2015 Cadillac Escalade vs. 2015 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost: Impromptu Tow Off [Video]

2015 ford f-150 3.5L V6 ecoboost turbo versus cadillac escalade highway towing
2015 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vs. 2015 Cadillac Escalade

What happens if you floor the accelerator on the 2015 Cadillac Escalade and 2015 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost going up a very steep section of the I-70 near Georgetown, Colorado at over 8,500 feet of elevation? What if each of these trucks is towing a loaded trailer? Which one will accelerate quicker to reach the 65 MPH speed limit up the interstate?

2015 ford f-150 ecoboost towing

The F-150 is the new aluminum bodied truck in a Super Crew 4×4 King Ranch configuration with the FX4 package. It’s equipped with the 3.31 rear axle ratio, and the 3.5-liter turbo V6 engine puts out the same 365 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 rpm. The 6-speed automatic transmission is there as well. The Escalade has the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm. It has more gear with the 8-speed automatic transmission.

2015 cadillac escalade

The Ford is towing a flat-bed trailer with our 1968 Ford Bronco half-cab for a total weight of 7,500 pounds. The Escalade is tasked with a horse trailer loaded with a water container for a total of 7,000 pounds. The trailer profiles are different, but the weighs are nearly the same. The Cadillac’s curb weigh of 6,000 lbs is approximately 800 lbs more than that of the Ford.

Elevation plays a big part in this test. This stretch of the highway is over 8,500 feet above sea level. There is around 25% less air density and thus less power for the naturally aspirated V8. The turbocharged V6 can compensate for some, but not all of the altitude induced power loss.

Check out what happened in the video!