When I got behind the wheel of the 2002 Cadillac Escalade at this year’s Mudfest — the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s annual Sport Utility Vehicle competition — I felt almost guilty taking such a beautiful piece of machinery through the mud from which the event derived its well-deserved name. “Almost,” is the operative word here.

After Mudfest, and a week-long test drive, it was obvious that Cadillac’s first-ever SUV, which originally debuted in the fall of 1998, has only gotten better, The 2002 “Slade” as its been nicknamed, is the first substantive redesign since that debut and goes a long way to halt the carping that Cadillac’s premium All Wheel Drive (AWD) SUV is nothing more than a pricy makeover of other GM sport utilities.

The 2002 Escalade, which also comes this year in a 2-wheel drive version, still shares its platform with its lower-priced GM siblings, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. All three have a 116-inch wheelbase, 198.9-inch overall length and 78.9-inch width. Front-seat room is identical as is the 26-gallon gas tank.

Interiorwise, as you climb up into the Escalade and settle in the big leather front seats, you sit tall and experience an immediate feeling of spaciousness. The seats seem ultra-wide as does the highly polished Zebrano wood trimmed center console which sits between them.

The seats offer lots of cushion, and there are striking silver-colored circles around the gauges and liberal use of the Zebrano wood throughout — which also helps differentiate the Escalade from the other GM offerings. A Bose Acoustimass sound system rounds out a comfortable package. There’s also a new, in-dash, six-CD player located down at the center console area rather than higher up on the dashboard by the other stereo controls.

The second-row seats in the 2002 Escalade also offer more room than before, providing more shoulder and legroom than the predecessor 2000 vehicle had (there were no 2001 Escalades). New this year is a standard third-row seat capable of holding three people — something the competitive Lincoln Navigator has had from its debut and has been a constant deal breaker for Cadillac when women influenced the final purchase decision.

Third-row riders in the Escalade are squeezed together — I wouldn’t want to be the guy in the middle on a long trip. There’s no head restraint, only a lap belt — and the seat is positioned close to the floor. However, third-row head and legroom surpass the Navigator, which does have more of both in the second-row seats.

When you first see the Escalade, you can’t miss the in-your-face silver grille and Cadillac crest in the center. But the big, bold grille are also complimented by big, vertical headlamps alongside as well as bigger-than-before 17-inch wheels which all add a distinctive Cadillac-like presence to the Escalade.

On the highway, the ride is extremely comfortable and the Escalade is impressively quiet inside, though there is some wind noise at highway speeds coming off the large outside mirrors and standard roof rack.

Most bumps are softly cushioned although larger ones do have a bit of the bounce you’d expect with any truck-based SUV — but it’s never really jarring — like some are. Traction control is standard as is Cadillac’s StabiliTrak system and road-sensing suspension.

Boasting an all-new 6.0-liter Vortec 6000 overhead valve V8 that’s more powerful than any other SUV on the road, the 345 horses will snap your head back — something very unusual in an SUV — especially one weighing in at slightly over 5,800 pounds.

One small note here: Those 345 horses are just three more than the previously most powerful SUV — the Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG which puts 342 ponies to the pavement. However, the much lighter Mercedes still maintains the title of “fastest” SUV doing the 0 to 60 drill in 6.4 seconds. It takes the heavier Escalade 8.57 seconds.

The powerplant, available only on the all-wheel-drive version, is married to a four-speed automatic and most of the time shift points aren’t noticeable. There’s no shifting needed to engage the all-wheel-drive system. It’s on all the time, normally splitting the torque with 38 percent going to the front wheels and 62 percent to the rear. When wheel slip is detected, the system can immediately transfer power to the wheels that have a firmer grip.

Whines: There is no extra low gear with the full-time AWD, but in the mud, I didn’t miss it either. Fuel economy is poor — even for a large SUV. The EPA rates the Escalade at 12 mpg/city and 15 mpg/highway. But then again, you don’t buy an SUV — especially one this size — with gas mileage as a consideration. The speed-sensitive recirculating ball steering felt a little numb and too light for my particular driving style.

Applause: The Escalade offers a healthy 10.7 inches of ground clearance for off roading and comes standard with running boards — extremely helpful for climbing up inside as well as maneuvering to get in and back to the third-row seats. It also offers excellent visibility from inside.

Bottom Line: A much improved, more powerful version of an already excellent vehicle both in mechanical terms as well as luxury and comfort. The great new V8 is impressive. At over $50,000 it’s spendy, but the value is certainly there.