The 2025 Cadillac Escalade ESV V-Series ($212,099 starting in Canada, $165,500 starting in the US) has seen several updates for this model year, and is ready to defend its best-selling title. The 6.2 L supercharged V8 engine is unchanged, but it has seen some styling changes inside and out. This includes an absolutely massive 55 inch screen in the dash, carbon fiber trim bits, 24 inch wheels, new light designs and other changes. But does the new Escalade V command its hefty price tag? And are the latest changes in the right direction? Thomas and James can’t wait to find out! We hope you enjoy the episode. Subscribe!
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Videography: Karston Chong and Daniel Mason
Editing: Daniel Mason
Sound: Harrison Dickson and Daniel Mason
Magical Genius Logistics Planners: James Engelsman and Joey Alford
Was present: Thomas Holland
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#Cadillac #V8 #SUV
Check out the Huckberry clothes we've been wearing here: https://glnk.io/3vzrq/thethrottlehouse652
Videography: Karston Chong and Daniel Mason
Editing: Daniel Mason
Sound: Harrison Dickson and Daniel Mason
Magical Genius Logistics Planners: James Engelsman and Joey Alford
Was present: Thomas Holland
EXTRA THROTTLE HOUSE!
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#Cadillac #V8 #SUV
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FunTranscript
00:00Oh, hold on a second, another G-Wagon, I gotta do the G-Wagon wave.
00:05There it is.
00:05Eh? Pretty good, right?
00:07We nailed that.
00:07We did, 100%.
00:08It's famous now.
00:09Did a lot of views, that.
00:09The G-Wagon wave.
00:11Yeah, we should do a wave for the Escalade.
00:14And it's a V.
00:14Oh, like a V-Wave.
00:15Yeah, be careful what you do with your hand there.
00:17Okay, yeah.
00:17I'll start with the bad ideas.
00:18What have you got?
00:19Like a V.
00:21Yeah, but you need one hand on the wheel.
00:23Oh, right, okay.
00:23So just like a V with your hands on it, something like that.
00:27Ow.
00:27Sorry.
00:28What the hell?
00:29Sorry, it's a reflex.
00:30That really hurt.
00:31That means something very different in England.
00:32It's very rude.
00:33I didn't even know what I did.
00:34I just did this.
00:37Mike Myers!
00:38Yeah.
00:39What the f-
00:40Okay, I don't need to apologize for that one.
00:42I think you wrecked my nose.
00:43That enters Fool Me Twice territory.
00:44I think you wrecked my nose.
00:45I'd do it again.
00:59You're watching Throttle House.
01:00I'm Thomas.
01:01And I'm James.
01:04And this is the Escalade V.
01:18The new Escalade V, which means it benefits from a facelift.
01:24The new Escalade V, which means it benefits from a facelift.
01:29The outside gets a modernized polish.
01:31New tech adorns the cabin.
01:33Some things have gotten bigger and nothing has really gotten smaller.
01:38Every time we compare the Escalade to its luxury people-hauling competitors,
01:43it stands as king.
01:45But recently, a lot of the others have been updated.
01:49So are the Escalade's new updates enough to protect it from being usurped?
01:54Also, being king comes with a hefty price tag.
01:59Yeah, a normal Escalade starts at $90,000 US.
02:04But stick an ES and a couple of Vs on the end of the name
02:08and the vehicle isn't the only thing getting supercharged.
02:12You are.
02:13Because this one we have here,
02:14thanks to the continuing generosity of our friends at Legate Auto Group here in Ontario,
02:19costs over $167,000 US.
02:24Okay, that sounds like a lot.
02:26And that's only because it is.
02:28But there's a lot of car here.
02:30When you buy clothes, if you're buying XXXL, do you pay more?
02:35No.
02:35Oh, they fixed that, didn't they?
02:36Yeah, they fixed that.
02:37That's not the case with vehicles, all right?
02:40And this is the Escalade ESV.
02:43There's so much of it.
02:44The big one.
02:44Look how big this piece of glass is right here.
02:48Yeah, it's an office building.
02:49It's 100% an office building turned this way and given a supercharged V8.
02:54So it's just so silly, isn't it?
02:55I think this is the king of the American people hauling.
03:00You know, I know we've driven things like the GLS 63.
03:03These 24s, the biggest ever on an Escalade.
03:07We get 24 inch rims now.
03:09It's so big.
03:10They're huge.
03:11That's ridiculous.
03:13But then now I think if you went any smaller, how would it fit the wheel well?
03:17I don't know.
03:18That looks good to me.
03:19Yeah, fair enough.
03:21The problem is that wheels are disproportional to the size of the vehicle.
03:25And up close, this is absolutely idiotic.
03:28It's like one of those things used to go down the hill as a kid.
03:31But they know.
03:32They know their audience.
03:33Because people are going to stick, what are they, 4G Arto's or whatever?
03:36The giant things.
03:37And they've done it for you.
03:39And somehow the ride isn't ruined.
03:42We'll get to that in a minute.
03:43Yeah.
03:43But what they have done is, this is a significant facelift in some ways.
03:47No, it's not.
03:48In some ways, it is.
03:50It's not significant at all.
03:52The front.
03:53This now looks more like their IQ stuff.
03:55Apparently, it's inspired by Vistick.
03:56Yeah.
03:57And the optic and the lyric.
03:59There you go.
04:00Yeah.
04:00But also Vistick.
04:01Also Vistick.
04:02If you could say Vistick.
04:03Yeah.
04:04Always say Vistick.
04:04That's an incoming three row.
04:06And I didn't understand because the lyric's quite big.
04:08And then the Escalade IQ.
04:10What's it coming in?
04:11What's that?
04:12The Vistick?
04:13What's the Vistick?
04:14Sorry.
04:16Actually, it's an incoming and I couldn't leave it alone.
04:20Yes, the stickers will be coming.
04:22But it's coming in between the optic and the Escalade IQ.
04:31Okay, I can stop.
04:32I'm just trying to get it off.
04:32We've got the Russian doll going on.
04:36Anyway.
04:37This is a celebration of combustion.
04:39We're not getting into the EV stuff.
04:40However, they have made the front look a bit more EV-y.
04:43And so they've changed the lights.
04:44And now we have a surround lit up grill.
04:48Oh, this is my favorite thing they're putting on luxury cars now.
04:50Yeah.
04:50I've never said that it's tacky or unnecessary.
04:53I know.
04:54It's just, it's definitely where I think that design language should go in the future.
04:57Just lights.
04:58Just lights.
04:59Well, this is an exercise in American excess.
05:01And when we go inside in a second, you'll see there's some more stuff
05:04that they've assumed everyone wants.
05:07They called it the Vistick.
05:10Cadillac, I'm sorry.
05:12I'm never going to let that go.
05:14I'm sure it's a great three-row.
05:17Anyway, there's three new colors.
05:18Yeah.
05:18This isn't one of them.
05:20It's always the case, isn't it?
05:20I've never seen a new color on a new car.
05:22This is the Argent Gray.
05:23Okay.
05:23But there is now Deep Sea Metallic.
05:25Yeah.
05:26Latte Metallic, which is sort of a nice brown.
05:28He knows all the colors.
05:29And Aegean Stone.
05:32And then, yeah.
05:32Other than that, they've tweaked the taillights a bit.
05:34But really, that's the exciting thing.
05:35Yeah.
05:37This is a V.
05:38It's a V.
05:39We'll get to the V later.
05:41Okay.
05:41Okay, James's girlfriend 2012.
05:47Can we talk about that?
05:48Yeah, we're going to have to.
05:48Speaking of Vistick.
05:49Yeah.
05:50That's a big one.
05:51It's got a hook and everything.
05:53Okay.
05:54This is as unhinged as our car review has been thus far.
05:58It was already curved and long at 38 inches.
06:02But for some reason, Cadillac decided the screen now needs to be 55 inches,
06:08which I believe is the longest screen in the automotive world.
06:13I have my own screen here.
06:14With that and Vistick, they're really playing for being that one guy
06:17that everyone talks about in the locker room type of thing.
06:19You know what I mean?
06:20No, they're like Dodgers giving up being crazy.
06:22So let's be the new crazies.
06:24I see.
06:25Otherwise, it's still massively cut.
06:26This is the ESV.
06:27So there's plenty of space in the middle.
06:29Yeah.
06:29There's plenty of space.
06:30In fact, there's more headroom in the rear.
06:33Harrison fits in the rear.
06:35That's crazy.
06:36Better than he fits in the middle.
06:37That's what this does more than anything.
06:39I do like the pillar-to-pillar screen.
06:42When it came out on the Honda e, it was so good.
06:44It isn't pillar-to-pillar, though, is it?
06:46There's a bezel there.
06:47They've just filled in the blanks with plastic.
06:50Yes.
06:52It's also curved away from me.
06:54The speedometer.
06:55The whole screen in front of me.
06:57Yeah, it's a bit strange.
06:58Listen, I think it visually looks fantastic.
07:01And I think as a centerpiece and a showpiece, it makes you go, wow.
07:05But I think they could have had more fun with it.
07:08Even GM's Hummer EV has the Unreal Engine stuff.
07:12It's amazing.
07:13Yeah, it's like a whole show.
07:14When you look at the lucid gravity with all the environments and stuff that spread and look cute,
07:20there isn't that much fun to be had on these screens.
07:23Or brightness.
07:24Yeah, or brightness.
07:25This might be, I don't know, demo mode.
07:27But it's as bright as we've been able to get it.
07:29And now they've added this screen here.
07:31Very Audi-like.
07:32It is quite Audi-like.
07:33And also Mercedes, the way it comes up.
07:35This used to be a physical shifter.
07:36That's now moved to the steering wheel column.
07:38Right.
07:39And we have this little switchy thing here.
07:42Which is the touchscreen.
07:43Yeah.
07:44Yeah.
07:46This is fine.
07:48But I think it is a continuation of the trend of moving in, arguably, the incorrect direction
07:53for ergonomics.
07:55Yeah, well, what makes you say that?
07:56The haptic buttons on the steering wheel and the piano black.
08:01I don't know.
08:02It's getting a bit frustrating to always have to say the same things over and over again.
08:06However, if you're in a Cadillac Escalade V,
08:10you're probably a little bit interested in showing off, maybe.
08:15Yes, this has carbon fiber.
08:17Got carbon fiber for the V.
08:19Stop squeaking it.
08:20It's like a Mercedes in here.
08:22Yeah.
08:23Like that little carbon fiber panel right there.
08:25This one?
08:26That one's quite weak.
08:27Oh, that's not quite attached to the car fully.
08:31So it still is American premium.
08:32Yeah, but I think what happens is you forget all of this when you drive it.
08:39All right.
08:42Well, at least that was true of the last Escalade V we drove.
08:46Because when it comes to the new 2025 V and its supercharged V8 engine,
08:51they haven't changed it at all.
08:54Which means it's still Roid Rage on wheels.
09:01I actually have forgot.
09:07I forgot.
09:08Yeah, how stupid it is.
09:09It is so stupid, James.
09:11In the best possible way.
09:12It is so stupid.
09:14Watch this.
09:20It sounds like a firing squad back there.
09:21It sounds like the engine announces that you're now time to shoot and then they just...
09:25It's so obnoxious.
09:30I love it.
09:31I love it.
09:32I love when the Americans shoved big engines and stuff.
09:35They got the 392 Wrangler, the Raptors, and then somehow the Escalade gets this V.
09:42It's just so silly.
09:44It's nowhere near as sharp of an application of this engine as the Blackwing, for example.
09:51Well, it's not exactly.
09:52It's not a Blackwing.
09:53It's just V.
09:54It's just V.
09:54So that only gives it 682 horsepower and a 0-60 of like four and a half seconds.
10:01This thing weighs 6,500 pounds.
10:03Put your foot down.
10:12What a noise.
10:12And it's all-wheel drive, so you still have that confidence.
10:16Oh, he's so confident to put your foot down.
10:17I mean, it doesn't matter.
10:18There's so much weight.
10:20It's never going to break those tires.
10:25That is the slowest 682 horsepower.
10:28100% it is, yeah.
10:29It's actually not even that quick.
10:32It's more noise than speed, for sure.
10:34But it's so much drama.
10:36It is so much drama.
10:37It's just such a great, great use of this engine.
10:42Go.
10:48This is a three-row SUV that you end up having to be naughty.
10:52You have to be naughty.
10:53You have to do that.
10:55Oh, my lord.
10:56What a noise.
10:5712.7 second quarter mile, this thing.
11:02Do you think if you did the score on it, what sort of dad would you be?
11:06You're alpha dad.
11:07You're like the dad that wears the little, thin, puffy vest.
11:11But do you save?
11:12And you just make phone calls and high-five other dads at hockey games or football games.
11:16Right, because you won.
11:16Because you won.
11:16You won.
11:17Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:17But do you save those accelerations for if they won the game?
11:22Or are you just doing it all the time?
11:23Are you cheering them up with it?
11:24Yeah, listening to your kids or your wife.
11:28You're just-
11:28Ever.
11:29Ever.
11:30You're just putting your foot down.
11:32You're Escalade V.
11:32What's up, honey?
11:36No, that was the Mustang in front.
11:38No, that wasn't me.
11:39Sorry.
11:39It really doesn't feel that much quicker than the Infiniti QX80 did.
11:44No, it doesn't.
11:45Which is the most reason-
11:46So much more noise.
11:47And it is quicker.
11:48But it doesn't feel that.
11:49It's just that much quicker.
11:50It doesn't feel that.
11:51It's just that noise.
11:52It's the noise.
11:54Do it again.
11:55Do it again.
11:55Oh, my God.
12:02Absolute thunder.
12:03And the ride is good.
12:05And the steering is fine.
12:07I actually think the Infiniti QX80's got it on steering.
12:09Yeah, the steering's quite good.
12:11I don't think we talked enough about the ride.
12:12Because the fact that it has 20 gazillion inch wheels.
12:15Yeah.
12:15It just doesn't matter.
12:17The ride is beautiful.
12:18It's not just the impacts of which there are none.
12:22It's the way that it handles pitching, diving, and rolling.
12:25I've given it this compliment every time we've gotten an Escalade for the last few years.
12:29It really doesn't feel laborsome.
12:32It can just handle it.
12:34And so, to be fair-
12:35I'm braking.
12:35I'm braking.
12:36And we're not pitching forward.
12:38No.
12:38Not like-
12:39I don't get that.
12:40Yeah, I know.
12:41I know.
12:41And that's why people say that the Alpina XB7 and the GLS 63 are more athletic.
12:46And they are.
12:46Absolutely.
12:47You turn the car, they are.
12:48Yes.
12:49But the XB7 and the X7 pitch is harder than this.
12:53Yeah.
12:54Much harder.
12:57Yeah, when you turn a corner like that, you're like, oh yeah, no, I'm in the longest SUV ever made.
13:02But, I don't know, just kind of going down a road like this, it really feels smaller than it is.
13:08Yeah.
13:08The 10-speed transmission is good.
13:10It's incredibly comfortable.
13:11It is.
13:11Oh, the doors.
13:13We forgot to talk about this.
13:15Oh, that's right.
13:15Yes.
13:16This comes with power doors.
13:17So when the software update comes, you can close them with the brake pedal or with putting the handle.
13:24Yes.
13:24And they open for you as well.
13:27Like a Rolls Royce.
13:28This one hasn't got the update yet.
13:30But what it does have is the electronics for it.
13:33And as a result, it does have soft close.
13:35But it also cannot slam the doors.
13:38It has anti-slam.
13:39It has anti-slam.
13:40You cannot be in an angry teenager's fit and try and slam the door of this car.
13:45It makes you calm down.
13:48This is quite an astounding hunk of steel.
13:52Because we've been over this concept before a million times.
13:56These SUVs do not need to exist.
13:59And the world is quite genuinely worse off for having them.
14:03But when they get them right, it makes you go, all right, fine.
14:10I see it.
14:11I get it.
14:12Also, keep in mind, none of the other American cars of this ilk are doing the fun engine thing.
14:17The Navigator, the Grand.
14:18None of them have an option.
14:20So take that away.
14:22Take the V away.
14:23No, do it.
14:24Don't take it away.
14:26It just keeps going as well.
14:27It does, yeah.
14:29And you still have the King.
14:31I know it outsells the other ones, like three to one.
14:35I don't care about sales figures.
14:37I care about our testing.
14:39And there's a reason the Escalade reigns supreme.
14:42Like, this is driving so surprisingly well for the...
14:44If our crew F-150.
14:46It drives nowhere near as well as this.
14:48Why don't Cadillac make a pickup truck?
14:50Well, they've got like the Chevy Silverado.
14:53I know, but stick a Caddy badge on it.
14:54Give it this design language.
14:55Give it this engine.
14:57Just a pickup.
14:58Pickup.
14:58Because they sell a lot of those.
14:59It'd be the coolest pickup.
15:00They sell so many.
15:02They used to have a pickup.
15:03That's right, they did.
15:04Bring it back.
15:05Bring it back.
15:05Stick this engine in.
15:06These stuff aside,
15:07this is still an absolutely excellent vehicle to drive.
15:12I think it would be my first choice,
15:15were I to haul a bunch of people across America.
15:18God forbid you take this to Europe.
15:19That's not good.
15:20It doesn't work.
15:21You just couldn't.
15:21Yeah.
15:22But across America, this would be the one I think that I would take.
15:26Right?
15:27Yeah.
15:29Just give me a bit more sound.
15:30I just want a bit more.
15:31Sure.
15:35Madness.
15:36It's so stupid.
15:41A clap on the options as well.
15:42It's just such a clap.
15:44I wonder if this stick will have clap.
15:49Maybe this stick will have the clap.
15:52But until we find out,
15:53the Escalade gets the full applause.
15:56Do the updates make it a whole new car?
15:59No.
15:59We're not even sure they improve it.
16:02Like, at all.
16:04Well, hang on.
16:04That's not true.
16:05You can now get a ventilated second row as an optional package,
16:08which is nice,
16:09but everything else just got a bit more screeny.
16:12And yet, somehow,
16:14despite Cadillac choosing that slightly odd direction,
16:17the Escalade still reigns supreme among its peers.
16:21And the V continues to be hilarious in all the best ways.
16:25Just be ready to invite your gas station clerk to your wedding.
16:29As your best man.
16:31Thanks for watching.
16:36What?
16:36Cheerio!
16:38It was a dab sneeze.
16:42Uh, okay.
16:42Not a dab sneeze.
16:43Not a dab.
16:44Not there yet.