Repair-It

http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/ca ... dailydrive

This has gotten fancier and fancier. And apparently they are still popular (within the niche). Standard 22s on the Platinum Edition, which is only $90k. If that's too much there's always the base model for $74k.

Also comes with several TV screens, which I understand is popular in....some circles.

First drive of the 2015, not that anyone cares: http://autoweek.com/article/car-reviews ... irst-drive

Apparently the 2015 was introduced with the old 6L80. So the 8L90 (and Platinum upgrades) is part of a mid-2015 update. Mileage was "up" on the 2015 GMT-K2XX Escalade to 14/20 (from 13/18). So I wonder what the 8L90 will do. With the EcoTec3 6.2L (420hp and 460lb-ft) and 5,8xx lbs, that's not terrible (that's with 4WD), considering that's not a hybrid model. But gas mileage seems pretty irrelevant on something like this...

On the price:

Luxury doesn't come cheap, of course: The standard 2015 Escalade starts at $72,690 while the premium model costs $81,190. Compare those numbers to the Mercedes GL450 which starts at $64,550, and the GL550 comes in at $89,000. Finally, the Range Rover starts at $84,225; the long wheelbase Rangie cracks the century mark at $106,225. Viewed in light of those competitors, the Escalade offers quite a bit of SUV for the dollar.

In other words, yes, you do want this, as long as you're looking for a full-size luxury SUV. It's every bit as good as the alternatives -- if not better -- and a lot more imposing to boot.

I think if you're spending $90k on a vehicle that will likely be worth half of that in a few short years, fuel cost pales in comparison to depreciation expense.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/201 ... est-review

I have to say I am more interested in the car on the trailer, although I guess the Escalade is faster

14.7 @ 96 is pretty sweet for all that mass.

Of course this engine in the lighter Silverado is a scorcher.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/201 ... est-review

0-60 in 5.4 and 14.1 @ 99 (with the old 6-speed, like this early 2015 Escalade), which is literally LT1 F-body performance.

kevm14 wrote: 0-60 in 5.4 and 14.1 @ 99 (with the old 6-speed, like this early 2015 Escalade), which is literally LT1 F-body performance.

Wow, that is quick. 99mph trap used to be a pretty hot street car (or high-po late model). Now you can have that in a pickup truck.

It looks like the 8-speed didn't make the Silverado any quicker to accelerate: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/201 ... st-reviews

I wonder if it is due to extra shifting.

No faster (actually a touch slower) and 1 mpg? No wonder GM dragged ass coming out with that 8 speed.

The one thing I will say about 8-speeds is that the driveability and response is better.

Also, I just noticed the trap is 98 and the top speed is 99. This brings up a real possibility of bumping up against the governor in the 1/4 mile.

The old truck was limited to 110mph. The old truck was also faster in every single acceleration metric, except the 30-50 where it was 0.1s faster and tied the 50-70. Empirically, I see no advantages to the 8-speed (it's a touch lighter).