What Not

The Volvo Boys will be making an appearance at the 2010 Cleveland Auto Show. Unlike the Cavs or Ohio State players, one of us will be there every day from opening to close. So, be sure to stop by the Volvo booth to meet Steve, Greg, Jim, Ken, or myself. We’ll be happy to sign your program … at no cost … without the long wait in line!

Seriously, we will be at the show for the entire week. I’ll personally be there on the first Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday from 12 to 5 pm. So, stop by and say hello if you’re in the area. Our booth is next to the Porsche exhibit in the NE corner. See you there!

2010 Cleveland Auto Show Map

Ken Counselman

During my time as a salesman at Leikin Volvo, I had the privilege of working with Steve Ours, Jim Vanek, and Greg Schneider.  From the beginning, we were known as the Volvo boys.  Besides the daily beatings I received from the sales manager, and we developed a camaraderie which made for a good work environment.  However, when I took the position of internet manager, it was important to bring in someone who would fit in with the existing team.  I’m pleased to announce that we have found just the person we needed.

Ken Counselman brings over 14 years of sales experience to the dealership, his most recent experience being with Acura and Infiniti.  The first thing you notice about Ken is that he is calm and unassuming.  Customers don’t feel intimidated by his approach to sales.  This has already been evident by the ease with which he has already sold several Volvos.  Ken is 57 years old and resides in Maple Heights, Ohio with his three dogs, Pedro and Chico (chihuahuas), and Sasha (black lab/German shepherd).

If you would be interested in talking with Ken about a new or pre-owned vehicle, feel free to contact him at (440) 946-6900.

2000 Land Rover Discovery II

Some people like to own and drive something different. The Land Rover vehicles definitely fall into that category. The shape is different than anything else on the road. Just look at the shape of this SUV/Jeep/4×4. Maybe it’s just me, but the way the roof line goes up in the back is just wierd. Why did they do that? And yet, I find that this odd looking vehicle somehow appeals to me … in a wierd sort of way.

I’ve heard that Land Rover is a status symbol of sorts akin to a Jaguar. People feel that driving one makes them a better person somehow. Unfortunately, Land Rover vehicles haven’t done much to repay that favor. The few that we’ve taken in on trade have all had reliability issues. That reputation seems to be an earned reputation according to one Land Rover owner.

Little things always go wrong, it will be in and out of the shop. You have to really like these trucks enough to deal with their quirks. I’ve never spoken to or heard of a Rover owner who didn’t have to visit the shop at least a couple of times per year (assuming you fix very little things). … My father, in the car business for 30 years can’t stand Rovers, he won’t touch them with a 10 foot pole! A guy I know is on his 8th rover. … He says after his 2nd Rover he learned to just always trade them in when they’re out of warranty.

That’s a pretty sad testimonial for the brand. Consumer Guide Auto ranked the 2003-09 models a 59/100 for reliability. And according to Wikipedia, J. D. Powers has ranked Land Rover at the bottom of the Reliability chart for quite a few years. Read the laundry list of problems and you’ll begin to wonder why the brand still has a following. Why would someone buy a Land Rover knowing full well that it will be an unreliable and expensive vehicle to own? That’s a question only a Land Rover owner could answer. But don’t expect a rational answer. Some people just like their cars despite the problems.

Where's my owner's manual?

What happens if you have a question about your car and the owner’s manual is missing? Some people go to the dealership and purchase one for $50-80. Others visit eBay and save a few clams. But what happens if you only want to spend $20? Not going to happen, right? Until today, I would have agreed. Owner’s manuals just don’t grow on trees. But today I found that they can be downloaded.

• SAAB (2000-09)
• Volvo (1965-2011)

Very nice.

Last year I had a business card magnet made to replace my normal business card. I had it made for the Cleveland Auto Show thinking that people might put the magnet on their refrigerator and think of me first when looking for their next car. But after a year of using those, I ran out rather quickly. And some people asked for a normal business card instead so it would fit in their wallet.

2010 Business Card

This year, I decided to make a full-color business card. After looking at various creative business card examples on the internet, I decided that a driver’s license look-a-like would be the way to go. Thankfully, a talented friend was willing to do the artwork for me at a good price. I smiled for twenty minutes after seeing his excellent work! I still have a few edits to make (such as adding my email address!) but it should be done this week and sent to the printer hopefully in time for the Auto Show at the end of the month.

Could Buick really be wanting to sell a convertible?  That’s what Autoblog reported back on May 31, 2007.  At the time, the report said something about an end of the decade production time.  It would be based on the Buick Velite concept which was revealed at the 2004 New York Auto Show.  It’s a nice design that contains some serious Cadillac design cues.  Will it ever happen?  We shall see.

More pictures from Motor Trend

2007 MINI Cooper S

If you worked at a dealership, and could take any used car out for lunch, which one would you choose? We have Buick, SAAB, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and lots more. Today, I volunteered to pick up our lunch at Chipotle’s and took a car that you’ve probably seen a lot of. It’s one of those iconic, sporty, little cars that you’ve always wondered what it would be like to drive: a 2007 MINI Cooper S with a 172 hp turbo charged engine and 6 speed manual transmission. After picking up our order, I had to pull out of the driveway quickly and actually chirped the tires through the snow!

But there’s something else interesting about this car. Sure, it’s too small for a family like mine. But I kinda like it. It’s zippy and really does handle like a go-cart. My body wouldn’t handle the stiff suspension for very long, but when I remember the MINI Cooper’s key, all that is quickly forgiven. I’m not a “cool” person but this key is. It actually looks like the Starship Enterprise. And to start the car, you have to make the saucer part dock with the dashboard. There’s just something “cool” about a key that looks like that.

I like that.