2023 Cadillac Escalade-V Drags Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, With a Family Twist

But let us face it, the bread and butter of SUVs – at least in America – will be represented by popular choices such as the family-oriented mass-market Dodge Durango and ritzy Cadillac Escalade. Not the Lambo Urus and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, even if those two might rule undefeated the aftermarket realm when it comes to standing out with the customization and personalization crowds.

But the former two, even if they are in different segments price-wise, still have some things in common. Such as the ability to get the whole family inside and hit the mall, cinema, or grocery store. As fast as possible, thanks to both mega-SUVs now sporting a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 high-performance version: aka the Escalade-V and Durango SRT Hellcat.

So, there was only logic and potential laughs behind pitting them together in a head-to-head quarter-mile drag race. Not on an actual, prepped dragstrip – but rather a windy Canadian location that looks the same as the venue where Sam CarLegion conducts his racing business. Only this time around it is Canada’s Thomas Holland and Brit James Engelsman, the duo behind the Throttle House channel on YouTube, who have a major behemoth SUV drag race up for watching.

By the way, anyone familiar with the 682-hp Caddy Escalade-V and 710-hp Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat knows the latter has both the weight and power advantage. So, it was pretty obvious the Mopar SUV would win – both the initial drag race (from the 2:20 mark), as well as the roll attempt (at 4:09). But how about the surprise skirmish at 5:40 where the Durango got an entire ‘family’ of six inside and the Escalade-V only the driver?