A generation ago, the phrase luxury SUV would have been an oxymoron. Back then, a luxury SUV would have been one with a radio and perhaps optional air conditioning. They bywords then were tough and outdoorsy, not comfortable and luxurious.

How times have changed. As sedans grew smaller, many families started looking for something roomier, but were not quite ready for to declare themselves minivan people. Consequently, SUVs became popular everyday drivers for families. And, as SUVs emerged as commonplace, people started demanding more from them — a phenomenon that led to the evolution of the luxury SUV.

To get an idea of what life is like with a luxury SUV, I spoke with owners of the Buick Enclave, the Cadillac SRX and the Cadillac Escalade.

Among the Enclave owners, most of whom had previously driven luxury sedans, the primary topics of discussion were room and interior features. Even with seven passengers (an eight-passenger configuration is optional), the Enclave swallows up loads of cargo, and is as comfortable going cross-country as it is going to the mall. More important to some, and a strong selling point they say, is the quality of the interior. The thick, perforated leather seating surfaces, they tell me, match well with the chrome and wood accents throughout the cabin. They also valued the Enclave’s communication and entertainment features.

Owners of the SRX, Cadillac’s best-selling vehicle, had different reasons for buying their SUV. Most of them were in the luxury performance sedan market, but chose the SRX because they needed the extra room. The SRX’s back seat allows three full-sized adults to ride in comfort, unlike the torture chambers in many performance sedans. And SRX owners told me that its car-like handling and performance make it more of an obvious choice than a compromise.

The owners of the Escalade I spoke with were a different group altogether. While Enclave owners picked the Buick from the ranks of full-sized SUVs because of its room and luxurious appointments, and the SRX owners selected it because it was the performance car that offered the room they needed, Escalade owners didn’t shop around — they really didn’t consider any other vehicle.

It’s immense inside, and luxurious to the point of opulent. The Escalade performs like no other vehicle with cascades of power and a surprising nimbleness for such a big vehicle. Owners told me that it was more of an emotional, less of a logical choice. I think Car and Driver said it best when they headlined their review “Because Escalade, that’s why.”

So life with a luxury SUV can mean different things to different owners. Enclave owners talk about the most comfortable and luxurious people mover, like it’s an extension of their home. SRX people speak of how their performance car can accommodate their whole family. And Escalade owners? Well, they won’t say it out loud, but they give me the strong impression they like being behind the wheel of the king of the road.  

Have you ever consider a life with a high-end pickup truck?