The Cadillac Escalade V is all about excess and unlike many performance-leaning SUVs it’s got enough grunt to make it stand out. It’s not alone though as challengers from Mercedes and Land Rover are also pushing the envelope of just how fast a high-end luxury SUV can be. Here’s a front row seat to the three of them deciding what’s what on a drag strip.
The V is by far the most expensive Escalade on sale today with an MSRP of $149,990. For that cash you get the most powerful full-size SUV on the market though with its 682 hp (508 kW). Of course, it’s also by far the heaviest vehicle of this trio tipping the scales at 6,217 lbs (2,820 kg). The guys at Throttle House say that it’s basically so stupid that it starts to make sense again.
For $118,700, one could pick up the Range Rover P530. It uses a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 from BMW to pump out 523-hp (385 kW). That’s a big gap to make up but the Rangey weighs “just” 5,530 lbs (2,508 kg). The Mercedes is the wild card because it weighs a little more, 5,842 lbs (2,650 kg), but has more power too, at 577 hp (424 kW). It’s also the most expensive with an MSRP of $179,000.
Read More: General Motors Penalizes Escalade V Flippers By Cancelling The Vehicle’s Warranty
What’s clear after the initial drag race is that money doesn’t always buy speed. The Cadillac Escalade V absolutely rips off of the line and down the quarter of a mile faster than either the Mercedes or the Range Rover can cope with. Despite the SUV’s weight penalty, the supercharged V8 under the hood is simply too brawny to be beaten from a dig.
Things change when they start from a roll, though. Despite the V having more power and more torque, 653 ft-lbs (885 Nm), it loses to the lighter AMG. While the G 63 might be a little weaker under the hood, it still develops 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque, and combined with its much lighter overall weight, it comes away as the winner.
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