The first alert came in midsummer at 9800 miles. The service intervals are determined electronically. We had a mystifying oil-change experience. We spiced up the big ute with 22-inch tires and chromed aluminum wheels ($2995) the Information package, with nav and rearview camera ($2695) a DVD entertainment system ($1295) a sunroof ($995) and the Climate package, adding cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel ($625). Standard safety features included curtain airbags, stability control, rear parking assist, and tire-pressure monitors. Three months of XM radio came with the Bose audio system, and the power liftgate was wonderfully convenient. The Escalade also had heated front- and second-row bucket seats and a third row for two passengers (a no-cost option for the second row, too a three-passenger bench is standard). For that we got a 403-hp, 6.2-liter Vortec V-8 a six-speed heavy-duty automatic all-wheel drive automatically adjusting shocks and rear leveling and 18-inch wheels. Our Slade began life with a base price of $58,125. The Escalade was popular to the point that it rolled past the 40,000-mile limit in just 10 months. The luxury-class truck kept us going through the onslaught of a Michigan winter and into a delightful spring.

Cadillac's big sport-ute, all-new for '07, has been popular since it was introduced in 1998, selling an average of 32,000 a year.

It became instantly popular for summer vacations and excursions.

Our 2007 Escalade AWD arrived in June 2006.

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