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Cadillac offering $10,000 in Escalade discounts to fight Navigator

Throwing money on the hood is a tried-and-true method to keep folks from looking at newer competitors.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
Nick Miotke/Roadshow

The 2018 Lincoln Navigator is a hell of a luxury SUV, and it's brand spanking new. Its primary rival, the Escalade, is entering its fourth year on the same body. So how is Cadillac going to keep owners from jumping ship? Money, and a good chunk of it.

Cadillac is offering $10,000 discounts for some current customers in an effort to keep sales going amid some very strong competition, Bloomberg reports. The discount applies to lessees of 2016 Escalades -- people who bought instead of leased one will have to make do with just $7,500 on the hood of a 2018 Escalade.

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Even though it's a few years old, the Escalade is still one of the most imposing vehicles on the road today.

Nick Miotke/Roadshow

The new Navigator has done wonders for its monthly sales. According to Good Car Bad Car, Lincoln is selling between 1,000 and 1,700 Navigators per month in 2018, nearly doubling its monthly sales from a year ago. The numbers are still stronger on Cadillac's side, but only by a couple hundred units at most. The gap is narrowing, and Cadillac is clearly paying attention.

People aren't just buying more Navigators, either -- they're buying more expensive ones. According to Bloomberg's report, the average transaction price for a Navi has risen more than $25,000 in the last year to $82,500. Even Lincoln's new Black Label trim, which can cost more than $100,000, isn't sticking around showrooms for long. In February, Lincoln announced it was trying to boost production by 25 percent to meet this increased demand.

The new Navigator is a contender right out of the gates. With a commanding new look outside and a cabin that's equally striking, it's quite the looker. But it's also loaded with a 4G LE Wi-Fi hotspot, six USB ports, 30-way adjustable seats and all sorts of cutting-edge tech that high-end buyers can dig.

Cadillac hasn't let the Escalade rest on its laurels since 2015. The 2018 model carries some small updates, including a new 10-speed automatic transmission and an adaptive cruise control system that can handle stopping and starting. A new version is probably on the way, but not for a couple years still.

2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum: Big luxury at a big price

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