Cadillic ESV Towing

[travelnman]

Has anyone towed with a Cadillac ESV? I have been shopping for
one with the 6.2 liter AWD and 6 speed trans. They can be equipped
with a tow package which gives you the 3.42 rear end and heavy
duty cooling but I'm wondering why you never see them towing TT or
at campgrounds. Yes they are expensive but the used market has a
lot of them on dealer lots and on the internet. They seem to
be more comfortable and quieter than the Denali or Suburban but
I'm wondering if the suspension is softer to give you that ride or
is there no difference in these vehicles. I have never towed my
TT with all wheel drive nor have I seen anyone using a Cady ESV to
tow with. Are there disadvantages or advantages over 4 wheel drive?
I have found a couple of Cadys I would love to own. Trailer Life
has rated the tow weight lower than Cadillac's web site shows which
makes me suspicious who is right or if I'm just not interpreting
things right my self. I also have been looking at the Toyota Land Cruiser
and Tundra, they upped the weight you can tow with these trucks and did visit
with a happy camper who was pulling a heavy TT with one. He stated "I got sick
of replacing transmissions" in other pick ups and bought a Land Cruiser
and it was the "end of my problems".

[APT]

We test drove a Yukon denali before buyig our suburban. Lots of power but not as comfortable towing our 6500 pound TT due to suspension. Escalade would be worse that Yukon denali due to even more equipment. My 3/4 ton has and automatic 4wd mode as well as low range.

As with many aspects of life rving includes compromises. More comfortable towing or more comfortable not going?

[boshog]

"Trailer Life has rated the tow weight lower than Cadillac's web site shows which
makes me suspicious who is right or if I'm just not interpreting
things right my self."

These up-scale vehicles are packed with creature-features and technology, all adding weight to the vehicle thus reducing the vehicle's payload.

If I was going to pull a TT, and had a family outside my wife, I would opt for a mega-cab RAM 2500 diesel, Limited if you want all the creature-features. If you are going to pull a decent sized TT, something north of 6,000 pounds, and tow often, you will find the gasser adds driving stress and will struggle at times to keep you moving at freeway speeds. It comes down to what are you going to pull, how far and how often.

I had a Denali, Yukon XL, and it did have AWD with GM's 6L engine. The AWD costs about one mile per gallon but it didn't really matter when I was pulling three tons of boat, the MPG was terrible and head winds made it worse.

[zombojoe]

The 6.2 is a great hauling engine, but to answer your other question, I personally feel that on big trucks/ SUV's, AWD is far worse than 4WD unless your are regularly traveling down snowy or icy roads. It will kill your gas mileage something fierce, as I believe 2014 and older Escalades (and Deneli's) use a full time AWD system that clicks in over 25 mph. In your situation, I would suggest a 2500 series Suburban or Yukon XL (non-Deneli) with a part time 4WD system. More capability and better gas mileage to boot, as those are 2WD until you decide to engage the 4Hi or 4LO. Some higher trim GM SUV's also have a full time 4WD button, which is AWD that you can turn on or off if the need hits.

[Campfire_Time]

For the same reason you never see a Porsche Cayenne or a Mercedes GL Class towing a trailer. The customer base that buys these is staying in luxury accommodations not campgrounds.