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The NBA Draft is my Christmas. At 29 years old, the real, actual Christmas has lost a little bit of its luster for me, even though watching my toddler daughter open gifts has certainly added a whole new echelon of enjoyment to the holiday season. From a personal standpoint, though, I don’t lose sleep on Christmas Eve anymore. This Wednesday night, however—the eve before the NBA Draft—I absolutely will have a hard time falling asleep. Yes, that makes me a sports nerd, but there’s something about all these new players coming in and immediately affecting the futures of every organization in the league that I just love. The draftees, the trades, the drama… it’s all to the good, and apparently Kia—one of the autos that we at Ewald proudly sell—agrees.

All year long (and for several years past), Kia has been a proud sponsor of NBA hoops, long ago proclaiming itself the Official Automaker of the NBA. If you’ll recall rising star Blake Griffin actually jumped over a Kia in the dunk contest back during the All-Star break, and now they’re extending that partnership to cover the draft as well. The event will take place this Thursday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, a change from the normal Madison Square Garden venue as MSG undergoes summer renovations.

Over the course of the night, Kia will use the experience to advertise its line of critically acclaimed vehicles, including the 2011 Optima midsized sedan, which is the Official Vehicle of the NBA. There also are plans for vehicle displays outside the Prudential Center for patrons to frequent as they head into the building. Overall, it should be a great experience both for Kia and the NBA.

“At Kia, we are true fans of the game, and following the drama and excitement of the outstanding 2010-11 season we are pleased to be expanding our basketball presence as the presenting partner of the 2011 NBA Draft,” said Kia Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Michael Sprague.

Looks like they’re really excited about it, as are Kia dealerships all over the country, but no matter how excited they are they’re not anywhere near as excited as I am about the draft itself. Or as my daughter will be when real Christmas finally rolls around.

Despite the fact that the United States is the biggest potential market for automobile sales in the entire world, it’s sometimes surprising to discover how few of the cars we drive are actually manufactured here. Of course, that’s something GM has always tried to ebb by building as many vehicles as possible right here America, but they’re more often the exception than the rule. And that’s sad, isn’t it?

But despite that fact, GM is doing a service to American automobiles by producing the only subcompact car on U.S. soil (the Chevy Sonic). Detroit has always been the country’s mecca for car production, but the fact that it’s taking this one on comes as a bit of a surprise because, traditionally, subcompact cars aren’t the most profitable vehicles that automakers sell. In general, these cars can be made cheaper overseas, so how is it possible that Chevy can make this happen here in the States?

There’s always an explanation, and here’s the explanation for this: For starters, GM was able to finagle a deal with the UAW during the recession to allow for “second-tier” wages, which means that the factory workers aren’t making as much as they might have in other situations.

But it’s more than that, as any Milwaukee Chevrolet dealer will explain. The layout of the plant also allows for direct shipments, which means there’s no longer any need for shuttles to carry parts from other buildings. Added to that are two in-house suppliers to cut out the need to wait for some parts to be shipped from overseas. That also cuts out some difficulties that arise when there is an immediate need for these parts.

Other parts, however, will come from overseas because that is, quite frankly, the cost-effective thing to do. About 30% of the needed parts will be imported, a huge bump from the average 5% for most other vehicles. In all, this gives Milwaukee Chevy dealerships their all-American subcompact cars they deserve, and it’s only those Chevy dealerships that are going to get them. We Americans have (or should have) pride in the products we make ourselves. The Chevy Sonic just so happens to be one of those products.

My brother, an admitted computer nerd, has an external hard drive with a terabyte of storage space. To put that into perspective, when I bought my first computer for college back in 2000, it put up 8 gigabytes of hard drive space. Eleven years later, my brother has one that holds 128 times that amount.

I asked him, “What are you even going to do with all that space?” He responded, “I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll find something to do with it…”

Which leads me to the latest technology to be offered from Ford and its Sync platform. The automaker already offers GPS, hands-free calling via Bluetooth connection to cell phones, free streaming music from Pandora online radio, and plenty of other services through Sync, but there’s still more space on the hard drive, so to speak. That being the case, Ford went ahead and found something to do with it by adding a health-based implementation. Yes, on top of giving you directions and making your phone calls for you, your car can now make sure that you’re properly cared for on a daily basis.

More specifically, the new software would allow drivers to monitor health issues like asthma, allergies, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. Your local Milwaukee Ford dealer could give you more details (and hopefully a demonstration when the technology finally gets here), but all this will most likely be done by connecting certain medical devices (like a diabetic’s glucose-checker) to cloud-based medical services, or through apps like the one called Allergy Alert. The same way your car can tell you the outside temperature, it can now tell you what the allergy levels are.

One Ford engineer called it their “first step toward creating the car that cares,” which is an interesting thing to envision, for sure. Milwaukee Ford owners have always felt like the automaker cares, but to have the car itself be so nurturing on a daily basis would be both wonderfully odd and oddly wonderful. With the way technology has grown in recent years, there’s no reason not to expand to things like this. If the space is there, why not add it in?

See how this fits as a superhero origin story: A successful business man with a wife and two kids has spent his entire life scraping away at life like everybody else, making money, paying bills, building a family. But one day a bad investment ruins him, and he gets involved with things much bigger than himself. In a highly climactic scene, he ends up in the throes of villainy and is essentially left for dead.

He’s found and brought immediately to the hospital, where doctors are forced to try an experimental series of surgeries to keep him alive. But the surgeries go wrong—in a good way—leaving our hero with powers beyond what he could’ve imagined, and once he’s learned to harness those powers, he becomes bigger, stronger, and better than he ever was before.

You like it? Me too, and it’s even based on a true story: the story of Chrysler.

No, this isn’t what happened to Walter Chrysler, the company’s namesake, but it is a personification of what the company itself has gone through the last few years. With the economic downturn in 2008, not a single Milwaukee Chrysler dealership escaped the year unscathed, and in fact many of them feared for their financial lives. Consumers worldwide had stopped paying attention to the Detroit automaker, and about midway through the recession the entire company was essentially left for dead.

The “hospital” in the story above is a metaphor for the government bailouts that saved the company, and the harnessing of the superpowers was Chrysler’s unbelievable ability to completely restructure the way they approached making their cars. The “bigger, stronger, and better than ever” part has to apply to the highly successful Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUV’s that have been so ridiculously successful over the last year.

Those models combined with the undeniable turnaround in all aspects of every Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge vehicle has made the automaker relevant (and profitable) once again. In a lot of ways, they’re even more respectable than they were in the years before the bailout. Maybe they just needed a wakeup call, or maybe it’s just that origin stories are what give superheroes their character. Either way, it’s hard to deny that Milwaukee Chrysler models are super again, and from here on out all they plan on doing is heading up, up, and away…

When we’re all kids, some teacher or parent tells us the story of “The Ugly Duckling,” that age-old classic about a disgusting little fuzzball of a duck that ends up growing into a beautiful swan to the behest of all those who had previously teased him. It’s a great story to tell young people, who almost universally feel awkward and ugly at some point over their course of their childhoods, but it’s a story that applies far beyond just children. Well, and swans, too.

In truth, “The Ugly Duckling” could apply to anything that used to be unattractive yet was given the opportunity to flourish into something much more beautiful down the road. It would be a great story to tell a caterpillar with poor self-confidence, for example. It would be an even better story to tell a piece of dirty, discarded carpet.

Why carpet? Because Ford has proven that throwaway rugs can be swans, as well, and their doing it by recycling them into useful parts in a number of Ford vehicles. There’s a nylon-based resin material in 100% recycled carpet called EcoLon, and that’s what Ford engineers are harvesting in order to create environmentally friendly cylinder head covers for quite a few of their more popular engines.

There isn’t a Ford dealership on the planet that doesn’t appreciate the PR behind something like this, especially when so much energy and ad dollars are poured into green technology for automobiles. But what we most often look for is how that relates to fuel economy. What we don’t always see are the other ways that automakers can love up on the environment, and turning over 4 million pounds of gross carpeting into cylinder head covers is definitely another awesome way to go about it.

All this time, Milwaukee Ford owners had no idea that there was recycled carpet under the hoods of their vehicles. They were just driving their cars around, proud of the Ford name, with no idea how proud they should’ve actually been. Even carpet deserves an opportunity to flourish into something more beautiful. All it takes time, a little patience, and the willingness of acceptance. If Ford keeps this up, who knows what “ugly duckling” will get itself swanned down the road?

It seems like only yesterday we were talking about the influx of new 2012 models to hit the market in early 2011, but now that some of those are already out on roads across the country, it’s already time to talk about the 2013 model year. Time certainly does fly.

At the New York Auto Show last month, a handful of these 2013 models were debuted, not the least significant of which was the ’13 Chevy Malibu ECO, which gets a redesign and a whole lot more miles per gallon. Interested in learning more about this new beauty? Of course you are, so let’s indulge ourselves, shall we?

For starters, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood of the ECO version of the new Malibu pairs up with an electric motor, which in turn pairs up with a lithium-ion battery. This hybrid technology, coupled with the drastically improved aerodynamics of the vehicle, have boosted the EPA numbers to 26 mpg in the city, and an impressive 38 mpg on the highway. While that’s not quite class-leading, it’s definitely up there and certainly good enough to get the attention of consumers looking for great mileage in a new vehicle.

When your friendly neighborhood Milwaukee Chevrolet dealer gets these vehicles in the first quarter of 2012, however, fuel economy and improved aerodynamics aren’t the only things that are going to grab your attention. The interior has been redesigned as well, complete with a touch-screen that actually flips up so that drivers can store their iPhone (which can connect to the touch-screen via USB) behind the console instead of out in the open like most people with USB or Bluetooth connectivity do now.

Those new aerodynamics also give the Malibu a sleeker look, with new lines across the hood and a tweaked design around the perimeter of the trunk. Milwaukee Chevy fans are going to love the overall vibe of this car, and that fact that it’s improved so much on its environmental footprint is just an added bonus. Inside, there are all sorts of classy touches (and even more available if you buy a loaded LTZ), and it’s enough to make us be glad we’ve moved on to the 2013 model year.

Of course, before we know it the discussion will shift to 2014 because, as I said earlier, time certainly does fly. But so does the 2013 Chevy Malibu ECO.

If you’re an American who’s not in some sort of debt, then you aren’t a true American. Let’s face it—if you want to have any kind of life at all, with a house and a car and a college education, then you’re going to have to borrow a huge lump of money at some point, and all that borrowing means tons of debt. Take me, for example. Between my house and my student loans (my car is all paid off, finally), I owe various banks somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000. And that’s nothing compared to what some of my fellow citizens owe.

The point is that we all gripe about it because, quite honestly, nobody likes owing anybody money. But if you were Chrysler in 2010, you finished the year owing $7.5 billion, and by the time New Year’s rolled around, you would have paid $1.23 billion in interest alone.

Like the rest of us, Chrysler took out a loan because they absolutely had to; theirs was just for a lot more money than most of us can comprehend. The other difference between them and us is that they look like they’re going to pay theirs off a whole lot faster than the average American. Just two years after the government bailout, Chrysler is back to turning a profit, and that means their loans are getting paid off in huge increments. Experts thought this would take the Detroit automaker years to break even on those loans, but Chryslers is years ahead of schedule.

What does this mean for Milwaukee Chrysler, Milwaukee Jeep, and Milwaukee Dodge dealerships? Not a whole lot, really. To be honest, it’s the work that these dealerships have done on their own that have helped put Chrysler back on the map. With the FIAT merger and the success of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2010 was just a really solid year. To be perfectly frank, 2011 looks like it has the potential to be equally profitable and potentially even more so.

It’s really incredible when you think about it; we borrow money for a house and take 30 years to pay it off. Chrysler borrows billions of dollars to sustain a business and makes huge strides on the payback within two years. How awesomely American is that?

The ways that drivers can entertain themselves in their cars these days are way different than the ways they entertained themselves in the past. Here’s how it used to be: any time a long drive started to get tedious, you could flip on the radio and sort through the stations until something interesting or catchy caught your ears. And… that was just about it.

Today, thanks to technology like Buick’s IntelliLink, the possibilities are right on the cusp of endless. IntelliLink, which Milwaukee Buick dealerships will be able to offer in models like the Verano, Regal, and LaCrosse sometime in the coming year, links smartphones to a reasonably-sized, all-color digital displays that can be activated via touch screens, steering wheel controls, or even voice activation. It’s about as high tech as high tech can get, and it doesn’t project to be difficult to use at all. In fact, Buick is saying they expect it to be pretty intuitive.

But just because you can activate the radio by giving voice commands all Star-Trek-style doesn’t mean the things you’re commanding are any more interesting than they used to be. The good news is that we’re not just talking about AM and FM radio here; by linking smartphones like the iPhone or an Android to the IntelliLink system via USB or Bluetooth, drivers will be able to access free Pandora online radio, MP3s accessed from a thumb-drive via Gracenote, and voice activation for use of the phone while driving. Just say, “Call Mom,” and mom gets called. That kind of thing.

Milwaukee Buick dealers constantly advertise their vehicles’ virtually silent interior, and that quiet allows for practically flawless voice command technology; there’s no white noise to interfere with what you’re trying to get accomplished. For the enjoyment of all this music, we’ve got Bose speakers and harmon/kardon sound systems—not a bad system for anyone that’s been graced with the audio such hardware can provide.

In all, we’re looking at automotive infotainment the likes of which we’ve never seen before. With over 1 billion smartphones expected to be on the market by the end of the year, customers expect connectivity, and they’re about to get it in the most awesome way possible.

We at Ewald pride ourselves at providing a huge variety of new and used vehicles of an assortment of makes and models in lots all over the Milwaukee area. But among our most successful dealerships are our Ford dealerships, and one of the most exciting vehicles that Ewald’s Venus Ford and Hartford Ford Lincoln have on their plates for the 2012 model year is the new Focus.

This is worth pointing out now of all times because the 2012 Focus was given a special cameo on this past weekend’s episode of CBS’s “The Amazing Race.” Not only were the winners of this most recent leg of the race awarded brand new Focuses, but the vehicle was used in the first major clue of the show and then acted as the teams’ main mode of transportation throughout the episode. No matter how much a Milwaukee Ford dealership may advertise over the course of the year, it’s hard to get positive, fun PR as good as that on a show watched by literally millions of people.

The winners of the leg were fan favorites Justin and Zev, the latter of which has Asperger’s Syndrome and a very funny sense of humor. Not only were they very excited to have won the cars, but the team that came in second by only a few minutes—a couple of Harlem Globetrotters who go by the names Flight Time and Big Easy—were distraught that they didn’t win. It just goes to show what a hot item the new Focus actually is.

And even more beautiful is the fact that Ford and CBS have teamed up to offer a brand new 2012 Focus and $15,000 to one lucky viewer through a sweepstakes that they’re running through their website. Interested fans have until May 14th to register for their chance to win, and even if you don’t win the car, consolation prizes include shirts autographed by “The Amazing Race” host Phil Keoghan.

Look, Milwaukee Ford Focus owners will happily tell you that Ewald is the right spot to go if you’re looking to buy a new Focus. Nobody’s denying that. But if you’re looking to win one for free, then try CBS.com/fordfocus and see what kind of luck you’ve got. It doesn’t cost you anything but about 30 seconds of your time. That seems worth a new car to me. You?

Once upon a time, there was a Chevrolet sub-compact called the Aveo, which came into existence right around 2002 when General Motors absorbed Daewoo. Before that, the model was affectionately named “Kalos,” and has had several other names in different parts of the world since—Daewoo Gentra, Pontiac Wave, Suzuki Swift+. But after nine years of tinkering with the Aveo, it seems as though Chevy has come up with a brand model they’d like to move forward with.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the Chevy Sonic.

It’s a name that has already seen loads of commercial success in other industries. There’s a successful restaurant chain that goes by that name, an all-time classic video game character, and a beloved NBA franchise that has since moved to Oklahoma City. Throw in the band Sonic Youth, and you’ve got yourself a brand that carries nothing but positive connotations.

Yeah, but how’s the car?

According to Milwaukee Chevrolet dealerships, pretty darn good. Debuted earlier this year at the Detroit Motor Show, the Sonic is meant to compete with well-established sub-compacts like the Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Elantra. There are four-door sedan and five-door hatch versions with a couple of engine options: a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-banger, and a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine with a little less juice. That turbocharged engine actually has more HPs than the Fiesta, and it’s that particular model that the Sonic seems most determined to compete with.

In Milwaukee, Chevy Sonic dealers are bragging about the suspension of this vehicle, and how fun the car is to drive. GM used the same people who put together the Corvette’s suspension for this vehicle, meaning that even though it looks a lot more white-color than the automaker’s trademark speedster, it still enjoys some of the same enjoyment.

Look, this car’s not an Aveo, at least not anymore. Chevrolet gave the vehicle a bit of a re-design, added a few features (and a few horsies), and decided to give the thing an entirely new identity. I’m guessing that there are several of you who didn’t even know Chevy made a car called the Sonic. Well they do, and it’s super. It’s super Sonic.

Coupons are a beautiful thing, but unfortunately there are entirely too many Americans who don’t think they’re worth the time or energy to clip and save—at least not compared to what they deem negligible savings. However, when done right and done faithfully, using coupons can save families hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars a year. There are even blogs out there that show consumers how to combine coupons with in-store deals to cut down on grocery bills by up to 80-90%.

Yeah, coupons are no joke, and they can even be applied to Milwaukee used car dealerships, if not for the purchase of the vehicle itself, then for the service the vehicle will need over the course of its life. The Ewald Auto Group has several service deals happening this spring (just click HERE to get the full spread of beautiful, colorific coupons), and this is a perfect opportunity to talk about what a few of those are.

The biggest deal we’re running at the moment is the Fuel Saver Package, which includes an oil and filter change, nitrogen in all four tires as well as a tire rotation, air filer replacement, and the addition of injection cleaner to the fuel tank, all of which will help drivers maximize their miles per gallon. The whole shebang costs a paltry $69.95, which is a 50% discount from the usual price of $139.90.

That’s not the only deal we’re running at the moment, though. There also are coupons for apparel, accessories, and collectibles, as well as Milwaukee car rental services through our Mayfair affiliate and other service offerings like transmission flushes, front-wheel alignment, and even new tires.

The really beautiful thing about all this is that you don’t just have to have bought a car from a Ewald dealership or even drive a car that Ewald typically sells to take advantage of these savings. We service any and every vehicle imaginable, and we’ll accept the coupons regardless of what car you drive. At Ewald, we’re committed to doing what’s best for all of our customers, even if those customers have never bought a car. Someday, once they see how well we treat their vehicles in servicing, they may change their mind. And anyway, why should we limit our coupons to just one group of consumers? We all deserve the opportunity to save money, don’t we?

There are a lot of ways to measure success. You could look at the amount of money a person makes, or similarly, how big their house is or awesome their car is. You could also take into account the sheer volume of people that find that person important or irreplaceable; someone who’s loved in a community doesn’t necessarily have to be someone who’s rich.

For a business, however, the way to measure success is quite a bit simpler—if you’re doing your job the right way, consumers won’t be able to get enough of your product. You keep creating and selling, and they keep buying. Sometimes, that can even lead to expansion or putting new stores in new towns, and if we go by these definitions of success, it’s hard to call the Ewald Auto Group anything but terribly successful.

Especially since just a couple of months ago the group opened up their seventh dealership—this one a Kia dealership in Oconomowoc. It’s yet another addition to the Ewald family, which already has dealerships all over the Milwaukee area representing Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Lincoln, and considering the quality and relatively inexpensive price tags of Kia, Wisconsinites are going to love this one, as well.

As far as Milwaukee Kia dealerships are concerned, you aren’t going to find a location more helpful and reliable than the new Ewald Kia. In fact, Milwaukee Kia dealers probably don’t even know what they missed out on by buying their vehicle before this new dealership existed. Even better, Ewald’s Kia dealership is the only factory-authorized Kia service center in Lake County, meaning you can buy your car just about anywhere you want, but if you want it to be taken care of the way it was intended, you’re better off going where the factory says is best.

The grand opening celebration has been going on for a couple of months now, but Ewald Kia is still in its infancy and would love to have the opportunity to share their great inventory with drivers looking to upgrade to a Kia. It’s a gorgeous store with loads of friendly sales associates, and making them your choice for a new car—whether it be a Kia or anything else they offer—is a decision a customer absolutely will not regret.

An anniversary is a beautiful thing. The problem is that it’s always really hard to decide exactly how to go about celebrating it. On the anniversary of our country’s independence, for example, we set off like a million fireworks and cook hot dogs on the grill. For my wife’s and my anniversary, we went away for a long romantic weekend, doing dinners and horse and carriage rides and the like.

But there are all sorts of traditional gifts you’re supposed to get each major year for an anniversary—paper for year one, wood for the fifth, china for the twentieth, and all sorts of good stuff in between. But what do you do for a 47th anniversary, like the one Ewald Auto is celebrating this year? Traditionally, there’s nothing specific like the items listed above; 45 years is sapphire and 50 years is gold. But nothing for 47.

Taking that into consideration, Ewald Ford, everybody’s favorite Milwaukee Ford dealership, had to get a little creative. Luckily, that creativity is going to lead to some great deals for anybody looking to head Ewald’s way in hopes of finding a new vehicle.

For starters, potential consumers can get themselves into a used car for only $47. Yes, you read that correctly; for under $50 as a down payment, drivers can take home any pre-owned vehicle on any Ewald lot, and right now that stock is up above 1,000 different vehicles.

Prices on new vehicles have been slashed, as well. Every car, truck, and SUV they’ve got in stock is going to come in under invoice. Depending on which make and model you’re looking at, those savings could reach up to—you guessed it!—$4,700. Ford F-150s are one model that have a particularly attractive sales event deal. Buy a 2011 model now, in the midst of this 47th anniversary celebration, and get 0% APR financing for five years, plus up to $2,500 cash back. In Milwaukee, F-150 lovers absolutely have to appreciate that. There really isn’t any other choice.

In fact, for anyone looking to invest in a new vehicle, there shouldn’t be any other choice than to get to one of the Ewald family dealerships as soon as possible to take advantage of all the great things they’ve got going on. It’s better than paper, wood, or china, right?

Here’s a little something you might not know about the way your car’s tires work—in really cold weather, matter contracts, which means a lot times during the most frigid months of the year your car’s tires can lose quite a bit of air pressure. However, since it’s so cold out a lot of people neglect filling those suckers back up, and by the time the weather gets warm again these people have completely gotten out of the habit of checking their tires consistently. That could be a problem for a spring road trip, especially if one of those low tires pops out in the middle of nowhere. It’s just one of the many reasons that Milwaukee auto service technicians are so adamant that drivers get their vehicles looked over for a spring tune-up.

Of course, wheels aren’t the only reason a consumer would spend the money to get their vehicle ready for the big driving season. While oil changes may be regularly scheduled already, there are other aspects of your vehicle that need occasional repair or replacement, so before you decide to hop in the car and go on some crazy road trip, get your vehicle checked.

What sorts of things should you be looking for? Well, all Milwaukee car dealers agree that changing the air filter on a regular basis is an important piece for maximizing fuel efficiency. That’s definitely a start, because some surveys have shown that up to a fifth of all people that bring in their cars for spring tune-ups are in need of having this particular service done.

You also will want to get your headlights and taillights checked to make sure they’re working properly, and making sure all your fluids are properly filled is really important as well. You need break fluid to break. You need transmission fluid to smoothly change gears. You need wiper fluid to be able to see where you’re going. It’s all important, and it’s all part of the reason why everybody that owns a car should get themselves to their dealership or car maintenance place in the next few weeks to get that taken care of. The last thing you want to do is skip a tune-up and regret it for the rest of the summer. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did it.

When it comes to buying a minivan, potential customers can think of a whole slew of reasons why not to buy one, usually because of the stigma associated with the idea chauffeuring children around in one of them. But believe it or not, as Milwaukee minivan drivers have proven over and over again, there are quite a few things we can put in the “pro” column for these delightful family vehicles, as well.

There are an abundance of things we could start with, but the most obvious reason for looking into a minivan purchase is the fact that there literally is no more family-friendly automobile available. These are vehicles that come with loads of seats and plenty of space with which to separate and spread out feisty kids and/or install car seats, and if you’re ever going to take your family on any sort of long road trip or vacation, that personal space is just about as important as anything else.

But even if you’re just taking kids to church, the mall, or soccer practice, having that roomy interior makes a lot of sense. Beyond just having room for bodies, minivans have plenty of room for stuff, too, which is another thing moms and dads absolutely have to have in a vehicle. You can’t take that vacation without luggage, for example, and even on a day-to-day basis it’s important to have adequate storage for a stroller and sporting equipment and backpacks and groceries—sometimes all at once. Short of buying a U-Haul truck, you’re not going to do much better in regards to storage than a minivan.

And to top it all off, these are exceptionally safe vehicles. Some of our dealerships’ models, like the Chrysler Town & Country, Kia Sedona, and Dodge Grand Caravan were actually named among the top five safest minivans in the entire industry last year. You want your family to be safe, right? Well, you needn’t worry about that as long as they’re in one of these fine models.

Actually, Milwaukee new car buyers have all sorts of things to love about the idea of buying a minivan; they just have to get past some of the stereotypes they may have had about them in the past. Once you get your mind right, it’s pretty clear that for families, there really is no better option.

A lot has changed in the last ten years when it comes to consumer wants and needs in a vehicle. Back in the 1990s, everybody wanted a gigantic SUV, apparently to feel safe and powerful on pretty much any terrain they felt the need to explore. Before that it was all about looks and horsepower, and for some automotive purists it still is. However, today’s consumer looks for something that absolutely nobody cared about twenty years ago—fuel efficiency.

When gasoline was 95 cents a gallon, nobody really worried about how much they drove or how many miles per gallon their cars got, but today it’s all that matters to some people. Luckily for these people, all the great dealerships under the Ewald umbrella have fuel efficient options galore. Let’s take a look at some of the different models we offer, shall we?

While plenty of Milwaukee Kia dealerships can offer fuel-efficient models like the Forte (36/26mpg), Soul (31/26mpg), and Rio (34/28mpg), Ewald’s Kia branch will always be your best bet for top-notch service. Also, our Chevrolet dealership has plenty of non-gas-guzzlers, as well, like the Cruze (41/28mpg), Malibu (33/22mpg), and Aveo (35mpg on the highway). Between the two of them, that’s six models right there that could satisfy hundreds of environmentally friendly consumers.

Milwaukee Ford fans wouldn’t be happy if we left out some of their favorite fuel-efficient models, so that’s why we’re going to go ahead and mention that we carry the Fiesta, Focus, and Fusion, as well. The Fusion Hybrid leads the charge here, managing 41/36 mpg—second in the entire industry behind only the Toyota Prius. The Fiesta, meanwhile, gets 40mpg on the highway, and the Focus is capable of numbers up to 38mpg.

There’s no question that the way people shop for cars is changing every year, but one trend that seems to be here to stay is this desire for great gas mileage. It’s best for the environment and drivers’ pocket books, so it only makes sense that a dealership like Ewald would provide such a wide-ranging list of options for those looking for green vehicles. Feel free to stop on in and test-drive one of these great cars. They’re fantastic on gas mileage, but we think you’ll like the way they look and feel, too.

Look, leasing isn’t for everybody, but for those who have gotten the guts to undertake one in their lifetimes knows it can be a pretty nice way to go about buying a car. While it’s true that those who lease vehicles will never not make monthly payments, and they also will never officially “own” anything at the end of the lease period, they do get to drive a brand new vehicle every few years. That means very little money spent in repairs and, of course, a perpetual state of new car smell.

Of course the real conundrum when it comes to Milwaukee lease opportunities is how long that lease should last. The industry standard seems to be three years—the best balance of value for the driver and the dealership—but if consumers had the choice they’d always sign a lease for as few months as possible. Four- and five-year leases are considerably less expensive because the vehicle depreciates more over the course of those 48-60 months. But two-year leases? That’s the way to roll.

If only Milwaukee Ford and Lincoln dealerships were more understand of this fact. Truth be told, a lot of dealers shy away from the 24-month lease because the economy has been so shaky and longer contracts mean more money for them. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that consumers want the shorter leases, and that’s how a dealership like Ewald can help.

For a limited time, Ewald Ford and Lincoln lots are offering 24-month leases for those drivers hoping to keep their lease times as brief as possible. Few things are more exciting than a brand new vehicle, and with these short terms our customers get to experience that excitement twice in a presidential term. With more and more dealerships shying away from these types of leases (or at least making them so prohibitively expensive that the customer has no choice but to go 3+ years), the fact that we at Ewald are willing to make this reality shows how committed we are to your happiness. Like we said, leasing isn’t for everybody, but those who love it might as well come love it with us.

Let’s be realistic here. We’d all love to own a brand new vehicle with clean tires, fresh leather, single-digit miles on the odometer, and of course that new car smell, but very few consumers have the money to go out and do that with every car they buy. More often than not, customers in the market for a new vehicle have to buy pre-owned, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as those buyers head into a Milwaukee Jeep dealership prepared.

How does one prepare to buy a used Jeep? There actually are a few different things you can do, starting with a little bit of research. Before you can really begin looking, you’ll need to know what you’re looking for. Ask yourself questions about how many people will ride in the car, what sort of towing capacity you’ll need, how important off-road capabilities are, and so on. There’s a laundry list of things you’ll want to figure out, so make sure you do that first.

The next step is to actually start looking. There are tons of great websites that allow browsers to nitpick potential vehicles down to the minutest detail, so starting on the internet is what we’d suggest. In fact, you can even peruse our own dealership website for the Jeep of your dreams. We’d also suggest visiting a Milwaukee Jeep lot in person, just in case something is available that tickles your fancy. Beyond those options, you can always check classifieds and Craigslist.com for more possibilities.

Once you’ve found the car you think is the winner, the last step for actually buying the thing is to give it as full an inspection as you’re capable of performing. Check for miles on the odometer, any exterior or interior blemishes, and of course ask for a CarFax to get the vehicle’s history. If everything checks out, start the price negotiation and get yourself the perfect car for a fraction of the money. Used vehicles can cost anywhere from 25%-80% less than a brand new purchase, which means there’s a lot to be said for taking the pre-owned Jeep process very seriously. Done right, there’s no more economical way to buy a car.

There is a lot being made early this year about hybrid vehicles and all-electric cars, but the reality for those drivers looking to buy some sort of new vehicle in 2011 is that brand new, high-tech hybrids and EVs aren’t always so realistic. In an ideal world, we could all afford to buy the cars that were best for the environment, but things don’t always work out that way.

Luckily for those consumers too short on funds to buy a new hybrid, there are a number of solid vehicles out there that still have excellent EPA ratings. That means buyers can roll over to a Milwaukee Kia dealership and leave with an affordable new car that won’t cost a second mortgage’s worth of dough on gas money or destroy the earth for future generations of human beings. Who would’ve thought it was possible?

While there are several different models worth checking out in dealerships all over Milwaukee, Kia Forte models are often the best combination of style, function, and fuel economy. The most efficient trims of the Forte top out at 40 miles per gallon on the highway, but on average most of the 2011 Fortes hover around 25mpg in the city and 34mpg on the highway. That’s not bad, folks, especially considering how many hybrids out there right now get similar or even worse mileage than that. Automakers pour a ton of money into taking preexisting best-sellers and turning them into hybrids, but too often the hybrid tag just creates the illusion of being greener. The reality of it is that well-made, smaller sedans like this one simply are more efficient with their fuel. It’s the same outcome, but less cost.

So in the end, is it really necessary to buy a hybrid? Not yet, especially if the money simply isn’t there to make so bold a purchase. New hybrid cars simply are not cheap, which is why so many of us decide to go the pre-owned or affordable new route. Luckily, the 2011 model year offers great pricing. And, of course, the fuel economy for the Kia Forte is fantastic. We’ll call it the perfect automotive package. Sound about right?

“Whoa.” That’s what celebrity car enthusiast Joey Lawrence had to say about the Chevy Equinox. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t in those exact words since he isn’t actually the air-headed teen he played on the hit ‘90s sitcom “Blossom,” but Lawrence’s sentiment couldn’t have been more clear; the Equinox is his favorite family SUV. He can say that with absolute certainty since he recently test-drove every family-friendly SUV currently on the market in conjunction with a survey introduced by Cars.com.

For Milwaukee Chevy dealerships that aren’t willing to simply take Joey Lawrence’s word for it, this little competition, which Cars.com labeled “The $29,000 SUV Shootout,” used more than just his word to pick a winner. The opinions of five reputable auto journalists weighed significantly more heavily on the Equinox winning the crown. Essentially, Cars.com put together a number of the top family SUVs and CUVs listed at under $29K to see which would come out on top. Among the field were the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Kia Sportage among five others.

So what were judges looking for in a winner? Honestly, they just wanted to find a vehicle that handled the sorts of tasks a regular American family would experience on any given day. Milwaukee Chevy Equinox drivers had to have always known instinctively that their SUV was pretty solid at achieving those daily driving milestones, but who could’ve known that they’d be driving the best?

Okay, so maybe Chevy knew, but it’s nice to get a little bit of validation. Not all cars get awards for simply being great at things like roominess and easy rides. The Equinox also gets solid mileage compared to its competition, and considering the test drives were simply two real-life road tests, it shows how valuable an everyday automobile this is.

It doesn’t go from 0-to-60 in three seconds. It doesn’t have a fancy spoiler or 20-inch chrome spinner rims. It’s not even well-known as the best-looking SUV in its class. But it is the best family SUV under $29,000, and if that’s good enough for Joey Lawrence, it’s good enough for the rest of us, too. Honestly, as goofy as it sounds, the best word to describe the 2011 Chevy Equinox is, simply, “Whoa.”

There are certain criteria that most car-buyers look for when shopping for a new vehicle, and for the most part these criteria make more than a little bit of sense to those of us that have done our own car shopping. Consumers want automobiles with great gas mileage, lots of power and pick-up, sleek, cool looks, fancy technological features, and five-star safety ratings. Other people occasionally have penchants for huge chrome rims or that automatic parallel parking feature, but for the most part, that first list is what the majority of drivers expect a new car to contain.

But what’s often overlooked, especially for young families either looking to have a child or who already have some, is how a car seat (or multiple car seats) will work in the back seat.

Milwaukee Ford dealerships might get lots of questions about the availability of a LATCH system in the back row(s) of seats, but seldom do potential buyers test to see how their own car seats will fit, and if they do, at what sacrifice to the leg space of the adults riding in the front?

When it comes to the 2011 Ford Taurus, allow me to end the mystery and just tell you that, yes, three car seats—whether they be infant seats, rear-facing convertibles, or boosters—can in fact fit in the back seat of this sedan. It’s a bit of a tight fit, but it’s certainly more possible in this particular four-door family car than in other sedans the market has to offer.

Milwaukee Ford Taurus drivers have said that they love how the LATCH hooks in the back seat are a little closer together, making it easier to place the infant seat in the middle, where studies have shown a newborn is safest in the instance of a crash. With that installed, a parent need only strap in the other two seats (if needed) using the seatbelts, and they’re good to go. As for leg room, anybody in the 5’8” to 6’0” range can still fit comfortably in this car, even with the kiddos taking up so much space right behind you.

So while horsepower and paint color matter, parents can’t ignore a vehicle’s ability to accommodate children and their bulky safety seats. The 2011 Taurus can handle it, which is why you should handle a 2011 Taurus.

We’ve got nothing against the 2011 Ford Explorer. Even if we wanted to (and we don’t since we actually sell them at one of our dealerships), we couldn’t in good conscience tell our readers that it’s a bad vehicle. There’s so much to like about it—great mileage for a CUV its size, tons of interior room, fantastic price, and a handful of groundbreaking safety features—that it would be impossible to say anything truly bad about it. If Ford is a company you believe in, buy an Explorer. You won’t be sorry.

However, Milwaukee Dodge dealerships like ourselves are equally (and perhaps even a little more) excited about the 2011 Durango. Not a lot has been done in terms of side-by-side comparisons between the two vehicles, but in a recent write-up from Motor Trend magazine, the question of which vehicle was truly better got answered, at least partially. Believe it or not, despite Ford’s amazing name recognition and lower price, the Durango won out in the opinion of Motor Trend’s staff of writers. That fact may come as a bit of a surprise, but when we really look at the reasons why, it starts to make a little more sense.

First and foremost, the Durango drives like a dream. Any Milwaukee Durango owner can tell you how smoothly a day on the road actually is in one of those vehicles. The steering is so fluid that it’s easy to forget that you’re driving a rather large vehicle. Even with both Ford and Dodge taking these vehicles away from the body-on-frame truck style manufacturing towards the style of today’s CUVs, they’re still big vehicles, and the fact that the Durango drives so smoothly is a huge check in the plus column for Chrysler.

And not that either vehicle is ugly by any means, but the Durango simply looks better than the Explorer. It’s a little smoother and richer than the minivan-ish Explorer. The black version of the Durango looks like something a celebrity would step out of in a tuxedo, and we all know how important looks are to American consumers.

Look, both are great cars, but if one has a slight edge over the other, it’d be the Durango. That edge, according to Motor Trend, is as slight as humanly possible, but it’s still an edge. We, of course, say you can’t go wrong with either car.

Living in the Midwest, it’s always a little tough watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve because we’re just getting the New York feed replayed an hour later. In fact, many of us here in Wisconsin watch the ball drop twice—once at 11:00, which is technically midnight in the Big Apple, and again at our own midnight. Most years, we’d probably be pretty annoyed by that, but as one of the premier Milwaukee Kia dealerships, we found the double dose of this year’s New Year’s Eve coverage rather enjoyable.

That’s due mostly to the fact that among the ads plastered all over One Times Square, one of the most prominent was one 20-feet by 40-feet in size featuring the 2011 Kia Optima. It’s the largest part of the biggest ad launch campaign that Kia has ever undertaken. Beyond the Times Square plugs on New Year’s Eve, Kia also put together a sixty-second made-for-cinema commercial that’s currently airing at movie theaters all over the country. With these and other marketing nuggets soon to come, the Optima certainly is putting itself out there, and we certainly hope that all the attention has the desired effect.

It also helps that in Milwaukee, Kia Optima ads also are present at Bucks games since the car has been named the “Official Vehicle of the NBA.” In fact, all across the league, from the L.A. Lakers to the New York Knicks and everything in between, the Optima is getting attention as an official sponsor of the league.

Recently, the Optima was named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, meaning that on top of all the glitz and glamour of the ad campaigns at Times Square and the Bradley Center, there’s also publicity coming the Optima’s way for its safety and quality. In fact, this car leads its class in power and fuel economy, too, and all that combined with a stellar exterior redesign means that the money going into presenting this vehicle to the general public is spent with the idea that this is the car that takes Kia to the next level. We’ve always had to take a back seat (so to speak) to some bigger-name automakers, but that’s all about to change in 2011. Happy New Year!

General Motors has gone through a lot in the last few years, what with the recession and the complete overhauls and all, but it seems as though all the hard work and adversity have paid off, as things do nothing but get better for the American automaker. One of those changes in the last half-decade has been the development of the Buick LaCrosse, which replaced the Century and the Regal back in 2004. In 2010, the model got an overhaul, but the 2011 model has seen a few more tweaks.

The most notable change that Milwaukee Buick Dealerships are advertising in regards to the 2011 LaCrosse is a new engine. The old 3.0-liter V6 is out the door, and in its place there will be a 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder. The old 3.6-liter V6 option is still out there, but the idea is that the new, smaller engine will be a little more fuel-efficient. The new four-banger is expected to get up to 30mpg on the highway and is capable of 182hp. The V6 is less efficient but more powerful (280hp).

There are three trims—CX, CXL, and CXS—the first two of which are offered in both front and all-wheel drive. Honestly, for the most part the offerings are essentially the same, but there are just a handful of negligible changes to trim offerings. Nothing major. It’s still the great second-generation LaCrosse that was released for the 2010 model year, just a wee bit better, as you’d expect.

As far as pricing is concerned, the new four-cylinder could actually be less expensive than the lowest-priced 2010 model, which sits at $27,085. How excellent is it that a car can actually find a way to improve itself while also getting more inexpensive? It’s just a further testament to all the work GM has done to usher themselves into a new era. The LaCrosse is just one example of something Buick has done to take part in that revolution, and obviously it’s something that’s already had positive results for the parent company. GM has seen a lot of changes lately, but almost all of them have been good. In Milwaukee, Buick LaCrosse updates have to be included in that.

Anybody who follows cars and trucks at all knows that there are like a thousand different awards and flattering top-ten lists out there on the internet and in magazine publications, and all of them are designed to recognize excellent automobiles. However, despite the fact that there are so many different accolades out there, only a small handful actually means anything.

One of those select few is the Motor Trend Car and/or Truck of the Year award. When you watch a commercial for an automobile that’s won the award, they make sure to really chat up that fact. That’s not the case if your cousin Tony’s car blog did a top 10 list and the vehicle in question finished in the top three.

Milwaukee Chevrolet dealerships are buzzing in recent weeks after the news that their parent company has taken home both the Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year Awards for the upcoming Chevy Volt and the Chevy Silverado HD. In Milwaukee, Chevy Volt buzz is as high as it’s ever been with the impending release inching closer and closer, and the Silverado always has been one of the most underrated heavy duty trucks on the market. And now, both vehicles are getting their props.

The Silverado underwent a series of revamps on its powertrain, frame, and suspension, all of which did wonders for the truck’s overall showing for the 2011 model year. These altercations have given the vehicle more power while also reducing emissions and increasing overall capability. The ride is quieter and more comfortable than it was a year ago, and all that added to its impressive towing and payload capacity is what earned it the award.

Meanwhile, the Volt is widely considered a game-changer in the automotive world because of its revolutionary engine that can travel exceptional distances without using a single drop of gasoline. It wins the Car of the Year Award simply because it took several huge risks that all deliver, and it’s going to be such a big hit that every automaker on the planet is going to be looking for ways to replicate its success.

Motor Trend knows that, and that’s why their awards are so much more valuable than most of the rest of the world’s.

Sometimes in business, you’ve just got to find a way to start fresh. It’s an inevitability that occasionally things aren’t going to work out, and when a situation looks irreparable, the options include either folding up shop and calling it a year or making some tweaks so your injured product can have some fresh life breathed into it. More often than not, business owners would rather take the latter course, but if you really want to change people’s minds about something they’re not sure about, it may be time for a name change.

Brad’s Drink did it. Stag Party did it. Marafuku, Backrub, and Blue Ribbon Sports all did it, too, and as a result we now have (in order) Pepsi, Playboy, Nintendo, Google, and Nike. In some cases, all you’ve got to do in order mend a broken situation is make a few fixes and slap on a new banner. That, at least, is what Milwaukee Chrysler dealerships are hoping happens with the 200, the “new” mid-sized sedan set to replace the oft-criticized Sebring next year.

One of the bigger criticisms of the old Sebrings is how noisy the cabins are, but the 200 has done a ton of work to make sure that’s no longer a problem. Acoustic windshields will help, but more importantly the hardware under the hood is different enough to affect major change in the amount of sound being produced in the first place.

Beyond that, every Milwaukee car dealer will be glad to know that the new 200 also has new front and rear fascias, a new grille, and new LED lights, as well as tons more technological options, redesigned suspension, and tighter handling.

One the one hand, yes, it’s a mid-sized sedan not totally unlike the current Sebring, but with the change of name and all the tremendous improvements in this new 200, consumers are going to be pleasantly surprised how much better this particular product is. And who knows—maybe the 200 tag is what takes this car, which is in a highly competitive class, into the future as a class favorite. Brad’s Drink and Blue Ribbon sports had no idea their time was coming; it just sort of happened. Now it seems as though it could just sort of happen for Chrysler, as well.

Here’s a bold statement from us, the good people of the Ewald Auto Group—America just wouldn’t be America without the Ford F-150. While the world turns their attention to hybrid and all-electric vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf, the fact remains that no vehicle really personifies the strength and work ethic of United States workers like the F Series, and here in Milwaukee, F-150 models are just as important as they are in Detroit or Boston or anywhere else. Everywhere you go, bruising Ford trucks still are doing what they were invented to do six decades ago, and the 2011 F-150 is doing it better than ever.

As the most popular-selling vehicle in the U.S., Ford offers the F-150 in a whopping nine different trims. The base XL is where most consumers start, but these trucks can be formatted to fit almost any driver’s needs. There’s the STX for sporty drivers, the FX4 for drivers pressing more rugged terrains, the XLT with tons of extras, the luxurious Lariat, the wild-western King Ranch, and the ostentatious Platinum version.

Milwaukee Ford dealers have also opted to bring back the Harley-Davidson special edition F-150, which features extensive leather and chrome throughout the interior of the vehicle, as well as the SVT Raptor, which appeals to the most extreme off-roaders.

It’s a heck of a lineup, and each and every one of these vehicles features some sort of V8 of varying power. Some critics have claimed that the base V8 is a little weak for the weight of the vehicle, but anything higher up on the food chain drives like a dream. The cabins of these trucks are plenty spacious and comfortable, and just like in other Fords, the F Series includes features like Sync (Ford’s voice-command system), GPS, and rear-view camera.

In short, it’s still a vehicle that people want to buy, and the fact that it’s remained that way for 60+ years is evidence enough of just how important this truck has been to this country. Only truly valuable brands have survived that long, and I think it’s safe to say at this point that the F Series from Ford is an extremely valuable brand. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why America wouldn’t be the same without it.

Ford Motors, over the course of the last year, has done an amazing job at using creative marketing to resuscitate its brand. At Ewald Auto we feature Fords (among many other makes of car), and have reaped the rewards of Ford’s marketing efforts, as has every other Milwaukee Ford dealership.

In fact, numbers for Milwaukee Ford (and nationwide Ford) sales have shot right back up in the last eighteen months, due mostly to the fact that the cars and trucks they make are legitimately better than they once were. Three-quarters of the way through 2010, Ford had 17% of the U.S. auto and light truck market, putting them in 2nd place among American automakers. Not bad considering a mere year-and-a-half ago they were headed right towards recession just like everyone else. In fact, in 2008 Ford lost $14.6 billion, but with three months to go in 2010, Ford already had made a $4.6 billion profit. Not a bad little turnaround, is it?

So what has been behind the turn in events? Honestly, it just boils down to hitting the American public in creative ways with the message that the quality of Ford is good enough to deserve a good hard look when considering the purchase of a new vehicle.

There was, for example, the campaign in which Ford let Toyota and Honda owners drive Fords for a week, then recorded the glowing week-end interviews and used them in a television ad campaign. Ford also gave several of the top auto-bloggers in the country new Fiestas so they could drive them all over the place and promote the living daylights out of them. They also used Facebook and Twitter to push other new models, and the overall result was an unbelievable change in fortunes for one of the U.S.A.’s most respected home-grown brands. Other than money, what does Ford get for all its efforts? How about Advertising Age’s Marketer of the Year Award? Will that do?

At the Ewald Automotive Group, we’re happy to offer brands recognized for their quality across multiple industries. Visit with us today to talk about your next used or new Ford purchase.

There are like a bajillion awards that cars can win nowadays, but only a handful of them really mean anything. You’ve got the Motor Trend awards, which always carry quite a bit of weight, and other great lists of top models by publications like “Car and Driver” and “Consumer Reports,” but beyond that it starts getting tough to separate the accolades that are truly valuable from the ones that are just some company’s excuse for generating publicity.

Well, I can save you a little bit of deliberation on at least one other award—the Automotive Innovation Awards—which is one worth paying some serious attention to. In the most recent iteration of these awards, the Ford Explorer was awarded the Vehicle Team Engineering Award from the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers based out of Troy, Michigan. Since that’s probably way more words than you’d hope to try and figure out on your own, let me explain to you why every Ford dealership in Milwaukee is excited about the Explorer getting recognized by the SPE.

See, Milwaukee Ford Explorer models are rife with the innovative use of new plastics and other materials that not only makes the manufacturing process a heck of lot better for the environment, but also results in a higher-quality, more comfortable automobile for the consumer as well.

For one example, Reactor-Grade, Talc-Filled Polypropylene (PP)—a plastic that reduces secondary compounding and lowers Ford’s overall carbon footprint considerably—was used in several areas of the new Explorer. Safer plastics were used for cosmetic aspects of the interior as well as in safety features like the adjustable headrests and the seatbelts. In fact, so much revolutionary chemistry was undergone for this new model that Ford actually has several patents pending to protect the work they’ve done in all these high-tech areas.

To conclude, this particular award isn’t for something like “Best Looking Car” or “Fastest Engine;” it’s for something that really does matter in the big scheme of things. When it comes to deciding if an accolade is worth considering as something truly valuable, just trust that when the environment is involved, the answer is probably yes.

Can I be honest for a minute without drawing the ire of each and every Jeep fan reading this blog right now? Well, whether or not I can, I’m going to anyway. As a kid, I never really liked Jeeps. I suppose I had this sort of preconceived notion of what a car should look like, and that simply wasn’t it. Plus, a lot of the goofballs I saw driving Jeeps wore baggy, technicolored tank tops and oversized sunglasses, top peeled back to reveal what my 7-year-old brain construed as a pretty unsafe, rickety looking vehicle.

My own child, however, is going to grow up with very different opinions about Jeeps, especially if her first experience of one is the 2011 Jeep Wrangler, which is nothing like the models I detested so much as a car-lover in training.

Milwaukee Jeep dealers are just loving dealing with this new automobile because in Milwaukee, Jeep Wrangler sales have been extremely positive in the first few months since its release. Chrysler has put so much effort in the last year to completely changing the way their brands are viewed, and the Wrangler has been one of the models that have helped lead the charge. We’ve now got a Wrangler (and Wrangler Unlimited) that offers new colors and a completely redesigned interior that puts this automobile in an entirely classier class of vehicle.

The changes most notably include a new dash, steering wheel, A/C vents, doors, and center stack of controls. There are also brand new lockable storage compartments throughout the 2011 Wrangler. Truthfully, it’s the sort of interior you’d almost feel afraid of exposing to the outside elements, even though the hard-top of this vehicle can still be easily removed for optimum off-roading. It’s so good that you simply wouldn’t want to risk ruining it.

Top to bottom, this is just a much classier vehicle than its predecessors, and that’s a huge reason why consumers are eating this thing up already. It’s also a huge reason why my opinions have changed regarding Jeeps so much in the last year. Chrysler has really committed themselves to doing right by the brand, and the Wrangler is the perfect example of how they’ve gone about carrying that out.

Within the past few years, Kia has really started making a name for itself.  It’s not that it wasn’t a solid car manufacturer in the past, it’s just that none of the models really stood out as competitors continued to enhance the design and functionality of their models.  Then Kia came out with the Kia Soul and the Kia Forte and the Kia Forte Koup and the Kia Sorento.  And just like that, everyone was noticing.  Well get ready for one more addition to the already serious competition: The 2011 Kia Sportage.

It’s edgy and it’s sharp and it’s clean.  It’s everything you want in a crossover vehicle.  That’s what Kia was going for anyways.  They wanted to provide a more masculine crossover vehicle that allows for power and style (and the occasional grocery store run.)  It’s apparent that Kia was going for style with the new exterior additions.  The 2011 Kia Sportage will sport angular headlamps, upgraded taillights, a new grille, more defined lines, and an LED strip in the headlights similar to that of a high-end Audi.

Of course Kia can’t escape the need for fuel-efficiency so it has opted to make the Sportage not only a powerful crossover, but a smart crossover.  Milwaukee Kia drivers can expect a 176 hp engine that pumps out an incredible 28 mpg average on the highway.

And naturally for you Milwaukee Kia Sportage drivers, this crossover offers plenty of space to carry you, your passengers, luggage and skis up to the slopes in the winter time for that double-date you’ve been promising your best friend.  And of course you’ll be able to see the snow fall while you’re Sportage barrels through the mountains with an optional two-row panoramic sunroof.  It will be like enjoying the outdoors without ever leaving the comfort of your vehicle (which will just get you all cold and wet.)

Make sure you swing by your Milwaukee Kia dealer today to get up-to-date information on the 2011 Kia Sportage.  After all, you’ll need to plan that trip soon and these are going to go quick!

Here is a quick look at the car if you want to see it live in action:

It’s true that Buick has had a reputation in the past for its overly “classic” styling and accommodations.  In the same way that Cadillac and Lincoln vehicles could be seen as “classic”, Buick was known for its traditional place in the car industry.  But that was the past.  This is the now.  Buick has led the charge in re-vamped styling and accommodations to cater to a brand new type of buyer.  Consumers want bigger, better and faster cars to take them flying in to the next decade (figuratively of course.)  In fact, Milwaukee Buick customers have already been buzzing about the coming of the new 2011 Buick Regal.

The all new Regal adds an all new line-up of exterior design features including an upgraded grille, taillights, headlights, and side-mirror glass.  And if you’re thinking that you could use some power to go with that eye candy, how does 220hp sound?  Because that’s what you’re going to get with the turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder engine.  Let me paint a picture for you:

You’re out driving on a Sunday.  You’re thinking, “I should go out for breakfast,”, but haven’t fully woken up because you were out late at that Halloween party your neighbor Ted has every year for the neighborhood families.  You hate going, but Ted let you borrow his lawnmower a little while back and you do it out of obligation.  You need something to wake you up.  Then you realize you know a shortcut to your favorite restaurant through an old abandoned race track and you have 220hp of pure power under your foot.  You’re hungry: for breakfast and speed.  You power-slide around the racetrack careening around curves and taking hairpins with ease.  Then you realize:  they stop serving breakfast at noon.  It’s ten till.

As you swing around the last couple of turns you check the navigation touch-screen for traffic conditions.  Once back to the main road, you remember that the rules of the road apply.  So after checking your blind-spot monitoring device and turning up your satellite radio (for motivational music), you turn into the driveway and run up to the door just in time to catch the manager changing the menu from breakfast to lunch.  You order pancakes.  Everyone applauds.

This could be your life in the 2011 Buick Regal.  It doesn’t even have to be a story anymore.  You could live the dream.  Just swing by your Milwaukee Buick Regal dealer today for the latest inventory information.

And check out this quick walk-around of the Turbo model if you want to see it up close and personal!

It’s become pretty obvious that over the years, Kia has made some improvements.  They’ve always made a reliable car that fits the budget and needs of a majority of the drivers on the road today, but as more and more vehicles enter the race at comparable prices, consumers are looking for the best bang for the buck.

But Kia has adapted swiftly to the needs of its consumers.  It has recognized that reliable vehicle production doesn’t necessarily have to mean boring vehicles.  In the past year, we’ve seen Milwaukee Kia dealers release the first Kia Soul and Kia Forte models, as well as new versions of the Sorento and the Sportage.  All have adjusted to fit the needs of the driver, and all have made interior and exterior improvements in style, comfort and affordability.  So why should the all new 2011 Kia Optima be any different?

The first thing you’ll notice when checking out the Optima is the brand new styling.   The exterior body takes on a complete face-lift that will visually knock your socks off.  Sleeker lines and a flowing design give it a more luxurious look that is more closely related to a luxury vehicle rather than a smartly priced sedan.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Kia without efficiency and reliability.  Optima owners can expect to get 34 mpg on the highway and all of the reliability consumers have come to expect out of a Kia.  But reliability doesn’t have to come at the cost of luxury.  The Optima offers heated and cooled front seats, Bluetooth connectivity, heated outside mirrors (great for a Milwaukee Kia driver), a navigation system, push-button start, a Homelink garage-door opener, and an available leather trim.

We got the chance to swing by our local Milwaukee Kia dealer for a test drive and have to say, this car has it all.  If you’re in the market for an affordable and reliable sedan, the 2011 Kia Optima should be at the top of your list.

It’s October, which means most of the country is starting to get into Halloween mode. Kids are picking out their costumes for trick-or-treating, families are visiting pumpkin patches and apple orchards, and gigantic bags of candy already are flying off the shelves at just about every store in America. It’s hard not to love this time of year—all the dressing up, the spooks, the ghouls, the dark spirits—all of it just works with the cool weather and turning leaves. It inspires us to gather around bonfires and tell scary stories, like that of the automaker who revived itself  to haunt all those responsible for its downtrodden past. Mwoohahahaha!

Okay, so maybe that’s not the most frightening ghost story ever told, but what it does have going for it is the fact that it’s true. Ford, after fighting off recession and government bailouts by selling off brands like Aston Martin, Land Rover, and Jaguar, has come back to life when, just a couple of years ago, its product line and fiscal standing both looked all but dead. With new and redesigned cars that have gotten people excited about the brand again, no Milwaukee Ford dealership will have to suffer so frightening a tale ever again.

In Milwaukee, Ford Fiesta sales have been the biggest surprise and biggest boost for the resurgence of the Detroit-based automaker. The Fiesta is an economy compact that actually looks really cool, uses gasoline efficiently, and even allows its driver quite a bit of entertainment behind the wheel. For a car with such moderate horsepower (119hp), it gets its little rear end up and goes pretty quickly, and the handling is nice and loose, too. It hasn’t taken long for consumers to connect with this gorgeous little vehicle because, plain and simple, Ford has done everything right in putting it together.

At about 34 miles/gallon and a starting price just a shade over $15,000, the numbers are right for purchasing this car, too. But if this is something you’re going to do, you’d better hurry, lest the ghosts of economic recession haunt you in your sleep and eat your soul. I’ve seen it happen, but that’s a whole other scary story.

Change—really big change—can be good. Now I’m not talking about big changes along the lines of your favorite sports team moving to a different state or your wife leaving you for the Panamanian gardener, but certain types of really big change are for the better. Think painting and refurnishing an entire outdated house, or leaving a cubicle job to start your own business. Sure, it takes guts and cash to make these types of changes happen, but in the long run the results can be absolutely fantastic.

Some really big change in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee definitely fits in the “good” category of this debate. It’s so good, in fact, that critics and smart automobile people all across the globe have been calling it a savior for the Chrysler Corporation. It’s received nothing but rave reviews since news of the new model’s updates were released last year, and any “first drive” article you read is going to come off overwhelmingly positive. Just about every Milwaukee Jeep dealership is chomping at the bit to get their paws on this luxury SUV, and from there just about every Milwaukee Jeep Grand Cherokee fan will snatch them up for themselves.

What is it that has put the new Grand Cherokee in such high standing with critics and consumers alike? For one, the looks of the thing are much sleeker than the previous version, but it’s what they’ve put on the inside that really has drawn the most attention. It’s been given an independent rear suspension to match the front underpinnings, and its 5.7-liter V8 engine now boasts 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. Inside, the vehicle underwent an overhaul as well, with better, softer materials for the upholstery and a simplified dash.

All that and it still can do what Jeeps were originally intended to do—go off road. While it might not look like the open-backed Jeeps that sling mud around even the toughest terrains, this is still a vehicle that can hold its own on off-road bumps and twists and turns. That part, at least, hasn’t changed, despite the fact that almost everything else has. But as we’ve establish—some big change can be good, and that appears to be the case with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Out with the old, in the with Cruze. That’s Chevrolet’s motto heading into the latter portions of 2010 as we eagerly wait for the new Chevy Cruze to shoot up to the top of GM’s list of best-selling models. In the meantime, we’re saying goodbye to the short-lived Cobalt, as this new compact vehicle will completely replace the old one, and there are plenty of good things to say about the substitution.

Having debuted in Europe several months ago, the Cruze only just made its way to Milwaukee Chevrolet dealerships in recent weeks. As frustrating as it may have been to wait so long for a car with so much hype surrounding it, it was probably good that it was given a bit of a test-drive in Europe where the stakes for the vehicle weren’t quite as high as they are here. Better to allow some time for the kinks to get worked out before going into mass production, right?

Not that any serious kinks really showed their ugly heads. This is a car ready to take America by storm, and GM fully expects it to be one of their more successful models. In Milwaukee, Chevy Cruze sales are expected to be especially strong with a reasonable base price starting under $17,000.

So what does 17 grand get you? It offers a couple of lower-power 4-cylinder engine options that both do great by way of fuel economy—either one should net you over 40 miles per gallon. There are no plans yet for an SS or Turbo model, but one would think that a car this slick-looking would eventually get some options that involve more juice under the hood.

Generally, it’s just a sharp, compact American-made car that will replace models that were significantly less functional and efficient. The interior materials are made of higher-quality stuff than the old Cobalt, giving the Cruze a distinctly luxurious vibe. This vehicle holds its own against other compact mainstays like the Honda Civic and the Ford Focus (which is planning an overhaul of its own in 2011), meaning the new is pushing out the old with serious vigor, and the world is ready for all the goodies this newness will provide.

Summer is without a doubt one of the greatest times of the year.  From family vacations to grill outs, and everywhere in between, it is the season of fun.  However, all that fun requires you to put a lot of miles on your vehicle, getting from place to place.  Not only are you driving more, but you’re driving in very warm conditions, which can be damaging to your vehicle.  To make sure that you don’t go into the fall with a faulty vehicle, make sure you check out the following:

Radiators: Your vehicle has to work as hard as you do to stay cool in the warm summer months.  This can mean a lot of wear and tear on your radiator.  Make sure to ask your service provider to check for any cracks or leaks as these could turn into major headaches down the road!

Air Conditioning: AC has to be one of the greatest inventions of our time!  The fact that I don’t have to suffer through 100 degree days makes me happy beyond belief!  And it seems like we have had a lot of hot days this summer where I have had the AC on full blast.  All that wear and tear can have some damaging effects that won’t make next summer too pleasant.  If you know your AC is broken, make sure you take care of it now before the harsh roads or Wisconsin winters make the problem even worse.  Also, look for any leaks to prevent possible damage down the road.

Belts and hoses: Belts and hoses like to expand and contract in extreme temperature changes.  The hot days and cool nights of Wisconsin are the perfect situation where hoses and belts can become cracked or torn.  Make sure you inspect all of them before the drastic WI winters make the problems even worse.

Tires: Just like the above mentioned items, tires can take a beating as well in the summer. Hot pavement and temperature variations can cause tire pressure to drop, so at a minimum, be sure your service center checks your tread depth and tire pressure the next time you bring your vehicle in for service.

Hopefully, these tips help you keep your vehicle running smoothly through the fall.  If you are not comfortable checking these items on your own, or simply want a professional opinion, visit a factory authorized service center near you. Or I’d be happy to help as well – just send me an email at cihde@ewaldauto.com

It’s that time of year again, where we transition into the 2011 model season at Ewald.  While there are some great deals on remaining 2010 models, the real excitement is with the hot new models for 2011.

We are really excited to introduce the new Ford Fiesta.  With its LCD message center, fuel-efficient technology, and the safety features Ford has been known for, it is no surprise that this car has quickly become the talk of the lot.

I also love what Ford did this year with the 2011 Focus.  They have really stepped it up this year in terms of user technology that will benefit your driving experience and you’ll have fun with them too.  SYNC technology allows you to operate your portable devices using voice command and the MyKey feature lets you control the way your car is driven, which can lead to more fuel-efficient driving.

If you are looking to catch a deal, there are some 2010 model closeout specials going on now.  You can own a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt with financing options as low at $186 per month or a Malibu for $245 per month.

At this point in the season, it really pays to shop for 2011 models.  By doing so, you get the exact car you want, without having to sacrifice the features and specifications you are looking for.  Purchasing a vehicle can be expensive, but you should get everything that you are looking for out of your purchase.  By shopping the 2011 models, you ensure that you are getting exactly what you want.  In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.

If you are looking for additional ways you can save money on 2010 closeout models or new 2011 models, the Automotive Advantage program has you covered.  This is a really cool program that gives vehicle-purchasing benefits to businesses and organizations when you partner with Ewald Automotive.  The program applies to new and pre-owned models and leasing benefits are also available.  You may already be eligible to take advantage of these benefits, so be sure to ask your employer if they are signed up for the program.  For more information, e-mail me at cihde@ewaldauto.com.  I would be happy to tell you more about how you and your organization can save money through the program.

It can be very scary when your brakes begin to act up. We walk you through common brake problems and how to respond, should they happen to you.

When using a service like autocheck.com or carfax.com, it is important to know what you are looking at.  The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure that all the vehicle information matches what you’ve been told.  You’ll then want to ensure that there are no problems with the title and it is not branded.  If there is an odometer reading you will want to check that it is close to what you expect.  There should then be a section on whether the vehicle was used as a rental, taxi, police or other type of vehicle.  You may want to think twice about a vehicle that has been used in one of these high use areas.

The next section will cover if the vehicle has been in any accidents.  An accident is not necessarily bad but you will want to verify it was properly repaired.  You will also be able to see the report of who owned the vehicle and where.  This isn’t 100% accurate but generally the fewer owners, the better.  Finally, if there is any information about whether the vehicle passed emissions testing, that will be on the report.

Properly caring for your tires can be the difference between arriving somewhere safely or not. In this segment we discuss when to change your tires, how to keep them properly inflated and how you can ensure your tires remain in optimal condition.

The Ford Motor company is making a strong push to be America’s number one brand.  Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be getting a taste of some of the new products to come.  First off the 5.0 Mustang GT and the 305 Horsepower V6 Mustang have just arrived.  These are fun vehicles to drive and the 5.0 gets 31 miles to the gallon.  The new Fiesta will also be arriving at the end of this month.  Make sure you come in to see the new vehicle that gets 40 MPG and looks good doing it!  Finally, Ford’s killer new software system, MyTouch, will be featured on the 2011 models as the roll out.  Check out my previous blog post to learn more about the awesome new system.