![]() Cadillac tweaked the Escalade’s already exceptional steering for additional weight build-up as the wheel turns. It combines a surprising amount of feel with direct responses and a reassuring weight build-up off center, especially at speed. In any kind of driving, the V’s steering is the best in class. The system can also be set to a Sport mode that sets the front/rear torque split at 30/70 to provide the sportier feel of rear-drive handling. It comes with a standard electronic limited-slip differential that helps sort out the power for best traction. The standard all-wheel-drive system can also aid handling. No matter the suspension setting, the magnetic dampers combine with substantial sidewalls on the 50-series tires to create a comfortable ride. From behind the wheel, it feels like you’re coaxing a plow horse through an obstacle course rather than an Andalusian, but at least it’s not an ox. ![]() However, it doesn’t flop from side to side as expected, and it doesn’t wobble to disrupt passengers with undue head toss. Brake hard enough to get the weight and speed under control, steer it into the corner, and it wants to lean. Get on the brakes heading into a corner and the three tons of V-8 fun wants to continue forward. While the suspension changes are mere sandbags in the dam that is the Escalade-V’s monstrous weight, they also make it the best handling Escalade. GM engineers stiffened the rear air springs and retuned the standard Magnetic Ride Control dampers for greater body control in all directions. While much of it was to handle the squat and dive that can result from shifting so much weight forward and back, the changes also improved handling. Speaking of beef, the Escalade-V weighs in at a cruiserweight 6,217 lb and the long-wheelbase ESV version adds a few slabs of meat to tip the scales at 6,407 lb.Ĭadillac did some work on the suspension to help tame all that high-set weight. It’s the same transmission used in other Escalades, but its internals have been beefed up to handle so much power and torque. There’s not much left after that, though, as the top speed is limited to 124 mph.Īlong the way up the mph ladder, the V’s 10-speed automatic transmission cracks off surprisingly quick shifts in Sport mode, and the blat between gears is the best sound this rumbling, grumbling, snarling SUV makes. Launch it on a dragstrip, and the beast will cover the quarter mile in 12.74 seconds at 110 mph. It’s a thrilling, throw-you-back-into-your-seat sensation that seems nearly impossible in such a big vehicle. The Escalade-V’s engine note rise several decibels, the rear end squats slightly as the front end lifts, and the standard 275/50R22 all-season tires dig into the pavement to rocket this big, heavy SUV from 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. Teaching your V-8 to bark may be fun, but the real fun comes when pinning the throttle. Shutting off the Escalade-V when using MyMode makes your chosen exhaust setting the default the next time you start the vehicle. The exhaust defaults to Tour mode, but drivers can use the programmable MyMode, enabled via a button to the left of the steering wheel, to dial it down to Stealth or crank it up to Sport. A flap in the exhaust enables three sound settings: Stealth, Tour, and Sport. The Escalade-V’s V-8 sounds its barbaric yawp on every startup, and the driver can set it to be tame or to wake the neighborhood. No matter the name, every Escalade-V engine is hand built and features a plaque with a name of the builder. ![]() The supercharger and power upgrade make this engine a tweener, so maybe it’s better referred to as an LT4.5. GM calls the engine an LT4, but it has the supercharger from the 755-hp LT5 last used on the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Motor Authority’s Best Car to Buy 2019. The V-8 would make even more power, but the exhaust routing in the Escalade is more restrictive than it is in the CT5-V’s mid-size sedan body. Torque maxes out at 653 lb-ft, and 80% of that is available at 2,000 rpm, which teams with standard all-wheel drive to ensure hard launches. The larger supercharger, which spins up 10 psi of boost, accounts for the increase to 682 hp. ![]() The main difference is a 2.65-liter supercharger instead of the Blackwing’s 1.7-liter version. It’s a version of the engine that makes 668 hp in the CT5-V Blackwing, but it’s upgraded to handle the extra size and weight of a full-size body-on-frame SUV. Rather than a 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, the V boasts a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. The main difference between the Escalade-V and other Escalades lurks under the hood. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |