The Luxury SUV Arms Race
In 1998, Lincoln's Navigator proved that a full-size truck with leather seats and a premium badge could out-earn a luxury sedan. Everyone scrambled to answer. GM rushed out the Escalade, Lexus dressed up the Land Cruiser, and then GM built the loudest status symbol of the decade, the Hummer H2.
- 1Cadillac Escalade1999–2000 and 2002–2006 · 255–345 hp
- 2Lexus LX4701998–2007 · 4.7L V8 · Land Cruiser underneath
- 3Hummer H22003–2009 · 316–393 hp · about 6,400 lb
The theme: the most profitable vehicles in the world
A luxury SUV is a truck with a nicer interior and a much bigger price tag. For automakers in the late '90s, that was close to free money, and the competition got fierce fast. The three trucks in this file came at it from completely different directions: speed to market, legendary reliability, and pure attitude.
Cadillac Escalade
1999–2000 (GMT400) and 2002–2006 (GMT800)
Cadillac had never built a truck, and it needed one immediately. The first Escalade went from approval to showrooms in about 10 months, and it showed: it was essentially a GMC Yukon Denali with a Cadillac grille, real wood, and perforated leather. It used a 255-hp 5.7L V8 and came only for 1999 and 2000, built in Arlington, Texas, on the same platform as the GMT400 "OBS" trucks. In 2000, Lincoln still outsold Cadillac.
The second-generation Escalade for 2002 was the real answer. It had its own styling, and all-wheel-drive models got a 345-hp 6.0L V8. A pickup version, the EXT, arrived for 2002 and the long ESV for 2003. Celebrities and hip-hop artists made it the status truck of the decade, and sales peaked above 62,000 in 2004.
Owner's notes: The 4L60E/4L65E automatic is the weak point, typically losing third and fourth gears. Gauge cluster stepper motors fail and leave needles stuck. Listen for power steering pump whine. On 1999–2000 trucks, check the radiator and front-end wear. These trucks share many parts with the Tahoe and Yukon, but Cadillac-specific trim, leather seats and lighting are worth buying used OEM.
Watch it
The original 1999 Escalade reviewed. Video: MotorWeek on YouTube
Top problems on 2002–06 Escalades. Video: 1A Auto on YouTube
Lexus LX470
1998–2007
Lexus didn't need to invent anything. It took the new 100 Series Land Cruiser, one of the toughest trucks on earth, and gave it a luxury body, a richer interior, and a 4.7L V8. The LX470 debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December 1997 and went on sale in 1998. Unlike the Land Cruiser, it got independent front suspension paired with a hydraulic Adjustable Height Control system that raises the truck for trails and lowers it for getting in.
Where the Escalade sold on image, the LX470 sold on quality. It collected J.D. Power quality awards and held its value. A 2006 update added variable valve timing and a five-speed automatic, raising output to 275 hp. Lexus replaced it with the LX 570 for 2008, but plenty of LX470s are still running well past 200,000 miles.
Owner's notes: The 2UZ-FE uses a timing belt, due around every 90,000 miles; replace the water pump and tensioner at the same time. The Adjustable Height Control system is expensive when its accumulators, pump or sensors wear, so used OEM suspension parts can save a lot. In salt states, check the frame for rust. The Land Cruiser connection means many mechanical parts interchange, but body, lighting and interior parts are Lexus-specific.
Watch it
The rich man's Land Cruiser. Video: Shooting Cars on YouTube
Why the LX470 cost $65,000 in 2004. Video: Guy's Garage on YouTube
Hummer H2
2003–2009
GM bought the Hummer name from AM General and wanted a truck that looked like the military Humvee but drove like a Tahoe. The H2 did exactly that. Built by AM General in Mishawaka, Indiana, on GM full-size truck hardware, it went on sale in 2002 as a 2003 model with a 316-hp 6.0L V8. It weighed about 6,400 pounds, and MotorWeek measured 0–60 in 9.7 seconds and about 11.5 mpg.
Nobody bought an H2 for the fuel economy. Sales peaked at 34,529 in 2003. A pickup version, the H2 SUT, arrived for 2005, and a 393-hp 6.2L V8 came for 2008. Then fuel prices spiked, the economy crashed, and the H2 became a symbol of excess at exactly the wrong time. Production ended in 2009, and GM wound down the Hummer brand in 2010.
Owner's notes: HVAC blend and mode door actuators are a frequent failure. The rear air suspension can sag overnight when its compressor or lines wear; check our suspension and steering collection. Check the VIN for completed hydro-boost brake recalls. Look underneath for rust, transfer case leaks and off-road damage. For a 2003–2007 truck needing an engine, the 6.0L LQ4 is one of the most common used engines out there, and we list tested H2 dropouts in Engine Swaps.
Watch it
The 2003 H2 tested. Video: MotorWeek on YouTube
The rise and fall of the H2. Video: Faster Cars on YouTube
By the numbers: launch horsepower
Horsepower in each truck's first model year.
Where the arms race went next
The Escalade won the war outright. It became Cadillac's flagship, crossed a million units, and now comes as the electric Escalade IQ. The LX470 handed off to the LX 570 for 2008. Hummer died in 2010 after a planned sale fell through, and the name came back as the electric GMC Hummer EV. The trucks that started it all are now 20-plus years old, and their owners are exactly who calls us for parts.
Luxury SUV parts at J&J
Every part is pulled from a real donor and listed with year, color and part numbers. Browse Cadillac parts, GMT400 parts for 1999–2000 Escalades, Lexus LX and Land Cruiser parts and Hummer H2 parts.