Dave Cannon, from Manchester, IA is definitely a Ram truck man.  He owns his own log home maintenance company. Between going camping and repairing log homes, Dave Cannon stopped by our Manchester store to pick up a vehicle. Before he stepped out the door I managed to sneak in a few questions. What did you come in for today? I picked up my new Dodge Ram 2500. We heard you were a Ram truck man, is that true? Definitely. Who was your salesperson? Cory Harbach. What do you think of your salesman? He’s a good guy and he does a great job. How would you rank your overall experience here at Runde’s on a scale of 1-10? A “TEN”, everything was great, I [...]

It was a cold and rainy day at Runde’s on the day I met Peg Cornils who works at the University of Wisconsin Platteville.  While other folks were  inside — safe from the harsh elements of nature, Peg was out and about — or on the go as one might say.  Peg’s not afraid of the elements of nature — she digs Elements.  Actually, I was able to stop Peg just before she drove away in the Honda Element she purchased this week at our Runde PreDriven store in Hazel Green, WI.  We chatted for a spell and I learned how her experience here at Runde’s was. All in all we shared some jokes and had a really nice conversation.  She’s a definitely a lady on the go and she needed a vehicle that [...]

Crash test results are extremely important nowadays and they’re definitely something buyers should take into consideration when they’re shopping for a new car or truck.   Ever heard this??  …  “They just aren’t built like they used to be.” I’m sure you have all heard or believed that driving a big old sled of a car makes you safer on the road. I remember, joking with my friends while driving around in my ’87 Cadillac DeVille, that I would feel sorry for any car that got into an accident with me and my tank. I thought that my vehicle was indestructible, especially compared to the newer vehicles that looked like they were dinky little plastic toys. After watching this video about crash test results, however, I now know that the smaller cars can actually achieve better crash test results than the big old boats of yesteryear. In the video the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IHHS) [...]

Have you ever given any thought to date cars or the kind of car a guy drives when picking up a girl for a first date?  Girls, you gotta admit that you care, to some sort of degree, about what kind of car your man, date, or fling drives. At first glance what he drives gives a little insight into what kind of guy he is. Maybe he’s the hot jock with no brains, the nerd hoping to meet his princess Leia, the shut-in who’s really a sweet guy, the perfect man, the man who has a secret life… there’s so many possibilities. When it comes down to it, though, it’s all about what we perceive as good features in a guy… and his car. Judging from a car, maybe one girl would think that a Camaro means the guy is really exciting where  as girl 2 might think he’s a total sport car freak, [...]

Raymond Wahl stopped in today to get a new vehicle from Runde Chevrolet salesman Rob Sheehan. Raymond, who is a retired Catholic Priest from Rockford, allowed me to give him a short verbal survey about his purchase experience, about his life in general, and about the history of the Wahl family. What brought you into Runde’s today? I decided to get a new car. I’ve been reading about unemployment so I thought I’d do my part to keep the economy up. What did you end up buying today? It’s a Chevrolet Impala. I traded in my old Impala towards it. Any plans for it? Mainly to travel to and from where I live in Rockford. What made you come to Runde’s? I’ve been coming here for years now… I’ve worked with my salesman Rob on several other deals in the past. What did you think of your experience at Runde’s?

Today Andy Godlewski of West Salem, Wisconsin, stopped into Runde PreDriven to pick out a truck from our selection of used trucks. Andy, who works in construction, gave me a chance to interview him before he headed off to watch his sons first football game. So what brought you into Runde’s today? I was looking for trucks on the internet. I saw one on AutoTrader then went to the Runde website where I got the number and called to get Al Kloft. What truck did you end up buying? A ’05 Chevy 2500 HD – it’s a nice truck. What did you think of Al Kloft? He’s a little weird, but in a good way. He keeps things lively and [...]

Today I had the opportunity to get to know Francis Munns (who goes by Frankie) from Stitzer Wisconsin.   The township of Stitzer is about 50 miles away from our Runde PreDriven store where she purchased her daughters’ new car today. Stacie works as an LPN (licensed practical nurse) at the Lancaster Care Center for 11 years now. Read on to learn more about her family and her experience here at Runde’s! What brought you all the way from Stitzer Wisconsin to Runde’s today? Well actually we came to this area to get a new pair of glasses and my daughter also happened to be looking for new car. We happened to have some time to spare so we went “window shopping” around town for a new car… and now we have one. This was the third place that we went to and you guys had the right price and right vehicle for her. What [...]

Everyone at Runde Chevrolet would like to congratulate that Gassman family on their new addition. Today everyone here at Runde’s had the chance to meet Grace Gassman. Al Gassman (a technician here at Runde Chevrolet) and his wife, Teresa Gassman, gave birth to Grace this last Friday. No one can say that babies aren’t cute, but this one is just kind of melts your heart the way she squeaks and opens her eyes. Here’s a few pictures of Grace and the expanded Gassman family.

Tony and Sharon Lorenz from Galena, IL came into our Suzuki store today to do a few things.   They enjoyed the atmosphere and the way they were treated so much that they just had to share it with the world! (I did, in no way, shape, or form, pay Mr. or Ms. Lorenz to say any of what we’ll mentioned below… seriously…) Read on to see how the experience here at Runde’s was for these self-proclaimed “wicked people” from the East. What are you folks in for today? We came in to the Suzuki store to get the oil changed on our Suzuki SX4 and ended up buying a new Suzuki Grand Vitara. What will you be using the vehicle for? For traveling … we travel quite a bit. Where do you guys like to travel? We’ve been to Branson, MO, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Arkansas. If you could choose one place [...]

Here is just a sample of how a few recent customers perceive Runde Auto Group.  Check out these Customer Testimonials …   “All employees were very friendly and willing to help.  We were very much pleased with our experience with Runde.” John Mitchell Dubuque, IA   “I purchased a Chevy Colorado from Alan Kloft,  I’ve needed it repaired twice since the purchase.  Both times I have dealt with Pat Timmerman… All I can say about the sale and service experiences is AWESOME!  You guys are GREAT!  Thanks!”  Dave Fangman Dubuque, IA   “I’ve been buying trucks from you guys for eight or ten years.  I don’t do this very often but this is an exception. I just wanted to say that you guys went above and beyond the call of duty while servicing my truck. I had a truck that needed a scratch taken out. When I came in with it [...]

Before he zoomed off in his new vehicle, I got a chance to get to know Joe Hubanks a little. From the Dubuque area, Joe works at Lacoma Golf Course. Read ahead to see how Runde’s made him a free man… What brought you into Runde’s today? Basically, my car was starting to bite the dust and I wanted to get something new from a dealership. Instead of going out on the street or looking in the paper, I figured it would be more reliable to buy from a dealer so I looked at the Runde website.  I knew some people here and heard good things about Runde’s so I decided to bring my business here. What vehicle did you end up buying? I got a Suzuki Forenza sedan. Nice, I always liked those, great car at an amazing price. Yea, actually it was a really cool and convenient experience because the car was up at [...]

People, let’s face it, we have all gotten into purchasing something or another without fully understanding what we are buying or why we need to buy it. I went into a computer repair center last week to get my desktop computer looked at and I could have almost sworn that the person helping me was speaking a foreign language. He was saying stuff about “ram” and “mega bytes” and “Mozilla Firefox”… It sort of sounded like he was talking about a Japanese horror movie or something … what the heck??!!  In any case, I trusted that he knew what he was doing and ended up paying about $150.00 in repairs. He mentioned something about spyware when I went in to pick it [...]

This week I’d like to introduce you to Tim and Maryellen Engelke from Belmont Wisconsin.  Belmont is a town of about 1000 people that is situated in between Platteville and Mineral Point.  It is mainly a rural area, but the village of Belmont, itself, does offer some quaint local business and the residents are friendly people who are always willing to offer a helping hand to those in need … a good example of this is the Engelke family.  Tim Engleke is a is a farmer and his wife Maryellen runs a daycare from out of their farm. They brought with them their two bundles of joy: Christopher and Elsie who were very lively and fun to have around the dealership – a gust of fresh air, as [...]

In for service recently was Jane Wardenburg, from Williamsburg, IA. Sitting outside with her great dane attracted pretty much everyone’s attention. Kids in the showroom were asking her if they could ride her horse. The two of them were nice enough to chat with me for a little bit while she get her vehicle repaired. Hello Jane, what is being serviced on your vehicle? The drivers door lock was acting up.  So they are replacing that for me. What kind of vehicle do you have? We have a Chevrolet Suburban. We got it here in September. What service person is helping you? I believe his name is Ron. He has been really great. Everyone here is very good. We bought the Suburban from your salesman, Rob Sheehan, and he was great as well. How would [...]

Kim Murdoch stopped by Runde Auto Group of Manchester today to pick up her new (FREE) set of golf clubs that she recently won.  Who, what, why and how might be going through your head right now after reading the heading… well let me fill you in: Who: Kim Murdoch. What: Runde’s is giving her a set of Taylormade Burner golf clubs (3 and 5). Why: Because she is awesome at golf and scored a hole in one at the Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing. How: With skill and grace. What does she have to say about all of this? Well, just read below and find out! Congratulations Kim! Must feel pretty good to own some shiny new golf clubs, huh? Oh yes! What is golf to you? A hobby, another sport, a stick and a ball, or a passion? I’d say it’s another hobby as well [...]

We recently had a chance to interview Nicole Thor who brought her Suzuki Grand Vitara in for vehicle service in East Dubuque. Sitting patiently in the showroom while her car was being serviced, Nicole looked like she wanted to have a chat. They say everyone has a story to tell … so I decided to sit down and listen to her story. Thor, that’s a sweet last name. Yea it’s like the God of thunder, roooar! What brought you to Runde’s today? I am just here for an oil change. I hear you’ve bought vehicles from here before? Yep. I bought my Suzuki Grand Vitara from here. How were you treated? It was awesome! Great the whole way through and completely honest.   How’s the Suzuki Grand Vitara [...]

Hello Gary, can you tell me a little bit about the event? This is the single largest event in Dubuque. This is the 24th annual year that Radio Dubuque has been involved with the 3rd of July show. It is a combination air-show and fireworks display. The Air Force has estimated our crowd at, well, let’s just say in the tens of thousands. Where is the show located? The central location for the show is down by the Dubuque lock and dam on 1860 Hawthorne St. The firework show starts at 9:45 and typically lasts around 25-30 minutes. The air show runs from about 6:00-8:15.    A bunch of awesome aircraft in one location? [...]

It was this big … honest!   Tom Erickson is a customer of ours from Coon Rapids, MN.   We gave him a Runde hat (now his lucky fishing hat) when he purchased a vehicle from us earlier this year. Today he emailed us the photo above attached to this message:  “Hey Tim (Runde) … I have a new good luck fishing hat!!! – Tom Erickson” Anyone who has spent any time fishing up in Minnesota or Northern Wisconsin can attest to how large some of these fish grow to.  Check out the video below from Minnesota of a Muskie swimming with a giant northern pike in its mouth.  The first time my brother-in-law showed me this video, I was like, “Holy guacamole”.   And I still say the [...]

Well two more people are now happy with the vehicle they just purchased at the Runde PreDriven store in Hazel Green, WI. A few months ago we had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Hohmann. Well now the pack is back! … I guess it was never a pack, but we got two Hohmann’s here this time instead of just one – the more the merrier, I say. Amanda’s parents: Joe and Becky, came in the other day to buy a vehicle of their own. After knowing how cool of a person Amanda was, I had to request an interview with her parents and I’m glad I did! What vehicle did you guys end up [...]

The Clemen family happened to be out and about and decided to have a nice little chat with me about their experience purchasing a Chevy HHR at Runde PreDriven. The conversation ended up being the highlight of my day. Hello, thanks for coming. I heard you bought a vehicle from us recently? Yep. About two weeks ago we got a Chevy HHR. So how have the two weeks been – what have you been using the vehicle for? It’s been great! Beth usually takes it to work and back and we’ve gone out to our parents house a couple of times… we will be using it for pretty much everything. How did your parents like the vehicle? Well I took my Grandma for a ride –she’s going to be 82 next year in June — and she was like, “Oh this is so much nicer to get into than your old van” so she must [...]

We give you two of Runde’s newest customers:  The Sefziks recently purchased a great new car from Runde Auto Group.  We had the chance to sit down and chat with them for a spell the day they signed the papers for their new LeSabre.   Where are you originally from? Epworth/Dubuque. What kind of vehicle did you buy? Buick LeSabre Custom.  It’s really a great new car. That’s definitely a well-built car — I like those too. Where is the first place you’ll take your new vehicle? Madison – To go to the granddaughter’s musical program. Both of our granddaughters play hockey and softball so we’ll be going to those games as well. Will you give your new vehicle a [...]

I recently had the chance to sit down with Rodney and Sherry Schroeder after they purchased a vehicle from our Chevrolet dealership. What did you guys do here today? We just purchased a Chevy Trailblazer. What led you to get that vehicle? Well, we had a van and we were looking for a seven-passenger vehicle — something different than a van. Do you have a big family? Well, we have three kids. How old are your kids and what do they do?  They are twelve, eleven and six and all of them are going to school. And what they do is drive us nuts (laughs). Are they excited for the new vehicle? Ohhhh yes. So what are you planning to do with the vehicle? Take the kids to the various sports activities, mostly for general use.  

We recently had a chance to interview a very nice family from Manchester Iowa … the Miller Family after they bought the van they had their eye on. Enjoy getting to know this great family, we know we did! What kind of vehicle did you buy? We bought a Chrysler Town & Country Touring Edition with seating for seven. Where is the first place you’ll take your new vehicle? Probably home. Do you think it’s a male or female? And will you give the car a name? Definitely a female. And no, I don’t think we plan on giving it a name. How often do you usually trade in your cars? When it’s time for them to go! [...]

Today I had the great pleasure of meeting and getting to know Tiffany and Randy Wuertzer after buying a car at Runde’s. Randy Wuertzer owns Best Shot Paintball field located in Asbury and Tiffany will soon be attending the University of Iowa as a freshman. Before leaving the dealership, they graciously let me have a little chat with them… So you bought a car at Runde’s today? Yes we bought a silver Hyundai Accent. How do you like it? Randy: So far so good.  It’s a manual so I have to teach her how to drive it a bit more. Tiffany: I tried to drive it a little bit and it seemed good. So I hear you [...]

Charles Waser is a World War II veteran who visited Runde Auto Group today.  He was a flying mechanic for the U.S. Air Force where he put in twenty-one years of service for our country before retiring.  We are very appreciative of the commitment Charles made to his country over the years.  In fact, the pieces of shrapnel in the abdomen of this honorable war veteran still serve as a reminder of everything that he’s been through. Who finds a gold ring in a car? Al Kloft (Mr. Waser’s salesmen) did just that as he was told by Charles Waser before he traded in his vehicle that he had lost his diamond gold ring quite some time ago. After looking and finding the ring on the floor of Mr. Waser’s old car, Al [...]