Cadillac is one of the oldest automobile brands in the world and, as the most prestigious division of General Motors, it has been the pinnacle of American luxury cars for decades now. But the company's first foray into the market of luxury SUVs came just before the turn of the millenium, when many of its rivals began branching out into this niche of vehicle. General Motors saw competitors such as the Range Rover and the Mercedes-Benz M-class as threats, and needed a response. Thus entered the Cadillac Escalade.

General Motors launched the very first model of the Cadilac Escalade in 1999, though it was actually marketed as the 1999 model year. The Escalade went through the design process and into production as soon as possible, as the introduction of Ford's Lincoln Navigator caught General Motors off guard and they and needed a competitor as quickly as possible. Because of this, it was to a great extent simply a rebadged version of the already existing GMC Yukon Denali.

Nevertheless it was enough of a hit that the Cadillac Escalade line has continued through to this day, with the vehicle currently in its fifth generation. This first generation of Cadillac Escalade would continue in production for three years until the second generation replaced it in 2001.

The Cadillac Escalade is one of the most popular luxury SUVs on the market today, but here's what its very first incarnation costs twenty years later.

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Here's What the '99 Escalade Is Worth Today

1999 Cadillac Escalade
Via: Carsforsale

As the 1999 Cadillac Escalade is a 22 year old car, it is also a very inexpensive one on the used car market. The most expensive 1999 Cadillac Escalade currently listed on Cars.com has an asking price of $7,995, while the least expensive 1999 Cadillac Escalade currently listed on Carfax has an asking price of $3,995.

In 1999, when it was new, the base model of the Cadillac Escalade had an MSRP of $46,225, so the price has plummeted as dramatically as one would expect for a car over twenty years old. The odds of finding a low mileage example of a twenty one year old luxury SUV are not high, so you will need to be on the lookout for any potential problems with used models that you look at.

When it comes to insurance, the average cost to run a 1999 Cadillac Escalade is $1,166 per year according to QuoteInspector. That works out to a monthly payment of $97 dollars per month. Of course, insurance costs vary greatly depending on a large number of factors. Age group, gender, the condition of the car, your driving history, where you live, and what company you are looking at a quote from are all factors that go into the cost you end up paying.

A policy that only covers liability can be as cheap as $620 per year, or $51.67 per month, while high risk insurance can be as expensive as $2,490 per year, or $207.50 per month. Teenagers, being the age bracket at the highest risk of accidents, can expect to fork over as much as $4,712 per year, or $392.60 per month. That's more money than it would cost to buy the cheapest used 1999 Cadillac Escalades in the first place! So in summary, the 1999 Cadillac Escalade is a decent used purchase if you need a five seater SUV on the cheap—just so long as you aren't a teenager.

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Features Of The 1998 Cadillac Escalade

1999 Cadillac Escalade
Via: Carsforsale

There is not much variance between different examples of the 1999 Cadillac Escalade, at least when they were factory new. It was available in only one trim, but with a large number of standard features attached that made it very well equipped—well, very well equipped by the standards of 1999.

Power comes from a 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that produces up to 258-hp at 4,600 rpm—though, considering the car's age, a used model may have lost some power over the years if it has not been properly maintained. That power goes through a four speed automatic transmission into the Escalade's four wheel drive system, and gives it a top speed of 110 mph and a zero to sixty acceleration time of 9.5 seconds. It also produces 329.69 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm.

Fuel economy is quite poor, at 13 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway. On the inside the 1999 Cadillac Escalade seats five in well appointed comfort, with a high number of gadgets that may not seem all that impressive now, but definitely were back in 1999. Features such as power door locks and windows were still worth advertising back then, rather than taken for granted as as the bare necessities a car should have. It was also only available in a choice of four paint colors: Aspen White, Sable Black, Bordeaux Red Pearl, and Silver Sand.