Taxi cabs are a huge part of big city life. Those of us from the Tri-States have probably been, at some point or another, to downtown Chicago (or another big city – if not you should really get out more…). Walking down the sidewalk and glancing at the traffic on big city streets, you probably think “glad I’m not driving in that mess of cars.” Chances are that you have experienced crazy taxi drivers — I know I have. Several taxi drivers that I’ve witnessed don’t much care for the laws of the road as they almost hit pedestrians. Since when does a red light mean go anyway? Just as 30 is the new 20, red must be the new yellow in Metropolis.
If you’re thinking about going back to Chicago in the near future, you’d better be prepared for the possibility of being hit by a whole lot bigger Taxi as the truck of the year – Ford Transit - has high hopes to make a debut as a Taxi fairly soon.
In addition to having more cargo and leg space, the Transit Taxi is working on offering a rear entertainment package for customers that will have a screen displaying stock quotes, weather conditions and cab fare among other things. In addition, it will offer a credit-card swipe pay station for passengers. Last, Ford promises that the taxi will be available with a version of Ford Work Solutions that includes high-speed internet.
Begs the question, is this a cab or a limo?
The Transit Connect Taxi goes into production this year and will available as a 2011 model.
Oh the smells one would encounter being a mechanic. Exhaust, gas, diesel, oil, anti-freeze, and of course the mysterious ”surprise” smell that (one could only imagine) would be caused from rotting meat mixed with a broken vile of skunk scent. The pains and misery their hands go through, the headaches, the frustrations… it’s, to say the least, no easy task to be a mechanic. To honor our hard working mechanics we had a sit down interview with one of them while he was in between projects. Let me introduce to you – Eric Teiskoetter.
Hey Eric, tell the people a bit about yourself I was born in Dubuque and still live there. I moved several times throughout my life. I’ve lived in Iowa City, Coralville, Cedar Rapids and Texas (for a year). I’ve lived in Dubuque for about 25 years though.
How old are you? I’ll be 31 in two weeks; February 18th.
Do you have any plans for your birthday? I don’t know yet, just lucky to be alive.
What is your position here at Runde’s? I’m a Mechanic.
How long have you been with us? 3 years. But I’ve been a mechanic, off and on, since I was 18.
What made you want to be a mechanic? I like working hard. I like tinkering around with things and figuring out how they work.
What is the most difficult project you have worked on? Not many things that are hard, I just can’t work with Diesel engines.
What do you like most about your job? That I get to work hard on something I like to do.
Are you married? Yes, I’ve been married to Heather for two-and-a-half years.
Do you remember your first date with Heather? It’s kind of a weird story. But I met Heather over the internet for about a year. We talked for awhile and eventually wanted to meet. So I picked her up at the airport and married her five-and-a-half years later. I was in college at the time at University of Iowa for Mechanical engineering but Heather got pregnant so I had to leave.
Ever plan on going back? It all depends, maybe.
What kind of vehicle do you drive? I drive an ‘03 Avalanche. My wife drives an ‘05 Equinox. We bought both of them from Runde’s and they have been great.
How many kids do you have? Two Girls – Zoie is three and Brylie is one. They are in daycare now, Brylie might go to preschool next year.
What does Heather do? She works at Eagle Ridge Resort but is also going to school.
Speaking of the special lady, do you have any plans for Valentines day? Nothing planned yet.
Do you have any pets? Draco is our Miniature Pinscher. He’s four years old. He gets all over the place. If we have any food on the counter he will jump up and get it. He’s such a small animal, only weighs four pounds, and the counter is so high, it’s amazing. He can make such a mess **long drawn out sigh**
Did you dress up for Halloween last year? I took the girls trick or treating. They had a good time, they were dressed as red Devils.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Play PS3 or Xbox – I like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it’s really fun. I like to cook food. I’m also re-building a boat with a friend.
I play that too, maybe I’ll catch you online sometime. Sounds good!
If you were abducted by aliens, what would be your plan of attack to escape the mother-ship?
(Eric looks at the question for awhile, looks back up at me with his mouth partly open and a look of confusion across his face) Uhhhhh…. huh?
You know, they abducted you, how do you escape their grasp? I would wait until one of the aliens was alone with me, cut any restraints they have on me with a hidden knife, take out the alien that’s alone with me and “wear him” as a disguise as I sneak out the ship.
Good answer, the old disguise technique, eh? Who do you think manufactured the mothership?
Probably the government.
Do you think the ship would be hard to repair the ship if it came to need fixing? It depends on what kind of ship it was.
Lets say a flying saucer. Then I’d say no. I’m really good with wiring.
What is your favorite restaurant? I have two favorites. Mulgrew’s in East Dubuque and and Salsa’s in Dubuque.
I love Salsa’s, what do you like to get from there? Their BIG burritos. *Eric spreads apart his hands about the width of his shoulders indicating that their burritos are… awesome.*
You said you like cooking, what do you like to make? Everything. I cook steak quite a bit.
Does your wife like your cooking?
*shrugs* Sometimes.
Do you have a favorite movie? Too many… off the top of my head; Final Destination, Matrix, and Crank. We watch them on our big T.V. at home.
Favorite sports team?
*points to his hat* Iowa.
Who are you rooting for to win the super-bowl, Saints or Colts? Colts.
How are you liking the winter? Eh, sometimes I like it. I don’t really like the snow much but I go snowmobiling. I like summer better.
If you were to win the lottery, what would you do with the money. It would depend on how much. Lets say 30 mil. I’d move next to a lake. Somewhere peaceful where I can fish. I would also travel all over the U.S. and Canada.
What do you and your family like to do together? We go on vacations. We went to Wisconsin Dells before.
Candy or Gum? …………………….. Gum Pizza or Speghetti? ……………….. Pizza Packers or Bears? ………………….. Neither McDonalds or Burger King? ……. McDonalds Coke or Pepsi? ……………………….. Dr. Pepper Gordon or Junior? …………………. Gordon Christmas or Thanksgiving? ….. Both Madonna or Lady GaGa? ………… Uh, I don’t know… Madonna maybe?
So I’m sure you’ve heard about the Equinox’s 32 MPG highway mileage, its 5 star safety rating, and about it winning the Urban Truck of the Year award against fierce competition . But did you know about the adjustable liftgate? How about it’s plug and play radio? Eh???No? Let me help you get into the “know” and into the “now” with assistance of the following videos that explain some features on the Equinox you might have overlooked. These videos explain the aforementioned features in the hotter-than-ever 2010 Chevy Equinox.
What makes a great, affordable car even better? How about making it more affordable?
Right now, until March 31st, Ford is running an awesome incentive on the Focus giving you up to $3,000 customer cash or $500 Ford Credit Retail Bonus Customer AND 0% APR for 36 months*. Pretty impressive considering its already low starting cost.
Brand new, reliable car for around 15k? You kiddin’ me?
If you want to jump on this deal you can check out our inventory of New Focus’s in the link below:
As you lay down in bed and flip through the channels, you find absolutely nothing to watch as usual. You resort to watching a re-re-re-re-rerun of an episode of Cops with footage from the 80’s and can’t stop thinking to yourself “I’ve never seen this stuff happen anywhere near me on the highway”. Continuing to watch the footage you eagerly wait and see what kind of damage this dude is going to unleash while driving so recklessly. It isn’t until about 5 other cars get hit and the suspect’s wheels come flying off as he ingeniously tries to make a sharp turn into a field full of cows does the chase end.
Get ready for chase scenes on T.V. to get a whole lot more boring. The High Powered Electro Magnetic System (HPEMS) is an invention recently unveiled that will stop a car (this is definitely post 1980’s technology) in it’s tracks. Check out the video below to see how it works.
Ever wonder about the salesperson you work with when purchasing a car? Ever imagine what kind of person they are when they’re outside the dealership? What is their personality like?
Since these questions are obviously far from rhetorical, we will introduce you to our sales staff with this and future interviews over the next few months. This week we are interviewing Rob Sheehan, who has been with Runde Auto Group for almost 4 years. Stop by sometime to see him at our Chevy Store in East Dubuque!
Where are you from? I’m originally from East Dubuque, IL. I actually went to school right across the street from here. I have been fortunate enough to be able to watch the dealership grow over the years.
What is your job here at Runde’s? I am a Sales Professional here at Runde Auto Group.
Looking for good food? Where better to look than a mob family.
How long have you been here?
I started here in April of 2006. Going on 4 years.
What made you come to Runde’s? I knew that Runde’s had a great group of guys to work with and for. It’s a close-knit group, very easy to get along with, they treat you right.
What do you like most about your job? Everyone you ask will say I’m a people person. I like to help people out and make their dreams become a reality. I also take pride that we are among the top 30 dealers in the country. That is something that I am proud of and glad to be a part of.
Rob's cat - Pee Wee
Why, would you say, should a person come to Runde Auto Group instead of a different dealership? We don’t beat around the bush and buying a vehicle is not a game to us. Some places like to play games with people, but here we are efficient and don’t waste your time. We give you the best price right off the bat and cut straight to the chase. There will be no hidden fees that come out and surprise you after you commit to buy the vehicle, you will be happy.
What can you promise to the customers that come to you? I promise a very enjoyable experience. During AND after the sale. It’s all about building relationships, I have made several friends with customers that I have helped from here.
Are you Married? Yeah, Amy and I got married in June of ‘09.
How do you like the married life? It’s great. We are expecting a baby now and are very excited about starting the next chapter of our lives.
What are your favorite past-times and hobbies? I mostly spend time with my wife. I also like to socialize and go out to eat. I like having projects to do, our next big one will be finishing the basement to our next house.
One other thing is cooking, I love to cook. We actually got a Soprano’s cookbook for our wedding.
Interesting… mob food must be good? Heck yeah.
Do you have a favorite movie? …I like Fargo.
Then I have favorite movies for different holidays … like for Christmas I like the movie Home Alone.
What kind of music do you like? I listen to XM radio, I listen to whatever is on there. My favorite station is “Margarita-ville”
Would you recommend XM radio? Yes. A little money goes a long way, there’s always something great on and I love it. They come in all the new Chevy and Buick cars.
What’s one invention you couldn’t live without? I’d have to say a Blackberry.
What is your favorite sports team? I’m a big Chicago Bears fan. This wasn’t a good year, neither was last year. But I think we made some changes here at the end of the season that will be good for us this coming season. I always wear my Walter Payton throwback jersey during every game.
What sitcoms do you and your wife like to watch? We like to watch Nip-Tuck, CSI Miami, and all of the Law and Order’s.
Have any Pets? We did have two cats. One passed away this past year which was pretty tough for my wife and I.
You were pretty attached to it huh? Yeah, you know it’s sort of like they are your kids, it was very sad. But on a positive note we will have a new baby coming into the world this summer.
Congratulations! Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl? We don’t know, we don’t want to know or ask, and we’re definitely not paying a doctor to tell us. My wife is a nurse so she’s familiar with reading charts and scans and those kinds of things, so if the gender happens to jump out at us before summer– we aren’t going to be disappointed, but all we care about is that the baby is healthy, regardless of sex.
So are you ready to be a Dad? Yes, I am. It will be good motivation to keep on doing what I do. It will be a big learning experience for me.
Would you say your job is your passion? Yes it is. I always had a passion for cars. As a kid I had several Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels that I played with.
Do you have a favorite car on the lot? I like the Tahoes and Camaros. I have an Impala now that I love and my dad used to drive a sweet ‘96 Impala SS. Chevy definitely makes great vehicles.
Do you have any suggestions for someone looking for a car? I would recommend researching online first. We take pride in our website and the fact that we have photos of each vehicle, not stock or generic photos, but 9-12 photos of the actual vehicle so you know what it looks like before you even come in. We also have an online trade form for customers’ vehicles. So if you are thinking about trading in your vehicle and you are more than 30 miles away from us, it really speeds up the process ten-fold by letting us get some actual numbers on your trade. We also have several other useful resources for people to look through, everyone should check it out.
Crusin’ down the road, windows down, music up, you are in the “zone” with this sweet new track playin’ on the radio. You start trying to sing parts of the chorus, and completely butcher the rest of the song. Full of emotion, you utter slightly slurred words mixed with gibberish to comprise what would surely amount to a migraine for anyone unfortunate enough to be in the same car with you.
You get to the end of the song and look forward to the radio announcer revealing the name of the song and artist so you can download it on iTunes later. But what the…the announcer reveals the details of the song you loved so dearly while your friend was yelling at you to get him some aspirin. Dang it all to heck! You missed it all and end up going into a major state of depression because you still don’t know the name of that song…
If only there was a feature that lets you record, let’s say, oh… the last 20 minutes of music so you could re-listen to it and pick up anything you might have missed. Wh-heh-ell, if GM isn’t on top of their game bringing things from our dreams into a usable, tangible technology.
With the Pause and Play Radio, you can save up to 20 minutes of whatever you are listening to on the radio, even XM or Sirius to an internal hard drive. The radio feature is currently built into the Chevy Equinox and Buick LaCrosse and it will also be implemented in the upcoming Buick Regal and Chevrolet Cruze (cool!)
In a followup to yesterday’s announcement of the Buick Regal, today Buick released pricing for the vehicle. Initially, the Regal will only be offered in the Premium CXL model with other trim models to be offered in the 2012 model year.
The Premium CXL model start at $29,495 including a $750 destination charge and includes the following:
Standard 2.4L Ecotec direct injected engine rated at an estimated 182 horsepower (136 kW)
Available 2.0L Ecotec turbocharged and direct injected engine rated at an estimated 220 horsepower (164 kW) – available late-summer 2010
Both engines have six-speed automatic transmission standard with Driver Shift Control (DSC)
Estimated 30 mpg on the highway with the 2.4L and 29 mpg highway with the 2.0L turbo engine
MacPherson strut front suspension and four-link independent rear suspension
Class-exclusive Interactive Drive Control System is available with the 2.0L turbo.
Some more standard and optional features include:
Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel anti-lock braking system, brake assist and electronic parking brake
Standard StabiliTrak stability control system and full-function traction control
Standard dual-stage frontal air bags, side-curtain air bags and pedal-release system; and available rear-seat thorax air bags
Available navigation system, Harman Kardon sound system, and internal flash drive (1GB)
Standard 18-inch aluminum wheels (19-inch aluminum wheels come with available Interactive Drive Control on the 2.0L turbo)
Standard 12-way power, leather and heated driver seat; leather and heated passenger front seat; Bluetooth for phone capability; i-Pod auxiliary jack and USB port; XM Satellite Radio and OnStar
The regal will go on sale in the U.S. around the beginning of the second quarter (around March).
It looks like a good deal considering how much is put into the car. Buick’s vision of rebuilding their image is coming along nicely with sharp looks and great modern features in their recent “new old model car” remakes.
Before I go, I’ll leave you with this pricing guide released from Buick that shows the prices of the rest of the models as well as a comparison to the LaCrosse.
Taxi cabs are a huge part of big city life. Those of us from the Tri-States have probably been, at some point or another, to downtown Chicago (or another big city – if not you should really get out more…). Walking down the sidewalk and glancing at the traffic on big city streets, you probably think “glad I’m not driving in that mess of cars.” Chances are that you have experienced crazy taxi drivers — I know I have. Several taxi drivers that I’ve witnessed don’t much care for the laws of the road as they almost hit pedestrians. Since when does a red light mean go anyway? Just as 30 is the new 20, red must be the new yellow in Metropolis.
In addition to having more cargo and leg space, the Transit Taxi is working on offering a rear entertainment package for customers that will have a screen displaying stock quotes, weather conditions and cab fare among other things. In addition, it will offer a credit-card swipe pay station for passengers. Last, Ford promises that the taxi will be available with a version of Ford Work Solutions that includes high-speed internet.
