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test driving a used car Are you looking to buy a used car? The previously owned car market can be tricky to navigate. There’s never the same certainty that exists with a new car, and we aren’t always sure that the previous owner took care of it. Luckily, there are a few things you can keep your eyes out for when taking a used car for a test drive. We’ll tell you our tips for what to do when you are test driving a used car. more A test drive is a great way to find out if you like the car. Even more importantly with a used car, it can tell you about the condition that the car is in. It is very important to be mindful of the vehicle’s acceleration, brakes, gear shifting, and steering. We’ll share some tips and tricks to make sure you are getting a good deal. #1: Take that car over 60 mph during your test drive. A lot of the problems a car might have are not easily detected at slower speeds. Does the front end shake or vibrate when you’re going fast? #2: An important thing to notice is a vibrating steering wheel. At any speed, a vibrating steering wheel can be indicative of problems. #3: When you come fully to a stop and then accelerate,  are there any strange or unusual noises you notice? #4: When you start to speed up, do you notice that the car is pulling to one side or the other? If you can’t tell, pull into a flat and open parking lot and try driving at 20 mph and let go of the steering wheel. Do you notice it driving towards one side or the other? #5: Acceleration should be smooth. If you notice any rough gear changes as you speed up, that can be a sign of problems under the hood. #6: Test out the brakes. Do you have a soft brake pedal? Or do the brakes feel firm and confident? Does the car pull to one side when braking? Buying a used car can be a bit overwhelming for those of us who do not know very much about vehicles. One way to make sure you are getting a high quality vehicle is to look at the certified pre-owned section. Here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac in Kenosha WI, we have a wide variety of certified pre owned vehicles and quality used vehicles. Come in today to test drive at the dealership you can trust. Contact us here to setup a test-drive appointment with one of our trained professionals. We look forward to seeing you!

spending your 2015 tax refund on a used car So you just did your taxes and you are expecting a tax return that gives you a few dollars back that you didn’t have before. That’s exciting! It might not be a lot, but many people like us tend to use that money to fix up a car that needs maintenance or to look at buying a newer vehicle. We’ll tell you about spending your 2015 tax refund on a used car. more Not many of us get a tax refund that is big enough to buy a new car. However, the average tax return (around $3,000) tends to give people enough grease in their wheels to think about a down payment on a used car. Is this a good idea? Here are some things to consider: Dealerships know about tax returns. The secret is out. People who work at car dealerships are probably just as excited about their tax return as you are. So, they are looking for people like you to come to the lot and look around with your refund money burning a hole in your pocket. Try and be careful to do your research instead of jumping on the first good deal you see. Check out certified pre-owned vehicles or spend some time doing a little reviewing your purchase before putting the money down. You might end up wishing you had gotten a better deal. Dealerships use tax return season to sell cars. So, they know you have tax return dollars, but they also know that they want to sell cars. This can be a good thing for us! A used car dealership is more likely to have cars at lower prices and better deals around this time because they know people like us are out there looking. Want to see what we have in inventory? Check this out! So, is it the right time for you to get a newer vehicle? It sure is nice to have the tax return money to use, but make sure that you find the right car for you. We, at Palmen GM, want to help our customers find the perfect vehicle. Contact us here to set up an appointment!

People Love the IntelliLink There is almost nothing as frustrating as your computer acting up. Whether that means it is lagging and taking forever to load, or it literally doesn’t work, it’s a hassle that we definitely don’t have time for. With cars being produced with touchscreens and a variety of computing features available, there are bound to be days where those aren’t working too, right? Well if you are the owner of a GM vehicle with an IntelliLink infotainment system, then you don’t have to worry. Let us tell you why the people love the IntelliLink. more The touchscreens that are often located front and center of the newer vehicles produced these days are usually capable of doing a million things. From voice navigation and playing media to allowing the driver to make hands-free phone calls, the touch screens in our cars are downright useful. That is, until they aren’t working. Buick is working hard everyday to make sure that a lagging infotainment center never makes an appearance in your car.  Extreme testing is done inside and outside of the vehicle to test every aspect of the touchscreen functionality. Using simulated finger taps and pushes, the engineers at Buick are able to push IntelliLink to its limits, all to make sure that you get a computer that won’t ruin your day or commute to work. Even going as far as to make preparations for real-life encounters, owners can feel safe that their wishes are being looked into. For example, if you get out of your car to grab a drink from the gas station and get back in 3 minutes later, the IntelliLink system will not have completely shut down when you turned off your car. This allows you to continue what you had going on before getting out without waiting for the system to reboot. Buick sure seems to be thinking ahead! If you are interested in learning more about the IntelliLink infotainment system, contact us here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac of Kenosha WI. To look through our full inventory of new vehicles, follow this link and don’t forget to sign up for a test drive!

How Do I Fix a Vibrating Car? Have you ever sat behind the wheel of a car that shakes? It can be really frustrating to deal with the vibrating steering wheel. We all wish that our cars ran like when they were new, but after many miles our cars just start to show their age. So how do I fix a vibrating car? more First things first, a car that runs well is bound to be a safer car. Let's figure out why it's vibrating. That's half the battle! Do you feel the vibrating in your steering wheel when you are moving? If this is the case, your wheels might need to be balanced. A wheel that is off balance can make a lot of vibration. This is a cheap fix!  You might also want to try replacing your shocks or struts. If either of these things are worn, it can make for uneven driving and bouncing.  The vibration could also be hiding in your upper strut bearings. Most full-service tire shops can check and fix these (they are accessed from under the hood).  You should check and/or replace your ball joints, which allow the car to move up and down and side to side while also keeping your suspension tight. Shaking is unavoidable if these are worn out.  It might also do good to check and replace your tie rod ends. Since these are important in connecting your steering rack to the wheels, it can cause vibration if the wheels are even slightly going in different directions. Or Does your vehicle vibrate when you are sitting in idle? Check to see if you have a broken motor mount. A engine that isn’t mounted correctly will be moving around under the hood at low RPM.  You might also be having issues with the fuel system. Watch your RPM when you are idling again. If it seems erratic or drops very suddenly, this can cause shaking or vibration. Is it shaking when you are accelerating? Have your transmission fluid and filter checked. If you have low transmission fluid, it can cause your car to shake when you are speeding up. The same goes for the filter. Finally, you might have a worn universal joint. This is really obvious when you accelerate and should be fixed right away! Otherwise you might end up on the side of the road somewhere. Feeling your car shaking and don’t know what to do? Come in to see us at Palmen GM in Kenosha WI. We can service your car or help get you into a new or used vehicle right away!

New HD Video Streaming Rear-view Mirror An exciting development in the world of automobile technology gives the new Cadillac CT6 a big upgrade to the rear-view mirror. The full-size sedan that will be unveiled at the 2015 New York Auto Show will feature a new HD video streaming rear-view mirror that will change the act of checking your blind spot forever. more Cadillac CT6 drivers won’t be tasked with leaning over the back of their seat to see what is hiding in their blind spot. A switch at the base of their rear-view mirror will enable the mirror to become a streaming video of the rear of the car.  The benefits to this development include being able to see without passengers, headrests and the vehicle itself getting in the way. The new Cadillac would give the driver an estimated 300% increase in field of vision behind the car. To get rid of the chance that the upgraded mirror could be negatively impacted by weather conditions, there will be a water-shedding hydrophobic coating applied to the camera. This, along with the ability to reduce glare and see crisper images in low-light situations, makes the CT6’s mirror a real dream for any driver. While the mirror is being introduced on the Cadillac CT6 this year, the jump from mirrors to cameras for the more affordable vehicles cannot be far behind. For now, Cadillac will face regulatory hurdles in getting the system approved, but the technology is not foreign to the automotive industry. Cars in Europe are already being built with cameras in place instead of side-view mirrors. The US is catching up, and the CT6 is definitely a step in an exciting direction. The Cadilac CT6 will go on sale in the fall of 2015. If you have any questions or want to be one of the first to test-drive and own a Cadillac CT6, contact our friendly and professional staff at Palmen GM, in Kenosha WI.

You Need New Brakes Automobile technology shifts and changes from one day to the next. Despite all the recent advancements in the world of car safety, there are still a lot of people out there driving vehicles without the newest in brake technology. Read more here to find out why the NHTSA thinks you need new brakes. more The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a list of recommended safety measures that all car designers must consider in the creation and testing of their vehicles. As of Thursday, the NHTSA took notice of the awesome advancements that have been made in the braking technology of newer cars and added crash imminent braking and dynamic brake support to their New Car Assessment Program. While these technologies have been available for a little while now, it is usually only a safety feature offered in the higher end vehicles. As the average person is not very often in the market to buy a high end vehicle, the NHTSA decided to recommend that these new brake technologies be included in all new cars, and not just the ones that cost an arm and a leg. This was done with the hope that safety features like this would be included in more affordable cars and would then encourage consumers to buy safer vehicles. Crash imminent braking, as its name suggests, uses sensors in the car to determine when a car is about to get into an accident. It then deploys the brakes if the driver has not already, to try and minimize the impact of the crash. Dynamic brake support steps in as a part of this system. Studies showed that often, when cars get into a crash, many drivers either didn’t have the chance to apply the brakes, or did not apply them fully. Brake support would collaborate with the crash imminent braking to make sure that if the brakes were fully, and not just partially, applied prior to a crash to minimize the impact. It won’t be long until the NHTSA makes these type of technologies more of a mandate than a recommendation, but for now we can be happy that someone is looking out for the everyday average joe.

What Does OnStar At Your Service Do? If you're a current Buick, GMC, or Cadillac driver and you're using OnStar, you know just how convenient and time-saving the service can be. From turn by turn navigation to your destination to emergency services, diagnostics, hands-free calling, and more, it might be hard to imagine what else OnStar could be planning to make its services even more useful. Well, until now. This new and upcoming facet of OnStar, called AtYourService, will help you in ways you probably haven't even considered before. What does Onstar At Your Service do? We'll tell you right here: more A few of OnStar's partners for the AtYourService program include Priceline, RetailMeNot, Entertainment book, Audiobooks.com, and Dunkin' Donuts. With the Priceline integration, you'll be able to find a hotel within a certain area and make a booking, all while speaking with a representative who can answer questions for you and look up pertinent information for you while you drive. Once you've secured your booking, they'll send turn-by-turn directions right to your car. RetailMeNot will let you know about specials and coupons going on in your destination area, and Entertainment Book helps you find deals on restaurants and other activities. Audiobook will give you access to e-book content, and Dunkin' Donuts will of course help you find the nearest Dunkin' Donuts and alert you to any coupons or savings you could take advantage of once there. Certainly this opens up a wide world of further options down the road for your OnStar system to help you in so many more areas, but for the time being we think it's an exciting development that we look forward to sharing with our shoppers here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac. If you've got any questions about the current OnStar system and what you can do with it, or if you'd like to come in for a test drive and see a demonstration, feel free to give us a call and we'll get that set up for you right away.

When is the New 2016 Buick Cascada Convertible Release Date? A natural elegance and purposeful simplicity come together in a car that gives the lucky driver of the new 2016 Buick Cascada convertible a million reasons to get out on the road. The relaxed and luxurious looking Cascada that made its debut in Europe as an Opel under the same name, will be seen in Buick showrooms early next year. You might be wondering ‘ When is the 2016 Buick Cascada release date?’ We’ll tell you everything we know on the Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac blog. more When comfort and the look of luxury are combined in the incredibly versatile 2016 Buick Cascada, the images of stern-looking sporty cars fade into the background. The smooth and gliding appearance of both the exterior and interior of the car make it worth a second (and third!) glance. As with many of the new Buick models, the exterior shows smooth lines and a rounded design. Being a convertible with a fabric roof that can be lowered while the car is in motion, the driver is able to enjoy both the majesty of open air driving, or the peaceful quiet of the interior without wasting trunk space. Chrome accents dress the vehicle with flair adding a classy look to match the 20-inch aluminum wheels. The Buick’s interior features an upscale appeal that is complemented by the comfort and gorgeous design. The option to fold down rear seat-backs allows for an increase in trunk space. Leather appointed seats meet a 7 inch touch screen to allow for hands-free phone calls and music. All these things combined with dual-zone climate controls and a navigation system to match the rear-view camera mean that Buick is making your life easier. With safety as a primary concern, the Cascada features technologies such as Forward Collision Alert. With both a visual and auditory warning system for collisions and the available Lane Departure Warning technology, the 2016 Buick Cascada is loaded with safety features to keep you and your loved ones safe. We all have an excellent reason to keep our eyes on Buick in early 2016.

Illinois leasing law change If you're an Illinois resident who has ever considered leasing rather than financing a new car, you're probably well aware that the tax laws have not exactly been in your favor in that department. More specifically, Illinois has for some time been in the stark minority of states to to tax the  entire value of the vehicle for a lease, and now the Illinois leasing law change that's gone into effect on January 1, 2015 will create a vastly different -- and beneficial -- situation for those looking to lease. more Specifically, what will happen now is that rather than paying a tax that is based on the value of the vehicle, you'll pay taxes on what you actually pay over the course of your lease -- that is, your down payment as well as your subsequent monthly payments. Should you end up paying any excess mileage fees or any are incurred for wear and tear, a tax will be applicable to those as well. For example, let's say you're one of our customers from Illinois looking to lease a new Buick Regal, and for the sake of simplicity lets say the value of the model you're looking at is exactly $30,000 and your county's tax rate is 8.25%. In total then, you'd need to pay a total of $2,475 in taxes on that vehicle, which could be paid up front or rolled into your monthly payments. Either way, it's a significant tax on something you're not necessarily planning to own. Under the new law, which would tax your down payment and monthly payments, you'd see significant savings. Let's say your down payment was $2,000 and you paid $300 a month after that for the lease term, your total taxes paid after a typical 36-month lease would be $1,056. That's a total savings of $1,419 -- more than half of the taxes shaved off -- because of this new change to the law. In closing, there's never been a better time to lease with us here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac, so go ahead and check out our inventory and current lease incentives! Give us a call if you'd like to come in for a test drive or if there's anything we can answer for you about the new lease laws for the state of Illinois.

Buick Avenir Release Date The latest concept from Buick, just released at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is showcasing just how far the Buick name has come -- and how far it's going. French for future, the Avenir's name may very well be changed by the time it makes its way to production, but we're definitely glad to have it to look forward to no matter how it's badged. Today we'll tell you what we know about the Buick Avenir release date, specs, features, and more. more The Avenir concept shows the direction Buick is headed in in terms of style, comfort, and technology integration, and we have to say it sounds like a pretty impressive future. The look is sleek, yet sculpted, refined, yet sure to get noticed. And that's only the beginning. Inside, the Avenir has upscale appeal and premium comfort all wrapped up -- four seats give everyone plenty of space, a 12-inch color touch screen, driver recognition features that will sync infotainment preferences to the person driving, wireless charging for mobile devices, and OnStar 4G LTE system with a Wi-Fi hotspot. Premium leather and ambient lighting only add to the sense of comfort and luxury inside the Avenir, and the materials throughout the cabin are all to the standard of quality you'd expect from such a richly appointed sedan. One of the more truly remarkable elements to the technology in the Avenir is the ability to have a completely personalized experience based on who is behind the wheel. The gauge cluster and infotainment displays will correlate to your preferences when you're driving, and the system will sync seamlessly to your smartphone and be able to pick up your calendar events, recently-visited places via GPS, and music preferences. When will we see the Avenir as a production model here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac? We can only hope it's relatively soon, as this is one model that looks like it'll need very little tweaking before it reaches consumers. Stay tuned.

2016 Cadillac CTS-V Specs If you're a fan of the Cadillac CTS,  you probably also know about the ramped-up CTS-V series delivering even more power and capability to the luxury sedan. Well, Cadillac has announced the new 2016 Cadillac CTS-V specs, and the model itself will go on display at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. We're excited to bring you the details we have so far about this incredibly stylish and well-appointed performance sedan, and we'll be even more thrilled for a chance to bring it to you sometime down the line right here in Kenosha. more Let's start with power, because that's what any V-series fan is looking for right away. The 2016 CTS-V will deliver 640 horsepower, 630 pound-feet of torque, and a top speed of 200 miles per hour. With better performance than the outgoing model, this is one that driving enthusiasts will definitely want to check out once it hits dealerships in late summer 2015. There are, of course, plenty of other high-end features and amenities to look forward to on the newest memeber of the Cadillac CTS family. These include a Brembo high performance brake system, third-generation Magnetic Ride Control with a 40% faster damping response, a 25% better structural stiffness for better handling, and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires that will grip better and last longer. You really can't go wrong with what the incoming 2016 Cadillac CTS-V  has to offer, and we look forward to bringing  you additional details about the model once its launch date draws nearer. Luxury amenities in the cabin, highly advanced safety features both active and passive, and fuel economy ratings are all on the horizon, and you can count on hearing about it here at Palmen Buick GM Cadillac. Want to make sure you're among the first to test drive and own the newest Cadillac models? Give us a call.

What to do when you're stuck in traffic It happens to all of us at some point. We're cruising along in traffic, maybe en route to or from Chicago, and suddenly... things start to slow down. And the vehicles around you get slower, you tap on your steering wheel impatiently, hope it doesn't happen, and then... it happens. You're not moving, sandwiched on both sides by the vehicles around you, and no one's going anywhere. Then the inching starts. You fumble through the radio stations looking for reports, trying to ascertain whether it's going to be a long one or not. So, what to do? Here you are, and you can't will anything else to be the case. Here are our best tips for what do do when you're stuck in traffic: more 1. Relax. Okay, it's easier said than done if you've got places to be, but there are a few things that should ease your mind, particularly if you've got a vehicle with start-stop technology like Buick's eAssist. That way you know you're not also wasting fuel while you idle -- normally a pretty major and annoying gas-suck while you're stuck. Put on some soothing music while you're at it, especially if you've got SiriusXM radio. Or if you really want to relax, check out how the latest Cadillac XTS can make that happen for you -- it's pretty next-level. 2. Entertain yourself! Speaking of SiriusXM, there are plenty of talk radio programs as well to keep you entertained. From comedy to politics (maybe not those, though; they're not exactly stress-reducing for most of us), there's plenty of programming to distract you from the situation at hand in a way that maybe music wouldn't do quite as well. In lieu of those options, give someone a call that you haven't talked to in a while through your Bluetooth system -- it's probably the safest time to do so, and your mom will be ever-so-happy to hear from you. 3. Got kids along for the ride? Now that can be tricky. Surely they want YOU to either magically make the cars start going again or entertain them some way in the meantime. This might be a good time to play "The Quiet Game." You know the one, and you probably know to only use it when absolutely necessary to keep it from wearing out. Now might be one of those times. Hope you're back on the move soon, and come see us here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac when you are!