If you’ve dreamt of owning a Cadillac Escalade EXT but couldn’t afford one when they were new, a time capsule of an example was listed on Facebook Marketplace this weekend. Looking exceptionally untouched, the seller is offering the Cadi SUV-truck for about the same price it retailed for back in 2005: $51,000.
Cadillac debuted the Escalade EXT sport utility truck (and its Chevrolet Avalanche twin) in 2001. Generation one spanned model years 2002 through 2006, while generation last went from model years 2007 through 2013. After the initial hullabaloo, though, sales of the quirky-looking half-SUV/half-truck tanked by the time the second generation was introduced.
Seems being half of two things made you half good at being either of those things. At least when it came to SUV and truck stuff. So, General Motors deleted both the Cadi and Chevy from its catalog.
Don’t expect the EXT or Avalanche to be resurrected, either. For starters, GM abandoned the EXT trademark in 2023. There have been similarly designed vehicles post-cancelation, but that’s mostly because of the mimicked C-pillar flaps as seen on the Chevy Silverado EV and first-generation Honda Ridgeline. Beyond the looks, that’s it.
The EXT had a V8. Style copycats featured a V6 (Ridgeline) or electric motors (Silverado EV). The 2005 Escalade EXT on Facebook is equipped with a 6.0-liter V8 that produces 345 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. Good power for moving, but the SUT was heavy, returning a measly EPA-rated 13 mpg city and 17 mpg highway. Maybe that’s why the metallic blue EXT has an odometer reading of 1,735 miles? Nah, probably not.
Nobody buys an Escalade for its fuel economy. As for the EXT specifically, people bought it because it’s big and maybe because it’s also kinda goofy. Interestingly, according to GM Authority, the EXT variant was most popular was Texas and New York. Probably the only time those two agreed on anything. Luxo barges have a way of bringing people together, I guess?
The seller claims the EXT to be fully loaded “with every option imaginable.” Having only one owner and being garage-kept, it might even still have that new car leather scent. This low-mileage example is located in Teterboro, New Jersey, which is considered part of the Greater New York region. But don’t let its location be an excuse; the vehicle can be delivered nationwide.
There is a $1,050 documentation fee that will be added to the sale price, but even with that and any potential shipping costs, an essentially brand-new Escalade EXT for an MSRP not adjusted for inflation? Go for it. Someone out there will appreciate this ugly duckling, and maybe even let it out of the garage once in a while.