February 7, 2025
2023 Cadillac Escalade V Assessment: Anxious the peace

“I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE” Jeremy Clarkson as soon as proclaimed whilst slicing down a tree someplace within the depths of Bolivia. Clearly, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Collection didn’t exist but. The 682-horsepower, 6200-pound mass of mayhem and insanity defies all common sense and sensibility. Its quad pointers produce the loudest bellow any person has heard from a manufacturing facility exhaust. It corners like a car two-thirds its measurement and weight. By some means, taking the CT5-V Blackwing’s supercharged V8 and cramming it right into a luxurious SUV made for a rowdy trip that begs you to misbehave.

Monster engine, monster sound

“Loudest manufacturing facility exhaust ever” wasn’t an exaggeration. Don’t simply take my phrase for it: Motor Development’s Jonny Lieberman mentioned in order neatly on a up to date episode of my podcast. The Escalade makes use of GM’s supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8 and, as a result of sanity is lengthy since long past with GM’s legal professionals or accountants, runs pipes that reputedly haven’t any mufflers. A heat get started is obnoxious; a chilly get started from up shut is painful. There’s no option to get started it in quiet mode, both. Get going, and there’s a restrained attractiveness to the sound when no longer in V mode, merely melding into the background. But deploy Complete Kill, and it burbles, pops, and shouts like an unrestricted Z06. It’s NASCAR-like theater in a car this is utterly sudden to ship such.

Monster worth, too

Being heard far and wide in a rustic mile doesn’t come reasonable. Or no less than no longer relating to this Caddy. The 2023 Escalade V-Collection begins at $148,195. The take a look at car noticed right here prices $150,640, together with supply. That’s for the “brief” wheelbase type; the ESV iteration has a base worth of $153,990. Supposedly they’re all going for neatly over sticky label, too. That’s in keeping with what we’ve heard in regards to the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. And if purchasing it isn’t sufficient, get ready to repeatedly shell out large on the fuel pump.

We admittedly drove lower than successfully to repeatedly listen the engine, but nonetheless best noticed a mean of round 9 MPG all the way through our mortgage. That’s worse than the 702-horsepower Ram TRX delivered in equivalent prerequisites, and the truck weighs a little bit greater than the V. The pickup’s exhaust shouts much less, however its supercharger whines extra. Burning fuel and making right-foot-generated noises whilst we will is without doubt one of the joys of this period in automobile historical past. Totally irresponsible however all in excellent amusing.

A laugh for seven, however most commonly for the driving force

And amusing is what Escalade V is ready. Its exhaust successfully tells the entire tale: It is aware of it’s no longer the quickest factor round, but it’s all about having a great time. The trip high quality, even with the suspension set to its stiffest, is remarkably composed. Dialing the entirety except for the exhaust to its maximum comfy environment and nonetheless listening to the LT4 yell on the international with each downshift is a hysterical revel in. It’s like ingesting a posh glass of bourbon with a PBR chaser. Or dubbing over a dramatic film with your individual juvenile observation. Refinement is completely matched to an unrefined bout of noise.

The Escalade V is lovely excellent at doing all the mundane, non-shouty stuff, too. The tech is superb, and despite the fact that it doesn’t have Tremendous Cruise, it does function slightly excellent adaptive cruise regulate. The AKG stereo is the most efficient we’ve heard this aspect of Jeep’s (sorry, Wagoneer’s) unbeatable McIntosh equipment. There’s lots of house, the seats are nice, and it’s slightly protected. And it is going with out pronouncing, however even if there are quicker machines in the market, the V is in point of fact rapid. Flooring it from a dig, and the nostril issues to the sky, the 10-speed transmission firing off shifts nearly too excellent for a car of this sort. Plant your foot at any pace, and after a downshift or 3, the speedometer rockets upward. That this engine is to be had within the CT5-V Blackwing at a base worth of $90,995 makes it a bonafide cut price.

Palate the cost of the Escalade V, and you have got one superb do-it-all car for your fingers. Whilst we’d favor the sedan with the handbook transmission because it’s dynamically higher and extra enticing than the SUV with which it stocks an engine, what the Escalade V can do is nearly past comprehension. It will get round, turns shockingly neatly, cruises like a luxurious barge, and nonetheless manages to awaken laughs and smirks on each force. However maximum of all, it’s only a amusing factor to force or trip in. This may well be the height super-SUV prior to we flip issues over to our forthcoming electrical overlords. We don’t condone violence, however the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Collection is our more or less brutality. Anxious the peace by no means felt so excellent.