Runde Auto Group is pleased to announce that Aaron Young has been named the General Manager of Runde Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Manchester. Young, of Delhi, IA, has worked at the dealership for nine years. He began his career as a salesperson, and then worked as the dealership’s sales manager. He will continue to sell vehicles, along with his new duties of overseeing sales and service operations at the dealership. “I’m so honored to take on this leadership role,” Aaron said. “We’ve got a really great group of people here and I’m excited to really hit the ground running.” In his spare time, Aaron enjoys writing, cooking, working on motorcycles, and doing random acts of kindness, as well as hanging out with his daughter, Josie, who is currently attending college. “A [...]

Samantha Heilig from DeWitt Iowa walked out of Runde’s with her new ’09 Ford Taurus X.  She was all smiles and in good spirits as she went home to show off her new ride to her loving family.   Samantha was kind enough to share her experience with anyone who would like to know what a kind of sales experience they can expect to get at Runde Auto Group in Manchester. How would you rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best and 1 being the absolute worst? I’d give it a nine. What did you think of your salesman? He was very nice and did not pressure me [...]

If you noticed fireworks lighting up the western skies this past Friday, what you were probably witnessing was part of the festivities for the Annual Peosta Parade and Fun Day.   The sixth annual Peosta Days event was held in conjunction with the Annual Fireman’s Auction and the extravaganza promised something for kids of all ages. Friday’s events included the brilliant fireworks, skydivers, good food & drinks and live music featuring the band Hard Salami. On Saturday, the Peosta Days Parade took place and Doug Weig and his wife Angela were able to get some great shots of the Runde Chevrolet truck they drove in the parade.  It started at Mi-T-M and it ended up at the Peosta Rec Center. Doug said that it was a good time for everyone.   But the most intriguing event was one that I had never heard of … Cow Pie Bingo.  Doug said that he wanted to play, but it [...]

Earlier this week, two West Delaware High School students were featured in a KWWL story.  The news story told of how Alex Funke and Kyle Heims went to the National Auto Tech Competition in Michigan where they placed 26th overall. The West Delaware pair won the right to represent Iowa at nationals after winning the 2012 Iowa Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny.   At the state level they beat teams from all over the state.  Some of these entrants were from Community Colleges around Iowa so I’m sure quite a few of them were older and possibly had more hands-on experience than Alex and Kyle.  To add to their accomplishment, they were the only team at the state level, who completely fixed their car.  [...]

Kynzee Olson came in to buy a vehicle from our PreDriven dealership after being on the hunt for a sweet new sports ride that just had to be black. Accompanying Kynzee was his dad, Terry and Terry’s wife, Brenda. What brought you into Runde’s used car store today? We came in to buy a vehicle. What vehicle did you end up getting today? I got a ’07 Pontiac G5. A Black one, I like it because it’s more of a sporty car. It’s for you, Kynzee, I’m assuming? Yep. How did you find the vehicle? We first searched on the Runde website and found one we liked then we came down to your PreDriven dealership and checked it out. How did you like your salesman, Al Kloft?

Needless to say that this new design for the new Ford Fusion has been very well received at the Chicago Auto Show this week and people’s comments have been very favorable toward it.  The video below was shot by Runde Auto Group  — The noise in the background of the vid was coming from the new Shelby Mustang presentation across the room and we’ll post the video of that soon.  People were definitely all a-buzz about the Shelby, but this new Fusion is definitely gorgeous. The new Ford Fusion design is only about 1 inch longer and 1/2 inch wider than the previous Fusion, but it looks a lot longer than its predecessor mainly due to an extended wheelbase that’s almost 5 inches longer than the 2012 version.  A new inline 4-cylinder 1.6 Liter EcoBoost engine will be available on the all-new Fusion.  And this optional turbo engine will produce 179 horsepower and 172 lb-ft [...]

Dennis and Phyllis Houston came into Runde’s today to pick up a used Buick Enclave for Phyllis to drive around in. Dennis was so impressed by how tough and maintenance free his Silverado was that he bought from here back in ’03 so he knew exactly where to go when they needed a new vehicle. This time around they had a chance to sit down for a little interview to go over their experience. What brought you into Runde’s today? Mostly the internet. We searched online for a vehicle and found one that we liked here. I bought from here before so we decided to come here for our vehicle. Where are you guys from? We’re from Wyoming, IA. Between Maquoketa and Anamosa, IA. Who and what is the vehicle for?

Amanda Elston from Ossian Iowa loves to help animals. As a mobile veterinarian she needs a reliable truck to hold all of her medicine and equipment. Despite a two hour trip to get to here, Amanda knew that she would find what she was looking for at Runde Auto Group. And we asked her to reflect on her pleasant experience. Where are you from? I’m from Ossian Iowa It’s just South of Decorah, IA. It’s about a three hour drive. My boss and I made the trip. What led you to Runde’s? I’m a veterinarian and I needed a truck for work. I needed a 3/4 ton regular cab, long box truck which was actually really hard to find, but you guys had four or five of them here. Runde’s had the a great selection and options we were looking for so we decided to make the long trip to go here to get [...]

We had the pleasure of getting a hold of Loras Link this week. Loras bought a vehicle from our Manchester Store recently and has been loving the vehicle. He was more than willing to share his pleasant experience with us. What brought you into Runde’s. One day we were just driving around and we’ve been kind of looking around for a new vehicle. While driving we saw an Acadia sitting in your your lot and decided to stop and look at it. The next day I inquired about it, then we went there and fell in love with it during our test drive and bought it. How did you like your salesperson? Oh he was great. Everyone was really good there. [...]

  We received the following letter from Ford Motor Co. recently regarding a Runde Ford technician, Dan Taylor, in light of his recent accomplishment. This is a very special certification that involves a great deal of time, study, hands-on-experience, dedication and commitment. By earning this status, Dan has definitely put himself in an elite group of service technicians and we are very proud of him.   Dear Timothy Runde, It is our pleasure to inform you that, as of April, 2011, Dan Taylor, a Service Technician at your dealership, has made the following achievements in the 2011 Masters Program: Chassis Master Dan is achieving this status for the first time.  Awards for this achievement include the Chassis Plaque, 2011 Ingot and 2011 Master Technician Magnet.  Dan is one of 807 technicians in the Chicago Region who holds this status. Engine Master Dan is achieving this status for the first time.  Awards [...]

Ralph and Jane Rollins were looking at Dubuque dealerships for their upcoming new vehicle purchase.  They finally found the perfect one at a local Dubuque dealership. Both of these incredible people work at two different high schools in Dubuque. They were nice enough to sit down with me and share their experience at Runde Auto Group and a little bit about themselves. What brought you into Runde’s today? We found the vehicle we were looking for on the Cars.com website and it was listed at Runde’s. So we called in and got Al on the phone and now we are driving home with our new Durango. What did you think of your experience here? It was great. Al was very friendly, personable and accommodating.  He’s very passionate about his job [...]

We have been keeping our eyes on the Decorah eagles here at Runde Auto Group over the past 6-8 weeks on the Eagle Cam in anticipation of the hatching of the Eagle eggs.  Part of that waiting game came to a halt today as one of the three eggs hatched and a little baby Eagle worked his/her way into this world.   I think this whole online Eagle video camera thing has caused more anticipation than that proverbial bottle of Heinz ketchup.  But you just can’t shake an Eagle’s nest the way you’d skake a bottle of ketchup.  They’re saying that over 100,000 people are now following the Decorah Eagles Eye view of the nest.  People are watching it, emailing about it, texting others with Decorah eagles updates, blogging about it [...]

I was walking past a computer here at Runde Chevrolet in East Dubuque the other day and saw something that really caught my eye.  The computer screen was displaying a live feed of an eagle in a nest.  I was a bit perplexed.  We’re a car and truck dealer and here is a video of a bird on a screen so of course I had to ask the people around that monitor, “What’s up with the bird?”  This was met with a response from my coworker who simply said, “mmm, Eagle Cam,” as he was munching on some crispy carrots during his lunch hour. You’ve “seen” them everywhere; The Seal of the President of the United States, on the back of [...]

In the short amount of time I spent with David and Jan Rafoth customers from Dubuque, I could tell that they have led interesting lives. And what constitutes an “interesting life” you may ask? For starters, how about stepping on a bomb and living to tell the story? Not enough for you? … Well add-on finding out where you are going to live based on a nice random car ride. Read on, hopefully you are as entertained by their stories as I was listening to them. How did you hear about Runde’s? Well we were looking to trade our car and we had previous experience with Runde’s and Al Kloft and we were treated right the last time we were here.  [...]

One of Runde’s newest customers is Ricardo Matthews, who currently plays noseguard on the defensive line of the Indianapolis Colts.  Ricardo purchased a new Jeep Grand Cherokee from Runde’s last week and was thoroughly pleased with everything.  As you can imagine, with the NFL season in full swing, Ricardo didn’t have time to come all the way to Runde Auto Group in Manchester, IA to pick up his new SUV … so Runde’s delivered it right to his doorstep in Indianapolis. You may recall that we’ve sold a couple of vehicles to Mardy Gilyard of the St. Louis Rams.  Well it turns out that Ricardo and Mardy (both rookies in the NFL this year) were teammates last year at the University of Cincinnati.  The two teammates still keep in touch and Mardy let Ricardo know where he could find a great deal on a new vehicle and door-to-door service on top of that. Ricardo Matthews attended high school in [...]

It’s not too often that we make national news around the Tri-States. When it happens, though, you know its gotta be something big. The Lake Delhi Dam failing and the resulting area flooding is something big. Devastation slowly ensued upon realization that the place so many called “home” was so severely damaged by the flooding. Homes, businesses, valuable items were lost and it left a lot of work to be done to get things cleaned up and restored.     There are good people out there, people who want to make a difference and help see others get back on their feet. Here are two great examples of just that:  Jill Reimer of Rainbo Oil coordinated the Trucks of Love donation collection. Cumulus 106.1 Super Hits broadcasted live to try to help raise donations and awareness.  I visited with Jill and she explained; “We got a list of [...]

How did you find Runde Auto Group and this particular vehicle? Through Al Kloft.  I told him what I was looking for and he went and found it for me. I bought a Trailblazer and my brother bought a vehicle from Al not too long ago too. Why did you decide to purchase it here?  Because I found what I liked and because I’ve known Al for a long time.  He’s a family friend so I trusted him. And I liked it so I said yeah I’d buy it.   Where is the first place you’ll take your new car? I don’t know … probably work. Really? Yeah I have have work at 9 o’clock tonight.   Where do you work at? At The Barn in Sherrill Iowa — it’s a bar and a restaurant up there. I used to go up to the barn a long time ago — we [...]

TESTIMONIALS FROM RUNDE’S CUSTOMERS We are very very pleased with our Chevy Traverse that we recently purchased from Runde Auto Group. It is by far one of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever driven. We have been on 3 road trips and love how it handles the road!! Sure hope this Traverse lasts us a long time! We love it!!!! Thank you for making it possible when we came to see you!! I also want you to know how impressed we are with Runde’s! Awesome people and awesome service! Keep it up! Take care! Paul and Ellen S. of Dubuque, IA We still have the Jeep Commander and all is well with it. Best vehicle and experience we’ve [...]

We sat down for a few minutes and did a customer interview with Dan Schaefer from Dubuque, IA.   Dan serves in the Air Force and is now the proud owner of a Chevy Malibu and he bought the car from Runde PreDriven while he was on paid leave from his base in Texas! Enjoy the video!  

The 2010 Ford Raptor was build for the true off-road enthusiast.  Check out this video that shows the dynamic capabilities of the truck.  Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer of the Ford SVT comments on the truck’s ability to jump (the truck was actually built to jump) and he also touches on the trucks Hill Descent Mode.   Runde Auto Group’s customer, Brian Hauber, took this footage of his new 2010 Ford Raptor going down a hill in the Hill Descent Mode. I think it’s safe to say that he loves his new Raptor so far.     If you’d like to check out a new Ford truck in person, please give our sales staff at our Ford store a call at 888-927-2630. If you’d like to check out our entire inventory, go to www.RundeAutoGroup.com — Or call us at 866-735-5200.

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 [...]

Meet the Jeep Patriot!  It’s the newest addition to the Jeep family that already consists of rugged, high-quality vehicles like the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee. The Patriot was recently voted as the Least Expensive SUV To Own by Edmunds.com What can be better than combining the quality of Jeep with the Lifetime Limited Powertrain Warranty? How about lower price and more options? The Jeep Patriot Limited comes fully equipped with leather interior, heated front seats, power moonroof, Sirius satellite radio, iPod auxiliary jack, Excellent Crash Test Ratings, and between 22 and 28 Miles Per Gallon on the highway*. *Trim and specs will effect fuel efficiency.   Take a look at my Jeep Patriot Walk-Around video!