You did good I got a 2004 Escalade not ESV I love it drives absolutely great More reliable than the new stuff cheap to change my oil compared to my Lexus

[@Johnp92]

I have a 2004 escalade that's been in the family since new. It only has 25,000 miles on it so it's basically brand new. Over winter I'm going to get it on the road, unfortunately after sitting for so long inside the garage the calipers have seized and a brake lines have rotted out. So have to fix the brake system, change the tires and oil and should be good to go! The interior and exterior is in immaculate shape and it still has the new car smell in it!

[@dalehedges4328]

If ur close to Buffalo ny I’ll buy it

[@Johnp92]

From Toronto, sorry going to be selling my truck and putting it on the road

[@donaldbillings1693]

Just got a 03 with 147,000 miles on it, loving it so far. paid $4000

[@alltorque415]

beautiful SUV, we’ve had our 03 tahoe z71 for 8 years. we got it with 80k and now has 191k, has been SOO reliable. i wouldnt sell it at ALL. they just need basic maintenance and when you get one of these just replace the header bolts before they start to brake off

[@camarosilverado7416]

Holy cow I'm coming to see it!

[@chrissrtredeyredkey9729]

Oh yeah of course as a New Yorker I stay driving down there to Texas get a car bro 🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@christianstylez7059]

yes my 02 suburban has the cargo cover its a dealer installed option

[@beardedreviews]

Nice!! Had no idea. Thought it was exclusive to the escalade!

[@bamafencer12]

I’ve purposely bought an 05 Escalade and it’s by far the best truck I’ve owned. Will keep forever.

[@SteelTimeify]

Hey brother. I'm looking at one 2003 with 67,000 miles for 13k. How reliable are these trucks? I'm buying it for safety since I have a newborn on the way.

[@bamafencer12]

@@SteelTimeify Congrats on the baby! Go be a great Dad. That's a great truck. Get it inspected by lemon squad first before you throw money at it. See if you can get it under $12K depending on your location. West coast I understand why it's priced like that. The ride is soft and very comfy. Safe and the best bang for your money while riding in style. Maintenance wise it's very very cheap. When I had my 03, I went to the dealership to get oil changes because those folks regularly works on them so no bullshit and the price is cheap. Parts are very cheap and everywhere. Moog is the best and most affordable for suspension stuff. Bilstein for shocks. Never had major issues with it, just small maintenance stuff. Synthetic oil premium gas keeps it running smooth.

[@SteelTimeify]

@@bamafencer12 thanks for the detailed response bro! Yes, definitely looking forward to being an amazing father. Yes, it's definitely in the westcoast. The dealer wants 13k flat with taxes. I looked up the lemon squad. Definitely getting an inspection. There's two with the same mileage and same price. The only difference is the color. One Is the well known pearl white and the other is the brownish copper color. They both are similarly equipped, except the white one has the sun roof.

[@bamafencer12]

@@SteelTimeify Anytime! Get the white one, your wife will thank you.

[@1Peter321]

Have you heard of people removing the oil cooler?

[@krysfranklin4750]

I have a 05 6.0 lq4 everything is good but the seats. I wonder where I can get good seat covers

[@deborahanderson4211]

I have a 2004 esv since 2009 and now I'm having a/c problems

[@beardedreviews]

like its not blowing cold? If you dont have a leak, it's really easy to charge up

[@kevintboy9538]

You said Texas, where can I get a 2005-2006 GMC Yukon Denali. Am in Florida

[@aditparikh781]

I got one with 112k for $3800. Needed a rear axle which I got from junkyard for $300

[@beardedreviews]

Man you got a sweet deal!!!

[@aditparikh781]

@@beardedreviews yea sorta. my transmission is slipping a little now though. My point was though was parts are cheap and abundant so I wouldn’t hesitate to get one that needs a lot of work. People throw away these gmt800 suvs.

[@TD-il6ju]

Do you think this rides better than the standard Escalade? Once this is answered I’m make my decision one searched on forums for weeks to find this answer. GMT800 era specially

[@beardedreviews]

What's the standard escalade you're wanting to compare it to?

[@TD-il6ju]

@@beardedreviews 2004 Escalade vs 2004 Escalade ESV, which one would drive the smoothest?

[@beardedreviews]

@@TD-il6ju Just in terms of physics, the ESV would ride smoother. It's slightly heavier. It's harder for bumps in the road to bounce a heavier object

[@TD-il6ju]

@@beardedreviews thank you!

[@christianstylezinc9224]

i thought you said in the yukon video that you didnt like how this generation looked... but you bought one ?

[@beardedreviews]

Yea I had a buddy with one. It grew on me. Turned me into a dirty liar lol!!

[@sharpie132]

Lq4, lq9 is the vortec max

[@19993gt]

Would you feel it’s reliable to road trip 1000 miles?

[@beardedreviews]

Just did it a few months ago. They're really reliable

[@Junkyard_Tony]

What’s the average cost on these? Like to buy one?

[@beardedreviews]

really depends on mileage and year. 05-06 are generally more desirable for the electric fans, and lower mileage is always nice

[@Fudoshin01]

Do these have cooled front seats?

[@beardedreviews]

no, just heated

[@SwordCymbal79]

You forgot AWD with the 4L65e

[@beardedreviews]

yea the illustrious AWD!!

[@SwordCymbal79]

@@beardedreviews I have a full mcgaughy lowering kit with beltech springs and 22x12 rims/tires among things on my 05denali. With the AWD it handles like it’s on rails. I’ve made people piss their pants it’s so good.

[@beardedreviews]

@@SwordCymbal79 Nice! How's the ride smoothness wise? Bumpy or still cadillac soft?

[@SwordCymbal79]

@@beardedreviews somewhere in the middle. Lowered or not, anything 3tons with 40series tires is going to feel like it is. Rides better than a slammed import car though .

[@beardedreviews]

@@SwordCymbal79 You should upload a video of it and show people what you did! I bet a ton of people would find it helpful. Sounds like you put alot into it

[@nickb654]

Let me know if you are ready to sell it

[@beardedreviews]

Lol no I will have this for a long time most likely

[@twongreen9968]

Where did u get that radio

[@beardedreviews]

It's this: amzn.to/3Q0Kpkj

[@cristinemaracha6830]

i buy for 50k and and I was from my cousins house yeah

[@cristinemaracha6830]

my speed is 270

[@calvinc.2333]

A Lexus Texas

[@cristinemaracha6830]

and my Mother crash my car a Chevrolet traverse😮

[@My65isblack]

You said 2005 2006 yukon or escalade electric fans?

[@beardedreviews]

yes, 05 and 06 came stock with electric fans instead of the clutch fan. Gives you alot more room to work in the engine bay if you ever needed to and cools more efficiently

[@My65isblack]

@@beardedreviews sweet thanks man