If you weren’t able to check out the latest edition of Her magazine in Dubuque’s Telegraph Herald this past Sunday, then you may have missed that Runde’s was voted as their readers’ favorite Auto Dealer. We were thrilled to learn that Runde Auto Group had been voted #1 out of all the local car dealers, but we’re definitely not going to walk around with over-inflated egos.  We’ll continue to strive to make the car buying experience here as easy and as transparent as possible for our buyers. A big shout of “Thanks” goes out to Megan Gloss and all the folks at Her Magazine for taking the time to put the contest together and publish the results.   We’d also like to thank all of the Her readers who took the time to participate in the voting.  Muchas Gracias!!!

At the 2011 Chicago Auto Show Suzuki took the Suzuki Kizashi and one of its ridiculous competitors and brought it for the crowd to physically and personally compare the two. It turned a lot of heads and had people wondering what the heck a ’70’s sofa was doing at an auto show? A sofa has never seen this much attention since the friend who said he’d “only-stay-for-a-week-and-would-just-bum-on-your-couch” and-ended-up-staying-for-a-year, scenario happened. The bad boy sofa was fully operational, and seemed to go pretty fast… for a sofa. Here’s some official specs (from Suzuki) the sofa offered to show off to curious inquisitors: “This 1970s-era sofa commissioned by American Suzuki retains its original synthetic trim finished in a fashionable tan and brown plaid motif. The sofa is complete with small tears and frayed stitching to meet Suzuki’s overall design intent. The sofa also features a variety of loose coins, cookie crumbs and pocket lint resting just beneath [...]

I was up at the Runde PreDriven store the other day and I was informed by one of the salesmen that Sammy Hagar was in the house. I thought, ”What an opportunity … we can get a interview with Sammy for the blog … I wonder what he’s looking to purchase?  A Camaro?  A Vette?” I asked where he was.   Chris pointed to Johnny Kramer, who works up at that store and was sportin’ a new hairdo.  It wasn’t the actual Red Rocker, but it was an uncanny resemblance. I took some quick photos of Johnny … errr, I mean Sammy Hagar (You may recall that Johnny was featured previous in a Runde Auto Chat interview back in 2009) and then I went about my business.  A few minutes later there was a big [...]

I had to grab some footage of the Suzuki Makai. It looks like it automatically takes you to the beach as soon as you sit in it. Something you probably won’t be seeing around the Tri-States, to say the least, but very cool! The Makai is based on the Suzuki SX4 and I’m pretty sure it’s targeted towards people that don’t live anywhere near here. The Suzuki Kizashi, with it’s four-wheel drive and powerful engine, however, is right up our alley!    

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Charles Waser is a World War II veteran who visited Runde Auto Group today.  He was a flying mechanic for the U.S. Air Force where he put in twenty-one years of service for our country before retiring.  We are very appreciative of the commitment Charles made to his country over the years.  In fact, the pieces of shrapnel in the abdomen of this honorable war veteran still serve as a reminder of everything that he’s been through. Who finds a gold ring in a car? Al Kloft (Mr. Waser’s salesmen) did just that as he was told by Charles Waser before he traded in his vehicle that he had lost his diamond gold ring quite some time ago. After looking and finding the ring on the floor of Mr. Waser’s old car, Al [...]

So Lori Schoenberger, I’m told you’re the service manager here at the Runde PreDriven store … please tell me exactly what you do here over the course of a normal day. Pretty much everything? Parts coordinator, warranty administrator, service advisor… psychiatrist — isn’t that the one who helps people with their problems? Yea… psychiatrist, or shrink? Yea, part time shrink and… umm… yep. Sounds like you do pretty much everything. How long have you worked at Runde’s? Since 2001, almost eight years. How has the ride been for ya? Great. I used to work at Runde Chevrolet in East Dubuque as a title clerk but then I transferred up here three or four years ago. Are you originally from the area? Yep, I’ve lived in the Dubuque area all my life. What do you like to do outside of work? Chase around my grandchildren, work on my yard, the occasional boat ride, and [...]

Check out the most recent reviews from Runde Customers. These reviews come from a variety of sources. Some are from reviews that customers posted online and others are from surveys that were mailed out to customers.  Whatever the case, it seems the word on the street about Runde’s is all good.   My fiance, Don Stadel bought his new truck at Runde’s last October or November …. Looking forward to doing more business with Runde’s…We were so pleased with your service and honesty. It was nice to work with such an awesome team….Don was a Ford man and I changed his mind….CHEVY IS THE BEST !!!! and he is so pleased of his choice….we do BRAG on the choice that we have made….. [...]

Check out this Suzuki Equator walkaround video that was filmed at Runde Auto Group in Hazel Green, WI.  This black Equator is a truck that is sure to turn some heads. The dictionary defines “equator” as an imaginary line that goes around the circumference of the earth. Suzuki defines “Equator” as a non-imaginary truck that will take you practically anywhere you’d like to go on earth. Check out the new Suzuki Equator that recently arrived at Runde Suzuki in Hazel Green, WI:   Equipped with either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 152 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque or a 4.0-liter V-6 that puts out an impressive 261 hp and 281 lb-ft. 7-year / 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. Available with the RMZ-4 Off-Road Package. Tows up to 6500 lbs. Kelly Blue Book could hardly believe all that the new Equator has to offer. Check out what they recently had to say about it … [...]

Is the Key2SafeDriving the answer parents of teenagers are looking for?  Most parents dread the day their babies begin driving, and worry constantly each time they get behind the wheel. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths, the 5th leading cause of total deaths in our country, and driving is often a privilege that gets abused by many people. On top of that, 6 percent of drivers on the road are talking on their cell phones while driving, and 10 percent of driving teenagers are either talking or texting. Xuesong Zhou, an assistant professor at the University of Utah, realized these statistics and developed a gadget to help decrease the numbers. He and a recent graduate, Wally Curry, created a cost-effective solution to these issues. The Key2SafeDriving is a gadget that attaches to the car key, and communicates via Bluetooth or RFID (radio-frequency identification) with the cell phone. The engine will only [...]

The Runde PreDriven dealership up by the Three Mile House Supper Club has a new vehicle on the premises: the Suzuki Carry. Imported from Japan, these quality off-road 4WD mini-trucks can be used in the United States as farm utility vehicles, ranch trucks, and hunting vehicles. They can be used on golf courses, in parks, at campgrounds, resorts, schools, municipalities, for nursery/landscaping businesses and more. The uses for these tough little trucks are seemingly endless. Right now only used ones can be purchased in the US. New ones haven’t been mass-imported to the US yet, but if they do ever get here in large numbers, watch out for the Carry! The Carry is used to haul our water tanks for washing vehicles and other equipment needed on the lot. The Carry [...]