Volt – It’s electrifying

Volt2-Andrew-FarahThe Chevy Volt is something different and new, naturally you probably have some questions about the vehicle and how it all works. Well, to your luck, the Chief Engineer behind the Chevy Volt – Andrew Farah, answered several great questions about the Volt in the following Q&A.

4:02
[Comment From Scott ]
How was the drive and how does it compare to other hybrids such as the insight and prius?
4:04
Andrew Farah:  Clearly I enjoyed the significantly longer EV distance that is available with the Volt.   I had to drive quite some distance before the engine came on, even though I didn’t start with a full charge.   By comparison, our chassis is much more sporty than either of the other vehicles.
4:05
[Comment From Augie Churchill ]
Mr. Farah, Do you have any preliminary projections yet for the “Mean Time Between Failures” of the Volt’s Lithium-ion battery? Will there be a warranty for the battery separate from the car’s basic warranty? Have you thought of leasing the Volt’s battery so customers can swap out batteries as the technology evolves and better batteries become available?
4:06
Andrew Farah:  We’re designing for the battery pack to have a 10-year life and there has been discussion of all sorts of battery business models, but we’re working form the perspective that it will be sold with the car.
4:07
[Comment From EricR ]
How goes the software development and GUI for the interior?
4:08
Andrew Farah:  Basic controls software architecture is complete. The GUI is one of the areas that we will be refining over the next months. Still, a number of controls areas will continue calibration activities.
4:09
[Comment From Yakov ]
What will be the approximate size of the fuel tank and maximum range?
4:10
Andrew Farah:  We’re still balancing the size of the tank with other factors, but the range will be more than 300 miles on a full charge and with a full tank of fuel.
4:10
[Comment From Tom Hayden ]
Are you driving the VOLT solely on battery power so far?
4:11
Andrew Farah:  No, we’ve been driving the Volt on battery and generator.   However, keep in mind, that when the generator is running, we’re still driving electric and the battery still plays a load leveling role.
GM’s Vice Chairman of Global Product Development, Bob Lutz, gives a brief history of the Chevrolet Volt and explains the technical and design elements that make the Volt so revolutionary.
Read More…

The 2010 Equinox – We’ve Got Some, Come Get Some.

The all new Equinox’s have landed here at Runde’s and they’ve received nothing but great reviews so far. With room to spare, power to go, great gas mileage, and a sleek and appealing design … the all new Equinox is the vehicle to have whether you have a family or just desire a nice ride that will hold a lot of stuff. It will easily store your strollers, bikes and coolers full of food for your trip out to Noah’s Ark this summer.

Check out the walkaround below to get up close and personal with the Equinox:

If you want more information about how the Equinox can help you and your family get the most out of a vehicle this summer, give us a call at 866-735-5200 and we will be more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have.

Neal Johnson: Jeep Man … Aerosmith Fan

This is Neal Johnson from our Ford-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep store in Manchester, IA and the following is a brief summation of Neal’s thoughts on life, work, family, politics, and rock-n-roll.

DSC06978What do you do here at Runde’s?
I’m in sales.

Are you a super sales man?
What?  Do you mean certified?


No… I mean are you awesome?
Well, I certainly try to be.

How long have you been at Runde’s?
Since the store opened up here in Manchester… so about 5 years now? I started in the finance department then started to be a salesman in 2003.

Are you originally from Manchester?
No, I’m originally from North Dakota, but have lived in Iowa since 1980.  I now live in Delhi, IA about 15 minutes away from the store.

%2769_Plymouth_Sport_Fury_Convertible_(Rigaud)What is your best experience at Runde’s to date?
Just the fun times selling cars and talking to customers.

Are you married?
Yes.

How long?
The second time around – 13 years.

Do you remember your first date with her?
Yes I do… It was St. Patrick’s day. Now we go out once a week or so for a date night.

fox_terrier_wire_03aDo you have kids?
Two step kids and four step grandchildren.

Have any pets?
Two dogs – Wire Haired Fox Terriers – Missy and Lacy. They don’t shed, that’s why we like them.

Do you have a favorite hang-out spot around the area?
Probably the restaurant Boonies , it’s the place we visit most frequently.

If you were a vehicle, what kind of vehicle would you be and why? I’m more of a Jeep man.

What’s your most memorable experience in a car or trunk?
Probably driving around in my buddies ‘69 Plymouth convertible, driving fast and having a good time.

PRZ-001281Do you have a favorite movie?
Blazing Saddles.

What kind of music do you like?
70’s rock. I like Aerosmith, Foreigner, that kind of music.

Where is the first place you will travel to if you win the lottery?
I guess I really don’t have a favorite spot to go to. I’d probably just move back to North Dakota and get a spot on the river where I can fish then I’d share the rest with my family.

What’s one invention you can’t live without?
It would be very difficult to live without the T.V.

Have any luck with fishing this year?
It hasn’t been really good lately, but hopefully it will get a bit better.

Messy%20DeskWhat’s your favorite part of the day?
I’m more of a morning person so I like the early mornings.

What would you do if you could be president for a day?
My thing right now is the health-care issue in America, so I’d do everything I could to help that issue as much as possible.

What’s your biggest pet-peeve?
Messy things, messy desks, etc. I like things being organized.

That’s all I’ve got Neal, thank you very much!

F-R-E-E That Spells Free — Set of Golf Clubs for Me Baby

pebblebeach copy

Kim's dream... come true.

Who, what, why and how might be going through your head right now after reading the heading… well let me fill you in:

Who: Kim Murdoch.
What: Runde’s is giving her a set of Taylormade Burner clubs (3 and 5).
Why: Because she is awesome at golf and scored a hole in one at the Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing.
How: With skill and grace.
What does she have to say about all of this? Well, just read below and find out!

Congratulations Kim! Must feel pretty good to own some shiny new golf clubs, huh?
Oh yes!

72986-main_FullWhat is golf to you? A hobby, another sport, a stick and a ball, or a passion?
I’d say it’s another hobby as well as a passion. I go golfing around 2-3 times a week, it’s just really fun.

How was the weather on the day of the golf outing?
Actually it was pretty bad. We had an overcast day and they called off the outing as soon as it started to lightning which was shortly after we started.

Just enough time for you to score an awesome shot, huh?
Yep, it was pretty prime timing. I actually didn’t take any practice swings or anything. It was my first swing of the day and it just so happened to be my first hole in one! It was really unbelievable how everything turned out.

img49dda5c160e56WOW…. just… wow… looks like the planet wanted you to have those clubs by being all aligned for you to get that hole in one, huh?
Pretty much.  We all just watched it go uuuuppppppp then dooowwwwnnn and it just happened to keep on rolling on into the hole it was very exciting!

Honestly. Was it skill or luck?
Probably all luck… but I like to say that it was skill.

Everyone must be pretty excited for you.
All of my friends and family are all excited for me. My kids are happy that I am their mom now!

How do you feel about winning the Taylor clubs?
Oh, very excited. They are the best clubs on the market. My daughter won a Taylor driver from a high school tournament and she does nothing but rave about it.

philmickelson_crouchWhat do you plan to do with the clubs?
My husband is going to become the new owner of them… He can just consider it my Christmas gift… and Anniversary present. I can’t let him have all the fun, though, I’ll sneak in a couple of shots with them although I’m sure my husband will think that I’ll dent them.

Is this your proudest moment in your golfing history?
By far! I haven’t stopped smiling yet.

Who are your favorite pro golfers?
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Do you have any opinion on the golf outfits that Paula Creamer (a.k.a. the Pink Panther) wears on the LPGA tour?
Pink is the way to go! She is an awesome golfer.

tiger-woodsWhat’s your favorite movie?
Caddie Shack.
Good Answer.

If you could golf on one course for free, for a day, what would be your dream course?
Pebble Beach out in California. That is our dream to golf there… but we would need to make a whole lot more money to go there.

Thank you very much for taking some time out to do this interview, Kim. From everyone at Runde’s, we hope you enjoy your golf clubs and again, congratulations.

Suzuki Wants you to Stop Worrying About Gas Money and Go on Vacation

1223060067Go ahead, take all the road trips you want this summer, Suzuki’s got you covered. Suzuki wants you to enjoy your summer by supplying you with FREE gas for the Summer when you purchase any Suzuki SX4 model. Qualified buyers will receive a pre-paid gas card from Suzuki, valued at $270 or $290 depending on which model you buy.

In addition to the gas promotion you can get $2,000 customer cash if you buy a SX4 with a manual transmission or $1,000 customer cash if you buy the automatic. This promotion launched on July 1st and will run until August 31.
 
Check out the Suzuki SX4 in action here:
 
If you are interested in taking advantage of the great deals Suzuki is offering you can start your search by looking through our inventory by clicking here. From there, you can give our friendly staff at our Hazel Green Suzuki store a call, toll free, at (866) 396-6832 to learn more about the car or to set up a test drive.

An Inside Look of how my Precious is Painted

Ever wonder how they get those Corvettes (ESPECIALLY the ZR1)  so shiny and nice? This video will show you a little behind the scenes footage in terms of what goes into painting one of the most beautiful cars on the road.

Nicole Thor – Sister to God of Thunder

Robs customer 6-24-09 (1)We recently had a chance to interview Nicole Thor. Sitting patiently in the showroom while her car was being serviced, Nicole looked like she wanted to have a chat. They say everyone has a story to tell … so I decided to sit down and listen to her story.

Thor, that’s a sweet last name.
Yea it’s like the God of thunder, roooar!

What brought you to Runde’s today?
I am just here for an oil change.

I hear you’ve bought vehicles from here before?
Yep. I bought my ‘08 Suzuki Grand Vitara from Robert Sheehan. 

THOR-01cover-CMYKcrop

Thor, God of Lightning. Or, as Nicole calls him,"bro"

How did Rob treat you?
He was awesome! Nice the whole way through and completely honest.

How’s the Grand Vitara runnin’ for ya?
You know, I have never had a car with a less amount of trouble. I really enjoy the service and the warranty it has.

When did you buy the car?
January.  I’ve had it for about six months now.

And no problems with it so far?
None at all! Before the Grand Vitara, I had a BMW X5 that I had a bunch of problems with. I bought it from a dealer that mislead me and told me that it had one owner but it actually had eight. I was literally in the shop every week for repairs on it. I really like the CarFax that Runde’s gives on each of their vehicles online.

What would you say is the best part of your experience at Runde’s? 
I just really like the honesty. They just lay it out like: “this is what we can offer you, here’s what we can do for you, would you like it? Ok, let’s go” there is not circling around or swindling, they are just straight forward.

2008-Suzuki-Grand-Vitara-25If you were to rank Runde’s on a scale of 1-10 what would you give it?
I’d give you a 10. Especially after I had such a bad experience at one dealership to come back to this dealership and have a good experience – that’s awesome.

What have you been using the vehicle for?
I actually commute, every day, to Platteville for work. I use it every day for that ride which is about 35 miles roundtrip and it has been a smooth ride, every time.

360500_1224543146_26Are you from the area?
I actually live in Peosta but I’m originally from Dubuque.

Have any pets?
We have two cats! Simba and Larry and we love them!

Is Simba named after a familiar Disney movie?
You got it! He looks just like him! And Larry is just named after an old man.

Do you have a favorite area in the Tri-States that you like to visit?
The Mississippi!  I like to boat, my boyfriend owns one and we like to go out as much as possible.

Do you have a favorite movie?
I just saw The Hangover, it was just one of those typical, stereotypical funny movies.

oarDo you have a favorite restaurant?
Fried Green Tomatoes. I love their food.

What kind of music do you like?
I like OAR.

If you were to win the lottery what would you do with the money?
I’d go shopping, a lot.

That’s all I got for ya Nicole, anything else you’d like to add?
It was great service! I love it here. Everything was fantastic.

New Kid on the Block … Beau knows cars

Beau Blocklinger

Beau Blocklinger

We have a new face in the sales department at Runde Suzuki and his name is Beau Blocklinger. Beau is new to selling cars, but he’s catching on quickly. If you’re currently looking for a vehicle and haven’t shopped at Runde’s before, you could certainly look Beau up or give him a call at 800-579-3305. Just ask for the tall guy. When we asked Beau how tall he actually is, he responded: Oh about 8′ 11″ tall.