From A NNBS to a NBS to a K2 comparison in driving and quirks

[SpyShops212]

Ok... So here we go...

K2 Ride is more car like compared to the other 2... Not squishy 70s caddy either... littler firmer, more planted it seems. all in all very respectable for what it is, mine is air ride so there is a variance there.

K2 handling... Handling and driving characteristics are more car like than I thought they would be, steering is very light and easy to input, the handling is pretty dang nice in the corners, way better than a stock nbs or nnbs that I have found. The parking lot though says different. Feels like parking a longbed pickup in the Subruban ESV, XL category. Don't know why it feels larger... But it Does.. The NNBS had a shutter feel over choppy bumps all in the steering wheel like feedback, this doesnt have it at all... The NBS had a wallow feel in the front end on stock softer shocks, but thats torsion bar vs Strut... All in all steering input and feedback is minimal, you get what you want and when you want it..

Interior, K2 wins for gizmos and gadgets, the leather wrapped interior pieces on the ltz are at or above par with my prior Denali NNBS, but no cracked dash. The menus on the drivers display are a bit cluttered compared to the DIC on the other 2... The screen is very nice though.. Push button start is nice also.... Seats have alot more adjustability in weird ways that the others just never quite hit right... The bolsters do grab you right on this much like the NBS, comfy seat, leather seems decent quality but the seat heaters are lame compared to the butt roasters in the NBS. The trailer brake controller is in a good spot and easy to reach... Heated and cooled seat switches are actually nice right in the middle... Console is better quality than prior models, very firm feeling, not loose etc... The ride is quiter than the prior models, I find myself and the wife actually talking normal on the highway where the others we had to raise the voice a smidge... The 10 speaker Bose is a jamming system for sure, great bass response for a factory system, the soundstage is pretty good all on top of the dash, the width of the soundstage is very narrow though... But thats the former SQ competitor in me talking so lets say for factory its not bad...

Drivetrain.... The new DI version of the beloved 5.3 is not bad, very smooth on transition from 4 to 8 mode.... almost scary they got it that good..... The extra HP from DI is nice, the torque you can feel when your about 1800 and accelerating using torque etc... trans is ok... For some reason there is alot of time between gear changes or maybe I am used to the tuned versions... 6 speed is about the best trans that I know of for ease of driving etc... The lower gears make it have more get up and go, and good highway manner. Max Trailering package is nice also, the 3.42 gears really feel good...The locker works, I found that out yesterday on the wet road, lit up the tires and wasnt trying... Kinda cool.

I cant say enough about the steering being so light and nimble...

Brakes are very on par with the NNBS... Far outshining the NBS... Very good pedal feel, very good at being able to feather the pedal for a ultra smooth stop if you want it...

Where the K2 does not excel is in visibility.... You cant see a damn thing out the rear view mirror, blind spot bigtime in the back right of the truck... and the side mirrors are a joke when it comes to visibility also.. Thankfully I have the Blind spot monitors on my LTZ but I respect those who drive the ones with out those sensors... Backing it into a space using just mirrors you have to take a little extra time to get it in there right... The Kid view mirror in the sunglass holder is nice if you have youngsters...

For My 6'3 Big shoulder self, the seating is nice, shoulder room is deff a little tighter, but surprisingly better than the trucks...Head room is great in here now... I dont have my head .5" from the headliner anymore like I did on the NNBS... THe NBS is about equal on headroom. Legroom though is amazing in this, there is more leg width than I have seen in anything with a console... Seat belts are tons more comfy for a bigger person on this NNBS but close second is the K2 and third is the NBS...

Overall.....

Seems to be well built... The changes vs a NNBS and a K2 are there for sure... Some of the truck build feel is gone though... Still Not bad... I am 5 days into having the truck at my fingers and still figuring a few things out. Parking sensors front and rear are a nice addition also, lane departure warning I had to work at it to make the seat shake... I have yet to try out collision alert....

I was hesitant of going to the K2 platform for a long time... 1 week in and it's not a bad platform at all... The NNBS I think will always have my heart, they have their quirks but still do great in many ways... I will be able to see how good the K2 grows on me... The diminished cargo room in the back with the fold flat is kind of a bummer but thankfully I have a suburban... If you have a Tahoe the folding seats would actually help out a ton more I think... All in all I did buy one so there is deff value there, and its comfortable and I will let you know how good after a good road trip soon. I will be pulling a trailer in 1.5 weeks.

Reason I didn't buy an escalade K2.... My fingers on the radio and ac controls didn't work worth a d@mn... Maybe too much callus or too dry, who knows.... Plus the 8 speed nightmare was something I wanted to not get into... All in all so far pleased with the K2... I still miss some things on both the NNBS and NBS... The one thing I don't miss is the 4l60e... In stock form that trans sucks pretty bad... But that's another discussion.

Hopefully this well help someone else who is on the fence to make a good educated decision on moving up a Model Year.

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I have a 2018 Escalade with the 10 speed and it’s amazing. I would not buy the 8 speed. On the radio you have to slide your finger to turn up and down the volume. You could use the cue to set the ac but I use the buttons perfectly. I usually set the ac to auto 74 so no big deal and use the steering wheel or screen for radio controls. The mirrors are much better on Escalade. I had the 2016 Tahoe so I know how the tiny mirrors were ineffective. I also owned a 2003 ESV & 2008 Escalade in its day. The rear mirror camera is the best invention. Some members changed out their mirrors for the Escalade on their gmc and Chevy. I love the k2xx solid rear which is like you said car like. The headlights illuminate beautiful at night on my Escalade. The menus on the Escalade LCD cluster is awesome and the 16 speaker Bose center-point sounds great. The heated seats do not work the best like the previous gen. The gas mileage is about 20-30 percent better in Texas.

Here is my 2018 Escalade named Starla.

 

[Doubeleive]

the k2 metal is thinner and paint is softer it will scratch & dent easily compared to previous generations

 

[Bigkevschopshop]

the k2 metal is thinner and paint is softer it will scratch & dent easily compared to previous generations

I can vouch for that, the big difference I found was quarter panels, I pushed on one when washing it and it moved and I was like whoaaaaa. I know the hood and hatch are aluminum from what I read.

I can say the weight of the suburban on the k2 is lighter than the NNBS by a small amount. A few weights for comparison. Kinda shows they did go lighter materials to shave a marginal amt of weight but the added dimensions and features took the weight up.

2015 suburban 5775
2014 suburban 5820
2014 tahoe 5694

 

[Bigkevschopshop]

I have a 2018 Escalade with the 10 speed and it’s amazing. I would not buy the 8 speed. On the radio you have to slide your finger to turn up and down the volume. You could use the cue to set the ac but I use the buttons perfectly. I usually set the ac to auto 74 so no big deal and use the steering wheel or screen for radio controls. The mirrors are much better on Escalade. I had the 2016 Tahoe so I know how the tiny mirrors were ineffective. I also owned a 2003 ESV & 2008 Escalade in its day. The rear mirror camera is the best invention. Some members changed out their mirrors for the Escalade on their gmc and Chevy. I love the k2xx solid rear which is like you said car like. The headlights illuminate beautiful at night on my Escalade. The menus on the Escalade LCD cluster is awesome and the 16 speaker Bose center-point sounds great. The heated seats do not work the best like the previous gen. The gas mileage is about 20-30 percent better in Texas.

Here is my 2018 Escalade named Starla.

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I am not a white fan in vehicles but I have liked your Esky since you got it. Starla does look good.

Ill have to remember the slide the finger on the radio and other controls next time I am looking. And yes on the mirrors they are a huge improvement vs the other siblings. I am 99 % sure I am going Esky next myself. Finding one I want to have in my driveway is key and not overpaying.

 

[Bigkevschopshop]

Well, to re visit this, I broke my rule and bought a 8 speed. Yeah it has a hunt for shifts every once in a while under very light throttle for 1-2 shift, but if you commit and give it a 1500 rpm shift or better, its like butter and happy. It really shines under 1/2 or WOT applications, I like the gear pattern better than the 10 speed myself.

Using @SpyShops212 Method for the controls I figured it out and now have things working flawless. The main issue on the Escalades are the Cue screens. Mine did jumping around, so I replaced the screen for 100 bucks and works stellar now.

And also agree, the side mirrors on the Esky is what should have been on all of them.

Also, another thing to love is the massaging seats on the Platinum. wish they stayed on longer than 10 minutes at a time.

The adaptive cruise is nice, I finally tried it out in stop and go traffic, foot hovering on the brake as trusting tech is not my strongpoint. But it was fun to screw with, I wish I had it when I was in stop and go traffic in town every day.

Last thing that is fun, throwing the switch into sport mode, the truck tightens up and gets heavy in the steering, and I have been having some fun in the corners I can have fun with.