Welcome back from what was hopefully a wonderful Holiday Break! In continuation of spotlighting local charitable organizations that better our community, we are honored to feature Camp Courageous and The Dubuque Food Pantry.  Camp Courageous- Camp Director, Charlie Becker: Everyone at Camp Courageous is very excited over the planned Lake Project. Camp Courageous recently purchased 30-acres of land from camp’s neighbor to the immediate west of base camp. The purpose of this land was to establish a lake. One needs to be at least 2-miles from the runway of an airport…and this land falls just outside those 2-miles of the Monticello Airport. Currently campers are bussed 22-miles (round trip) to Central Park to do lake activities. The buses not only carry the precious cargo of campers and staff, but also trailers full of canoes. This purchase and subsequent construction of a lake will greatly lessen the camp’s risk, with everything being within walking distance or [...]

We’d like to take a moment to recognize a couple of the local charity organizations like Saint Marks Community Center and the Multicultural Center in Dubuque that are both staying active around the holidays.  We had the opportunity to get a hold of some local organizations to see what programs they have in place for the Holidays to help serve the community. We will be spotlighting new organizations throughout the week!  Last year the Runde Auto Group blog published an overview of various local charitable organizations that were helping the holiday’s be more cheery for people who need it. Multicultural Center Dubuque– Director of the Multicultural Family Center – Tara Velez: “During the holiday season, the MFC provides holiday gifts to youth in our mentoring and tutoring programs.  Additionally all the teens from teen night receive a hygiene pack which includes shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, face wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other necessary hygiene products. We also host [...]

Today was Prescott Elementary School’s Luncheon to support various FREE after-school art programs for Prescott Elementary students. Continued support from the community helps Prescott keep these classes available to the students free of charge. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful lunch which included soup, bread, various desserts and a drink. Prescott students were there to help out by distributing desserts, picking up dishes and answering questions for people. Those who attended were also treated to a full orchestra and choir of Prescott students as they played and sang while people enjoyed their food. Everyone was welcome to the event, no reservation was required AND you got to take home an original piece of pottery made by a Prescott student. This year’s luncheon is over, but if you are in for some good food, great atmosphere and a wonderful cause, [...]

The Corvette Z06 is officially on of the fastest starting and STOPPING cars in mainstream production today.  It’s great to go fast, it’s one of the most exhilarating experiences – feeling a powerful motor push you back in your seat. However, what good is it to go that fast if you can’t stop that power at will? You might end up with a very expensive, extremely large accordion if you can’t manage to brake at the proper time and distance. The Corvette Z06, having no interest in being a musical instrument, gives the best recorded stopping distance with a powerful braking system and well-thought out engineering. Motor Trend just released that the Corvette Z06 has topped the stopping-distance record. For those who don’t know, stopping-distance is the distance it takes to [...]

The newest addition to Runde’s proud member of upstanding sales professionals is Kaylin Seffrood from Monroe Wisconsin.  She has valuable experience from working at other automotive shops and has now found her way to Runde’s where she is enjoying selling new Chevrolet vehicles near Dubuque. You’ll find Kaylin always smiling, willing to help, and brightening up whichever room she may be in. We sat down with Kaylin to get to know more about her. Where are you from? Monroe Wisconsin. Born and raised? Born and raised. Where do you live now? I just bought a house in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. I moved there during Independence Day weekend. What brought you to Hazel Green? Initially I came to Hazel Green to work for Dubuque Harley Davidson so I could avoid the hour [...]

Keith Hawley is our newest Runde customer.  And he hails from the great land of Australia … just a little over 15,000 miles away from Runde’s!    Despite the distance, nothing was going to stop Keith from picking up his Z06 2LZ Corvette.  He found us online, saw that no one could beat our price and service and decided to give Runde Auto Group a try. We are happy to say that loves his Corvette and everything went smoothly as far as getting it over to him. He even filled out this little questionnaire for the Runde Blog letting us know a bit more about himself and how he liked his experience at Runde’s in Manchester! How did you find Runde’s? Auto Trader.com What made you purchase from us? You had the [...]

Dustin & Nick Lewis of Cobb Wisconsin were born as twins, one minute apart. These two have come to experience a lot of life with each other and now they experienced how great and trouble-free it is to buy a certified used vehicle from Runde’s! They sat down with me to chat about themselves and how they liked their experience here. Where are you guys from? We’re originally from Fennimore, Wisconsin, but now we live in Cobb Wisconsin. What do you guys do? Cobb’s a small town. Nick: I work in the liquor warehouse for General Beverage. What do you guys like to do around the area for fun? We like to ride our motorcycles and we go fishing quite a bit, that’s about it. We don’t like to be stuck inside too much. Have any favorite restaurants? There are no restaurants in Cobb Wisconsin… there’s a couple of bars… That’s [...]

Ever wondered how Ford l keeps getting all of these “Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Ratings Top Picks” you might want to first consider the foundation of it all… the Ford steel. Ford uses Ultra high-strength and high-strength boron (one of the strongest, weldable materials) steel technologies to form several parts of their frame. Ford steel is up to four times harder than normal high-strength steel and up 10-15% thinner, making it lighter. These advanced materials aid the structure meet crash regulations while minimizing the vehicle’s weight to help maximize fuel economy. From this picture of the Ford Fiesta,  you can see a good majority of the vehicle’s main points are made with high-strength/ultra-high-strength steel (orange). The 2012 Ford Focus followed suit and resulted in it’s shell being made of 55% high-strength steel [...]

Driving distractions are something that most people take for granted until it’s too late.  We are in an age of ever-expanding technology with more distractions. We seemingly have more things we can do digitally than we can do in real life! Phone calls, texting, watching videos, updating Facebook… to name a few. While these things are great at home, they should be off-limits when you are driving. In our wealth of things to do digitally, more people take this luxury to the road. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction in 2009, and an estimated 448,000 were injured. Here are some of the worst distractions you can participate in while driving. It’s like the seven deadly sins – The five deadly driving habits.   #1. Texting You’ve seen them, they get within inches of bumpers at stop lights, they sit there not knowing the light [...]

Mark Horsfall swung by Runde’s to pick up his used SUV and to finish up some paperwork. While he was here, Mark was more than happy to sit down and share more about himself and his experience with Runde’s.  Mark is the kind of guy you want to have as a friend. He always wants to help out and is an overall great guy. What led you into Runde’s today? I was looking online and saw a used SUV I was interested in. I’ve always known my salesman and I knew I could come back to Runde PreDriven because he always takes care of me. How long have you been buying vehicles at Runde’s? This is the second used SUV that I’ve bought from you, and not the last. On a scale [...]

I know it gets crazy out there during the holidays, but that’s what traffic laws are for. People are everywhere and it can get nuts on the highways as people drive their cars as if they are on an abandoned parking lot, and everyone seems a tad bit more irritable. But hey, we have to remember (regardless of the $200 42 inch Sharp TV Best Buy is offering for Black Friday) that we must take our time, properly merge, make sure we wear our seat belts and really watch out for everything and everyone around us as we drive. If you live in some select states (Illinois included) throughout the Midwest, Law Enforcement is going to enforce all traffic laws to ensure that you take your time and are being safe by aggressively going after any traffic violators for this weekend, particularly, though what they call “The Click It or Ticket Mobilization”. Check out the [...]

What’s better than a good deal?  Nothing. And nothing is better than the 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco that comes at 38MPG Highway (26MPG city) and starts out at only $25,995! Coming in the first quarter of 2012, the ’13 Malibu is promising to cost less than the Volkswagen Passat, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid or the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Chevy’s mixing the great fuel economy with technology via their Chevrolet MyLink connectivity, which provides online services such as Pandora® Internet radio and Stitcher SmartRadio® and an infotainment system which is usually only offered in higher-priced vehicles. We look forward to the new 2013 Chevy Malibu arriving at Runde Auto Group in East Dubuque.  

Larry and Ruth Kartman and their family are long-time loyal Runde customers. For over 10 years they have trusted Runde’s to take care of all of their vehicle needs and always leave satisfied. The couple, from Potosi, Wisconsin were gracious enough to let us know what makes their experience here at Runde PreDriven so special that they come back year after year. What brought you into Runde’s today? We came in to get a Chevy Equinox. We’ve been coming to Runde’s for years now. We always deal with Al Kloft. How did you first meet Al? We dealt with him the first time we bought a vehicle, I think it was a truck, a long time ago, about 10 or 12 years. [...]

What is the Ford Evos Concept you ask?  Take a moment to think about just how fast new car technology has advanced and became part of our culture … and how much technology in general has leaped forward. Fifteen years ago if you were to collect a group of people, varying in age and gender, and asked them how many of them have ever purchased something online, you’d be lucky if a quarter of those people would have responded “yes”. Do that today and you’d probably have the exact opposite result in only a quarter of people would respond that they haven’t purchased something online. Technology is here to stay and embracing this fact and always pushing it forward is Ford. A perfect example of this forward momentum is the Evos Concept. [...]

Being twins is one of the miracles of life. A set of miracles, Kathy Walske and Karen Hamilton, came into Runde’s to purchase a Chevy Cobalt from our salesman, Al Kloft. These twins who both reside in Dubuque, IA wanted to share a bit of how their experience at Runde’s went! What made you come to Runde’s today? We know Al because he comes into our Salon and we wanted a new Chevy car so he helped us out. You work in a Salon? Style Masters up on University. Actually, we both work in the Salon and another sister of ours owns the shop. Oh, I’ll have to let my girlfriend know about you guys! It’s a beautiful place and our haircuts are perfect! Is [...]

If someone offered you a $20 bill or free driving tips that would help to keep you out of the ditch during the winter, which one would you take?  If you answered “both”, then you’re pretty smart.  Ah November – the month of wonder… Imagine my surprise this morning as I was clearing my groggy eyes, stumbling into my kitchen, glancing out the window, to see something that made me second guess if I was actually awake or still dreaming… SNOW. With the change of scenery it’s easy for one to wonder many things… will my car start in the cold? How is my car going to handle with snow on the ground? Am I ready to drive in this stuff for the next couple of months? Easy there… before you call doctor Phil for some psychological help with winter whose, let us help you with some basic driving tips you can perform to make [...]

Today we spoke with Rob Schechinger from Coralville Iowa who was in to pick up his Saturn Vue from Runde Auto Group. Rob lives about two hours away, but was more than happy to travel to experience what Runde’s had in store for him. He left with a big smile on his face, a new vehicle and an appreciation for a dealer who cares. What brought you into Runde’s today? I’ve been searching for some time now for a Saturn Vue Hybrid. And out of all the different deals I’ve seen online, Runde’s seemed like the best deal. After I submitted my request I was contacted by Dave Smith right away and we went from there. How was your experience? The whole car shopping experience is challenging in itself and having a great experience at the dealership is really important. I was actually looking at another vehicle at a different dealer that had the same [...]

Here is one feature of the 2013 Ford Escape that is sure to be helpful when you have your hands full. How many times have you gone out to your vehicle from the store packed with more things than seemingly possible for a human to carry? When you get to that vehicle you are thinking “great, now I have to set all this stuff down, take out the keys and open the trunk.” Not anymore! To be introduced first in the 2013 Ford Escape, Ford has come up with an ingenious way to open that trunk without having to put down a thing! To open the trunk in the 2013 Ford Escape, all you have to do is give it a good kick (Somewhat literally), but actually all you are kicking is empty space as the vehicle sensor responds to the presence of an object moving underneath the rear bumper of the vehicle. After it [...]

The Galena Halloween Parade is one of the biggest parade’s in the Tri-State area. This year, Runde Chevrolet decided to participate in the parade with the Chevrolet Volt and its brother, the Chevy Camaro. And like most parades, kids grabbed candy off the street, flames shot out of vehicles, everyone waited in anticipation of the next float, the Galena High School band marched and played exceptionally well, and everyone had a great time and left with smiles on their faces. Overall, it was a great event filled with excitement and that classic Halloween feeling! We grabbed some footage of some of the floats and the crowed, maybe you’ll see yourself in the video! Enjoy!   The Runde Chevrolet staff proudly demonstrates in the Electric [...]

Where are you from and have you always lived in that area? Prairie du Chien, WI and yes I have always lived here. What vehicle did you purchase from us? I bought a 2010 Suzuki Equator. What are your past times / hobbies?  I make crafts.  I also have horses and I enjoy going to my cabin and land snowmobiling, boating, fishing, camping, & ATVing. Kids?  Yep, I am the parent of two very fine adults. Pets?  Yes, I’ve got cats, dogs, horses, beef cattle, Texas longhorns, and my 7-year-old Walmart goldfish. Who was the sales person that you purchased your new vehicle from? Ann Lenaers at the Manchester dealership. How would you rate her on a scale of 1 to 10 with [...]

Valerie Schultz lives about two-and-a-half hours away in Grinnell, IA. What brought her to all the way to Runde Auto Group? She simply couldn’t find a better place to get her new vehicle and her salesman, Al Kloft, made her feel welcome and confident about her new purchase! We loved having her and her French Bulldog, Chez, come in and visit us. Read on to see how Valerie found Chez and how they liked their experience at Runde’s! What brought you into Runde’s today? I came in to get a poly coat on the vehicle I recently bought from Runde’s. I purchased a 2010 Nissan Rogue last Thursday, it’s awesome. It gets great gas mileage which I love.  It’s exactly what I was looking for and it’s perfect. What did you think of your experience? I was really impressed. I was on the internet and I got to the website autosiniowa.com and I [...]

What’s a lane keeping system?  Well were here to tell you.  Have you ever dozed off or lost focus on the road… or perhaps on the highway? If you are part of the more than 40% of the american population that admits to falling asleep or dozing off behind the wheel according to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, then I’d say there is a pretty good chance most of you have.  If so, hopefully you found yourself jolting back awake after finding out you are veering off of you lane and are able to correct yourself. What happens if you couldn’t wake up in time? Catastrophic results could be in store for you, your [...]

Roy Brock is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet and now he’s the new owner of a Chevy Silverado crew cab from Runde’s. He came in to Runde Auto Group after doing some research for a new truck with his daughter. He ended up with a great truck and a great experience which resulted in him being in a great mood and a willingness to share that experience to the world. What brought you into Runde’s Today? My daughter was looking for a vehicle for me on the internet and she ran across the 1500 Chevy Silverado crew cab that was perfect for me. She called up here and talked to Al a few times and told [...]

The Sustainable Dubuque conference took place this week at the Grand Harbor Convention Center and it was a complete success.  What do you think of when you hear the word sustainable?  Nowadays we toss around the word “green” so frequently because the word itself has become hip, chic or very forward thinking, yet it’s actually somewhat difficult to define what being “green” totally encompasses in its true and purest essence.  Sustainability is one of the core components of being “green” – direct definition (from www.merriam-webster.com):” a : of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”  It’s using, and re-using, our resources to make environmentally sound methods for production of practically anything that will help us improve quality of life and earth. The best of the best in terms of sustainability in vehicles was realized by GM with the recent release [...]

We recently talked about Ford’s creation of the rear passenger inflatable seat belts. Ford was recognized for their efforts in keeping us safer by earning the highly reputable Popular Mechanics Magazine award for “Breakthrough Product”. “Ford’s goal is to develop innovative safety technologies that give our customers more peace of mind, so it is a great honor to receive the Breakthrough Technology Award,” says Srini Sundararajan, safety technical leader for Ford Research and Innovation. “I thank Popular Mechanics for recognizing the contributions of a number of dedicated engineers from Ford.” In addition to this great news, Ford has also released a nice visual explanation of their inflatable seat belts: (Image from media.ford.com)