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Sinkhole Survivor Replaces Escalade With Certified Pre-Owned Model

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Nick Twork at Cadillac and Metropolitan Cadillac of Milwaukee got this Cadillac fan back into his favorite SUV — a Cadillac Escalade — after a sink hole swallowed his previous Escalade.

After losing his original 2008 Cadillac Escalade to a sinkhole during a Milwaukee, Wisconsin flood last month, Lance Treankler poses with his replacement Certified Pre-owned 2008 Escalade Thursday, August 12, 2010 at the Metropolitan Cadillac dealership in Milwaukee. Metropolitan and Cadillac's Certified Pre-owned program helped Treankler locate an almost identical Escalade that was part of the Cadillac Certified Pre-owned program - having gone through a 117-point inspection and reconditioning process. (Photo by Katie Derksen for Cadillac) (08/12/2010)

You have to like a car company that cares enough to help you get on with your life after a disappointing day.

MILWAUKEE – Lance Treankler, who lost his  Cadillac Escalade to a sinkhole, is again behind the wheel of his favorite vehicle thanks to Metropolitan Cadillac and Cadillac’s Certified Pre-owned program.

Treankler’s  original Escalade was left inoperable last month after plunging 20 feet into a sinkhole in downtown Milwaukee. Treankler was able to climb out of the sinkhole with the help of an onlooker.  Fortunately, the insurance policy on the Escalade covered the accident.

Cadillac and its dealer network worked with Treankler to find an almost identical Escalade in the Milwaukee area and ensure that the Escalade was part of the Cadillac Certified Pre-owned program, providing him warranty coverage and other benefits. Metropolitan Cadillac in Milwaukee presented Treankler today with another black, all-wheel-drive 2007 Escalade.

The incident is still hard to believe, said Treankler, a 25-year-old Milwaukee resident. He’s had some back pain from the fall but escaped serious harm.  While Treankler escaped from the sinkhole, his original Escalade kept running for 28 hours before being hauled out with a crane.

“It was a pretty surreal moment,” Treankler said. “Everything happened so quickly. I’m just happy to be out and alive.”

He’s also happy to have an Escalade again.  When he found out the original Escalade was totaled, he said he immediately wanted another one.  Treankler said he likes the space offered by an Escalade and its handling in tough weather conditions.

“I like the size,” Treankler said. “And living in Wisconsin, I like the way it drives. It’s a beast in the winter.”

Max Stephenson, owner of Metropolitan Cadillac, said his dealership was pleased to find an almost identical Escalade in its inventory. The sinkhole was a media sensation in Milwaukee.

“Every day there are people who have accidents,” Stephenson said. “For us, it’s common practice to help them out however we can. This one just happens to be a little more public because of everything that happened to Lance.”

As with all Cadillac Certified Pre-owned vehicles, the Escalade has been through a 117-point inspection and reconditioning process by a trained technician. The program also includes a fully transferable six-year/100,000-mile limited warranty from the original in-service date, 24-hour roadside assistance, courtesy transportation and a three-month trial of XM Radio and OnStar Directions & Connections service on vehicles equipped for those services.

2010 Cadillac CTS Luxury Package – What do you get?

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I see some CTS Luxury models coming up on my standard nicely used Cadillac searches, like this one at Crest Cadillac.  What do you get with this model?

The “1SD” 2010 Cadillac CTS Luxury Package is a step up from the standard CTS, and includes the Luxury level 1 package, Seating package, memory seating, and wood trim package with the 3L DI V6.

Luxury Level One Package, includes (ARH) heavy-duty pet guard cargo net, (RYJ) retractable cargo area shade, (UA6) theft-deterrent alarm system, (U2R) audio system, and (TSQ) accent lighting

In other words, you get all of the appearance and “texture” items, with the Luxury package. The Luxury model is one of three configurations for the 3L:  Standard, Luxury, or Performance.

The Luxury package is available with or without the Navigation system.

What it dos NOT have:  The Luxury CTS does not include the Luxury Level 2 package or the Performance Package, the  Rear Parking Assist, or the Adaptive forward lighting Headlights.  So if those are important to you, you will want to shop for a more highly equipped model (Like the Premium!)

Luxury Level Two Package, includes (KB6) heated/ventilated front seats, (AM9) split-folding rear seat, (N38) power rake wheel and telescopic steering column, (ATH) Keyless Access-Passive Entry, (BTV) Keyless Access-Remote Start (not available with [MN6] 6-speed manual transmission), (BTM) Keyless Access-Keyless Ignition, (K14) Automatic cabin odor filtration and (UD7) Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist

Performance Package, 18″ (45.7 cm) All-Season Tire, includes (T4F) HID headlamps, (T3U) fog lamps, (P75) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 c x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with premium multi-coat painted finish, (QKE) P235/50R18 V-rated all-season blackwall tires, (G80) limited slip differential (AWD only), (J55) performance brakes (AWD only) and (FE2) sport suspension

Rear Parking Assist, Ultrasonic

Headlamps, high intensity discharge with Adaptive Forward Lighting System and flash-to-pass. Windshield wiper activated

The 3L Cadillac CTS Luxury Package makes a lot of sense to me.  You get all of the things many people want in a CTS at a good price point, and you can add in the Navigation if that is desirable to you.

Can buying a new Cadillac make you happy? Scientists say yes.

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In a 2009 study, Scientists considered the relationship between different types of consumption (buying stuff) and happiness among older Americans.  Once of their result set dealt with vehicle consumption:

However, an important contribution of our findings is that we can reject the conventional wisdom that “material goods can’t buy you happiness.” In fact, two forms of expenditure are associated with increased happiness—leisure and vehicles—and vehicle spending had the largest association with happiness in our data.

Can buying a new or new to you Cadillac make you happy?  Scientists cautiously say “yes”, but it depends somewhat on WHY you are buying the new Cadillac, and how you enjoy it.

Generally a new vehicle will make you happy in relation to its social connectedness.  If you perceive the new vehicle as a leisure experience, and if it makes you feel more connected with others, then it will tend to make you happier.

If you buy it just to have the latest, newest thing, you will soon ‘adapt’ to it as a ‘new’ item, it will soon no longer thrill, and you will “need” to buy another, newer item in order to stay happy with newness.

A second main finding in the study is that money spent on leisure activities tends to generate more happiness than on material items.  So taking a vacation makes most people happier than buying furniture.   The key to this part of the study to me is that happiness comes from things that make memories for you.

If your Cadillac is a leisure item for you, a hobby purchase as well as mundane transportation, then it is more likely to be a source of happiness on an ongoing basis than if one is simply buying a generic car to get from point A to point B.  In other words, if your Cadillac makes you smile every time you get in it, then as a material purchase it is a happiness investment.