The 2023 Cadillac Escalade V is probably the most impressive vehicle GM builds outside the Hummer. Sure, the Durango Hellcat and Jeep Trackhawk also produce a boatload of supercharged V8 power, but the Escalade V is also a pure luxury vehicle… like a Mercedes-AMG G63 or a Range Rover. This can only be settled with a drag race!
While this next video that we’re about to share happens to be a review, all you need to know here is that the normal Escalade is great and the V model is insane. It’s just crazy!
682 horsepower is present every time you mash the throttle, and its handled by a permanent AWD system that rockets you towards the horizon. The V8 has a bigger supercharger than they normally use for the 6.2-liter, and it boasts numerous hardware improvements: forged steel crankshaft, and forged aluminum pistons. But the experience is simply dominated by sound, enough of it to make you deaf.
Fast, luxurious, but not cheap
However, there’s a problem. Cadillac used to be a cheap alternative. Visiting the Paris Hotel in Vegas is not supposed to be as expensive as flying to the actual French capital. Yet the Escalade V costs $150,000, which means prices it right up against some of the best European SUVs. And since it’s all about prestige, Throttle House picked a brand new Range Rover P530 ($118,700) and the Mercedes-AMG G63 ($179,000), two popular Beverly Hills cruisers.
If you just look at the engines, the Escalade V seems like a clear winner with the 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque from the biggest V8 here, a supercharged 6.2-liter. The Range Rover P530 is all-new and uses a BMW 4.4-liter twin-turbo rated at 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. It’s also the lightest SUV of the bunch at 5,530 lbs (2,508 kg).
Thomas and James hope that the Rover pull put up a good fight just because BMW engines are underrated. However, the real challenger is the Mercedes-AMG. WhistlinDiesel didn’t lie when he said the G63 is one of the most impressive vehicles on the planet. Its 4.0-liter AMG-tuned V8 makes 577 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque.
In the drag race, the G63 almost caught up with the Escalade V by the end of the quarter-mile. And when they did a rolling race, the AMG was clearly the winner. So there you have it, one of the first drag races with this legendary new Cadillac SUV, and it only just won against an AMG that’s been around since 2018.
I will say that the Escalade V is somehow cooler, at least from a personal perspective. This is a long 3-row family vehicle that sounds like a battlefield. It stands for something both old and new, while not being associated with the same customers as a G63 or Range Rover. Hopefully, none of the Kardashians will buy Cadillacs!
