One letter makes a world of difference. Cadillac V-Series vehicles have become a serious force to be reckoned with in the high-performance space. For the latest-generation Escalade, Cadillac has decided to bestow upon the luxury behemoth that all-important “V” badge. To put this new high-performance Escalade to the test, I wrangled up a bunch of friends and we took a road trip up north to Mammoth, California to attend this year’s Mammoth Gay Ski Week.
First Thing First
Yes, the power is as glorious as you’d imagine. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but its 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft might not seem like the most impressive numbers nowadays, but trust me, the LT4 does a phenomenal job of invigorating the senses. Considering today’s largest GM SUVs feel as though you’re piloting rolling buildings, the Escalade V definitely hustles its way along the road more like a sports car would, which is absolutely bonkers to say. It’s not just the pure shove of the supercharged engine though, it’s the noise that comes along with it that really brings the whole experience together. Ok, now that the madness of the monstrous engine is accounted for, let’s get to the slopes, quickly.
A True One-Car Solution?
It gets real close to it. The Escalade V has the power, space, and comfort you’d want in a one-car solution, but there’s one little thing missing. The handling and braking performance of the Escalade V just aren’t there, especially when compared to some of the competition’s fast SUVs. This, unfortunately, is due to the weight (>6,000 pounds) and the sheer size of the thing. Yes, it’s as luxurious as a private jet, but that’s kind of the problem, it’s almost as large as one, too.
Credit where it’s due, driving the Escalade V instills far more confidence than any of the other large GM SUVs. It’s a bit stiffer, the steering feels better, overall there’s more feedback. You can tell the engineers fought hard against physics, but ultimately, driving a small building down the road simply won’t feel as agile as something like a BMW X5M. If you can accept that reality, then the ultra-fast land yacht will be the vehicle that works best in (most) situations. Where else will you find the luxury of an S-Class, literal Corvette Z06 power, and the formidable presence that only a Cadillac Escalade can provide… all mixed into one vehicle?
Our Trip To The Mountains
We embarked four-up on an ultra-luxurious road trip from Los Angeles to Mammoth Mountain, California. In total I drove the big body V some 650 miles round-trip. This particular Escalade V was equipped with the optional $7,500 “Executive Second Row” seating option. This meant that the second row seats were essentially a carbon copy of the two front seats. This includes power adjusted heated, ventilated, massaging seats with a dedicated center console. There are also speakers in the headrests, just as the front seats have. In addition, there are storable tray tables that fold out of the center console, just as you’d find on a luxury jet.
This made the five and a half hour trip each way a total breeze. All four of us traveled in total luxury, and I even let GM’s brilliant SuperCruise do most of the highway driving on the trip. The V, even though stiffer than a normal Escalade is still ridiculously comfortable, offering a supple ride. Whenever we needed to pick up the pace, a simple dab of throttle reminded us all we were in the road-going version of the Concorde. This thing just melts away the miles. I’d driven this group up to the mountains before, but never in such an effortless way.
The trip itself consisted of nearly a week-long extravaganza of events. Mostly though, our group focused on the actual skiing/snowboarding, and some après ski here and there. The Escalade V proved to be a strong hauler of all our equipment, all while rumbling along the humble streets of Mammoth. We felt like royalty riding around in total luxury. Although there wasn’t as much snow on the ground as we’d hoped for – in fact, it was quite warm during our trip – there’s no doubt the Escalade V could make it through the snow storms Mammoth is typically known for. Having permanent all-wheel-drive and chunky tires will always instill confidence. This was a true palms to pines drive, and the Escalade V made the journey wonderful.
The Best of Both Worlds
Really, it’s the best of “all” worlds. My biggest gripe with the old Escalade V was that it didn’t yet receive the beautiful interior of the Escalade IQ. That car’s materials, design, and overall expression of luxury is much more in-tune with a vehicle that costs upwards of $160,000.
Now though, with the refresh of the current ICE-powered Escalade, all the wonderful attributes of the IQ are present in the V model, too. The massive infotainment screen that spans the width of the interior is included, as are all the wonderfully thought-out design cues. The materials are a noticeable upgrade, too. Where the IQ has wood inlays, the V has a specially woven carbon fiber trim that, as far as I know, is unique to this car. So now you can have the correct powertrain, with the correct interior, and a refreshed exterior design, too. See, it’s a win, win, win.
It Can Still Be Used As A Truck
The Escalade V isn’t just another quick SUV that can’t actually do SUV things… you can tow with it. Its towing capacity is 7,200 pounds, which is plenty to pull a boat or medium-ish trailer. There’s a ton of space in the rear cargo area, as we definitely found out on our way to Mammoth Mountain. With the rear seats folded, you have basically the equivalent space of a short-bed pickup. This is a key attribute that have always set the full-size American SUV apart from the rest of the world.
Now, finally, there is one with the luxury, muscle, and style to make it a world-standard car. It really is one of the most versatile vehicles on sale today. Your kids will never be late to soccer, and the gays will never be late to Ski Week.