2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Has Giant 35-Inch Tires, Same as Ford Raptor

Am I surprised the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is huge? No. Did I expect it to have 24-inch wheels? Yeah, kinda—the Chevy Silverado EV has 'em. Would I have imagined in a million years that it wears 35-inch tires? Not a chance.

But it does.

Everything about the Escalade IQ is hyperbolic, from its max output of 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque to its 55-inch screen that spans the dash. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that it wears such massive Michelins, then. The official size listed is 275/50R24, and as you probably guessed, they're the only ones on the market.

Discount Tire actually sells the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2s in this size for $566 each, noting that they're made for heavy EVs. That's a good thing considering the Escalade IQ likely weighs around 9,000 pounds. The tires themselves weigh 56 pounds apiece, which is far from featherlight but not absurd, and they have a load index rating of 121.

A handy-dandy load index rating chart shows each of the Escalade IQ's tires is capable of shouldering 3,197 pounds. It's hard to piece together an estimate for the battery-powered SUV's curb weight based on tire data alone, but one way or another, they're built to withstand a lot. The 9,063-pound GMC Hummer EV, for reference, has tires with a load index rating of 126. It's possible that the Hummer EV's tires were built with extra capacity for higher dynamic loads, but this is all speculation.

It's also worth noting that Cadillac estimates a max tow capacity of 8,000 pounds for the luxo-barge.

In any case, the Caddy's rollers are enormous, especially when you consider this is pretty much the opposite of an off-road model. General Motors sells a few other vehicles with 35-inch tires, but they're all four-wheelers; think the GMC Hummer EV, Chevy Silverado HD ZR2, and Colorado ZR2 Bison. Other rigs that offer 35s from the factory include the Ford F-150 Raptor or the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X.

Maybe the strangest part about it is how pedestrian the Escalade IQ's rubber looks. When you wrap 'em around 24-inch wheels, there just isn't much sidewall. Check 'em out compared to a Wrangler with 35s:

The new Cadillac is everything we thought an electric Escalade would be and, arguably, more. It's 12.4 inches longer than the gas model, as well as 4.3 inches wider. Max power even out-muscles the Escalade V's 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. The starting price of "around $130,000" obviously isn't cheap, but amazingly, you can spec an internal-combustion model high above it.

It's an example of excess no matter how you look at it. I just can't believe I'm looking at a stock Escalade with factory 35s.

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