Here’s Why Jay Leno Thinks The 2023 Cadillac Escalade V Is An Unbelievable SUV

Jay Leno is one of the kings of the automotive world, so when he says a car is unbelievable, it is an indication of the car being quite interesting. Most recently, the car that impressed Leno is the new Cadillac Escalade V. Cadillac is expanding its V Series lineup and bringing the best-selling Escalade into the fold with some incredible performance upgrades.

During Leno’s testing of the car, there was no shortage of smiles as the mammoth SUV catapulted to speed every time he hit the gas. The Escalade V is an awesome new addition to the market that will likely win over the dying Dodge Durango SRT fans. Here is what’s so cool about the Escalade V and why Jay Leno thinks it is unbelievable.

What Makes The Escalade V-Series So Good?

The new Escalade is utterly insane, and that is part of why it is so cool. Cadillac has been producing cars with the V badge on them for nearly 20 years but never approached the Escalade with brute ‘V’ power. Today, Cadillac wanted to ensure that its customers would never need to choose between luxury, technology, or performance. That is because they get all three in the Escalade V three-row SUV.

It all starts under the hood. The Cadillac Escalade V packs a hand-crafted 6.2 liter supercharged V8 to propel the behemoth down the road. That engine puts out an astounding 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque. Compared to the Dodge Durango Hellcat, the Escalade V has 30 fewer horsepower but 10 more lb-ft of torque. All the horsepower and torque under the hood easily propel the Escalade V from 0-60 in under 4.4 seconds, an insanely quick figure for a car that weighs over 6000 pounds.

Alongside the ridiculous engineering under the hood, you still get all the same luxury that is expected from a Cadillac Escalade. The styling is beautiful and impresses from every angle. On the inside, the driver gets a curved OLED screen with 38 inches of display. This makes it even more luxurious than regular Escalades. AKG provided a studio reference audio system with 36 speakers to create an immersive, 360-degree audio experience. Also, Cadillac’s Super Cruise is available for the V-Series, meaning you can drive hands-free on over 200,000 miles of road in the US and Canada.

Jay Leno Is A Huge Cadillac Fan

Jay Leno said during his review that he loves Cadillac. There are multiple Caddies in his collection though he raved about one the most: a 1918 Cadillac Type 57 Victoria. It is a beautiful example of one of the earliest eras of the automobile, and under the hood has what Leno says is “one of the greatest V-8 engines ever designed.” He also has a 1925 and a 1957 Cadillac in his collection. Leno raved about how the brand has always been the symbol of American power and prestige.

The first thing Leno did when he got successful in show business was buy his dad a white 1979 four-door Cadillac with red upholstery. According to him, it “looked like Elvis’ coffin inside.” Cadillacs were opulent land yachts for the longest time, but Leno said they turned a corner when they started releasing the V-Series. Leno bought a Cadillac CTS-V with a manual transmission, the first Cadillac to have a manual since 1948. He still has that “unbelievable” car and loves it. Leno is having fun watching Cadillac go to places like LeMans and win and make special performance cars for the modern era.

Jay Leno’s Take On The Escalade V-Series

Only a few minutes into looking at the Escalade V, Jay Leno called it “almost unbelievable.” It’s wonderfully exciting to Leno, who couldn’t stop raving about his own CTS-V while examining the Escalade. While looking at the engine, Leno learned it was the most powerful Cadillac ever made, and he was quick to test that out on the open road.

There was no shortage of laughs as he accelerated hard and watched the nose of the Escalade pull up due to the torque. Among the things Leno really enjoyed was the car’s mid-range, which he said was really strong, as well as the different exhaust modes available to the driver.

He was also amazed by the 10-speed transmission, which is incredibly responsive and has great drive quality. The most common phrase he used during the drive was, “Boy, it pulls so hard.”

At $150,000, the Escalade V is a lot of money for a lot of power, but Jay Leno thinks it is well worth it. From the looks to the comfort to the insane performance, Cadillac outdid itself with a truly special car.