hey ray i have an 08 ESV and was also been looking for the platinum
But yes you will NOT have to pay the $85K for sure. They know that price is ridiculous, and will work with you. Based on the discounts ppl on the forums are getting, and what GM is facing, im guessing (dont quote me) that you can get them down to $71K for a platinum 09. Some dealers aroun me are even offering to pay the Sales Tax, which for a $70K vehicle is about 6 grand. But be careful, they WILL hit you hard on the trade in for your EXT..think mid $40s. IF you can take a $20k hit, then go for it. As for me, I dont want to pay $20k for driving my '08 for only a year, so i decided to wait a while because the longer you drive your car, the less of a hit you take.
In the end its your choice...I think it will be cheaper to just get some headrest TVs (approx $1500), LED headlights (approx $1500) and a platinum grille (approx 2K) and you have the platinum look for a lot less. Check out lactruck's thread...its exactly what he did for a total of 6 Grand.