2023 Cadillac Escalade V & 2022 Audi RS3

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're peeling wheels in an unexpected performance candidate, the Cadillac Escalade-V... Then, pulling up for a "Your Drive" wheel workshop... We'll tour a barn find of a dream car collection... Then, snap back to the here and now for Audi's RS3 sport sedan...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: Sport utility vehicles continue to gain in their popularity primarily because of their practicality and sensibility.

But every once in a while, an SUV comes along that's not really all that sensible at all, but a whole lot of fun.

So, let's see what happens when Cadillac puts the V... (engine revs) in Escalade.

♪ ♪ Seeing a V badge on a Cadillac has meant various levels of high performance over the years.

But, no doubt Caddy went above and beyond with the CT5-V Blackwing; a Drivers' Choice winner for us, and a car that will easily go down as one of the most incredible American sport sedans ever.

How did Cadillac decide to follow that up?

With their first ever V-Series SUV, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V. Getting right to the heart of the matter, under this ferocious beast's tall hood lies a supercharged 6.2 liter V8, similar to the one found in the CT5-V Blackwing; only it gets an even bigger supercharger, and outputs an incredible 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque.

That's 14 more horsepower than in the CT5, and a whopping 262 more than you could previously get in an Escalade.

You'll get clued in that this is something special right at startup.

It comes to life with an obnoxious roar, before settling down to a gentle rumble.

The Escalade's 10-speed traditional automatic is recalibrated to properly manage the additional power, and Cadillac's full-time active all-wheel-drive system is in place to transfer all to the pavement.

On the well-prepped pavement of our Mason Dixon test track, this Escalade was everything we'd hoped it would be.

Initiate launch control, and the V explodes off the line with a tsunami of torque, hitting 60 in 4.4 seconds.

Gear changes in the automatic trans hit harder than a few dual-clutch units we've tested.

It will rev to 6,200 RPM, but since torque plateaus at 4,400 there's no real reason to run it up that high; and the Escalade-V seems to know this, short-shifting at around 5,500 throughout the 12.7 second quarter-mile at 111 miles per hour.

The sound?

Pure automotive bliss!

Cadillac will build you an Escalade-V in either the standard or extended wheelbase ESV; our standard-length tester weighs in at 6,200 pounds.

And while, not quite a one-trick-pony, acceleration is clearly the star of this rig's show.

Both magnetic ride control and Air Ride Adaptive Suspension are standard with upgraded programming.

But, the actual suspension hardware is upgraded too.

Plus, customizable performance settings are available at the touch of the console-mounted V-button.

Excellent steering feel, and GM seems to have dialed back the eagerness of this platform's stability control system; all without having to pay a harsh ride penalty.

There are new 6-piston Brembo calipers on the front wheels, and it only took 107 feet to stop us from 60.

We think Cadillac did a great job making this V looking unique with upgraded front and rear fascias, 22 inch rims, quad exhaust tips, and of course, multiple V-logos outside and in; without being too over the top.

It's not quite a sleeper, but pretty close.

Sitting at the top of the Escalade's heap means Platinum trim is the starting point, with Zebra wood trim, 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference audio, and leather seating for all 3-rows.

As in all Escalade's, a 38 inch curved display sits atop the dash, segmented into sections for the gauges, infotainment, and a small control panel.

There are acres of space for each of the 3-rows of passengers.

However, this is still a body-on-frame truck.

So, there's not quite the user-friendliness buyers have gotten used to in crossovers.

But of course, no unibody can haul as much cargo, with 25.5 cubic-feet of space behind the 3rd row, 72.9 behind the 2nd, and a max of 121; while matching the Escalade-V's 7,000 pounds tow rating.

Everything inside looks great, and all of the tech is certainly up to date; but the Escalade still doesn't have that upper-class feel that you get in many European performance utilities.

Still, as for the actual driving, daily comfort, and the great V8 sounds this thing puts out, nothing from across the pond comes close.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for our standard-length V are 11-City, 16-Highway, and 13-Combined.

As awesome as the Escalade-V is, it's hard not to be a little disconnected when you see the price, $150,990 to start; $153,990 for the Suburban-sized ESV.

Would we spend that much for a GM truck-based utility vehicle, even one as amazingly monstrous as this 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V?

Good question.

Probably not.

But, it might just be the future collectible of the year!

So, we wouldn't blame anyone for grabbing one, and might even ask to borrow the keys every once in a while.

♪ ♪ America is filled with privately owned classic car collections that unfortunately, the public never gets to see.

(car door closes) So, when one does open its doors to automotive fans, it's an event worth celebrating.

And that's the case with a new museum in Pennsylvania that highlights Detroit muscle cars of the '50s, '60s and '70s.

Stephanie Hart checks out Barry's Car Barn, home to more than one, blast from the past.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: These cars are original and in pristine shape.

Up until now, no one has really seen them because they've been kept in a garage for the last 40 years.

Now, on display to the public, they're getting a lot of attention.

Barry's Car Barn is nestled deep in Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Inside, there are 50 super cool muscle and collectable cars from the last century, as well as some 20 rare motorcycles.

All collected by Barry Baldwin.

Just look around, there are numerous early Corvettes and Mustangs here, many that shook up the sports car market back then.

Including this 1954 Chevrolet Corvette, which was factory produced, not hand built, a first for Chevy.

No wonder, it's very rare and worth six figures today.

BARRY BALDWIN: It has its original top, original interior, everything on it is original.

Never been repainted or anything and it's a very, very attractive car.

STEPHANIE: Another Corvette fan favorite on display is this even rarer 1956 V8 C1.

The idea behind it?

To make this generation superior to the Ford Thunderbird in every way.

BARRY: They made one with a 4-barrel carburetor with 210 horsepower and made a two 4-barrel car with 225 horse, but this is a 240 horse which is a very rare car and uh, and that was the same as the 225 except it had small chambered heads and a solid lifter camp.

STEPHANIE: Visitors also get an up-close look at one of the era's ultimate muscle car: The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6, with a 450 horsepower V8, the most powerful engine sold that year.

Only 4,500 of them were produced.

BARRY: This is the original build sheet that was on window when he bought it.

And the guy paid $372.85 for the...extra-- for the special stereo and he only paid $263.30 for the big motor.

The big motor makes it worth 80-90,000 more and the stereo only makes it worth a couple hundred dollars more, so you can see what a good investment that was on the big motor; not so good on stereo.

STEPHANIE: To some people it may seem crazy to cut a 1959 Chevy Impala in half, and put it up on the wall like this but it happened!

Barry said, "He did it himself because he needed a wall decoration."

No worries though-- he tells me, he has two more at home in his garage.

Barry says these classics are thrilling to drive in a good and bad way.

BARRY: Because they don't stop very well and they got the same horsepower to go.

They go fast and don't have the equipment to handle the speed.

That's why a lot of them didn't exist, too, a lot of them got wrecked.

STEPHANIE: Many of the Ford Woody station wagons from back in the day didn't survive either.

So, seeing two here at Barry's Car Barn is exciting.

This 1931 Ford Model A Woody Station Wagon was Ford's second market success after the Model T. Only 851 were produced.

With so many iconic cars packed into a barn, everyone has their favorite.

Daniel Bowers says this 1967 Shelby GT 500 is everything.

DANIEL BOWERS: It's a feeling of passion, adrenaline, just the want to get behind that wheel and truly just take it on the track and have my own experience with it.

I've always wanted that, I've dreamed of it and just seeing it wants to make me live it.

STEPHANIE: Sparking nostalgia in different ways for different people fueling the success of a private collection that now all of us can enjoy at Barry's Car Barn.

JOHN: Wheels can make a big statement, but only if you pick the right ones.

And it's all about the vitals: diameter, width, lug pattern, and more.

So, here's Logan McCombs with a "Your Drive" wheel workshop.

♪ ♪ LOGAN McCOMBS: Wheels are one of my favorite things when it comes to modifying a car simply because they can change the look of a car so much.

But how do you know which wheels are right for your car?

One of the first things you need to understand when picking new wheels is your lug pattern.

This wheels lug pattern of 5x100 and you may be asking what is that?

Allow me to explain: The lug pattern is a two number system.

This is the measurement of an imaginary circle formed around the lug nut holes at the center of your wheel.

The first number indicates how many bolt or lug nut holes the wheel has.

The second number is the diameter of an imaginary circle around the lug nut holes.

If you're not sure about your lug nuts or what bolt pattern is check your owner's manual.

Next, you'll need to understand how to figure out the size of your wheel.

For example, this wheel here is 18x9 with a +22 offset, but what does all that mean?

The first number you will always hear when referring to wheel size will always tell you the diameter of the wheel.

The first number for this wheel is 18, meaning the diameter of the wheel is 18 inches all the way around.

The second number will tell you the width of the wheel or how wide it is.

This wheel is 9 inches wide, which is measured from lip to lip.

These numbers are important because they are the two numbers that will help determine what size tire you will need to purchase for your new wheel.

The last number is known as your offset, but what is offset?

The offset of a wheel is the distance from the hub mounting surface of the center line of the wheel.

The wheel offset is measured in millimeters.

This results in a positive, negative, or zero offset.

A positive offset is when the hub mounting surface is towards the front of the wheel.

And a negative offset is when the hub mounting surface is towards the rear of the wheel.

A wheel with a zero offset will place the mounting surface of the wheel in the middle of the wheel.

The offset will determine how far a wheel may stick out on a car, so picking the correct offset is important for good fitment.

Now that you have a better understanding of what those numbers mean, you're ready to pick the right wheels for your car to get that perfect fitment!

If you have any questions or comments reach out to us right here at MotorWeek !

JOHN: Let's shift into gear for another round of QuickSpins!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: Toyota's Gazoo Racing badge, best known on the Supra and 86, is now gracing an unexpected, but very familiar nameplate: The Corolla.

We were invited out to Salt Lake City for a First Drive track session.

This little rocket is ignited by a 1.6 liter 3-cylinder turbo taken from the GR Yaris, which never landed stateside.

In the Corolla it sends 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, through a 6-speed manual only.

Throws are short and solid, a nice complement to the heavier than average clutch.

So, the GR Corolla does have an all-wheel-drive system.

Right now, there are three settings.

There's the default, which is a 60/40 front-to-rear bias.

Right now, I'm in 50/50 split torque and you can also go 30 front, and 70 to the rear.

I prefer to keep it with the torque split 70 percent to the rear and 30 percent to the front as opposed to 50 percent front and back.

I just, I like the feel better.

I feel like I have more control... A pair of front and rear limited slip differentials help, part of a $1180 performance package for the entry-level "Core" model, which starts at 37-grand.

Those difs come standard on the one-year-only Circuit Edition, along with a forged carbon fiber roof, functional hood air ducts and suede sport seats.

All for an MSRP of about $44,000.

But there is one more flavor: the MORIZO Edition.

This track-tackling troublemaker puts down more torque, now 295 pound-feet, and rides on stiffer springs as well as stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

Oh, and it loses the rear seat to save weight.

The result is more speed through the apexes and more money on the sticker-- each of the just 200 MORIZO Editions heading to the U.S. come in at $50,000.

It's safe to say the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is a legit hot hatch, and we can't wait for our next chance to feel the heat.

JESSICA RAY: Jeep is living large with two new L's for 2023; the Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L. We flew out to Montana for a First Drive rodeo with both.

Now, when we say "large," we really mean it: both models stretch out to nearly 19 feet, a foot more than the regular Wagoneer's.

Over half of that growth is the longer wheelbase: 130 inches, an increase of 7.0.

The last 5.0 inches are in back, creating a total 42.1 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the third row, up from the reg's 27.4 cubic-feet.

So, it's no doubt big, but both felt great to drive thanks to the L's new and standard Hurricane 3.0 liter Twin-Turbo inline-6 engine.

In the Wagoneer L's is the "standard output" version, rated at 420 horsepower and 468 pound-feet of torque in either two or 4-wheel-drive.

The Grand Wagoneer L sports a high-output unit, cranked up to 510 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque; 4-wheel-drive is standard here.

Both are loaded with standard amenities, but the Grand gets a leg-up with a larger 12 inch infotainment screen and Nappa leather massage seats.

The L is available in three of the Wagoneer's four trims, starting around $60,000 and running up to the mid-70s.

The L can be had on all five Grand Wagoneer trims, starting in the low 90s and topping out under $115,000.

Still, either "L" will bring home a "W." It's up to you to decide which best fits your lifestyle.

And we'll have much more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: Volkswagen is no stranger to packing big performance into little packages.

Same goes for the Audi side of the business.

But when Audi shoehorns oversized performance into their tidy hardware, they also wrap it up in extremely appealing fashion.

Well, time to unwrap up our Audi RS3 and find out why its beauty is much more than just skin deep.

♪ ♪ We love driving supercars and crazy-fast EVs as much as then next guy, but we reserve a special place in our high-performance hearts for small machines that deliver big performance.

So, this 2022 Audi RS3 is exactly our cup of Schwartztee.

The 3 is, of course, part of Volkswagen's recently upgraded MQB Evo family, along with the Volkswagen Golf; and this 2nd generation RS version gets just enough aggression to add an edge without retracting from its smooth and luxurious form.

RS indicates the highest performing Audi's and the RS3 sedan is the gateway unit.

This means a wider front fascia with unique blacked-out grille and larger air intakes.

Wheel arches are flared out to cover its wider track and 19 inch aluminum wheels; highlights in back include a subtle rear lip spoiler and more aggressive diffuser with big oval exhaust tips.

And just to show how purposeful a design it is, front tires, at 265mm, are actually wider than 245 rears.

Quattro all-wheel-drive is standard and gets a new RS Torque Splitter which puts a separate multiplate clutch on each rear axle, with the ability to send full available torque to only one rear wheel.

It comes with two additional RS-specific drive modes; Performance, which prioritizes lowering both oversteer and understeer, and Torque Rear mode, which allows for controlled amounts of oversteer.

Both front and rear suspension get a lot more than just a retune, as there's a completely new front subframe, plus upgraded spindles, hubs, and controls arms, sitting 10mm lower than the S3.

Standard Dynamic Chassis Control gets recalibrated as well.

No 2.0 liter turbo-4 here, the RS3 adds an inline-5 cylinder.

Practically a unicorn in the automotive world, this turbo-5 puts out 401 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque and sounds unlike anything else on the road.

No manual transmission option, just a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

We felt that hitting the Shenandoah Circuit of Summit Point Motorsports Park, would be a great way to get to know the RS3 a little better; and around this fun and technical track, it felt like a little rocket, both faster and gnarlier than we expected.

We praised its platform-mate Golf R for the mature nature of its performance, but Audi seems to have taken a different route, with the RS3 feeling more raucous than refined.

Quattro grip is always appreciated, but we were able to overcome it a little too easily, as the tendency is to understeer early; though the Torque Rear setting does allow you to throw it around with full confidence.

As always seems to be the case, there are very clear and noticeable differences between Audi's drive modes; they're definitely not just gimmicks.

The engine sounds fantastic inside the car, making great use of its 400-plus horsepower; and it feels more than that when you get on it coming out of a corner, as torque steer is always easy to find.

Bottom line, it's a handful in all the right ways, and a fun car for sure; some stickier tires would improve things dramatically.

Brakes are upgraded steel units, but they did fade on us, and we could use more initial bite as well.

Still, in straight-line testing, we averaged short 101 foot stops from 60.

Now, as for getting to 60 as fast as possible, there's launch control which keeps revs hovering at 4,000 RPM until you release the brake and pounce of the line with a slight wiggle.

From there, it was all grip and rip.

Just 3.5 seconds to hit our mark.

There are some nice pops through the exhaust as you work through the first few gears, but barely an interruption in power delivery; clearing the quarter-mile in 12.0 seconds flat at 116 miles per hour.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20-City, 29-Highway, and 23-Combined.

We averaged a great 27.5 miles per gallon of Premium.

That rates an average Energy Impact Score, with use of 12.9 barrels of oil yearly, and CO2 emissions of 6.3 tons.

Starting price for the RS3 is $59,995.

Like, so many high-performance Audi's before it, the 2022 Audi RS3 is fun and sporty when you want it, and a comforting luxury ride when you want that.

Turns out, split personalities aren't always a bad thing, and it's actually, the very thing that makes the RS3 such a winner!

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time, when we'll see if Nissan's Z lives up to the hype down to the last letter, followed by the first from an EV startup, the Rivian R1T pickup!

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , television's original automotive magazine, visit To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.