There was some important news announced this week regarding the Chevy Aveo and the Suzuki SX4.  Read further to find out why these two small cars are currently turning so many heads. There is a difference between what sounds good and what is good. In several “inexpensive” vehicles you will come to find that the gas mileage is high, the cost to fix the vehicle is outrageous, or that the vehicle is not reliable. We don’t believe in selling vehicles that only sound good here at Runde’s … we sell vehicles that are good. We offer several inexpensive vehicles for those on a budget and according to Edmunds.com, two of our most affordable vehicles ended up on toward the top of their top 10 list of most affordable vehicles. Edmunds determined which vehicles were actually the cheapest to own by computing an estimated total five-year cost and the cost per mile based on driving 15,000 miles per [...]

Now that the Cash For Clunkers program has come to an end the question on my mind is.  Let’s look at the Cash for Clunkers results to try to see if it will it actually have an environmental or economic impact? While the long term effects might take some time to determine, from the numbers I’ve been seeing it seems like it, at the very least, helped on the short term side of things.  According to the Cash For Clunkers Environmental Impact Survey; Average Clunker MPG: 17MPG Average NEW car MPG: 24MPG Average miles driven annually: 15,000 Destroyed Clunker drinks 882 gallons of gas a year New, replacement car drinks 625 gallons of gas a year Cash for Clunker Program saves 257 gallons of gas each year, per unit sold. c4c Sales Estimate: 750,000 units If you were to equate this out, you’d end up with 193 million gallons of gas [...]

Joining the team is Eric Schmitt. Going through some intense training I thought Eric could take a quick break to do an interview so we could get to know him better. Where are you from Eric? I’m from Dubuque. Have you lived there all of your life? Yep. Pretty much. What was the best part of your first day here? Just kind of shadowing some of the other sales staff to see how things work. I actually bought several cars here before so it’s interesting working as part of the team now. What do you like to do around the area? Umm… nothing really. Are you married? Yes, I am married. So… what do you like to do with your wife? Go [...]

Have you ever seen a kohlrabi so large that you had to vocally exclaim “Holy kohlrabi”? We had an interesting gift given to us Friday by Don Steinhoff – driver for Runde’s. Coming in to pick up a vehicle, Don shared with us a HUGE kohlrabi that he grew before he headed out. We were all amazed by how big this vegetable was, and even more surprising was how delicious it was! Don starts these from seed under a grow light and they plant about 45 of them each year. Don said they give about 42-43 away each year and Runde Chevrolet was one [...]

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.

With all of the controversy and talk behind the Cash For Clunkers Program, I thought it’d be nice to have some fun with it. The people behind the “Crash your Clunkers” events drive junker automobiles off of a cliff… with a remote control. Seriously, who thinks of this stuff, it looks like they strapped some sort of device on top of a bunch of boxes and secured the steering wheel down with some wood that’s put together with some duct tape. This is by far the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen… or perhaps the smartest? Regardless, it’s good ol’ entertainment … enjoy.   (Runde’s in no way, shape or form suggests that you try this at home. And kids out there … Please remember that sticks and stones will break your bones, but crashing clunkers will do a heck of a lot worse to ya.)

Disabling a clunker is ultimately the end result of the government’s Cash for Clunkers national program. Best idea ever. Or perhaps the worst idea ever? Regardless of which you pick, it’s undeniable that the Cash for Clunkers  program has struck up some controversy, and with good reason. On one end the program is taking gas guzzling, environmentally unfriendly vehicles off the road. On the other side, however, the vehicles that must be destroyed could provide transportation for those who couldn’t otherwise afford a vehicle. While there might be a thousand points towards the good and another thousand to the bad, it doesn’t promote or evoke the fact that the Cash for Clunkers is law and will be here until either the money runs out.  With that in mind, we thought we’d give you [...]

How do you know if the The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse is right for you? We’ll we’re about to find out if this new crossover vehicle has what it takes to woo buyers. If you are like me you prefer the versatility, safety, and all the extra features a Crossover has for a woman. Getting groceries is a cinch with all the extra space.   Family, friends, and pets can easily fit into them and you don’t feel worried about your kids taking one on a drive because they are generally some of the safest vehicles on the road. The video below explains the progression of the crossover and how GM is incorporating more of a women’s perspective into their functional design of crossovers. The vehicle showcased below, the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, has won many awards for safety and driving and I can personally attest to how great of a vehicle it is. If you have any [...]

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 [...]

The Volt sure does look better and better every time new footage of it gets released. Check out that interior during this video test-drive! Lookin’ sharp, Chevy. I haven’t experienced a test-drive in the new Chevy Volt yet, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited about the car.  The Chevy Volt is a four passenger vehicle that runs primarily on electricity.   It can travel approximately 35 miles on one charge and that’s pretty decent for someone who’s just driving to work and back or someone who’s just running errands around town.   It does have a gas reserve for when it runs out of electricity from the rechargeable battery pack.  Chevrolet states that the total range on what the gas tank can hold is 345 miles.  So there is about a 380 total range between electric output and the miles the gas tank can propel the car for.  That’s not bad and if you’re [...]

Our newest recruit, Ryan Halverson, started for us recently. Back from the army to complete his college education, Ryan will be on board with us as one of the Runde’s crew. What do you do here at Runde’s? I take pictures of cars, that’s about it as far as I know. Are you originally from the area? I’m from Cassville, WI about 45 minutes away. I’ve lived there all of my life. What are your past-times and hobbies? Basketball, hunting, fishing and going on the river. Do you have any pets? Nope, no pets. Do you have a favorite hangout spot on the river? The river. I like to tube, fish, etc. If you were a vehicle which vehicle would you be and why? I guess I’d be a truck because that’s the vehicle I drive. What’s your favorite restaurant? I’d have to say Applebee’s. What’s your most memorable experience [...]

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 [...]

Have you check the tire pressure in your car or truck’s tires lately?  If you answered “no”, then you man want to consider doing so.  It can be extremely unsafe to drive around in over-inflated or underinflated tires. Sometimes, good things have to come to an end. Not so long from now winter will fall on us and we will be left cold, leaving nothing but memories of nice walks and swims. Seasons change, some people like the change and others don’t.   Regardless of what season you like, you should always keep in mind one thing – check your tires. With a change in temperature comes a change in tire pressure. Air will compress as the temperature gets colder and will expand once it [...]

The Ford Focus is a car you will fall in love with. With the Cash for Clunkers program running at full force, curiosity leads us to ask the question:  What vehicle are people buying to take full advantage of the program? Curiosity put to rest: out of the 80,500 vehicles The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has processed so far, the vehicle people are buying the most is none other than the Ford Focus. This shows why Ford’s C-Segment vehicle gained 43.6% in July. With 28mpg (combined – manual), a body style that will undoubtedly turn heads, the SYNC sound system, and a great overall drive …  no wonder why people can’t wait to get their hands on it. Not to mention, the 28mpg combined rating make it an almost guaranteed $4,500 credit instead [...]

There comes a time in everyone’s life where they have to let go of something. A child lets go of their “blankie”, A teenager lets go of their first crush, the 21 year-old slips away from the realm of a carefree life… On Friday here at Runde Auto Group, we had to let go of Mary Jane Baxter as she left us for what has commonly been referred to as “retirement”. Laughing, munching, and enjoying herself, Mary Jane stopped by for the last time (as an employee) to the Runde Chevrolet building to partake in her retirement taco salad party. Excitement filled the air as we ate good food and chatted with Mary before she left.  Before she got out [...]

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 [...]

Above is the official Ford NASCAR vehicle. Rolling out onto the 2010 season, the 2010 NASCAR Mustang will make its appearance as a vehicle that really looks nothing like the 2010 Mustang. The vehicle, although being officially credited as the NASCAR “2010 Ford Mustang,” is actually a stock NASCAR vehicle equipped with the Mustang’s logo, front-end details and name smothered all across the body. To me, it looks a little funky, but maybe that’s just me wanting to see more of the actual 2010 Mustang DNA. What do you think?  

Getting good car repair work done on your car is something that everyone wants and something that everyone deserves … regardless of who they are or what kind of vehicle they drive.  You might not know exactly what a mechanic means by a certain part of your car needing repair, how do you know he’s telling the truth and not just after easy money from customer with little mechanic knowledge? This video points out some good points to apply when you go in for service. Here at Runde’s we don’t hassle or beg you out of your money when you’re here for car repair.  We are here to make you happy and make your car or truck well again. Having four different service departments in four locations pretty much guarantees that a tech will be able to handle your problem no matter how big, small or complicated.     But don’t take [...]

Let’s face it the new Camaro Transformers Special Edition is going to be a hot, hot car that will be in high demand when it hits dealer lots … if you have seen the movie Transformers, you have admired the Chevy Camaro in it known as Bumblebee. Maybe you’ve seen the new Camaro in person, and although all of them are structured like the one in the movie, none of them quite look the same as that sleek yellow and black striped one from the movie, right? Well, now you can make Bumblebee yours as GM officially announced the 2010 Camaro Transformers Special Edition package. The $995 package includes the following: Autobot insignia fender badges and wheel caps An embroidered Autobot insignia on the center console Gloss-black rally stripes with Transformers logos [...]

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 [...]

Ford made a dream come true for some legally blind people as they were give the chance to be driving again thanks to a large open area and modern technology. You are the next big street racer. You get thrilled by the speed and feel of it all – going high speeds, feeling and hearing the motor sing to you as you treat it with all the gasoline your foot can put down. One day you wake up, and you can’t see anything. The doctors all tell you that you are blind from what appears to be some head trauma you experienced the other night. You lose your licence and can no longer drive. Suddenly, your world turns upside down, the things that you loved so dearly [...]

Have you ever tried jump starting a vehicle?  If not, then keep reading to find out how to do it.  The video below will give you a walk through on how to safely and successfully jump start a car or truck. You’re ready to go home from your best friend’s bridal shower in a city 200 miles away from you. It’s about 8pm and you figure that you should make it home before midnight.  You think, “Wow, I had tons of fun and it was great to see Callie again!”  You hop in the car and turn the key to your ignition. “rrrrrurrrr  rrrruuuurr??? putt putt fizzle butt”  You find your car is just not cooperating with you as it will not turn over. “Fantastic,”  you think to yourself,   “It’s only me and [...]

Who doesn’t have a soft spot for powerhouse cars or sports cars as they’re commonly referred to.  We all caught a laugh or two watching the Tonight Show with Jay Leno through the years. Most of us know that he has his own shop and is a vehicle enthusiast. Less of us know that he loves Corvette’s and that the lucky guy has the first ever made ZR1 Corvette. Out of all of the foreign and powerhouse cars Jay has, he always seems to praise Chevy and keeps commenting on how reliable and great they are. This guy really knows his stuff about the automotive industry, I was really impressed to hear him list off horse powers, features and specifics of different vehicles on the spot.     There you have it, from the man behind the laughs that knows his stuff: Corvette seems to be the way to go, and if you’d like [...]

Is the new Cash for Clunkers program right for you?  Well please read ahead to find out the specifics of the current program offered by the US government to help jump start the economy.   Still rolling down the road in your beat up 1987 Cadillac DeVille Fleetwood Brougham rear-wheel-drive with 277,000 miles?  Well, now might be the opportune time to trade in that beauty for a brand new vehicle as the “Cash for Clunkers” program has been approved and will be giving you top dollar for your old gas-guzzling machine. It’s kind of like getting 500 bucks for the suit that you wore to your high school homecoming dance back in 1987 — you know — the one with the elbow patches that smells like moth balls. In short, this program will offer you either $3,500 or $4,500 credit off of a new vehicle when you trade in a vehicle that meet requirements. The trade-in vehicle: 1. Must be either a car, light truck, [...]