Caddy tracks

Tariq Williams loves the power and space of his Caddillac Escalade, and his family and friends benefit from the large sport-utility vehicle, too.

Affairs of the heart can be a roller coaster of emotions. High on love one minute, and lost in despair the next. Losing a true love can be a heart-wrenching experience. But, as Tariq Williams found out, the sense of loss can be soothed by finding another true soulmate. But his wife has nothing to worry about - she shared in his pain. "We had a Lexus IS300 that we bought brand new, just over a year ago," says Williams."It was a lovely car, but with the parking here in the UAE, and with no underground parking at the time, we had so many scratches and bumps on it, it just broke our hearts.

"So we decided to get rid of it and get something second-hand, something that we wouldn't mind if it was scratched or bumped." The couple - Tariq, a marketing professional and Tea de Keiser, a flight attendant - had certain requirements in their search, which finally ended when they laid eyes on a 2003 Cadillac Escalade. "We bought the Escalade because we have a big family and lots of friends and we wanted something to accommodate them when we went to the beach or out on the town," says Williams. "We also have a Jet Ski, so we needed something to tow that. Plus, it really gives us some dominance on the road."

Ironically, the Escalade now enjoys private, underground parking that protects it from those "scratches and bumps". With room for seven passengers and lots of cargo, it was easy for the couple to fall in love with the big sport utility vehicle. And the 6.0- litre V8 engine gives it plenty of power on the road, whether they've got the Jet Ski on the back or not. "I really love it," says Williams, who has lived in the UAE for most of his 23 years. "It's quite powerful, and it's got a great ride to make the cruise to Dubai comfortable. The only problem with it is trying to get into tight parking and through crowded alleys, but other than that it's a great car."

His family feels the love from Williams, who lends it to them when they need it. But the car's size can be rather daunting for some. "Others who have driven it, such as my mother, find it to be a really big car. She drives a Jeep Cherokee herself, but the Escalade is a much larger car. She loves it, but the size for her is a problem." The couple's friends love it, too, but for other reasons. "We have a television inside the Escalade, and sometimes when we take our friends out, we put a karaoke system in the car so they can sing along as we go out."

Though both are happy with the big Cadillac, Williams harbours feelings for another large truck - the Dodge Ram SRT10. "I like the Dodge trucks, I think they look very aggressive. It's a very, very powerful car; you don't see too many on the roads here, and I do like to have something that is a rarity in the country. "And," laughs Williams, "I do like American muscle." Love is such a fickle emotion, even when it comes to cars.