Runde Auto Group - Dubuque area Chevrolet, GMC, Buick & Used Car Dealer since 1927

Runde’s has been selling cars since 1927.  We likely have the most transparent sales process you will find east or west of the Mississippi River.  We maintain a casual environment with no stress or pressure.  And we don’t charge any doc. or prep fees, EVER!  That’s correct … no hidden fees.

Yes.  When we place a used vehicle “on special”, it means that our owner has marked the asking price down to our bottom dollar.  You’re able to view all of the pre-owned cars, trucks, and SUV’s currently on special on our used car specials page.  Our used vehicle specials will change from week to week, so be sure to check them regularly.

Yes. Many people from the Tri-State area buy used vehicles from Runde’s.  We have 4 dealerships near Dubuque where people can shop for used cars.  Our East Dubuque store mainly deals in new Chevrolet trucks and SUV’s, but you can also purchase a used vehicle from that location.  Our PreDriven store in Hazel Green always has hundreds of quality used vehicles in stock.  That particular store has the best selection of used trucks in the Dubuque area.   Our store in Platteville also offers a very good selection of used cars.   Please feel free to look through our online inventory and if you find a vehicle you like, please know that we can transport any vehicle to the Runde location that is nearest you.  Our store in Manchester, Iowa also sells both new and used vehicles. 

We’d like to think so, but don’t necessarily take our word for it.  Shop around.  See what’s available out there.  We’re confident in our competitive pricing and you’ll be hard-pressed to find another vehicle in exactly the same shape for a better price than Runde’s offering.  Our owner always says: “The cheapest car and the car in the best condition are never the same car.”  Basically it means, you get what you pay for.  And that rings true at Runde’s where about 90% of our used vehicle inventory is in excellent shape.  If a vehicle doesn’t meet our standards, it will normally be sent off to auction.  So what you’re left with at Runde’s is hundreds of vehicles in excellent shape that are aggressively priced to sell.

When you’re shopping on the Runde Auto Group website, it’s easy to find the used vehicle that’s right for you.  Runde’s has sold vehicles to customers from practically every state in the continental US and Alaska because people know they can normally find what they’re looking for at Runde’s.  Customers trust Runde Auto Group and that trust starts from the moment they land on the Runde website.  We’ve constructed our website to be user-friendly, mobile-friendly and free from those annoying pop-ups you’ll experience on other auto dealer sites.  It’s just you and our inventory and from there we give you the space to find the perfect car, truck or SUV.  Once you’ve spent some time browsing our inventory, our sales staff is just a call away and can answer any questions you have.

Not necessarily. When you come across a vehicle on our website, it means the vehicle is likely in stock.  However we do have situations where vehicles are put “on hold” while customers try to secure financing, insurance, etc.   There are also a good number of vehicles that get sold throughout the course of each day.  For instance, a Chevy pick-up truck that’s on the lot in the morning, could be purchased by a customer that afternoon, and might not be removed from our online inventory until the nightly inventory upload.  There are also situations where vehicles get traded in with minor cosmetic exterior damage.  These vehicles (while listed on the Runde website) are temporarily sent away to our off-site body shop to be restored to retail shape and therefore cannot be test-driven until the body work has been completed.  So it’s always best to call ahead before coming in for a test-drive just to make sure the vehicle is still here and that it’s still available.

Absolutely not. We want you to be comfortable with the vehicle you eventually drive home in.  We know that involves doing research on your vehicle of interest, test-driving one or more vehicles, possibly taking the vehicle to your mechanic for an unbiased inspection, getting comfortable with and building trust with your salesperson, making sure your finances are all in order, and of course “thinking about it”.  We know that it’s not always possible to do all that in one day and that’s why we give our customers the time they need to think about the purchase before signing their purchase order.

Concerning new vehicles, about ninety-nine percent of the time the answer would be “yes”.  Under normal conditions, we can usually trade one of our inventory units with another dealership to obtain the exact vehicle you’re after.  The vehicle might have a couple hundred miles on the odometer when you sign for it depending on how far we have to go to retrieve it, but we assure you that practically all of that will be highway miles.  Plus, a new vehicle’s warranty doesn’t begin until the customer actually signs the paperwork for it.  So if a new GMC Sierra pickup has 236 miles on the odometer when the customer signs for it, that mileage is documented on the paperwork and it means the customer’s bumper-to-bumper warranty (for that hypothetical truck) won’t expire until the vehicle is either 36 months old or until there’s 36,236 miles on the odometer. 

With used vehicles, it’s a different story.  A used vehicle is unique and there may be two similar ones out there, but no two used cars are exactly the same.   And the older a vehicle gets, the more unique it becomes.   We often purchase late model used vehicles in order to keep our dealership lots stocked with a diverse selection, but we cannot go out and purchase older vehicles in this same fashion.  Therefore, if you’re looking to purchase a vehicle that’s more than 4 years of age, it’s a good idea not to think too long about it.  We’ve had many customers tell us they want to think about the purchase and leave for the evening — and we fully recognize the customer has every right to do this.  But that vehicle will stay available on the market in the meantime for anyone who wants to purchase it and what we don’t want to see happen is for a customer to return to Runde’s the following day and discover the car was sold to someone else.

Most of our used vehicle inventory is put through a pretty comprehensive safety checklist inspection.  This helps ensure that when a late model used vehicle is purchased from Runde’s, it will be reliable transportation for the next owner.  Obviously our technicians can’t look at everything on a vehicle and they’re not going to pull apart the engine or transmission on every vehicle that gets traded in, but they will look at the main vehicle components including tires, brake pads & rotors, windshield wiper blades, dashboard warning lights, and interior power features.  If the vehicle is deemed a retail unit, they’ll replace or fix what’s needed as it’s needed. 

For non-retail (wholesale) vehicles, our technicians do not perform an inspection on them.  Instead vehicles with wholesale potential are parked behind the back fence at our Predriven lot in Hazel Green until they are ready to be sent to auction.  When vehicles return from auction unsold, they are then offered for sale to the general public, but they’re only available “as-is” with no implied warranty which means the buyer would be responsible for anything that might go wrong with the car. 

Generally speaking, our inspected retail vehicles are very reliable.  Can things go wrong?  Of course they can; the vehicles we sell are not perfect.  One could argue that some vehicles are like Olympic gold medal athletes and keep running in tip top condition year after year with nothing big ever seeming to go wrong and other vehicles have “bad knees” or “rotator cuffs with excessive wear and tear” – they’re the vehicles commonly referred to as nickel & dimers.  Every customer rolls the dice and takes a chance when they purchase a used vehicle and while Runde Auto Group puts forth a great amount of effort inspecting and reconditioning every used retail unit we attempt to sell, we cannot make any promises that a vehicle purchased from us won’t encounter issues down the road.  That’s why we always recommend purchasing a used vehicle warranty of some sort.  We want you to be protected against whatever might come your way.

That’s an excellent question.  A “certified used vehicle” is one that comes with a 12-month or 12,000 mile warranty that is backed by the vehicle’s manufacturer.  There is a cost involved to add this warranty to a used vehicle, but the cost is not outrageous by any means.  In fact, factory certified pre-owned warranties are likely the least expensive warranties available.  Obviously some people will want the certified warranty and others won’t.  For instance, if a customer is looking to purchase a 4 year old Chevy Equinox with 60,000 miles on the odometer, then it’s very likely they’ll want to have that certified warranty coverage for their vehicle.  For a customer looking to purchase a 1 year old Chevy Silverado 2500 HD with 13,000 miles, the certified warranty might not be that important since the truck would still have a good chunk of the original factory bumper-to-bumper warranty remaining.  Knowing this, our dealership gives prospective customers the option of purchasing a certified warranty.  The “Certified Eligible” designation (displayed on various late model used vehicles on the Runde website) means that a vehicle is within the date and mileage range to qualify for the factory certified warranty.  From there, it is up to the customer whether they want to add that to their vehicle for a nominal amount.

Great question.   In order to be eligible to be a GM Certified Pre-Owned car, the vehicle must be less than six years old and have under 75,000 miles on the odometer.  Once Certified, the vehicle will come with two manufacturer backed limited warranties with no deductible.  The first is a 12-month or 12,000 mile bumper to bumper limited warranty that’s fully transferrable with $0 deductible.  The second is a six year or 100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty (from the vehicle’s original in-service date).  The Certified powertrain warranty comes with a $0 deductible for warrantable fixes that are required due to defects in either materials used or the workmanship of the powertrain components.  Items that are excluded from GM’s Certified warranty are ones that are normally considered “maintenance and wear” things. Examples include, but are not limited to, batteries, brake pads & rotors, brake linings, brake shoes, windshield wiper blades, and tires. 

It’s pretty simple.  Just call our sales staff at 866-735-5200 and give them the “head’s up” on when you’re planning to arrive at the dealership.  They’ll be able to confirm that your vehicle of interest is on the lot and available.  From there, we’ll get the car or truck washed up so it’s standing tall and ready to be test-driven when you arrive. 

Yes, especially if you’re looking at buying a used car or truck near Dubuque.  The Dubuque area has a lot of hills as well as extreme seasonal weather that can potentially inflict quite a bit of wear on a vehicle over time.  Normally customers will take vehicles for a short drive down the highway, but they’re always welcome to take an extended test drive or take the vehicle to their local mechanic to be inspected.  We always encourage people to spend some time in the vehicle they’re looking to purchase to put their mind at ease that it rides nicely and that it’s been well maintained.  Probably one of the most overlooked aspects of a vehicle is how comfortable the seats are.  Keep in mind, you wouldn’t want to purchase a vehicle and then soon after take an extended car trip only to find that the seats are extremely uncomfortable.  We kid you not, that has happened to customers in the past and it’s an extremely unfortunate revelation.  A lengthy test drive would help to prevent something like this from ever happening to you.

Our sales department is open from 8am to 7pm weekdays and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm.  Quite a few people come to Runde’s for test-drives in the evening after they get off work.  Saturdays are also quite popular.  Whatever time you prefer, our sales staff is here for you.  We always prefer for customers to call ahead and set up an appointment.  This allows our sales personnel to confirm that your vehicle of interest is here.  It occasionally occurs where a customer travels to Runde’s only to find that the vehicle they’re after was sold earlier in the day; obviously no customer wants to experience this and we don’t want that either.  We try to update our inventory on rundeautogroup.com multiple times daily, but if you’re looking at our vehicles on another website like AutoTrader or Cargurus, please be aware that we only send inventory updates to third party sites like that once each day.

In most cases, we will deliver a purchased vehicle directly to a customer’s home (within 200 miles of our dealership) at no additional cost.  We say “in most cases” and it is at the discretion of our management team, but we’ve delivered many vehicles to customers throughout the Midwest.  There have also been trade-ins worked into some of these deals … in situations like that, we deliver the new vehicle to the customer’s address and then drive their trade-in back to Runde’s.  In fact, hundreds of customers have gone this route and have purchased their vehicle from Runde Auto Group without ever having to leave their home during the entire car shopping process.

We do.  We want our customers to have the peace of mind knowing the vehicle they’re about to spend thousands of dollars on does, in fact, have a clean history.  For this reason, we offer a free AutoCheck report with nearly every used vehicle on our lot.  Unfortunately some older vehicles don’t have an available history report.  Most vehicles that are from the 1990’s or 2000’s will have a viewable free history report.  But vehicles from the 1980’s or earlier likely won’t have a documented history report available due to their age. 

To access an AutoCheck history report on the Runde website, just go to a vehicle’s details page.  Just below the photo set, you’ll see a red, rectangular button labeled “AutoCheck History Report” and that will link directly to the vehicle’s documented history. 

We would like for every customer to be completely satisfied with their purchase.  Of course we fully realize that complications can arise and problems (that were not previously visible) can surface in the days and weeks following a vehicle purchase.  In the event that something troubling occurs, please contact your salesperson right away to let them know of the issue.  From there we’ll attempt to set up a time for our service department to look at your vehicle and try to correct the problem.  Will the work be covered?  Of course that all depends on the nature of the issue, the age of the vehicle, whether there’s an existing warranty plan in place, and how much time has passed since the purchase date. 

Concerning a vehicle that is purchased “as-is”, this means that the buyer assumes all responsibility for anything and everything that may go wrong following their purchase.  We always encourage our customers to buy an extended warranty at the time of their vehicle purchase.  It’s like an “insurance policy” in the event that something goes wrong with your vehicle.  Every customer who purchases an extended warranty from Runde’s at the time of their vehicle purchase has the peace of mind of knowing what exactly is covered. 

Yes.  Our dealership in East Dubuque is a stand-alone new Chevy store that offers popular vehicles like new Silverado trucks and new Chevy Equinox SUV’s at extremely competitive prices.   We also sell new Chevrolet vehicles in Platteville.  Our Platteville, WI dealership offers new Chevrolet, new GMC, and new Buick vehicles.

Yes.  New Chevrolet, GMC and Buick vehicles come with a 3 year or 36,000 mile full coverage warranty.  This covers most components on a new vehicle.  Wear and tear items like brakes and wiper blades will be covered if they’re defective, but if you get to 35,000 miles on your odometer and our service department finds that your brake pads are worn out due to normal use or overuse (in some cases), then this would not be covered under the warranty and the vehicle owner would be responsible for replacement costs.  Most new GM vehicles also come with a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty.  New GM trucks equipped with a Duramax diesel engine will have a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty in addition to the standard bumper to bumper factory warranty.

Yes.  We have a Chrysler Dodge Ford Jeep Ram Truck dealership in Manchester, IA just 15 minutes west of Dyersville.  We have many customers from the Dubuque area who have purchased new Ram 1500’s and Ram HD’s from Runde’s in Manchester over the years.  Runde’s purchased this location in 2005 and we continue to serve the Dubuque, Western Dubuque, and Delaware County areas.

Each new vehicle comes with an MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price).  Sometimes this is referred to as the sticker price.  Total MSRP is calculated by adding the base price of the model with the price of all the included options.  The MSRP is the starting price for all new vehicles on our website.  Some vehicles will sell for the MSRP – it all depends on how much demand there is for a particular model.  In the case of the Z06 Corvette, this vehicle will always sell for MSRP and occasionally it may sell for a premium amount above MSRP.  But with most new vehicles, normally there will be a rebate and a dealer discount subtracted from the MSRP.  After all rebates, conditional rebates, and dealer discounts have been applied, the amount remaining is the purchase price or the bottom line price.  From there, some buyers might have additional savings amounts subtracted – for instance GM credit card holders can earn savings amounts by making general purchases on their card and these earnings are often applied to the purchase of a new vehicle.

It varies from month to month, but on average it’s pretty close to 60% used and 40% new.  Some people elect to purchase used vehicles to keep the cost as low as possible.  Others want the full three years of warranty and choose to purchase brand new.  There’s also the option of leasing a new vehicle and with most standard leases running either 36 or 39 months, it means that lessees can get into a new vehicle every three years which means (as long as they don’t drive too many miles), they will always be covered under full factory warranty. 

Runde’s started out as a small Chevrolet dealership in downtown East Dubuque in 1927. As Runde’s grew over the years, they always believed in maintaining a hassle-free buying environment.  While other dealerships were playing games (like four square or hiding the customer’s trade-in keys), Runde’s just kept selling more and more cars and trucks in a straightforward, honest, hassle-free manner.  This approach was based on two things: 

1. Treating people with the respect they deserve.
2. Making the sales process quicker. While other dealers were taking 3-4 hours of time selling customers a vehicle, Runde’s demonstrated they could do this in less than an hour.  This freed their sales staff up to sell more vehicles to more customers and that’s exactly what they did.  As Runde’s sold more vehicles month after month, their factory allocations continued to grow, which meant their inventory grew, which meant the size of their lot grew, which meant they were able to sell more and more vehicles.  It’s funny how that works.

At Runde’s, we have always tried to be as transparent as possible to customers meaning we want our pricing to be clear and concise, we want our purchase process to flow smoothly and quickly, and we want our customers to be informed of all important details each step of the way as they purchase a vehicle from us. 

We try to make the sales process as easy as possible for customers by offering online tools like our trade-in form and our online credit application.  We also try to make the process as convenient as possible by offering (in most cases) free new vehicle delivery within 200 miles of our dealership. 

No.  As per state law in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, it is illegal to sell a car on Sunday.  Therefore all 4 Runde Auto Group locations are closed on Sundays.  This allows our sales and service staff to spend time with their families and friends.  However, customers are more than welcome to drive through our lot on Sundays to look at vehicles on their own.  And of course, customers can always browse our inventory on our website 7 days a week.

We have four dealerships that are situated in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa.  If you need to contact us, you can do so by dialing the number to our main headquarters 866-735-5200.

Like that old song goes, “we’re only one call away”.  If it’s after hours, our answering service will acknowledge and document your concerns and then one of our staff members will contact you right away as soon as we re-open for normal business hours.  If you’d like to visit Runde’s, you can do so at one of our four locations:

Runde Chevrolet
780 IL Rt. 35 N
East Dubuque, IL

Runde Predriven
138 WI Hwy 35 N
Hazel Green, WI

Runde Chevy Buick GMC
885 E. Business Hwy 151
Platteville, WI

Runde Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
1221 W. Main Street
Manchester, IA

To reach Runde Auto Group, customers can call the main number to our dealer group at 866-735-5200 during normal business hours and their call will be directed to the party they’re trying to reach.  Customers can also contact Runde’s via email at marketing@rundeautogroup.com.

Runde Auto Group does business with numerous local and national banks as well as two local credit unions (Dupaco and DuTrac) so while Runde’s is not a “buy here — pay here” auto dealership, they can definitely get you the best rate.  Customers are welcome to fill out our online credit application and our automotive finance team will submit your application for credit to our various channels and attempt to get you the best interest rate possible.

Yes, in most cases, we can do that.  By including the TTL fees into the loan, it helps save our customers some hefty upfront expenses by stringing those costs out over a 4 to 7 year period.

Yes. Under normal circumstances, we are able to do this.  So don’t be afraid to customize or protect your vehicle because when you add the cost for extended warranty or aftermarket accessories into your loan, it is spread out over many months which makes the cost much more manageable for the average car buyer.

Yes.  There have been many occasions where our finance staff has obtained loans that didn’t require any money down.  At Runde’s, we realize not all customers have a large chunk of money in the bank they’re able to readily use for a down payment.  And for that reason, we normally try to secure loans with no money down if possible.

Yes.  Our finance department will work with you no matter your credit score or credit history.  As we previously mentioned, we work with many different banks and credit unions and about 98% of the time we’re able to secure financing for our customers.

The banks and credit unions know that everyone is a first time car buyer at some point in their life and for this reason, they’ll work with first time car buyers just like they’d work with anyone else.  Of course it’s helpful if you have an established credit history with at least one credit card in your name, but we cross every bridge as we get to it and every situation is treated uniquely.  It is also beneficial for first time car buyers to have a cosigner (if possible) for their first car loan, but that’s not to say it’s always necessary.  Our finance team has secured many loans for first time car buyers where the buyer didn’t have access to a cosigner.

Let’s say a customer purchased their current vehicle 3 years ago at another dealership across town and it’s currently worth $8000 to trade, but the customer still owes $9500 on it.  In this scenario, the customer is generally depicted (in car business terminology) as being “upside down” in their trade.  Using the numbers above, the customer would need to roll $1500 of negative equity into their new car loan.  In most cases, our finance department can do this and it’s beneficial because many customers don’t have an extra $1500 just sitting there in the bank to pay off the negative equity.  By rolling it over into the new loan, it gives the customer the chance to spread that $1500 amount of negative equity over the span of the new loan (generally 4 to 7 years).

We don’t have a set answer for this.  We always say every situation is treated on an individual basis.  Banks look at a various number of factors when they’re deciding who to loan money to.  The most important thing to the lenders is they want to have some sort of assurance that you’ll pay back the money you borrow.  Having a job is a sign that you have a steady income and that there’s a cash flow in place you can rely on as you make your regular payments.  That’s not to say banks won’t loan money to people who are temporarily unemployed.  Banks know that people need transportation in order to get to and from work so they’re willing to work with customers as much as possible.   One thing they’ll look upon with scrutiny is the amount of time that has lapsed since a loan applicant was last employed. That amount of time will weigh heavily on their final decision.

When you come in to finance or lease your new or used vehicle make sure that you have a valid driver’s license, your current vehicle insurance card, the current registration documentation for your trade-in, your current vehicle’s title or payoff information (and make sure each party listed on the title is present during signing), all keys and remotes for your current vehicle, any documentation related to specialty rebates (for example: proof of ownership of a business for a Business Choice rebate), your GM Credit Card (new vehicles only) if you plan to use GM Card points on your purchase, and anything else your salesperson asks you to bring.

Yes. Customers have made use of Runde Auto Group’s comprehensive online trade form for many years.  This has allowed Runde’s to appraise vehicles that were hundreds of miles away thus earning new customers they normally wouldn’t have had the chance to reach.  Customers can use our online trade-in appraisal to send our sales staff all the necessary information about their trade … customers can also attach photos of their vehicle to the form.  Once our sales team receives the online self-appraisal, they’ll be able to send the customer a trade value and the customer will be able to use this actual trade quote to decide whether they want to purchase their new vehicle from Runde’s.

Runde Auto Group looks at many things when appraising a customer’s trade-in.  First and foremost, they’ll look at the condition of the vehicle inside and out.  One of the biggest factors is how much a dealer will have to invest in a vehicle before it’s “retail ready”.  Questions dealers will ask are:

– Does the vehicle have dings or dents that need to be removed with PDR (paintless dent removal)?
– Does the vehicle have any exterior body damage to the sheet metal or the plastic bumper covers?
– Does the interior have any stains or rips in the upholstery?
– Is all of the electrical/power equipment working properly on the vehicle?
– Does the A/C work?  Does it blow cold air?
– What is the condition of the exterior paint (scratches) and glass (cracks, chips)?
– How does the vehicle ride?  Does it need new struts or shock absorbers?
– How smoothly does the transmission shift?
– How are the wear and tear items like tires and brakes?

After asking these questions, the Runde appraiser will look at current market prices.  They’ll look at what similar vehicles are selling for and they’ll also consider how long similar vehicles are staying on dealer lots on average before they sell.

Dealers always take a risk when they invest money in a trade-in because there’s always the possibility that a trade will sit on a dealer’s lot for an extensive period of time before it sells.  During that time, the dealer will continue to drop the price each month in hopes of luring a buyer.  So there’s always the risk that a dealer may lose money on a trade in.  Of course the cliché response from the customer looking to trade the vehicle is always, “Oh, you’re going to sell it right away and make a lot of money on my trade.”  We wish that was always the case.

Yes we do.  We have situations where people don’t need their car anymore and situations where customers inherit a vehicle that they either don’t want or don’t need.   In those situations, Runde’s is willing to buy the car outright from the person.  Of course, one must keep in mind that Runde’s offers this service because they’re interested in turning around and selling the vehicle for a potential profit.  If there wasn’t an opportunity of making a profit, then Runde’s wouldn’t want the car.

No.  If you want to go through your personal bank to get a loan, we fully understand.  We know that people often have amicable relationships with their local banks and we respect that.  We just ask that, you give the Runde team a chance to work with your local bank to secure the loan for you.  There have been many occasions where customers have gone to their local bank to secure a loan, only to find that Runde’s could get them a substantially better rate using the same bank.  This is because Runde’s sends banks a lot of business and for that reason, banks sometimes give the Runde Finance team a better rate than they’d give their own customers.  Like we mentioned, we’ve seen this happen on many occasions.

People will generally put enough money down on a vehicle to get their payment exactly where they want it.  For instance if a customer is looking at a vehicle that’s a total of $24,000 and they’re looking to finance it at a rate of 3% for 5 years, then they might put down about $1700 to get their payment right around that even $400/month amount.  Of course there’s no rule that says a customer needs to put down any money.  Many times, our finance staff has secured financing for customers without any money down.  However, for customers who elect to forego a down payment, we always recommend for them to purchase gap insurance.

Gap insurance is an optional coverage that helps customers who owe more on their vehicle than it’s currently worth. It guarantees that those customers are able to pay off their vehicle loan in the event their car is totaled in an accident or stolen.  For example, if your loan balance is $20,000 and your car is determined to be worth $18,000 at the time it is totaled out, then there would be a $2000 gap between the check you’d get from your insurance company and the balance you’d still owe the bank for the original loan.  If you added gap insurance when you purchased your vehicle, then the gap insurance coverage would provide you with that “check for $2000” so you’d be able to pay off your loan in full.  The Runde finance department can tell you more about gap insurance and let you know whether it would be beneficial for your particular situation.  Customers who put down substantial down payments on their new vehicle purchases might not need gap insurance.

Gap insurance is exactly what it says it is … insurance.  It offers peace of mind in the event you total out your vehicle shortly after buying it.  Let’s face it, no one wants to be paying off a vehicle that’s not drivable.  Gap insurance will prevent this from happening.   Traditional car insurance companies pay only what a car’s worth at the time of an accident. If a customer owes more on their auto loan than their car’s worth, that’s where gap insurance comes to the rescue.

When you receive a trade-in value from a dealer for your current car, you’re not actually getting that much money for your trade.  For instance, let’s say you’re looking to purchase a truck that’s priced at $24000.   The truck you’re trading in is valued at $14,000.  “ACV” stands for the actual cash value and this is the actual amount of cash the dealer is willing to invest in your truck.  So when the dealer shows you that trade value of $14,000, it likely means that he is giving you $13,000 cash for your trade and then he is discounting his truck by $1000.  You can look at it two ways:  Either the dealer is selling his truck for $24,000 and giving you a $14,000 trade value or the dealer is selling you his truck for $23,000 and giving you an ACV of $13,000.  (Trade Value = ACV + Dealer Discount)  No matter how you choose to look at it, the bottom line is the new truck is going to cost you $10,000.  Ultimately, it’s the bottom line or how much it’s going to cost the customer “out-of-pocket” that really matters.    

The term “APR” stands for the annual percentage rate. This differs slightly from an auto loan’s actual interest rate.  Your auto loan’s “interest rate” is the cost you pay each year to borrow money expressed as a percent. The actual interest rate of your auto loan doesn’t include any fees the bank charges for the loan.  APR is the cost you pay every year to borrow the money, including the bank’s fees, expressed as a percentage.

Absolutely.  We encourage every customer to look at and read through all their paperwork before signing it.  Remember, you’re entering into a contract by signing your car deal’s paperwork and we’d like you to be familiar with all the details of the contract before finalizing the deal.  So if you want to read through the paperwork in our showroom before signing or even if you want to take it home with you to read, we are completely ok with that.  It is to your benefit to read through everything before signing it.

Yes. All new Chevrolet vehicles are available to lease.  There are numerous benefits to leasing a new Chevy vehicle.  It occurs quite frequently where a customer can get into a new Chevrolet lease with lower monthly payments than they’d see with traditional financing.  Another benefit for lease customers is that with traditional lease terms normally running about 36 months, it means that as long as customers get into a new lease when their current lease expires, then they’ll likely never be out of factory warranty (so long as they stay within the allotted miles outlined in their lease deal).

When you lease a vehicle, it means you’re paying for the amount of vehicle that you’re using.  For instance, if a vehicle’s MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) is $26,000 and the residual value after 36 months and 30,000 miles is determined to be $18,000, it means that you’re hypothetically using roughly 31% of that vehicle.  Of course the manufacturer will add in taxes, fees, and a money factor (similar to an APR) to arrive at a final monthly payment.  The customer is free to use the vehicle as they wish during the lease period, but they still must maintain full coverage insurance on it and they must also maintain it mechanically by completing all the basic scheduled services.

Toward the end of your lease period, you must set up an inspection and turn-in appointment at the dealership.  During this appointment, your vehicle will be inspected by a representative from the manufacturer for any damage.  Generally speaking, normal wear is acceptable (i.e. minor scratches, minor door dings).  Of course any significant damage to the vehicle would likely be taken care of using your car insurance since you’re required to maintain full coverage during the full term of the lease. 

At the end of the lease, the customer usually has three options:

1. They can turn in the vehicle and walk away from it. The vehicle would go back to the manufacturer and they would likely sell it at a national auction.
2. The customer can buy the vehicle for the residual value that was documented in the original contract.
3. They can sell the vehicle to a buyer and if the amount they receive is higher than the residual value then the lessee can pay off that amount and keep the remainder as profit.

When you finance a vehicle, it means that you’ll eventually pay off your vehicle’s loan in full and once you’ve done that, you own the vehicle and you’ll be sent the title for your vehicle which you should immediately store in a safety lock box.  In contrast, when you lease a vehicle, it’s like you’re renting it long term.  During this time, you’ll make payments to a finance company but the manufacturer maintains ownership of the vehicle.  Essentially you’re just paying for the portion of the vehicle that you use.  When the lease term is over, the manufacturer still owns the vehicle.  At that point you have the option to either buy out the vehicle for the residual value or you can return the vehicle during your scheduled lease return appointment (you must set up this appointment on your own) and walk away from it free and clear provided there is no damage to the vehicle and that you are not over on your allotted miles.

Actually it all depends on your lifestyle.  Some people are ok with keeping their vehicle for a longer period of time than the traditional lease term (approx. three years).  For that type of customer, they’re likely to finance their vehicle or pay with cash and then drive it for as long as they want.  Being in the Midwest, a lot of folks have a meat & potatoes outlook.  By “meat & potatoes”, we’re referring to a more traditional, old school way of looking at car ownership where a person goes into a dealership and either pays cash in full for a vehicle or signs a finance contract and agrees to pay off the vehicle in full over the course of about four to seven years.  This is the traditional finance approach and it appeals to a lot of people in the Midwest because it was the norm they grew up with and it’s what they’re most familiar with. 

During the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the concept of leasing a vehicle began to gain popularity and customers started taking advantage of leasing as a way to keep their monthly payments more manageable because, let’s face it, customers can often get into a lease for a lot less per month vs. traditional financing.  Initially some customers who tried leasing vehicles in the 80’s and 90’s were soured on the experience.   Much of the time, this was attributed to them getting fined at the end of the term for all minor dings and scratches on the exterior of the vehicle.  Nowadays leases are more sophisticated than leases of the past and the terms and fine print are directed more toward customer satisfaction.  Today most leases from manufacturers have policies built in that say something to the effect that minor door dings and scratches are considered normal wear and tear and there are usually not penalties for this.  For reference, GM lessees can consult pages 6-9 of GM’s Lease-End Guide.   Of course, any damage that exceeds normal wear and tear would likely be covered by a customer’s auto insurance policy as they’re required to maintain full auto coverage during the entire lease period.  While we have not really answered the original question, we can offer some guidance if you visit our Buying vs. Leasing page to take a short survey and this will help you in determining which option is right for you.

Runde Auto Group rents full-size vans on a daily or weekly basis.  We have customers who use these vans for 1-day shopping excursions and we have clients who have used them for complete long distance vacations.  We’ve also rented our vans to local college sports teams travelling to compete in distant games and tournaments. 

We are here for whatever you need and we offer both 12-passenger and 15-passenger van rental options.  Many will opt for the 15-passenger van and remove the last row of seats to increase the amount of cargo space for luggage and whatnot.  You can view our van rental page for pricing information.  Please reach out to Dave Schnoor in our Rental Deparment at 866-735-5200 if you’re interested in making a reservation.  And please call at least a month in advance because our supply of rental vans is limited and we rent them out on a first come, first serve basis.

Please make sure to reserve a van at least a month before your scheduled trip as our supply of vans is very limited.

Vans can be picked up M-F  8am-7pm and Saturdays 10am-1pm.

1. Drivers should present a valid credit card when they fill out the necessary rental paperwork.
2. Everyone travelling in the van is required to use safety/seat belts anytime the vehicle is in motion.
3. The driver (or drivers) must provide proof of full-coverage car insurance and present a valid insurance card before they pick up the van.
4. Any parking, speeding, or traffic tickets, will be the responsibility of whoever is driving the van. Any seatbelt violations will be the responsibility of the rental customer. All missed/skipped toll road charges will also be paid for by the driver of the van. Runde Auto Group will not pay any of these charges/fines.
5. The driver(s) of the van must be at least twenty-five years of age and possess a current valid United States or International driver’s license.

Yes.  All Runde locations have an overnight key drop box outside the Service Center’s main entrance.  There will be a box with envelopes next to the drop box slot.  Just grab an envelope and fill out your contact information and vehicle information on the outside and then place your key/fob inside the envelope and drop it in the slot.  Our service staff will find your key the following day and begin working on your vehicle per your appointment time.

Yes.  You can use our online service appointment scheduler to set a date for an oil change, battery replacement, new tires, new brakes, etc.  Whatever you need, Runde Auto Group’s service department is here for you.  You can also use the tried and true method of calling one of our service writers at 866-735-5200 to set up an appointment.   We’re ok with whichever method works best for you.

Yes.  Runde Auto Group technicians can work on all domestic vehicles.  We must note that we cannot perform warranty work on Cadillac vehicles.  If you are in need of warranty work on your Cadillac, you’ll need to take it to an authorized Cadillac dealer.  Our technicians can also work on most foreign makes as well.

Yes.  You are more than welcome to service your car or truck here.  We have one of the largest auto service centers in the Dubuque area and our mechanics work on all sorts of makes and models so we welcome the opportunity to help you keep your vehicle running in tip top condition year after year. Please give our Service Department a call to set up an appointment the next time you’re in need of any type of vehicle service.

Yes.  Our technicians work on light duty and heavy duty diesel pickup trucks quite frequently.  Whether it be minor trouble-shooting or serious issues, our factory-trained technicians will be able to solve your problems.  We also service cars with diesel engines. 

Yes.  Pricing for common services like oil changes, tire rotations, wheel balancing, and wheel alignments can be seen on our Service Menu page.  If you have questions about our hourly rate or about service items not listed on the menu, please give our Service Department a call at 866-735-5200.  One of our service writers will be able to provide you with that information.

Runde’s tries to provide service loaner vehicles to our service and body shop customers.  Service loaners are available on a first come, first serve basis.  Because we have a limited number of loaner vehicles at each of our locations, we cannot guarantee that one will be available for your service visit.  If your vehicle is going to be at Runde’s for multiple days before it’s fixed, in most cases we’ll be able to offer you a loaner car at no cost, so long as you present proof of insurance.  We should note that customers are responsible for replacing the fuel they use while the Runde loaner vehicle is in their possession.

Yes.  The Runde body shop can perform any work you need following a collision or fender bender.  Our body shop headquarters is located at Runde Chevrolet in East Dubuque, IL.  If you want to set up an appointment for a body shop estimate, please call Kevin or Mike at 866-735-5200 and they will be glad to assist you.