Fred MacMurray: Classic Celebrity of the Week

Happy New Year everyone!

This week’s Uftring Auto Group Classic Celebrity of the Week is Fred MacMurray, uber star of stage and screen. MacMurray was best known as Steve Douglas on the television program My Three Sons, which aired from 1960 to 1972. However, long before he became a television icon, MacMurray acted with some of tinseltown’s biggest stars, including Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon and many more. 

Fred MacMurray - Pretty much all around awesome

The classic film noir Double Indemnity (1944) is MacMurray’s best known film role and in the mid-1940’s he was the highest paid actor in Hollywood and the 4th highest paid American. If that isn’t solid enough, MacMurry was the initial model for the superhero Captain Marvel. The great Fred MacMurry retired from acting in 1978 – but will forever live on in reruns and classic movie rentals. 

If you are smart and stay home on New Year’s Eve . . . head out to the local video store and grab Double Indemnity or The Apartment and enjoy some of Fred MacMurray’s finest work.

Camaro Convertible - Coming in February 2011

The New Year is nearly upon us - and that means it's time for some new cars! With so many franchises under the Uftring Auto Group umbrella, we're fortunate enough to see many new cars and redesigns throughout the year. Perhaps one of the most exciting new cars coming out in 2011 is the Camaro Convertible. If you thought the Camaro looked good, wait until you see it topless.

2011 Camaro Convertible

How about that? Absolutely gorgeous. It's sure to turn heads upon its arrival in Peoria sometime in February. We can't wait for the new Camaro Convertible to land at Uftring Chevy Saab in Washington and Jim McComb Chevrolet in Peoria.

It's difficult to pick a favorite thing about this car. Could it be the powerful 312hp V6 engine that still manages 29 mpg on the highway? Perhaps. Could it be the insane amount of technology that, like XM Radio, OnStar, Boston Acoustics speakers and connectivity to your favorite USB and Bluetooth enabled devices? Maybe. Or is it the simple fact that you can start your Camaro and view its vital info from your iPhone? That's probably it.

If you'd like more information along with some photos of the new Camaro, we've got you covered. Read more about the new Camaro on our Chevy Camaro Convertible page. Then, stay tuned to our Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. You'll be the first to know when these striking convertibles arrive in Peoria.

Uftring Auto Group's Classic Celebrity of the Week: Ted Knight

Welcome to Uftring Auto Group's Classic Celebrity of the Week! Each week we take a look back and honor a classic celebrity. Ahh the memories. 

Ted Knight

Uftring Auto Group's Classic Celebrity of the Week is the great Ted Knight – best known as WJM newscaster Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Judge Smails in Caddyshack.  Knight received six Emmy Award nominations for his work as Ted Baxter, winning in 1973 and 1976. Caddyshack is one of the all time greatest sports movies, and Knight’s performance is instantly memorable. Ted Knight is awesome because of his one-of-a-kind laugh that only the gifted few can duplicate. Mr. Knight gets bonus points for appearing on one episode of the Love Boat – which was a great place for classic celebrities to hang out.

Buying A Used Car

The last thing you want to happen with your used car purchase is to find out it has numerous problems and costly repairs. Suddenly that great deal has turned into a great steal. If you know what to look for and the right questions to ask, you can avoid one of these nightmare scenarios.

Enter Gary Uftring. Owning Uftring Auto Group with its six car dealerships spread across the Peoria area, Gary knows a bit about buying quality used cars and how to separate the wheat from the chaff. The video below is of Gary when he was a featured guest on Good Company and gave advice to their viewers on how to buy a used car. If you're in the market or thinking about purchasing a used car, this is a video to watch. It lays out the basic and essential tips that everyone should keep in mind when shopping.

• Talk to the previous owner if possible
• Take the car to an independent technician for inspection
• Check the car thoroughly
• Ask to see the reconditioning report from the dealer
• Take the car for a test drive
• Ask to put the vehicle on a lift so you see underneath
• Run an auto check like Carfax
• Have the dealer explain and show you what they've done (repairs, replaced equipment, etc.)

If you follow these tips your used car shopping experience should prove much more fruitful and you will have greatly increased your likelihood of landing a great used car. No one wants to get stuck with a clunker or a money pit. Uftring Auto Group has plenty of high quality, thoroughly inspected used cars in Peoria to choose from. It's always a great place for you to start your search!

How To Winterize Your Car

A few weeks ago Jon Peters, our Uftring Auto Group Director of Fixed Operations, was interviewed on Good Company. His topic? Preparing your car for the winter. Well, the winter is definitely upon us now! If you haven't done so already, now is the time to get your car up to the winter code. You can watch the full interview by playing the video below.



Here are some quick tips from the topics Jon covered:

1. Oil - the lifeblood of the engine, you'll need the right thickness in the winter
2. Wipers - you'll want to change these annually
3. Battery - Have your battery checked. This is typically free of cost.
4. Belts and Hoses - Have these checked. They carry the coolant, which keeps your engine cool and your heat hot!
5. Tires - tread depth and proper inflation are crucial. You lose 1 pound of pressure for every -10 degree drop in temperature.
6. 4 Wheel Drive - If you have this on your vehicle, test it out now to make sure it works when you really need it.
7. Antifreeze - A 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze is the way to go.
8. Emergency Kit - in case something goes awry on the road it's a great idea to carry an emergency kit.

Watch the video for more tips and details on these topics. You can always visit an Uftring service center for any battery or equipment checks, oil changes, tires or other parts that you need. Please prepare your car and drive safely this winter!

State Farm Tournament of Champions

Uftring Auto Group is proud to announce that it is a sponsor of the 5th Annual State Farm Tournament of Champions. The Tournament of Champions is a four day high school basketball tournament showcasing the top teams and players from across the nation.

This year the top ranked high school team, Findlay Prep Pilots from Las Vegas, and the number one rated player in the country, Anthony Davis from Chicago Perspectives, will be competing with many other talented individuals and teams. All of this great basketball action will be happening right here in central Illinois in the beautiful town of Washington, just outside of Peoria. This is a great opportunity to see future Division 1 college athletes and even future NBA stars in action. It's something that we here at Uftring Auto Group are glad to be involved with.

The State Farm Tournament of Champions will be held from Tuesday, November 23 through Saturday, November 27 at the Washington Community High School. Please visit www.sftofc.org for more details and ticket information. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Chevy Cruze Launch In Peoria

On Saturday, Uftring Chevy Saab and Jim McComb Chevrolet each held a Chevy Cruze launch event to celebrate the arrival of this brand new car. The weather was beautiful and scores of people came out to see this great vehicle from Chevrolet. Participants enjoyed free food, drinks, conversation with others, classic cars and of course the Chevy Cruze.

A look inside the 2011 Chevy Cruze

Everyone seemed to be impressed with the Cruze. Check out the Uftring Chevy Facebook fan page to view many more pictures from their event. Visit the Jim McComb Chevrolet Facebook fan page to see a video about the Chevy Cruze with General Manager Jeff Loucks. Fan us while you're there to stay up to date on the latest news, deals, specials and more!

The 2011 Chevy Cruze is red hot

If you'd like to test drive the new Cruze, we can understand. We'd love to show you the Cruze and let you experience it firsthand. It's a sweet car with good lucks and tons of safety features. Not only that, it also gets great gas mileage and comes with some nice equipment including navigation, a nine speaker stereo system, USB inputs for your iPod and much more. Let us know what you think about the Cruze on our Facebook fan pages or on our blog. Thanks!

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Reveal Event

On September 22, Central Illinois Jeep enthusiasts  were treated to an exclusive look at the long-anticipated 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee  and 2011 Jeep Wrangler  at Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep in North Pekin. After months of buildup, numerous new Jeeps were on display from 6pm to 8pm both inside and outside the dealership. General Sales Manager Steve Porter and Sales Manager Don Twidell went to extra lengths to secure multiple models of both the new Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, including a sharp black 2011 4-door Wrangler  that was parked right in the middle of the showroom floor. The reveal was part of Jeep's national "Celebration" event, aimed at drawing attention to the franchise's top two models for many years running. When an iconic vehicle like the Grand Cherokee receives a complete redesign, it's not small news. This 2011 has been rebuilt from the ground up and has been receiving rave reviews from both our staff and our customers.


 The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee  boasts a brand new Pentastar V6 3.6-liter V6 engine that puts out 290 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, plenty of power for your Peoria and Pekin area travels. The Grand Cherokee earns 23 miles per gallon on the highway with the Pentastar engine. A 360 horsepower Hemi V-8 Engine will also available if you really desire some extra hauling capabilities.  

A 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee sits perched outside Uftring Pekin

This vehicle is loaded with the latest technology and it comes standard on every model. FloTV, satellite TV, satellite radio, and even an internet router for access to the world wide web on the go. The Jeep Grand Cherokee also has keyless entry, trailer sway control, stability control with anti-roll, power driver's seat, fog lamps, power adjusted heated mirrors, active head restraints, a leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and hill start assist. The interior contains 17 percent more cargo space, and that's with the spare tire resting snugly on the inside. The rear seats enjoy 4 more inches of legroom than in the previous Grand Cherokee, so your kids and friends won't mind riding in the back on extended excursions outside of Peoria.

Attendees enjoy new and used vehicles in the Uftring Pekin showroom

The 2011 Jeep Wrangler, while not wrapped in wholesale changes, is different nonetheless. Changes include larger rear windows for increased visibility, a totally redesigned instrument panel and conveniences like steering wheel stereo control, bluetooth connectivity, USB input and additional sound-deadening material for a quieter cabin. There are also a few new paint colors to choose from, including Bright White, Cosmos Blue, Deep Cherry Red, Detonator Yellow and Sahara Tan.

It was a beautiful day to see some new Jeeps!

At Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep in North Pekin, we like Jeeps as much as our customers. Our Reveal and Customer Orientation event was a chance for us to spend quality time getting to know our customers and hopefully providing them with information about their favorite Jeep vehicles. Attendees enjoyed catered food, refreshments, giveaways and raffle tickets and as many new details about the new Jeeps as we could possibly provide. Our team is currently undergoing product training on these new vehicles and there's no doubt about it - we're just as excited about them as everyone else. Stop by Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep in North Pekin today to test drive the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2011 Jeep Wrangler. We'll see you soon.

11th Annual River City Mustang And All Ford Car Show

It was time to take a look back this past weekend during the 11th Annual River City Mustang and All Ford Car Show held at the Uftring Automall. Despite storms early in the morning and overcast skies through the afternoon, hundreds still made their way to see the new, the old and the "I can't believe that still runs" Ford cars on display.

Mustangs show off their goods

 There were 120 cars present, a great turnout especially given the weather. Participants enjoyed seeing a ton of classic and new Mustangs nearly every era. In addition to the deluge of Mustangs, other unique automobiles from Ford's storied past made an appearance, such as the Cobra Mark III, Thunderbird, Country Sedan, Model T, Mercury Cyclone and even a first generation Econoline complete with motorcycle in the back, among others. If you were a Ford lover there surely wasn't a better place to be on Sunday.

Crowds enjoy the great Fords on display. Note the Econoline on the right - sweet!

Car lovers enjoyed delicious grilled food and classic hit music played in the background while families walked about the event. Kids danced in jubilation and rode around on their scooters. It was a great atmosphere and the crowd enjoyed examining and talking about the cars with one another. It's the community that makes these events so worthwhile.

This owner had a great Mustang and a great mustache - a potent combo.

The River Valley Drifters were present and raising money for the Children's Hospital by selling raffle tickets to win a Mustang. Tickets are still able to be purchased through the Children's Hospital of Illinois website and the drawing will be held in December.

One of the Cobras at the show.

Thanks go out to the owners who brought in their cars, everyone who stopped by to see the fantastic cars and to all of the volunteers who helped make the show possible! We can't wait for next year.

Children were so happy to be in front of this Ford Taurus that they spontaneously broke out in dance. Or it was Simon & Garfunkel.

If you are interested, you can see more pictures of the 11th Annual River City Mustang and All Ford Car Show on the Uftring Automall Facebook page. Don't forget to become our fan while you're there!

Jim McComb Chevrolet Receives Mark of Excellence

It's always nice to have your hard work and dedication recognized by someone on the outside. Jim McComb Chevrolet was just recently recognized for their accomplishments by none other than General Motors.

The Mark of Excellence is an award given by General Motors to dealerships that achieve a superior sales volume and exceptional dedication to customer service and satisfaction.

From Left: General Manager Kevin Lundquist, President Mark Weston, General Manager Jeff Loucks

"It's really about the customer service. This award is due to the hard work of everyone here, from service and sales to the receptionists and those in the shop," said Mark Weston, President of Jim McComb. Weston received the award on behalf of the dealership and he was thrilled with the team effort put forth to attain the Mark of Excellence. General Manager Kevin Lundqust said the award is something the whole dealership is proud to have achieved.

It may be good news for the dealership, but it's great news for current and future customers of Jim McComb Chevrolet. General Manager Jeff Loucks said, "This is a dealership that you can walk into with confidence knowing you'll receive an exceptional level of customer service." No arguments there!

Mark Weston Accepts the award from Chevy District Sales Manager Nancy Dowdle

The Mark of Excellence is actually the name of the GM logo and the words could be found written underneath the logo for many years. Stop by Jim McComb today for a Mark of Excellence Experience! Don't forget to fan us on Facebook.

Peoria Promise "Dream Car Raffle"

One of the great local organizations is Peoria Promise. They have provided hundreds of eligible Peoria area students with an education at ICC. This year alone they will support over 350 students - quite a feat. It's a great mission that should only serve to make Peoria stronger and more successful. All of the support these young adults receive is made possible by the generosity of area citizens and businesses.

Uftring Auto Group formally announced our plans to help Peoria Promise at a press conference this morning. A 1974 Corvette Convertible will be donated to Peoria Promise for the Dream Car Raffle. The money from the raffle will help pay for local area students college education at ICC.

Gary Uftring speaks at the Dream Car Giveaway Press Conference

Gary Uftring and the Uftring Auto Group have donated a restored 1974 Corvette Stingray Convertible to Peoria Promise to serve as the Dream Car. It's a beautiful machine that should have no trouble bringing joy to its new owner. Only 2000 tickets will be sold at $50 each, or 3 for $100. Buy one before they run out!

1974 Stingray Corvette

 The great thing about this raffle and event is that it's making multiple dreams come true, all through one car. One lucky person wins a stunning car, the Uftring Auto Group is able to support the community through an outstanding local organization and many hard working students will be able to realize their dreams of a college education. It's a win all around if you ask us. Now it's time to play your part! Purchase a raffle ticket from Peoria Promise. Not only will you help provide someone with an education, you could also win one sweet car.

Mayor Ardis at the Peoria Promise Press Conference

Purchase raffle tickets and read about the Corvette at the Peoria Promise website here.
View new and used Uftring Auto Group Corvettes.

Saab Safety With Lee Ranson

If you haven't already seen it on television, watch this video. Lee Ranson of Uftring Chevy Saab tells how his son's life was saved by driving a Saab.

Child Safety in Peoria

What: DNA LifePrint
Where: Jim McComb Chevrolet OR Uftring Chevy Saab
When: Saturday, August 21 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Why: To keep your kids safe!
Cost: FREE!

Do you want to protect your children, grandchildren or young siblings? The answer to that question is an obvious "YES." Would you like a free safety kit that can aid in their protection? Again, a no brainer.

Along with selecting a car that has great safety features, there are other important steps you can take. DNA LifePrint is an organization that is dedicated to protecting children across the United States. It was started by John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted and Joe Matthews, Detective for the City of Miami. DNA Life Print events will be held at Jim McComb Chevrolet and Uftring Chevy Saab on Saturday, August 21st from 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The fire department will also be present at each location to assist with the event. And what kid doesn't like fire trucks?

DNA LifePrint will provide your family with a kit for each child. Included are ten digit FBI Certified biometric fingerprints, a DNA Lifeprint home identification kit, a high quality digital photograph of your child and the DNA LifePrint Child Safety Journal. These are great tools to keep in your arsenal to help protect your loved ones. This service and the products are provided for free at absolutely no cost to you or your family. In addition, DNA LifePrint does not keep any records of your child or provide them to the government or any third parties. These are yours to keep in the privacy of your home. In the event of an emergency, if your child goes missing, you can provide law enforcement with these items to aid in their investigation.

If you have one child or ten, we hope that you will stop by Uftring Chevy Saab in Washington or Jim McComb Chevrolet in Peoria on Saturday for this event. It's free and an extremely valuable resource to have. Take some time out of your day to keep your kids safe. They'll love the fire trucks. You'll love knowing you have multiple tools to keep them safe. Hope to see you there!

Callaway Corvettes Coming to Uftring Chevy Saab

Great news for Corvette lovers: Uftring Chevy in Washington has recently received the rare distinction of becoming a Callaway Corvette dealer, one of only 28 in the entire United States and one of two in Illinois. As evidenced by the numbers this is a very selective club with very few members. This is an elite group that is an honor and a privilege for the dealership to be a part of, but also one they deserve as a lot of hard work has been put in to reach this point. It's great news for those who are shopping for a Corvette in central and downstate Illinois, the Quad Cities, Springfield, Bloomington, St. Louis, Indianapolis and beyond. What this means for our customers is that Uftring Chevy will have some of the absolute best, highest performing and most desirable Corvettes in the world. Uftring Chevy will be the largest and most specialized Corvette dealer outside of Chicago. If you're looking for a Corvette, look no further.

Not only that, but the dealership has their own Callaway Specialist, Mark Grimm, the Director of Motorsports at Uftring Chevy. He is an expert in Corvettes and the Callaway products. He was born from the service department and brings over 30 years of experience with him. He has ties to the General Motors Corvette Racing Team and frequently attends races, where they compete against the likes of Ferrari, BMW, Porsche and more. He knows the ins and outs regarding everything concerned with Corvettes. He knows exactly how they can be modified and what Callaway's improvements and enhancements will mean for performance and capability. If you have questions about Corvettes and/or Callaway, Mark provides answers. He is one of 33 Callaway Specialists in America. These specialists are so rare that you can think of Mark as being a secret service member, Army Ranger and Navy SEAL all wrapped into one.

In addition, Uftring Chevrolet will sell Corvette performance parts and can also install those performance parts right on site. Uftring Chevrolet will soon become a Corvette powerhouse, dealing in all types of Corvettes including Callaway, ZR1, Grand Sport, plus new and used Corvettes. Mark will also be writing a blog sometime in the near future where he will focus purely on Corvettes and the culture surrounding them. This will be a great resource of information and insight, so stick here for further information on Callaway Corvettes and the launch of Mark's blog.

New Ford Explorer 2011 Unveiled

The brand new and completely redesigned 2011 Ford Explorer was unveiled today, and it's looking great. As you can see from the photos, the Explorer is sporting a totally new look. The changes run from the surface, seep into the interior, and slide all the way down to the guts of the vehicle. Nothing has been left untouched, and this iteration of the Explorer is a modern vehicle that drives beautifully on the road, yet is still capable of hauling heavy equipment and driving off road when needed. The Ford Explorer is the type of vehicle that will be great to drive and tow around in Peoria, Illinois and the Midwest. We can't until they begin pouring into the Uftring Automall this fall!

There will be two different engines offered on the Explorer. One is a powerful EcoBoost 2.0 liter inline four turbocharger with 237 horsepower. A 3.5 liter V6 with 290 horsepower will also be offered for those who want premium power and towing ability.

This SUV has been filled with technology and amenities that are sure to please. The interior features soft touch materials, a navigation system, and an intuitive layout. The 2011 Ford Explorer has a very low drag coefficient, the best in its class. This helps to improve gas mileage and reduce wind noise. This SUV also spans a great price range. It's affordable, but there are many options available that will truly turn this into a luxury SUV should you so desire.

Look out for the 2011 Ford Explorer at Uftring Automall this fall. Right now we have new and used Ford Explorers to fit your budget. We'll keep you posted here and on our Uftring Automall Facebook page about the new Explorer and to let you know when the new models will be arriving at our dealership!

Americans Find Ford, GM, Chrysler Most Appealing Car Makers

A recent survey of American car owners performed by J.D. Power and Associates found the Detroit brands are more appealing to owners than other makes and models by European and Asian manufacturers. Owners are more enthusiastic and satisfied with the American brands. This is the first time in 13 years that the three American companies, Ford, GM and Chrysler, have collectively landed ahead of the competition in the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout study. The best part of this news is that the Uftring Auto Group conveniently carries all three of these great makes.

2010 Ram 1500

From Chevrolet, the new Chevy Camaro and the Chevy Equinox performed very well. Chrysler saw great results out of the Ram, and this was the first year that Ram stood on its own as a brand. Ford received top ratings in five different segments, more top ratings than any other brand, for the Flex, Expedition, Explorer Sport Trac pickup, Fusion and Taurus vehicles.

2010 Ford Taurus

The good news for you is that you're able to join in with these satisfied vehicle owners. The Uftring Auto Group offers all three of these great American brands throughout our dealerships. You can visit the Uftring Automall to drive a Ford, see Jim McComb Chevrolet or Uftring Chevrolet in Washington for your Chevy needs, or stop by Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Pekin to get your Chrysler fix. We have a great mix of new and used models for you to choose from. Needless to say, this is great news for anyone looking at picking up an American brand, or someone simply shopping for a high quality car they will be satisfied with long after they leave the dealership.

The Uftring Auto Group Assembles in East Peoria

It's a special time of the year when the Uftring Auto Group dealerships in Peoria are all able to assemble in one place. We're sort of like the Justice League of car dealers. Our superpowers consist of finding and offering an array of fabulous cars at great prices, and when we get together good things happen.

Right now we're all together in one location, the East Peoria Event Center, where we have over 600 used cars on the lot for your picking. Yeah, over 600 cars! It's a bit overwhelming at first, but you can never have too much of a good thing. Pre-owned cars from 12 franchises are there, including Chrysler, General Motors, Ford, and many imports like Nissan and Land Rover. It's likely that we have many if not most of your favorite makes and models.  With over 600 choices, you are bound to find something you like. If you're looking to sell your car we can buy it! This relationship works both ways, and we love to have great pre-owned inventory.

It might be hot outside and the deals on the cars may be scorching, but you can keep cool inside the event center and shop at the same time in the convenience of air conditioning.  We have financing as low as 0.9% and 1.9% for 60 months. Going any lower than that is probably illegal, so we won't do it. We'll also have CEFCU personnel on site for your convenience. Make sure to check out our ad below for all of the details. Come out to the East Peoria Event Center and see all of the Uftring Auto Group cars for yourself. This is the best and biggest selection of used cars you'll find in the Peoria area, complete with great savings and super friendly staff. Hope to see you guys out there!

The East Peoria Event Center is located at 4200 East Washington Street in East Peoria, Illinois.

Auto Sale Full Details Ad

East Peoria Event Center Google Maps 

The Big Winner at Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep

Randy Whitehurst of Creve Coeur just won this beautiful high definition 47" Vizio LCD television from Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Pekin! He was in the store the other week to order a manual for his Dodge Ram truck, when he noticed the raffle for the television. Whereas many people stuffed the box with multiple entries, Randy only entered once.

 Salesperson Chris Stewart and the big winner Randy Whitehurst

It was all he needed. He actually received the television before the truck manual. Guess he's got something to keep him occupied while waiting to learn more about that Dodge Ram! Plus he was able to put the Ram to good use as he loaded the 47" television in the bed of the truck and hauled it back home. Thanks to all who entered. Congratulations Randy! We hope you and your family enjoy that high definition goodness from Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep. Don't forget to come back for your Dodge Ram manual.

Uftring Fan Wins Trip to John Deere Classic

A Facebook fan of Uftring Jaguar-Land Rover has won a trip to the John Deere Golf Classic this weekend! She won two tickets and a VIP parking pass good for any day of the tournament. Thanks to her for being our fan. See people? This is how we treat our fans. We lavish them with gifts! Head over to our Jaguar-Land Rover Facebook page if you want to be a part of the action.

Look for an update about her trip next week.

Jaguar XJ, Nissan Juke & Happy 4th of July Peoria!

There are so many dealerships here in the Uftring Auto Group that it can be tough to keep up with all of the new vehicles being released and announced. We're not complaining though, there are some great vehicles being released with more heavy hitters arriving throughout the fall. If you haven't done so already, you should check out our Jaguar dealership site. We've got new information up about the 2011 Jaguar XJ and its variants, and we also have three new 2011 Jaguar XJs in our inventory. This car is leading the charge in an exciting and bold new design direction for Jaguar. It's a huge departure from their previous work and it looks fantastic.

 

Speaking of bold new directions, the Nissan Juke will be coming this fall. Think of an SUV coupled with a sports coupe. It's got a killer look to it that really sets it apart from anything else on the road. This is an extremely cool crossover vehicle and you'll be able to see it at Uftring Nissan in October. It's a hot vehicle and we can't wait to drive it and offer you the chance to do the same. Check out our Nissan Juke info page for more details and pictures.

Back at the Jaguar Land Rover site, have a page up about the Land Rover LR2, which is a great SUV for the Peoria area and Illinois as a whole. It's a luxury SUV that you can afford, and make sure you take a look into our used LR2 models. In addition, we've posted our Jaguar Land Rover staff up on the website so that you can begin familiarizing yourself with them. They're a great group of people who are top notch and passionate about what they do.

We here at the Uftring Auto Group hope that you have a happy, fun, and safe 4th of July weekend. Hooray for freedom! Drive safely this weekend in Peoria, or wherever you go in Illinois and beyond.

Electric Vehicles Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF Coming to Peoria!

The automobile industry is taking us into an exciting new era with some of its upcoming vehicles. The Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt are two different approaches to implementing electric powered engines into cars. These are two hot vehicles that are generating a lot of buzz, and we at Uftring are proud that we will be able to offer our customers a choice of electric vehicles at the end of this year through our Uftring Nissan and Chevrolet dealerships in Peoria. There are many benefits to electric powered cars, including zero emissions, a much lower cost of travel than using gasoline, and reduction of dependency on foreign oil among others.  Both the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt can be powered up by plugging them in to an outlet at your home.

The Nissan LEAF runs purely on electrical power. It doesn't even have exhaust pipes because there are no emissions! Customers can actually pre-order the Nissan LEAF through the LEAF's website for $99, though that doesn't guarantee you a vehicle. The Nissan LEAF can travel up to 100 miles on a charge - perfect for traveling around Peoria, Pekin, Chillicothe, Bloomington Normal, or Galesburg.  This car is exciting because it's real, not just a concept, and they will be in our Peoria dealerships this fall and winter! Uftring Nissan, in Peoria on Allen Road, will see the Nissan LEAF arrive in stock sometime this December.  That means you could be driving an electric vehicle in Illinois before the end of the year.

The Chevrolet Volt is another take on the electric car, though it isn't purely electric like the Nissan LEAF. The Chevy Volt does not have a gas engine, but it does have a gas generator that will power up to produce more electricity for the battery when its charge is depleted. The Chevrolet Volt can travel up to 40 miles on an electric charge, and about 300 miles overall with the gas generator. The Chevy Volt should be in Peoria sometime in November.

You can read in more detail about these electric cars in Peoria at the Chevrolet Volt page on JimMcComb.com and the Nissan LEAF info page on the Uftring Nissan website. We're extremely excited for their potential and that we can offer our customers a variety of vehicles to suit their tastes, preferences, and lifestyles. Visit us online if you need any Nissan service or Nissan parts to your vehicle in Peoria, or if you need any Chevy parts or Chevy service for your vehicle in the Peoria area. We hope to see you soon! Visit for updates on the latest vehicles and happenings at the Uftring Auto Group, and don't forget to become fans of the Jim McComb Facebook page and the Uftring Nissan Facebook page to stay on top of the most recent news.

Hot New Jeep and Saab Models

Things have been heating up this summer at Uftring Auto Group stores. Two of our dealerships, Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Pekin and Uftring Chevy Saab in Washington, are receiving some high profile vehicles in their showrooms. The Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Saab 9-5 are impressive new vehicles. Both have been redesigned this year, and they look nothing less than stellar. We are more than happy to have them in our stores!

At the Uftring Pekin Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership, the brand new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled in on Thursday evening, driven from Chicago by Mr. Gary Uftring himself. This vehicle is receiving a lot of praise from the press for its redesign. It looks a lot more mature and modern than the previous Grand Cherokee, has more room inside, is armed to the teeth with technology, has award winning safety features, and comes with a great standard setup and a lot of upgrade options. It's equally at home crossing the road in the city or the stream in the forest. We'll have a full assortment of these vehicles in stock at Uftring Pekin in the near future, and we'll keep you informed about when we'll have them on the lot. In the meantime, you can check out the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in our showroom, and read about it online at our website!

Over in Washington, Uftring Chevy Saab will soon be the proud recipient of a 2011 Saab 9-5. This is the first car to be released since Saab's ownership under Spyker Cars. One look at the Saab 9-5 will tell you that the new owners mean business. Spyker is driving Saab into a new era that looks extremely promising, with more redesigns, revivals, and new models due in the next few years. The new Saab 9-5 is the first taste of what's in store. It's clearly inspired by Saab's jet heritage, with sleek angles and a fierce stance that looks like its about to takeoff. Piloting one of these cars would be no less thrilling. It has a V6 engine that comes in at just under 300 horsepower. It's also very safe with 8 airbags and large 18-inch wheels for greater traction. Most of the inside features glow Saab green, and it looks very cool. It's so cool you'll probably wish it was night all of the time. More detailed information is available on our Saab 9-5 Info Page. We are excited to show you this car!

Hopefully you can make it out to the showrooms to see these vehicles in person! We'd love to have you come in and tell you all about the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2011 Saab 9-5. In the meantime, feel free to browse our Jeep and Saab inventory.  Look for pictures of the showroom vehicles to be put up in the near future. You should fan our Uftring Chevy Saab and Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep pages on Facebook. It will allow you to keep up on the latest happenings at our dealerships, plus hear about special deals on inventory and service. And it boosts our self confidence. See? Everyone wins.

The Future of Jim McComb

Jim McComb Chevrolet has two new General Managers, Jeff Loucks and Kevin Lundquist! Jeff and Kevin have dedicated a high level of service to Jim McComb for many years, and it's fitting that they were both recognized for their talents, abilities, and hard work. We interviewed both men to find out where they've come from and what they're planning for the future.

Jeff has been at Jim McComb for nearly 18 years. His favorite thing about working? Helping the customers with their driving experience and fulfilling their wishes and desires. He began as a service technician and team leader, but it was less than a year before he was promoted to Assistant Service Manager. A little over a decade later and he became the Service Manager. Jeff is a firm believer in the concept that employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction, and so he strives to create an enjoyable and positive work environment. He is most excited about elevating employees and seeing where they are able to go with the opportunities they are given. Customers should be excited about choices, opportunities, and a new vision of customer service, while at the same time maintaining the high level of customer service that has come to be expected at Jim McComb Chevrolet. Jeff gets a kick out of seeing people walk out of the store with a smile.

Kevin started his career at Jim McComb Chevrolet washing cars in high school. He then worked his way through the sales and finance departments, holding a managerial position in each area, until he was promoted to sales director. Kevin loves the great atmosphere at the store and the attention to customer service. Getting to know the customer is one of the advantages of the environment. Providing the same high level of customer service is one of his aims, and he also wants to bring a fresh perspective to the position. Kevin is most excited to use his experience in different fields to build great teamwork. Customers should be excited to receive the same high level of customer service they've come to expect.

Both men agreed that the Uftring Auto Group has a great business environment. Though it's a large organization, they have relationships with and feel connected to employees at the other stores. It is an environment where employees have an opportunity to grow due to the compassion and materials, tangible and intangible, they are provided with. The two men believe that Gary Uftring has a vision of business today and tomorrow, and equips his employees with the necessary tools to achieve that vision. That is what has allowed Uftring as a group to achieve the success it has.

We're excited for the future at Jim McComb Chevrolet! It's in the hands of some intelligent, kind, and capable men.

 Jeff Loucks

Kevin Lundquist

Make sure to check out the Jim McComb Facebook page, become a fan, and leave us some comments about your experience at Jim McComb Chevrolet. Share what you would like to see from us in the future!

All Stars at Uftring

The talent at Uftring Chevrolet and Jim McComb Chevrolet is threatening to burst at the seams. Each store has one representative salesperson participating in the Malibu All Star Walkaround Challenge. This challenge is a video contest to see who can perform the best walkaround on the 2010 Chevy Malibu. The winner of the contest will win an all expense paid trip to the 2010 MLB All Star Game. Needless to say, this is the big leagues and a lot is at stake. Let's check out the videos!

We'll be gentlemanly and begin with Kathy Underwood from Jim McComb Chevrolet in Peoria:



Next up is Lee "Big City" Kerr from Uftring Chevy Saab in Washington:




Good luck to both contestants!

Jim McComb Chevrolet Awards Malibu, Then Hawaii

Lightning struck for Anthony Linthicum on the eighth green at Weaver Ridge Country Club on Thursday, as he notched the first hole-in-one of his career. Linthicum was participating in a golf scramble for The Christian Center to raise money for the organization. It seems the Almighty was smiling on him, as Uftring Auto Group member Jim McComb Chevrolet was the sponsor of the eighth hole. His shot netted him a 2010 Chevy Malibu. Well, almost.

Linthicum was ineligible to win the 2010 Chevy Malibu from Jim McComb due to being listed as a “professional” with the United States Golf Association. As a consolation prize, Linthicum was awarded a trip to Hawaii including $1500 in expense money, five days of golf and a hotel. Upon hearing the news he was “speechless.” His wife had just mentioned to him a couple of weeks before that she would like to take a trip to Hawaii.

According to Linthicum, he had no special feeling about his shot before or even after he swung the club. “It was kinda hazy, you couldn’t see well,” said Linthicum. He didn’t even know the ball went in to the hole until Nate Mooningham, a witness down on the green and a driver for the Uftring Auto Group, raised his arms in elation.

Mooningham said the shot hit the edge of the green and rolled right in to the pin. He jumped out of his chair when he noticed the ball was heading for the hole, then walked over and confirmed the feat by raising his arms in the air. He wanted everyone to know what had been accomplished and that he didn’t interfere with the ball.

Linthicum started playing golf when he was eight years old. A Peoria native, he grew up by Madison Park Golf Course in West Peoria. As a child he would wait until it was nearly dark at dusk and then sneak on the course to play. He was given one golf club every year on his birthday; it took him until he was a teenager to acquire a full set.

Linthicum was simply trying to hit the center of the green with his shot. He was shocked when he arrived at the green and confirmed he hit a hole-in-one. The eighth green is reported to be a difficult hole, made even more challenging by the tough pin placement that day.

It didn’t phase Linthicum, a frequent Uftring customer. He has purchased four vehicles from the Uftring Auto Group in his lifetime, spread across Uftring Auto Mall and Uftring Nissan.

Further proof that Jim McComb Chevrolet’s sweet deals don’t stop at the lot, or even the continental United States. We at Uftring Auto Group wish the Linthicum’s the best on their trip to Hawaii!

The Peoria Journal Star also ran a story. Check it out!

Our First Car!

Sorry I've been keeping you in suspense but I didn't want to share our exciting news until we got all the paperwork finalized. From the title of this blog you probably guessed we got the car! It definitely took some patience to get there-it took a week for financing to get back to us! But we did it!
We got the call April 9 from our salesman Chris Rocke that Eddie (AMAZING finance guy at Uftring Nissan) had worked out a deal with Nissan to finance us as recent college grads. This gave us a great rate (5.89%) even though we don't have the most established credit history other than credit cards. Getting approved was the big moment for us. I was ready to run over to Nissan and sign all the paperwork that day but my fiance was a little more weary. He was concerned we hadn't looked enough and that the car might be a lemon. He tends to over-think things more than I do so he wanted to tell Chris we'd wait until Monday to make our decision so we could do more research....Men....
Well Monday came around and Jacob had done his research. The Sentra was good to go. We met Eddie at the store to sign a stack of paperwork (I'm not over exaggerating) that would finally make us the owners of our very first car together! We signed papers from Nissan and Uftring and the state and even Indiana (?) signing away that we knew what we were getting ourselves into and that we would get insurance in case we got ourselves into something bad. (Get quotes online. It takes fifteen minutes and you can print off proof of insurance right then).
And there it was. The car was ours. They pulled it out front for us. It was a nice surprise to have the interior and exterior completely cleaned by the dealership. They even put on brand new tires for us and filled them with Nitrogen! Chris handed us the keys-here was our car.
Now you think this would be the end of our story but apparently you have to wait for your lender to send you some paperwork once the financing has officially gone through. By April 19 (one week later) we hadn't received anything but got a call from Eddie. I thought this was bad news but apparently he had talked with Nissan and negotiated an even better deal on our financing. We are now only paying 3.99% interest! We had to go in an sign some more paperwork of course (we got another car wash out of this trip though so that was a bonus) but this is going to save us almost $1000 in interest-Thanks Eddie!
Yesterday we received the notice from Nissan. Everything has gone through and the car is Officially Officially ours. I've been really happy with the Sentra-it gets great gas mileage and drives smooth and the smart key is awesome (I can start it and unlock it with the touch of a button!). We still have two years of warranties on it so we don't have to worry too much about maintenance and our payments don't start until the end of next month.
This has been quite a different experience than I thought it would be. I had really thought there would be a lot more stress and buyer's remorse, but so far Jacob and I are incredibly happy. We want to thank Uftring Nissan for taking such good care of us and thank you for being a part of our experience.

Buying Your First Car

One of our newest members to the Uftring Auto Group tackles the world of car shopping

My name is Alyssa Reginetz and I have been working in the Marketing Department at Uftring for about a month and a half.
I'm 22 and the only car I've ever owned was a '98 red Ford Contour I've been sharing with my identical twin since we were 17. Currently sole custody of the Ford has been granted to my sister so I've been using my fiance's 2004 Chevy Malibu, while he finishes his last semester at Bradley University.With his graduation right around the corner, however, we know we need a new car.

This is going to be our first together so we've been doing heavy duty research on cars for the past month. There is A LOT of info out there and choices so my first word of advice would be to figure out your needs in a car, match them with a few models and then start more in depth research.

Our criteria helped to cut our options a little so we took a weekend to go to the Automall and the Nissan store to test drive a few cars. We went online to browse some inventory options and picked out a few cars we liked BEFORE getting to the lot. If we hadn't done that we probably would have wondered those lots for hours.

At the Automall we drove a new Ford Focus and a used Suzuki SX4. Test driving really helped to see the difference in the two cars. The SX4 was a little louder with more head room, testier gas and breaks, better upgrades (there was a space for your Garmin!) and less blind spots. The Focus was so quiet, drove smoother, had impressive breaks but stiffer steering. It really depends on what you're looking for but I was pretty much ready to buy the Focus after the drive. My fiance isn't quite as spontaneous as I am and he talked me into going to Nissan.

At the Nissan store we saw two really nice Sentras and a nice older Altima with tons of upgrades. The two drove about the same but the Altima had much better upgrades. Even so we liked the Sentra more because of it spaciousness, price and unique features. There was a little pop out garbage can and the cup holders swiveled so that you could make room for bigger cups. It also only has only 30,000 miles and gets about 34 mpg.

We've decided the Sentra is the car for us but we didn't do one important thing-get pre-approved. I thought the process would be quick and painless-we have great credit and a good amount of money in the bank-but we've been waiting now for two days to get some sort of approval.

Lucky for us the Nissan store is handling all the negotiations for us and were the ones to find us some rebates for new grads. (Recent/Upcoming grads should really check out the recent grad financing option on New Nissans). Almost all the manufacturers have programs or rebates so DO YOUR RESEARCH.

We hope to hear from the lenders tomorrow and to own our first car soon so wish us luck! If you have any tips or suggestions post them here.

Alyssa

The Corvette

What is it about a Corvette that makes you feel free?

The speed? The rumble of the engine? The wind in your hair?

This iconic Car was first seen in 1953-designed by Harley Earl. Since its inception the Corvette has truly become and icon of American Sports Cars. We here at the Uftring Group hold a special reverence for these machines and are pleased to announce the arrival of a new specially made Corvette.

The Jim McComb Dealership has been privileged to temporarily house a brand new Corvette. This Corvette is custom built with all the stops. The car will be on display at the dealership until it has been sold and will also be on display at the Central Illinois Auto Show. Corvette enthusiasts are welcome to
admire this beautiful machine.

Come by to appreciate one of the finest examples of the American Automobile.