Love at first sight? Check. Love at first sound? 100% double check!
I am privileged to bring to you this week the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V, a high- performance 4-wheel drive large luxury SUV. This what dreams are made of for a car reviewer.
Deciding between a new vs used Escalade? We've reviewed it every year since 2015. Here's a list of all of our Escalade reviews.
Performance
The big story lies under the hood where you find a hand-assembled and supercharged 6.2-liter V8 putting out -get this- 682-horses and a strong 653-pound feet of torque that really gets this beast moving. It is mated to a 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters. 0-to-60 in this 6,200-pound SUV is an astounding 4-seconds.
Exterior
The exterior is very in-your-face with a massive grill, a rear spoiler, quad exhaust, and huge 22” alloy wheels and very meaty tires.
Interior
You’ll be amazed when you open the door to get in. You are met with an opulent interior and seating that rivals the nicest hotel you’ve ever been in.
The magic really happens when you push the start button and three different screens appear in front of you, stretching almost three quarters of the way across the entire vehicle. All total, there are 38-inches of screens.
The touchscreen above the center console is almost 17” by itself and controls everything including the sound system, navigation, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more. A swipe to left gives you trailering options, apps for wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and also Alexa.
The gauge screen is highly configurable, or you can make it a huge map that shows your exact position, or you can turn on augmented reality, which turns the whole screen into a live front camera view. There is a small third screen to the left of dash to configure the driver’s screen, turn on night vision, and adjust the terrific head-up display.
The dash is heavily stitched, all soft materials and there is some beautiful wood that runs across it.
The center console features your gear shifter, two cupholders, USB ports, a wireless charger, a round knob if you prefer not to operate everything by touch, and a brake hold button. Next to that you access the “V” settings to configure the vehicle the way you want it.
The leather seats are patterned, bolstered and incredibly comfortable, they are 12-way power, and they are heated and cooled. They also massage you and they are incredible.
Moving to the center row captain chairs, seats are heated-but not air conditioned-and they slide and recline. These occupants get their own A/C controls, air vents in the ceiling, USB-C ports, a power outlet, and two 12” screens to stream your favorite shows, play games, or search the web.
To access the massive 3rd row seat, there are switches to power-fold the 2nd row seats down easily. The third row will comfortably seat three adults and has plenty of leg and head room.
Utility
There is a power liftgate that offers up a lot of cargo area, a power outlet if needed, and switches to fold down the 3rd row that gives you a totally flat load floor. There is underneath storage for hiding valuables. If you don’t want to open the entire liftgate, you can just open the rear glass, a nice feature.
Features and Options
Escalades come completely loaded with remote start, keyless entry, a panoramic moon roof, heated power tilt steering wheel, and an amazing rear camera system with cross traffic alert.
My tester’s only option is the Argent Silver paint, everything else is standard equipment on this model and trust me, there is nothing missing.
Also to note, it comes standard with the AKG studio surround sound system. It’s the best I’ve ever heard and it has 36-speakers throughout the SUV, including in the front seat headrests.
Ride and Drive
All-in-all the Escalade-V is an amazing, very large, very fast SUV that rides and handles fantastic thanks to the independent rear suspension and Magnetic Ride Control, which gives you a very smooth ride. If you are like me and a fan of an amazing exhaust sound, it doesn’t get better than this. The Escalade-V comes in an extended version, too. Just FYI.
Fuel economy, well, it’s what you would expect: 11 in town and 16 on the highway, but remember it has close to 700-horses. I had stretches in city driving that I only got 8-miles per gallon, but all combined for the week, even with my heavy foot, I averaged slightly more than 13.
Verdict
As always, all this wonderfulness and power comes with a hefty sticker price of $150,565. Sounds like a lot, but I’ve never been in an SUV I’ve enjoyed more, and I’ve reviewed a ton of them. I just wish you could get one, there is a very long waiting list.
- What I liked most: The horsepower and incredible exhaust sound.
- What I would change: Not one damned thing.
- MSRP: Base price $148,195. As equipped $150,565 with transportation.
- Fuel Economy: 11 city/16 highway/13 combined.
- Odometer reading when tested: 400 miles.
- Weight: 6,217 Pounds.
- Spare Tire: Full-sized.
- Length-Width-Height: 211.9” long/81.1” wide/76.7” high.
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 24 gallons with filler on the driver’s side.
- Official Color: Argent Silver Metallic.
- Towing Capacity: 7,000 pounds.
- 2023 Escalade-V in a few words: Mind-blowing performance SUV, but a great daily driver as well. An unbeatable combination if you can get one.
- Warranty: 4-year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper, 6-year/70,000 mile power train warranty with roadside assistance, courtesy transportation, and free first maintenance visit.
- Final Assembly Location: Arlington, TX.
- Manufacturer's website: www.Cadillac.com
