Test Drive: Meet Cadillac’s Beastly 682-Horsepower Escalade V-Series

Cadillac’s high-performance 2023 Escalade-V model is a monster of a machine with a 682-horsepower supercharged engine and a rapper-and-sport-star-worthy visage. You’ll feel like a boss the moment you get in and hear that delicious, buttery roar of its quad exhaust, and you’ll probably hang out more in your V-Series than you will in your apartment. In fact it might be worth as much as your apartment.

Is it worth the asking base price of $149,195? I might have said yes had I not test-driven Jeep’s Grand Wagoneer in August. That’s not to say I wouldn’t prefer the V model, but the Wagoneer’s interior is more impressive.

And Tony Soprano didn’t drive a Jeep Wagoneer.

But let’s have a look.

This trim arrives with everything you’ll find on Cadillac’s Escalade Platinum trims such as tight-fisted Brembo brakes, four-wheel drive, launch control, active cabin noise cancellation, night-vision assist, a custom-tuned, butter-smooth suspension and transmission and a few other things. You can also get yourself a center console fridge-freezer for another $700.

The body is, as one expects, hale and hearty and stare-worthy from passerby who know what it is – one of the finest SUVs on the market. Any Escalade is a boss Escalade, after all, what with its vast passenger and cargo space, elephant-as-ballerina-road manners and handling and its up-to-date tech.

You’ll also bang out something like 11 miles to the gallon with this model when you’re done stepping on it. No one buys an Escalade for the mileage but that’s particularly miserable. If you take it easy you can squeeze up to 18 MPG. But who buys a V-series to take it easy? Not I. Another complaint is visibility. It’s just not great out back, even with the headrests down.

Gripes aside, the V-Series was my darling for the three days I drove it, and my first trip was 40 miles from the airport to where I live, in a blizzard. I just took it slow, put on the music and enjoyed slip-slidin’ home in this plush cocoon.

There is so much to talk about. But here are the main aspects differentiating this trim from all others.

• Unique V-Series front and rear fascias
• Quad exhaust outlets
• Exclusive Six-Piston Brembo front brakes
• Edge Red brake calipers
• Unique 22-inch aluminum wheels
• Standard Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Air Ride Adaptive Suspension, with uniquely tuned rear air springs and damper hardware, as well as V-Series specific software calibrations
• Selectable V-Mode with driver-customizable performance driving settings, lowered suspension and active exhaust valves that control the throaty V-8 growl
• V-Series badging on the driver and front passenger doors, liftgate and throughout the interior, including the steering wheel
• Platinum trim interior featuring Zebra Wood decor with semi-aniline leather on all three rows, and heated/ventilated and massaging¹ front seats
• Escalade’s signature curved OLED with 38 inches of total diagonal display
• AKG Studio Reference 36-speaker audio system
• Available Super Cruise² hands-free driver-assistance technology, including trailering and automatic lane change capabilities (late availability).

Tech:

Your handsome 16.9-inch cluster display is not only nice and huge – it’s curved, an industry first, with twice the pixel density of a 4K TV. For long drives at night, this display will keep you company and make you feel connected to the world. What I liked about it especially was its ease of operation, with an intuitive menu layout and quick responses. All the goodies are here, too – wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, navigation, HD Radio, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot, USB ports, wireless device charging and a bangin’ 19-speaker AKG audio system.

You can also opt for a 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference audio system and a rear-seat entertainment system with two 12.6-inch touch screens. For more coin you can also get a 7.2-inch digital control panel, a 14.2-inch digital gauge cluster, tri-zone automatic climate control and remote start.

Interior room:

Lots. The tall and big among us will fit nicely, and those in the second row get their own captain’s chairs. With all seats folded down, you could probably fit a full set of drums back there, or sports equipment or suitcases or what-have-you.

Safety:

Even with Chris Moltisanti driving, you should do ok in a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2023 Cadillac Escalade an overall safety rating of four out of five stars, with four stars in the frontal crash test, five stars in the side crash test and three stars in the rollover test.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not crash tested the 2023 Escalade, but there isn’t any reason to believe the ’23 model is any less safe than previous years. If you’re buying an SUV so you can feel protected, it really doesn’t get any better than this.

Conclusion: Internal combustion engines, of course, are on the way out, but as long as there are gas stations, there are people who will want to buy gas, and juice up rides like these, for a price. And there’s nothing wrong with that.