For those who need to use an SUV for real reasons such as carrying kids, towing a boat or moving heavy equipment, it is hard for us to justify laying out at least $60,000 for a new Cadillac Escalade...We chose this 2005 Cadillac Escalade for our Real World Test vehicle because it may have just eased our reservations about this large luxury SUV. Our Escalade sells for less than a quarter then when new. If we spent this kind of money on a car, we’d feel a lot better about leaving this car at a job site or filling all three rows with sticky-fingered kids. A five-year-old Escalade is still a status symbol, but when purchased at the right price, its functionality can finally live up to its size.