We have our winners!  Jason Sertle and his fiancée, Mackenzie Kass will be going to the Bears vs. Packers game at Lambeau Field on November 4th! Their picture received over 2,100 likes on Facebook in just over a week’s time, talk about impressive! Jason and Mackenzie came in the other day to pick up their tickets. While they were here they talked about their plans for the trip and their opposing team preferences and it was clear that they were ready for some football. Where are you both from? Jason: I’m originally from Platteville, WI. We recently purchased a house in East Dubuque, across the street from Kalmes’s. So you’re engaged … when and where do you plan to tie the proverbial knot? August 23rd, 2014. Have a place planned out for the wedding? Yep, we’re getting married in our backyard and having the reception at the fairgrounds. Have you dealt with [...]

There is a new face selling new and used cars in Platteville Wisconsin these days.  His name is Jason Zuck and although he’s new to Runde Auto Group, he’s definitely not new to the sales profession.  Sitting down and talking with Jason made me think two things.  1)  “Man, this guy is super nice” and  2)  “This person is one of the most straightforward people I’ve met”.  Two great qualities to have as a salesman. If you had the privilege of working with or buying a vehicle from Jason, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t had that privilege yet, here’s a little insight into the life of Jason: What led you into Runde of Platteville? I’m from Decorah, Iowa and my wife is from around the Mineral Point, WI area. We moved this direction and I was trying to find work. I always worked in sales and [...]

After a closer look at the Dodge Dart sedan … We sell a lot of vehicles at Runde Auto Group so we get more of a chance to look examine many different vehicles … probably more so than a single line dealership.   I was looking at the Dodge Dart this week and I really like the car.  Our Dodge dealership in Manchester, Iowa sells this car and it has received many great reviews from the media recently as it’s really a nicely designed entry level car.  But you know how sometimes you just stare at something for awhile and start to wonder how it would look if you altered or tweaked it a little?  Well, when I was looking at the front end of the Dodge Dart, I started to wonder what the [...]

Derrick Klauer from Bellevue Iowa is a geek and a dog loving, educated, river dweller. I didn’t know all that, you probably didn’t either. That’s why we did this interview for the Runde Blog. He’s the newest member of the Runde Sales Staff and he’s been doing very well in his first couple of days on the job and the reason for that reflects through his positive attitude and caring outlook.  The Tri-State area is ready for Derrick Klauer to send everyone home with their dream vehicle. Meet the man that might make that dream come true for you, Derrick Klauer: What made you choose Runde’s? Runde has a great reputation around this area as being a really popular and nice dealership. I wanted to get experience in selling used cars so I [...]

We recently had the opportunity to interview Kyle Wehr, the Development Director for Dubuque Junior Achievement of the Heartland for the Runde Auto Group blog. Kyle let us in on how Junior Achievement works and some of the events they take part in. Check out this non-profit spotlight on a great non-profit in our community! What exactly is Dubuque Junior Achievement (JA)? We are a non-profit that provides financial literacy and workforce readiness programs for K-12 students while encouraging the entrepreneur spirit. We cover about 24 counties in the heartland. How does it work? Essentially, we get volunteers from the business community and they administer programs to classrooms that are already set up through public schools and private schools. The volunteers teach the students in a 35-45 minute session that lasts for about 6 sessions. Are there any Junior Achievement facilities set up externally from the schools that children can attend? There [...]

Have you seen the 2014 Silverado yet?  Very nice-looking truck. Nothing is more American than hard work and sweat and trucks that aid in that work load and help cool off that sweat. Trucks and America is like Miley Cyrus and Crazy – a completely natural fit. But who’s got the best truck of them all? Well, Chevy, of course! Need proof? Fine, here: Consumer Reports has named the 2014 Chevy Silverado the best Pickup! According to the report, the 2014 Silverado has a larger cargo bed, payload capacity and more towing capacity as well as an easier to use tailgate, a much more convenient step-in height and at 16 miles per gallon overall, better gas mileage than its competitors. Here’s a recap of some of the great features to be found in the [...]

All-New for the 2015 lineup is the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban and Yukon and they have all gotten a different look and some tweaking done under the hood.  These three exciting vehicles were announced last week by GM.  First, meet your champions of the road for 2015: As you can see, the Tahoe and Suburban as well as the Yukon are fairly different in appearance than their previous generational counterparts. They all feature more of a boxy look and have reconstructed their faces entirely from their smile to their eyes. Leave it to personal preference to determine which brand you like better, but all of these vehicles promise to come packed with several upgraded and new features, including: Fold-flat second and third-row seats that enhance cargo convenience – including an available [...]

Runde Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep salesman, Aaron Young, is a Jeep man at heart.  It’s a trait that has radiated through his family as his parents are also Jeep people. Aaron story of how he and his parents acquired their new Jeeps is a story of love, endurance, and sacrifice. A touching story that really shows the pride and way of life that is a commonality between many Jeep owners. The story of how my parents purchased a new Jeep is an interesting one, but let me start by giving you a little background. We are a Jeep family. For me it began nearly 20 years ago when I purchased a plain boxy 1989 Jeep Cherokee and built a bumper for the front and started customizing it. Through the magic of the internet this [...]

It’s with a bitter-sweet attitude that I share that Jay Leno has recently driven the Camaro Z28.  Oh, what it would be like to be Jay Leno. No more worrying about vehicles breaking down or not having a ride if something happens to our daily driver as he has plenty of VERY nice “daily drivers”.  He is the very first (excuse my gritting teeth) person to drive the Camaro Z28 outside of the GM wonderland. It’s a pretty special occasion as 2002 was the last year of the Z/28 until now. He speaks with Al Oppenheiser, the chief Engineer of the Camaro who explains how they made this perfect track and street car. They reduced mass by 100lbs over the Camaro SS v8, upped the power by putting in [...]

It was quiet when I first got to the Matter Creative to check out the new Race Ramp they built to be part of their Building Lab. Quiet, until Matter Creative’s Executive Director, Jordan DeGree, came in from doing an activity outside with several kids eager to test out their Lego cars on the ramp.  There was excitement in the air as the kids went over to the ramp to race against each other.  They cheered each other on while sharing tips on how to make a better race car. To get more info about how the exciting new addition came about, we talked with the always cheerful Jordan DeGree! Jordan, the ramp looks great! Thanks, we call it “The Runde Auto Speedway” What inspired you to make the Race Ramp? Dean Beresford from U.S. Bank told me about the awesome race ramps at LEGOLAND that his kids loved to play with and suggested [...]

We all have our own dreams of owning some pretty nice, difficult to afford, things like the 2014 Impala. Luxury cars fit the bill in some peoples’ minds as an “Ok maybe someday” type of purchase. Folks, “luxury” is just a word that defines a certain level of class. Unfortunately for that class, the New Impala doesn’t restrict itself or abide by these discriminating words. With enough time for consumers to try out the new 2014 Impala, that awesome vehicle you might “someday” own, might be sometime a whole lot sooner than you might have thought. Because the Impala, although not technically a “luxury” vehicle, is beating vehicles in the “luxury” class according to consumer reports. “Impala is competitive with cars that cost $20,000 more, including the Audi A6 and Lexus LS460L, as [...]

We had an unusual sighting on the Runde Chevrolet parking lot today. It was a 1954 Kaiser Manhattan two door (very rare) with a big block Chevy motor! It was initially hard to get a look at it because of all the people oohing and aweing all over the vehicle. But I managed to snap some shots and went on a search to get a quick word in with the owners. I noticed your car, it drew quite a crowed! Can I get the names of the owners of such a beautiful vehicle? Bob and LeAnne Kleiner.   What brought you into Runde’s today? I’ve been looking for this dash part for about a year or so now. I was having trouble matching the perfect dash [...]

Keith Hawley is yet another wonderful, cheery customer… with one little difference… he lives over 15,374 miles away in Australia!  You may recall that this customer from Australia purchased his Z06 Corvette from Sean Dailey at our Manchester dealership about 18 months ago. We love to hear back from customers and know that their cars they purchased from Runde’s are being put to good use and that’s very much the case with Keith who recently emailed his salesman saying: Hi Sean, Here is a video my Nephew took last year at a Rally I did.  It has a bit of family crap and “artistic” stuff, but is entertaining. Regards Keith Targa Southwest 2012 from cale hawley on Vimeo. Targa Southwest [...]

Wes Digman is relatively new to Runde’s and has been a great addition to the team as our new service writer. We decided to get the inside scoop on him and his interests through an interview for our blog! Are you originally from the Dubuque area? I am from Cuba City, Wisconsin. I was just looking for a different job opportunity. I got a better opportunity here than where I was working.  I think being a service writer is going to be an exciting job where I’ll get a chance to help out a lot of Runde customers. How long have you worked for Runde Auto Group and what do you do here over the course of a normal day? Over the course of a normal day, I schedule work and order parts for mechanics … pretty much the normal things that a service writer would do. I also schedule service appointments for [...]

Runde Auto Group is excited to announce that we have acquired a handful of the new and improved 2014 Chevy Silverados. With dramatic changes to the body style and interior on the new 2014 Chevy Silverado, it is now viewed as the truck of the future. Chevy has kept many of the loved featured from previous versions, but also integrated new and more modern technology to make it a perfect truck for the modern age. In our short experience with this marveled truck, we have come to relish the modern body design on the 2014 Silverado. It provides a newly designed grill, which also serves its purpose of more efficient cooling in the engine compartment. The body has a more aerodynamic and boxed-up look, creating a tough truck that is more [...]

The Peosta Fire Department is there to help when help is needed. Runde Chevrolet is there to help them when they need a new truck! Recently, the Peosta Fire Department picked up a 3500 Chassis cab and converted it into a useful brush fire truck. Check out how the Fire Station operates as well as how they go about converting the Truck by Ray Stevens who has been a part of the Peosta Department for over 30 years! How long has the Peosta Department been established and how long have you been a part of it? I think it started back in 1948. I’ve been here since about 1979 or 1980. Is this fire station volunteer based? There is about 30 fireman and some auxiliary people that are just medical, so [...]

Isn’t it great when people do nice things for you? Nothing beats a cheerful hello, someone who lets you go in front of them in line because you have fewer items, holding that elevator door for an extra couple of seconds… it’s the small things that really make for a great day. If that’s the case, how would someone taking care of your oil changes and other scheduled services for two years make you feel?  Well, GM wants to make it a great year… make that two, for everyone who buys one of their 2014 vehicles. The GM maintenance program will take care of certain scheduled maintenance services for customers who purchase or lease an eligible new 2014 Chevrolet, Buick or GMC vehicle during the initial period of ownership. “This new plan will kick off our customers’ ownership experience on the right foot and keep our strong sales momentum going,” “We know that [...]

Dawn and Chris Cappetto from Kieler Wisconsin make a great couple. When they want to do something, they do it right. For example, bringing home a brand new Chevy for each of them. It’s as if the vehicles match the relationship: Malibu and Impala make the perfect match for the perfect couple.  Here’s Dawn talking about her experiences with Runde Auto Group: Where are you from? Kieler Wisconsin. I’ve lived there for 7 years now. What do you do for a living? I work at Sunflower Enterprises. How about your husband? My husband is an elevator mechanic. He works for Schindler. Any kids? I have two boys and my husband has a daughter and a son. My boys are in their twenties and his are still going to school. What kind of vehicle did you buy? I bought a new Chevy Malibu. It’s a very nice vehicle. I was going [...]

Daniel and Betty Staab of Mondovi Wisconsin had a good motive for their road trip today; they got a new truck and a horse trailer! The epic part of it all? They went from their home in Wisconsin to Arizona and put almost 4,000 miles on their new truck  from Runde Auto Group! Where are you from and how far away is that from Runde’s? Mondovi Wisconsin. It was exactly 205 miles to get to Runde’s from where we live. It took a bit more than 4 hours because we went down during a snowstorm. Is the Mondovi Wisconsin area known for anything? Buffalo County, we have the biggest flag-tailed bucks in the country. Martin Trucking has their home base here as well. What vehicle did you get and what are you going to use it for? We got a 2009 3500 HD Crew Cab Dually. We got it to pull a [...]

Remember this old Bell Telephone commercial? … might bring back some memories. Anyway it’s one of the best Mom commercials of all time. Oh and don’t forget about the VERY Important Holiday that is coming up on Sunday — Mother’s Day.  Remember to not forget. These nothing like an old Bell Telephone commercial to bring a tear to your eye.

Indy fans get ready because the 2014 Chevrolet C7 Vette Stingray has been selected as the official pace car for this year’s Indianapolis 500. This will mark the 12th time the Corvette model has served as pace car for the grand-daddy of all races … and how appropriate since the Corvette is essentially a race car that’s designed for urban streets.  The exterior color for the pace car will be Laguna Blue Tintcoat and there will be no exterior mods to the car. Jim Campbell, GM’s VP of performance vehicles had this to say about the selection, “It is an honor to help inaugurate the all-new C7 Vette y at the hallowed Brickyard and further the legacy between Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500. The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s performance was influenced by racing, making this prestigious [...]

We you aware that there was now a fuel efficient Chevrolet Cruze diesel and that it produced the following phenomenal results? • Best Highway Fuel Economy of Any Non-Hybrid Passenger Car in America • Can travel 700 highway miles on single tank   DETROIT (from media.gm.com) – The new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze diesel, delivers an industry best EPA-estimated 46 MPG on the highway – better than any non-hybrid passenger car in America. It will be available in certain cities this spring and nationwide in early fall. Equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, the latest addition to the Cruze powertrain family has an estimated range of 700 highway miles on one tank of diesel fuel based on the EPA highway estimate and the vehicle’s fuel tank capacity. That’s about 10 hours of highway [...]

For being such as small, cute and cuddly vehicle, the Chevy Spark EV sure does have a monstrous MPG rating!  In-fact, the little tyrant has officially earned the status of most efficient retail car with an estimated 82-mile range and 119 MPGe (a gasoline-equivalent figure). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the Chevy Spark EV at a combined city / highway range of 82 miles on a full charge of its 21 kWh battery,  and has given the vehicle a rating of 119 MPGe  which tops out its competitors such as the Honda Fit EV. Check out the video below to see a little overview of how the battery works:

Non-profit organizations need all the help they can get. Runde Auto Group has been there to fulfill their transportation needs by supplying local non-profits with our community support truck. Since we started offering the truck to non-profits, it has been very well received by the business’s using them. Throughout the years Runde’s has lent the truck to great businesses such as The Food Pantry, The American Red Cross, The American Heart Walk, St. Rose Church, The Salvation Army, Mrs. Ginter’s Thanksgiving Dinner and The East Dubuque Wing Fest, to name a few. This year, we are excited to announce that we have a brand new Community Support Truck for all local non-profits to take advantage of. The truck is meant to help businesses, such as the ones listed prior,  with the transport [...]

Jake Meyer joined Runde Chevrolet recently and we want to share him with our great community! Read on to meet this great native of Dubuque and loving family man. He’s eager to show you how buying a new car can be stress free and fun! Are you from the Dubuque area? Yes, I’ve been here all of my life, so about 34 years. My wife and her family are from around here as well so that’s a huge connection as far as why we want to stay around the area. How long have you been married? Just over 4 years. Any kids? We have a 3-year-old. His name is Blake. Any pets? Couple of dogs. One’s a boxer the other is kind of a mix. I had them before I [...]