Hello fellas... Not at all to be a Debbie downer, as I know I'm on a pro-GM forum here, and everyone loves their new bad-a$$ Escalades, me with my older one included. I have an '11, and I know they just added their "fold-flat" attempt to the new body style... Short wheelbase, or long.
However, one of the things GM just can't quite figure out, is fold flat. I have had 2 Expeditions, and a Navigator, and if you have any experience with those platforms at all, you'll agree, Ford gets it. In my particular olde Escalade copy, if I want that room for cargo, I have to manually remove the heavy & bulky 3rd row seats, and then I have big plastic mounts, and fixtures in the way, and still don't have a flat cargo surface. I think I've read, it's because the live rear axle, where the Ford platform has an independent rear suspension. It lends a much better ride, and the ability for a completely fold flat surface.
Too bad GM just can't quite figure it out, as I do really like a lot of the Escalade amenities. That's my .02¢.
RL