Runde Auto Chat

It's close to midnight and you are coming out of the grocery store to your car parked in the middle of the lot. No one is in sight and there is just an eerie feeling. What if someone were to jump out at you? How can you avoid getting yourself into situations like this that would possibly lead you to harm?

I found the following videos interesting and informative on how to avoid these types of situations and to stay safe in the parking lot:

Remember ladies, stay alert while you are out there, don't let the potential attacker get a chance to catch you off guard.

You're ready to go home from your best friend's bridal shower in a city 200 miles away from you. It's about 8pm and you figure that you should make it home before midnight. You think, "Wow, I had tons of fun and it was great to see Callie again!" You hop in the car and turn the key to your ignition. "rrrrrurrrr urrrruuuurr??? putt putt fizzle butt" -- You find your car is just not cooperating with you as it will not turn over. "Fantastic," you think to yourself, "It's only me and Mandy here tonight. I know she dosn't know anything about cars." Annoyed and frustrated, you walk to a hotel three blocks down and get a room for $80 for the night. The next morning you find a service center to tow your car to and they get your car running again. Turns out youl left your lights on and it temporarily drained your battery ... something a simple jump start could have cured. You are annoyed with everything, and on top of the inconvenience that happened because you couldn't jump start your vehicle, you are also late for work that day making the whold experience seem even more miserable and you're also out $50 for the tow.

Don't let yourself fall into the above scenario. Jump starting a vehicle is the easiest thing to do in the world when you have the simple knowlege in your posession of how to do it. Watch the following video to get educated on how to jump start that car when things go sour. A pair of jumper cables will run you abour $15-$20 and it's a good idea to keep a set in your vehicle. Or you can shell out about $50 for a portable jumper box if you don't want to rely on passing vehicles for a power source.

You might not know exactly what a mechanic means by a certain part of your car needing repair, how do you know he's telling the truth and not just after easy money from customer with little mechanic knowledge? This video points out some good points to apply when you go in for service.

Here at Runde's we don't hassle or beg you out of your money, we are here to get you, and your car happy again. Our four different service departments almost guarantees that a tech will be able to handle your problem no matter how big, small or complicated.

But don't take our word for it...

"I wanted to send a little ‘thank you’ your way for outstanding service. I had some warranty work done this past week at Runde Buick in Cuba City. The service department was amazing! I will recommend you to others. Wanted to let you know that I appreciate your great service."

You're rolling down the road jammin' out to the new Black Eyed Peas album until you feel a little jolt. Slowly, but surely, your car starts to not feel quite right. You nervously pull over and get out to inspect your vehicle. To your pleasant surprise, you find a rather large nail in your tire that is leaking air out. What do you do now?

You don't know quite how to change that tire, you say? Well, that's what we are here for! We created the following video to help everyone who might not quite know how to change that flat into tire-changin' pros. A lot of times people are too embarrassed to admit that they don't know how to change a tire, or have never been put into a situation where they needed to do it. Say no more, here you are - how to change a flat tire.

 Buying a first car for your kid can be a nerve-racking process. Worries of them being in a safe, reliable car can lead to an endless search of what you should buy and with what features. To ease the process a bit, here are some quick tips to follow while making a decision on purchasing your kid's first vehicle.

1. Size (buy a tank) Several people may think that mid or small-sized cars are the way to go in terms of a first car as they are the "common" type of car that people are comfortable driving. In actuality, however, having a larger car might be a better bet for your kids if you are thinking safety. Larger cars often absorb more force impact from accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration these beasts score significantly better than compact or small sized vehicles.

2. Be Modest (don't let them have that high speed sports car they dream about) It is best to be simple when it comes to buying the first car for your kid. Don't go for the sleek looking racer with the loud exhaust and wing, or a 2-door coupe (2-door cars are considered sports vehicles by most insurance companies). Not only will you save money with insurance by not having a high-performance/sports vehicle, but you can also be more assured that your kid is not out trying to be Speed-Racer with his or her set of new wheels. In the end, you'll save money and avoid reckless driving accidents by going for a simpler vehicle.

3. Buy models made after 1995 (ABS and airbags may save your kid's life) Cars manufactured after 1995 generally have ABS and airbags implemented as a safety feature. ABS (antilock brake system) prevents the vehicle from skidding around and going out of control in the event of an emergency stop. Essentially the ABS feature allows the driver to steer the car while slamming on the brakes because it prevents the wheels from locking up by using a pulsating brake action. Keep in mind, however that ABS can eventually malfunction on an older car as it is an electronic feature. So be sure to keep the car well maintained and checked frequently. The airbags are installed generally in the vehicle dashboard or steering wheel. Upon impact, the air bag deploys to absorb the impact force of the human driving. You may not think about the airbags when you get in your car everyday to drive it, but you should probably give it a thought or two before buying a car for you teenager. Airbags have prevented countless injuries in the Tri-State area over the past decade and a half.

4. Front or all-wheel-drive (show the road that your kid can handle all environments) Front and all-wheel-drive cars offer greater traction control in harsher road conditions such as snow or rain than rear-wheel-drive cars. Not only will your kids be better prepared in the event of unpredictable weather, but it will also prevent over-steering (fishtailing) if the car begins to skid as front/all-wheel-drive will under-steer which is easier for the new driver to deal with. There aren't too many cars out there nowadays that are strictly rear wheel drive, but remember you can always give us a call at 800-947-8633 if you're wondering if a certain model is FWD, AWD, or RWD. 

5. Research (don't rush into things) One of the most important things to do before buying a vehicle is to make sure you do the proper research before committing to one particular car. After selecting something that you may be interested in, be sure to look up reviews of the vehicle, check out comparable vehicles that might have better features, and make sure it lives up to the safety features that you are looking for your kid to have.

6. Have the car checked out (don't buy a ticking time-bomb) When you have picked a car out for your kid that seems like a winner, the last step should be to actually have the car checked out professionally. Take the car to a mechanic you trust and have them do an inspection of the vehicle to make sure everything is properly working and are no signs of potential future problems. Yes, you'll probably have to pay for the inspection ... but it's better that walking blindly into a money pit.

7. Let us help you (we can provide you with what you need) We will be more than happy to provide you with the best car for your children. Remember that the cheapest car is not always the best car and it almost goes without saying that you usually get what you pay for. Accommodating to your needs is very important to us and we want what is going to be safest for your kids.

You can check out our inventory 24/7 at www.RundeAutoGroup.com Here is a quick list of cars we found to be safe and reliable for your new driver. All of these cars are highly rated in crash tests according to www.safercar.gov

• Buick LeSabre
• Chevy Lumina
• Chevy Impala
• Ford Contour
• Ford Focus
• Ford Taurus
• Mercury Sable
• Saturn SL-4
• VW Jetta & Passat