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 [...]

Who didn’t like to color as a kid?  Did you ever enter a coloring contest or send a drawing into Highlights magazine? Getting those books of pre-made art for you to fill in with color between the lines (or, at least in my case, outside of the lines) was awesome. Meet your new coloring book – the Chevy Volt, once released, will come in this nice grayish-blue with a hint of greenish color… “Wait, what’s the  color called” you might be asking yourself? Well, my friend, that is entirely up to you… or someone else that thought of a cooler name than you. While the coloring may have already been done, it’s up to you to label the color with a name. A different kind of coloring contest if you will … GM is offering you a trip to drive the one of the first Volts just for giving a name to the color of the Volt above. But that [...]

The ideal of a healthier, cleaner tomorrow might be one step closer than you think. With houses like the GreenHouse in McLean, Virginia which is more energy efficient than 99.99% of the homes built since 2000, and the introduction of hybrid vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt, we are making big leaps towards a better tomorrow. But looking back, who would have imagined that the things that help our future would look so good! I mean look at that house… it looks amazing, inside and out. And look at that Volt! What a great combination. If this is what it takes for a better future then sign me up 10 times over. It’s still difficult to grasp the fact that GM is bringing to mainstream production a car (the Chevy Volt) that can go about 250 miles without using a single [...]

Keila Walton is someone who never ran away from confrontation or racism. Equality has always been important here at Runde’s. Why should someone be judged by how they look or what sex they are? The way we look at it:  What really matters most about a person is what’s in their mind and what’s in their heart.  At Runde Auto Group, the only color that matters is the color of the vehicle a customer wants. It’s good to see one of our parent corporations feel the same way.  This short video definitely shows how it’s GM’s policy to hire the most qualified applicant.  You go GM!!!  Keila Walton is the lady featured in the video and you can check out her qualifications on Linked In.      

Austin Arensdorff lives about 3-4 minutes away from our PreDriven store where he works in the Reconditioning Department.  He took a little time out to do a quick interview with us and who would have thought that an epic battle was about to erupt at our reconditioning department in Hazel Green? Austin… like Austin Powers, Austin Texas or ostentatious? Uh, Austin Powers I guess?   Groovy baby. If you could be Mike Meyers for a day, what would you do? Spend his money.   Grrrr baby, VERY grrrrrrr.   So what do you do around Runde’s? I buff cars and do the detail work. Yeah baby!  How long have you worked here? Two and a half years. Shagadellic!!  What would you say is [...]

Continuously reading in the newspaper about the mayor of New York City presenting someone with the Key to the City made Mark Malkoff start to wonder, “What exactly does someone have to do to be presented with one of these keys?” Presenting the Key to the City is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years to medieval times … back in the days where a city would be surrounded by walls and a locked gate.  Presenting the key to the city to someone was a display of complete trust and it meant that the recipient of the key could come and go as he/she pleased. Nowadays, it’s more of a symbolic thing and keys that are presented to people don’t actually open anything … bummer, eh? The guy in the video (Mark Malkoff) below convinced Ford Motor Co. to lend him a Ford Fusion to go on a mission to collect as many keys to various cities as possible… not [...]

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 [...]

Top Gear, in my opinion, is the best automotive show. Recently they reviewed (in quite a hysterical way) the Ford Fiesta. After you watch the video you will know what to expect if you get chased by “baddies” in a Corvette while in a shopping mall.  If you’re not interested in a Fiesta at all and you just want to see the Fiesta race a Corvette in the mall, then skip forward to 4min, 23sec.  If you want to see if the Ford’s new compact car floats, then skip ahead to 8min, 4sec. If you have any questions about the Fiesta or are interested in purchasing one, give our Ford store in Manchester, IA a call at 888-927-2630 and they will be more than happy to assist you picking out a vehicle that is apparently fit for extreme chase scenes and horrific combat… can’t go wrong with that.    

The Ford Couple goes on a major road trip and brings their wedding to everyone who would’ve normally come to their wedding.  Ladies, ever since we were little girls we have been imagining our wedding… well at least most of us did. The pretty wedding dress, the friends, the atmosphere… it’s our perfect day. Some of us get to live out the dream and have that perfect wedding, some don’t go quite as well as planned, and others do things… well… a bit different. Introducing Chris Hodges and Jamie Case (aka The Ford Couple). These two lovebirds don’t follow the “norm” so to say. Instead of opting-in for a big fancy wedding, they decided to borrow a Ford Fusion (supplied by Ford) and hit the road to see 250 people that they [...]

Joe Hesselman, who used to be one of Runde’s parts guys in his younger days, obliged us by taking part in a quick Q & A session when he used to work for Runde’s.  Joe is one of the people that says “good morning” every morning to anyone who walks by.  He is just a very polite and courteous individual. In hopes of getting a better understanding of this sincere and noble person, we sat down and had a nice chat. What do you do here at Runde’s? I am a consultant for the parts department. What does your job entail? I get all the parts for the walk-in customers and the technicians. What do you like about your job? Uh… everything!  It’s pretty laid back here.

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) [...]

Saw this today and thought I’d post it — it’s cute.  Just Madonna out for a daily drive with Clive Owen.   Granted I was never really much of a Madonna fan anyway so when I saw this, I was like Oh, ok.  I mean I like the songs and she has stayed on top of the music industry for a long time so she does command and deserve respect.  But I’m not so sure that she still deserves all the hype she gets.   I’d take Cyndi Lauper or Tori Amos any day of the month over Madonna.  She was just never at the top of my a-list … my apologies to any Material Girls out there who may be offended.  Please feel free to leave a comment if I touched a sore nerve or upset the Zen balance in your material world — just don’t remain Silent After all These Years — let it out, because [...]

If you have seen the “Will It Blend” series, you know that it is absolutely awesome. The host puts his blender to the test by trying to blend some pretty ridiculous things. Marbles, glow sticks, an I-pod, a Ford Fiesta… Huh?  What was that last one you’re asking yourself?    How the heck is that even possible? Well, I’d love to explain it all, but I simply cannot. You’ll just have to watch the episode and find out if the Ford Fiesta blends or not.  Will it blend?  America wants to know.   Gotta  love the cheesy smile and old western style horses in the window.

The Foodpack Program in Dubuque is something with no downside.  It’s just a good idea that helps children and families in need in the local area.  There are things that make you happy on the inside. Perhaps seeing someone you love prevail in something they always wanted to do, or watching a cartoon while sitting on the couch at home all snuggled up with your family, or maybe it’s something so small as to hear the crunch of Fall leafs under your feet. Hopefully reading about the Foodpack Program in Dubuque is something that makes you feel like the world is steering itself in the right direction.  The selflessness of some who make sure that the less fortunate are taken care of is [...]

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?

“Um … I’d like to think about it” I think we’ve all gone through it. The feeling of uncertainty when opening or using something expensive for the first time. You know that as soon as you open that package or start using it that it’s yours.  If you drop it and break it at that point, you already bought it … it’s yours.  I remember my heart pounding last month when I opened and mounted a new T.V. that I spent over a $1,000 on.   I like my TV and I don’t want to part with it for a long time.  But what if 30 days after I got it, I decided that it didn’t meet my needs and I wanted to return it. We have many people in and out of Runde’s everyday — buying cars and driving away in them.  Do they like them?  Are they satisfied?  Do the vehicles always meet the needs [...]

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 [...]

Where do people go for up-to-date information about Ford electric vehicles?  Why Jay Leno, of course.  Who didn’t like watching Jay Leno? There’s just something about the show that sucks you in and leaves you feeling happy. Once he announced that he’d no longer do the Tonight Show, it was pretty easy to predict that there would be another show around the corner with Leno as the star. People can’t seem to get enough of him. The man is a car enthusiast with an extensive garage of vehicles that no one else could really fathom owning under one roof. To add to his already great name, he’s also a Chevy fan making him just THAT much cooler. In his new show, which will start airing September 14th, Jay will feature a section called “The Green Car Challenge” where the Ford electric vehicles will star. In the segment celebs will hop in Fords environmentally friendly vehicles [...]

Time Magazine recently published the top 10 most exciting vehicles of the year. Making the list are three vehicle makes that Runde’s offers. Here are the three along with pictures and what Time had to say about them: 1. The Suzuki Kizashi What Time Magazine has to say: “Known for small cars and SUVs, Suzuki makes its first foray into the heart of the U.S. market with the midsize Kizashi sedan. The exterior styling is fresh, and the interior packs cool features such as sporty seats and a nifty instrument cluster that give the car character. The Kizashi’s key asset could be its power train, which includes a new 4-cylinder aluminum engine that can be matched up to either a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic transmission. Kizashi won’t go on sale until late fall, and the price is expected to be in the low-$20,000 range. Toyota and Honda better look over [...]

Who would’ve thought that the key to getting your teenager to drive responsibly was in the car keys … literally.  If you’re a parent, you’re naturally going to worry about your kids when they start to drive. Who doesn’t get discouraged when they see another fatality on the news involving teens, beer, and speeding? It’s enough to make any parent want to keep their kid’s vehicle options limited to a bike or the bus … God forbid they ever walk anywhere. But alas, we must face the reality that our kids need to drive — ask any parent who has ever played the chauffeur role. (Note to audience:  In tonight’s performance, the role of the chauffeur will be played by the person who writes those clever little blog posts.  The role of the kids will be played by the [...]

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 [...]

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so, you may not have heard about Chevy’s release of the Chevrolet Cruze.  It’s always exciting to hear about new vehicles being released. Usually people get pumped about a new muscle car or luxury vehicle. But in this day and age people might be more inclined to see something practical and not too spendy — something that will get great gas mileage, but still look good — basically something that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg but also doesn’t sacrifice quality in compensation. If everything mentioned above sounds good to you, then the new model to get pumped about is definitely the Chevrolet Cruze.  With an impressive 40 mpg highway at launch and being the new entry level [...]

How often do your think about safety when you’re just walking to your car? Let’s say it’s close to midnight and you are coming out of the grocery store to your car parked in the middle of the lot. No one is in sight and there is just an eerie feeling. What if someone were to jump out at you? How can you avoid getting yourself into situations like this that would possibly lead you to harm? I found the following video interesting and informative on how to avoid these types of situations and to stay safe in the parking lot:   Remember to stay alert while you are out there, don’t let the potential attacker get a chance to catch you off guard.   According to Jerry Kane’s advice from the video, “If you’re not paying attention, a criminal’s going to look for that.  The person who’s looking around or turning around to see [...]

Who doesn’t remember their first car? Was yours a Camaro coupe … probably not, eh?  For some of us it was the ugliest thing that stunk up the road with black clouds of gas and gave its road audition in triple forte with a busted muffler. Others had a nicer car, perhaps given to them by their parents, or possibly they worked hard counting pennies ’til they could buy that special first car they had their eye on. Regardless of what kind of shape or condition our first cars were, one thing remains true for just about everyone: our first car holds some sort of sentimental value that no car after it can give us. It’s the first time you get to feel the fresh air coming in through the window in a vehicle that you have complete control over. You and your first vehicle share many things for the first time. First ticket, first [...]