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 [...]

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 [...]

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 and [...]

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.  

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 [...]

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)

Amanda Zumhof came in to work at Runde’s with a big smile on her face and a bright welcoming attitude. 4 weeks later and she’s smiling even bigger and her bright attitude shines stronger! We took the new recruit to the side to get a little intel about who she is and what she likes to do. If I had to describe Amanda in one (extremely made-up but sounds almost real) word it would be “Germoentech” GERmanMOtherENgagedTECHnician. How long have you been at the job? About four weeks, started my first week at the Chevy dealership to learn the computer system then came here. Zumhof… What nationality is that? German. I was born and raised in Dubuque, though. Any kids? Just one,  Mason, he’s 14 months old. Married? I’m engaged to Chad Gansen. We plan on getting married in June 2012. Congratulations! Any big plans for the wedding? *sighs* I don’t want to plan [...]

Traditions come in all sorts – you have your own personal traditions, your family has traditions, your religion etc. but there is little denying that one of America’s greatest shared traditions is the game of baseball. Chevrolet and some partners wants to make this tradition as enjoyable as possible by providing better playing conditions and education to our youth through the Diamonds and Dreams Program. The program awarded 100 youth baseball communities across the country prizes – 20 Field Makeovers, 20 Instructional Clinics and 60 Equipment Packages. Phil Caruso, Chevrolet Marketing Manager explains; “Chevrolet’s ‘Building Diamonds and Dreams’ program is another facet of our commitment to youth baseball programs across America. Every young ball player wants and deserves a ‘dream’ baseball diamond and Chevrolet along with our partners, are proud to have [...]

Debbie Stratton is a hard worker, a kind spirit and a wonderful customer of ours. She was in to pick up a used Ford Escape that was new to her. She had a few minutes to spare to do a quick interview. If you see her at the Grand Harbor on the weekends be sure to say “hi”! What brought you into Runde’s Today? I purchased a used Ford Escape.  I’ve been really wanting an SUV. And what did you end up getting? A Ford Escape. I’m looking forward to it for the winter and whatnot. And everyone has one now, I thought it was about time to get with it. How did you find Runde’s? I actually bought a car from [...]

We’ve come a long way since the invention of GM airbags. Back when GM Called them “Air Cushion Restraint Systems” (ACRS)  and offered only a driver and passenger front airbag in the ’70’s. Now we have Front, Side Torso, Side Curtain, Knee, Rear Curtain, and even a Seatbelt airbags. Isn’t that enough? Well, ask yourself; “If I were to get in an accident, would I want as much protection coming my way as possible?” If you think the answer would be “Yes” then there’s good news, even more protection will be available thanks to a three-year development recently realized by GM. The newest of the GM airbags to debut was the first ever “Front Center” Airbag which deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat and acts as a barrier between the passenger and the driver. This barrier protects both individuals from banging and bumping each others heads during a collision as well as significantly reduces the amount of sway the drivers head [...]

Today I got to meet a real life “Jimbo!”  While his name is spelled “Jim Beau”, it is pronounced the same.  Jim grew up with a unique name that people would never forget, now he buys his vehicles at a dealership that he will never forget.  Every once in a while you run into someone who has a unique name. The name Jim Beau is certainly pretty cool, although maybe not as extreme as someone named, like say … Rumpelstiltskin.  Did you have a hard time growing up with the name Jim Beau? People always commented about it. When they got tired of “Jim Beau” people would call me Jim Bowie, like the guy with the knife at the Alamo. What brought you into Runde’s? I came in for someone to configure my Bluetooth for the new Equinox I just bought… man, that was a great deal. I just started looking for one, [...]

There are not many things in life that are as skilled, sneaky and elusive as the proverbial Office Ninja. The traditional depiction of a ninja is a member of a class of 14th-century Japanese mercenaries who were highly trained in combat and hired for covert stealth operations.  Ashley Fulenwider (a.k.a. the Runde Office Ninja) may not be fully trained in mortal combat, but she embodies many ninja-like traits and executes each as a well honed art. Personally, I’ve never witnessed anyone enter and leave a room as quietly and overwhelmingly unnoticed as Ashley.  Recently, I was presented with the rare opportunity to capture the Runde Office Ninja while she was a bit off-guard and I conducted this brief interview. What do you do here at Runde’s? I take pictures of the used vehicles and I file ALL the papers (that’s a lot of papers) and answer the phones and direct all the calls to where they need to go AND I write checks for the finance staff [...]