The Five Best Vehicles for Winter Driving in Minnesota

Imagine you wake up in the morning and see a fresh 6 inches of snow on the ground. What’s the first thing that goes through your head? Are you thinking about the longer route you’ll need to take to work to avoid sliding down a hill? Are you changing your breakfast plans to accommodate the now longer commute? Are you sending an email to your boss saying you might be a little late this morning? These are all signs that you might need a more Minnesota-friendly vehicle.

Living in Minnesota means drivers need a car that can factor in heavy snowfalls, icy conditions, and treacherous Midwest winters. Don’t let the weather dictate how you travel; conquer the winter with a new ride! Look below for our top five vehicles to take out on the road this winter:

The Dodge Grand Caravan

The Dodge Grand Caravan is consistently ranked at the top of vehicles that drive well in winter. With a low center of gravity, this sturdily-built van will provide you with exceptional control over icy roads. With a spacious interior, the Dodge Caravan is able to fit a large variety of gear ranging from outdoor snow gear, potluck fixings, and Holiday presents.

The Cadillac CTS

This five-passenger sporty sedan ranks high on the list of safety so consistently that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the Cadillac CTS a five-star overall crash test rating. This modern and mid-size luxury car has three drive modes and optional all-wheel drive that can better grip unpredictable and icy roads.  

The Ford Fusion

Modern and sharp, the Ford Fusion is a reliable sedan that offers both style and substance.

The newest models of the Ford Fusion offer high-tech options, sophisticated interiors, and ample room to maneuver. The safety features of this vehicle will provide you with peace of mind, including rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, and active park assist.

The Chevy Tahoe

For an SUV that has plenty of clearance over snow, consider the Chevy Tahoe. This vehicle is capable of four-wheel drive, excellent fuel efficiency, and superb traction control. Newer models of this vehicle have mastered the ability to maximize fuel efficiency while still providing control and power.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Jeep Grand Cherokee drives exceptionally well in winter conditions, even over black ice and loosely-packed snow. With newer models boasting eco-diesel engines and eight-speed automatic transmission, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is both fuel-efficient and cost-friendly. This rugged but stylish ride is great for all seasons.

If you are searching for a vehicle this season, consider which factors are most important to you.

Options are abundant, such as four-wheel drive, traction control, antilock brakes, heated steering and heated front seats, rear window defroster and wipers, and stability control. Whichever options you choose, you won’t have to fret over a little snow anymore.  

For assistance in your search for the perfect winter vehicle, visit us at Kuehn Motors.

Kuehn Motors: A Reputation for Customer Appreciation

At Kuehn Motors, we take pride in our customer service. We aim to make our customers feel comfortable from the moment they step onto our lots in Rochester, Spring Valley, and Austin.

We know it’s not always an easy process to find the vehicle you’re looking for. There is always a lot of online research to do before you even decide to visit a dealership. When our customers decide to visit us, we know that most of them have already done their homework and have targeted a vehicle that they like.

Customers are smarter and savvier than ever and Kuehn Motors has a lot of respect for that. We also know that the customer has high expectations of us. We love the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards every time we meet someone for the first time.

Our commitment to excellence is what makes Kuehn Motors stand out. We don’t want to be the typical cheesy car salesman who immediately puts on the fake charm and whose main focus is on the sale. We know the last thing a customer wants is to feel like they’re being pressured into a sale.  

Our sales staff–which has some of the best experience in Southern Minnesota–is eager to match the knowledge of our customer while showing a little enthusiasm along the way.

We want our customers to browse our online inventory and to even schedule a test drive ahead of visiting us. We will look into the best financing options possible. To request vehicle information, you can call us at (877) 366-4458. We’ll be here to answer any questions or concerns you may have about the purchasing process.

If you don’t find the vehicle you’re looking for right away, you can always click on our CarFinder and complete the online search form. We will use that form to alert you when your matching car arrives.  

At Kuehn Motors, we look forward to serving your best interests. It all comes down to respect. There is no one that Kuehn Motors respects more than our customers. You are what makes our jobs worthwhile.

The Best Ways to Transport Food this Holiday Season

If you are tasked with the responsibility of bringing delicious homemade food to a party or office potluck this holiday season, you might be stuck with the problem of how to transport it without making a monumental mess in your car. Safely transporting food can come down to what you choose to transport it in. For example, a big bowl of punch loosely covered in plastic wrap sitting on your dashboard won’t cut it, nor will piping hot servings of casserole on less than sturdy paper plates.

Transporting Sauces, Dips, and Casseroles

Keep items like dips in their own sealed containers. Mason jars are great for smaller servings or if you plan on bringing an array of sauces, dips, or salsas. For hot dishes like main entrees, soups, and casseroles, use glass containers that double as an oven and microwave-safe containers for reheating. Again, use a sturdy lid instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil to safeguard against accidents and spills. Glass or Pyrex containers are the best choices for sturdiness and easy reheating.

Carrying Cookies, Cakes, and Other Desserts

For baked goods and pastries, pick a shallow container and layer parchment paper between goods to keep them separate. For cakes and cupcakes, it might be an excellent idea to buy containers specifically designed to carry such baked goods. This can be a particularly good option if you plan on transporting multiple cakes and cupcakes for parties, office potlucks, and other holiday or birthday events.

What else should you remember when transporting food this holiday season? Take a look below for some more tips:

• Use containers for transportation that double as a serving dish to cut back on the tools you have to keep track of and clean.
• Choose recipes strategically. If you are traveling a few blocks, transporting a hot dish in a sturdy container will work, but if you are traveling further, consider this method for proper food safety: Completely prepare food the day before, let it cool down completely, cover and refrigerate properly overnight, and pack it properly for your destination. This will help ensure food safety.
• Secure a laundry basket using bungee cords in your back seat or trunk. Layer a towel on the bottom to both soak up potential spills and to insulate your food. You can also pack in all the necessary tools and keep everything in one place.
• Bring all of your own supplies. Your party host will likely be running around caring for guests and their own meal and party preparation. Short of plates and utensils, bring your own serving tools, oven mitts, ladle, pie cutter, and whatever essential tools you might need.

For recipes to help inspire your holiday season, explore some of the ideas below:

• Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches
• Cranberry-Almond Rum Balls
• Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
• Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball
• White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Cookies

Keep the car free of spills and your passengers safe this holiday season. For more articles ensuring the safety and comfort of your family throughout the year, visit Kuehn Motors today.

Child Seats: Transporting Your Family Safely

With ever-changing car seat safety updates and growing kids, it can be hard to keep up with the best practices for safely transporting your family. There are certain facts and habits that can help your child arrive at their destination in comfort and security. Take a look below for our best ideas on traveling safely with your family.

Know the proper placement for a car seat

The safest place for a car seat is in the center of the backseat. Kids situated here in the center are less likely to be injured than those near windows. For families that have multiple car seats, it’s best to put one car seat in the center and the other next to it.

Know the proper time to update their car seat

Infants require a rear-facing car seat. A convertible seat with longer shells and slightly high rear-facing weight capacities will work well for transitioning kids from a rear-facing to a front-facing car seat. Depending on a child’s weight, the appropriate time to switch your child to a front-facing car seat is around age two. Recent studies have shown, however, that children under the age of 2 are nearly five times as likely to become seriously or even fatally-injured when in a front-facing seat.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a rear-facing car seat, as it does a superior job of supporting a small child’s head and underdeveloped neck and spine. Rear-facing seats distribute the force of a collision over the entire body. Once your child reaches certain weight and height limits, a booster seat will be the best choice for transitioning out of car seats. Just ensure that you still use a harness and the proper safety restrictions. And remember that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that children ride in the back of a car until age thirteen.

Use car seat equipment appropriately

If your car employs a LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), use it to benefit the safety and security of your child. The LATCH system makes installation easier, tighter-fitting, and safer than it would be otherwise. Using the top tether of the car seat will especially limit the motion of the car seat and reduce your child’s risk of injury.

Clothing makes a difference. In the colder months, it’s important to understand the risk of putting your child into a car seat with a full jacket and outdoor winter clothing. Increasing the distance from your child’s body to the harness straps can make the safety and security of a car seat less effective.

For a safe journey, pick a car seat and a vehicle that will ensure best in security and safety for your family. To find the best car for your family, visit Kuehn Motors today.

Narrowing Down Your Options: Picking a Vehicle

Our last two blogs have focused on the best vehicles for college students and families. These two blogs talked about finding a car to fit your needs and budget. But really, when you are looking for a family vehicle, those factors still leave you with a lot of options. In this installment of our blog, we will spotlight a few options. Check out our guide below to help you search for the best vehicle for your family:

Best Sedan: Honda Accord

For a vehicle that is compact and delivers on both storage space and passenger comfort, the Honda Accord is a stellar steal! Interior highlights include dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, telescoping steering wheel, heated leather seats, and more. This car is a safe vehicle for families with features that include front seat side-impact airbags, antilock brakes, a backup camera, electronic stability system with traction control, and available LaneWatch system to show two lanes of adjacent traffic.

Best Minivan: Toyota Sienna

The best minivan on the market, the Toyota Sienna offers excellent seating capacity to fit the whole family plus all their sports gear, band instruments, bags, groceries, carpool group, and more. With traction control, brake assist, electronic stability, dual front impact airbags, and anti-whiplash front head restraints, the Toyota Sienna provides maximum safety and security for you and your cargo.

Best for Large Families and Teams: Buick Enclave

For a modern and mid-sized luxury vehicle, pick the Buick Enclave. This vehicle delivers in spaciousness, sophistication, and plenty of seating for your family. With all-wheel drive, a touch-screen display and USB port, emergency communication system, heated seats, interior air filtration, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, this SUV delivers on technology, sophistication, and comfort.

Best Car for Your Teen Driver: Ford Fusion SE Sedan

Safe and teeming with efficiency, the Ford Fusion SE Sedan is a great pick your student driver. This car is easy to steer and maneuver and safe to drive. With high consumer ratings, this vehicle is the perfect fit for your new driver. It also makes for a great pick to send your responsible student off to college!

The search for a car that best suits the needs of your family can be a time-intensive and stressful process. Whether you need plenty of cargo space or want high-tech features to monitor teen drivers, use this guide to search the market for your dream car. Look to Kuehn Motors as another resource in your car search endeavors. For hours and to contact us directly at kuehnmotors.com.

Prepare Your College Student's Car for the New Semester

The new college semester has begun. Your student may have their dorm room decked out and their academic supplies all checked off, but have you taken a closer look at their car? College students can spend a lot of time in their car between the commute to campus, weekend trips, and journeys home. Make sure their cars are ready to drive safely with the following checklist:

Maintenance Check-up

A routine maintenance checkup will help your child’s car perform like it should on the road. Get everything from the brake pads and engine to fluid levels to airbags checked. Do the whole gamut to make it safe for those short rides from the dorm to the coffee shop or for those long rides home. Guarantee their safety by reminding them to get it routinely checked.

Teach Them About Car Maintenance

Even though help can be a phone call away, you don’t want your young adult to be without the skills necessary get them out of a pinch. Teach them how to change their own oil, how to change a flat tire, how to check tire pressure, when to take a car in for maintenance, etc. These essential skills will help them feel safer and more capable on the road.

Talk About Car Loans and Insurance

If your child bought their car or is in the process of doing so, talk about the responsibilities that come with it. Help them work towards financing a car on their own or developing good credit if they need an auto loan. This will be an excellent opportunity to help them understand financial responsibility before they head to the next phase of their life. Also, search for student discounts on car insurance for money-saving incentives.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

Emergencies happen. Prepare your student by having an emergency stash in their trunk. Keep an extra phone charger or battery, a first aid kit, reflective triangles, flares, a lighter, jumper cables, a flashlight with extra batteries, a multipurpose tool, a tow rope, water, snacks, and whatever else works for your climate. In the winter, pack extra blankets, warm clothing, a shovel, a windshield ice scraper/snow brush, and cat litter. This can seem like a lot, but being prepared for the worst will help your child in the event of an emergency.

If your family is in the market for a car for your student or is in need of a thorough service check, contact Kuehn Motors today.

Finding the Right Car to Fit Your Family

Shopping for and picking out a new car seems like fun, that is, up until the moment you need to make a commitment. With so many options out there, it can seem stressful finding the right car for you and your family. Your choice will likely stay with you for at least a few years, so it is a big decision. With a little research and planning, this task will not seem as daunting. Consider the following:

Assess Your Needs

This is very important to your overall decision.  Begin by considering the features you and your family truly need to narrow down your search:

●      How many passengers do you need to carry?

●      Are you going to be driving on the ice and snow?

●      Where will you be parking?

●      How much will it be driven?

●      Will you be pulling any trailers, campers, or other heavy equipment?

Decide on a Budget

Creating a budget is one of the most important aspects of buying a car. This involves reviewing all your monthly expenses to decide on the maximum amount you are willing to spend.  When you look at a car's price tag, remember to factor in the overall costs of the car. Consider insurance, upkeep, gas mileage and maintenance as well as the purchase price.

New or Used?

This decision might seem like it is solely based on your budget, but used cars have benefits, too. Brand new cars are a good investment much of the time, but they don't have the information and reviews available that used models have. If you do decide to purchase a car that has recently been released, wait a few months to check the reviews from owners.

Fuel Efficiency

Think about your daily routine. Do you travel on highways or city streets more often? Are you making long trips or short ones?  How far or often you regularly drive is a big factor in choosing a car. Larger models are good for hauling cargo (and more people at one time) but do not have the fuel efficiency of a smaller model. Then again, if you have a big family, you might need a second smaller car to accommodate your family's lifestyle. It all depends on your needs.

Before making a choice, test out a few different cars. Again, it is an exciting process, and you don't want to get wrapped up in one model.  After all, these are all important aspects of your decision.

While you are shopping for your new car, be sure to stop by Kuehn Motors. Our friendly and helpful staff will be more than happy to help you on your journey.

The Best Cars for College Students

Whether you are helping your child finance their first car or gifting your scholar with a car for graduation, your search for a car will likely revolve around cost-efficiency, fuel-efficiency, comfort, spaciousness, and maybe a little bit of fun. To help you on your search, check out our list of the best cars for college students below:

Chevrolet Equinox

Best for Space and Comfort

The 2013 Chevrolet Equinox LS SUV is an excellent option for music students carrying equipment, for the team sports captain lugging training equipment, and for the students who love to drive home multiple loads of laundry at Christmas break. An affordable crossover, this vehicle is spacious on the interior, compact on the exterior and comes with great amenities that include all-wheel drive, rear bench seats, and a V6 power engine.

Great for Fuel Efficiency

Our 2015 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT Auto Sedan boasts a high city and highway fuel economy in the 30 mpg range that is sure to save your college student on trips from home to campus and back again. Compact and modest, this car is an excellent starter car for your scholar.

Toyota Camry

Best to Take Them Through Grad School

If you are looking for the best in reliability and practicality, look to the 2014 Toyota Camry Sedan. User-friendly, this car is equipped with high-tech capabilities for entertainment and safety. With an especially quiet cabin, high safety ratings, and comfortable seating, you can trust the Toyota Camry to take your child from undergrad to their PH.D.

Hyundai Elantra

Best for the Recent Grad

If you have recently graduated and entered the workforce, there’s a good chance you want to splurge a little and treat yourself to a new ride. With a limited budget, what would be the best vehicle for you? Check out the 2016 Hyundai Elantra SE Sedan. Practical and affordable, this sleek car is excellent on fuel economy at 37 mpg on the highway. There’s plenty safety features including electronic stability, dual front impact airbags, and brake assist.

If a new car is on the back-to-school list this year, use our guide on the best cars for college students to make the smartest and most economical choice. We have new vehicles arriving daily, so visit Kuehn Motor Company to look at more options and to see what your best financing deals could be.