The Twelve Days of Victory Ford

On the First Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me

A 2015 Mustang GT

On the Second Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Third Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Fourth Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Fifth Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Five F-150s Towing
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Sixth Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Six Smiling Sales Consultants
Five F-150s Towing
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Seventh Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Seven Ford Technicians
Six Smiling Sales Consultants
Five F-150s Towing
Four Brand New Tires
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Eighth Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Eight Car Washes
Seven Ford Technicians
Six Smiling Sales Consultants
Five F-150s Towing
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Ninth Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Nine Awesome Test Drives
Eight Car Washes
Seven Ford Technicians
Six Smiling Sales Consultants
Five F-150s Towing
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Tenth Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Ten Maxx Mustang Photos
Nine Awesome Test Drives
Eight Car Washes
Seven Ford Technicians
Six Smiling Sales Consultants
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Eleven Focuses Focusing
Ten Maxx Mustang Photos
Nine Awesome Test Drives
Eight Car Washes
Seven Ford Technicians
Six Smiling Sales Consultants
Five F-150s Towing
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas Victory Ford Gave to Me
Twelve Faces-a-Smiling (In the Showroom!)
Eleven Focuses Focusing
Ten Maxx Mustang Photos
Nine Awesome Test Drives
Eight Car Washes
Seven Ford Technicians
Six Smiling Sales Consultants
Five F-150s Towing
Four Brand New Tires
Three Oil Changes
Two Windshield Wipers
And a 2015 Mustang GT

Section 179 Ends December 31st, 2014!

In the last couple of days, the United States Government has extended the Section 179 depreciation deduction for business owners through end of the day December 31st, 2014. Which is less than 10 DAYS AWAY! Seriously, where did 2014 go?

"Section 179 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C 179) allows a taxpayer to elect to deduct the cost of certain types of property on their income taxes as an expense, rather than requiring the cost of the property to be capitalized and depreciated. This property is generally limited to tangible, depreciable, personal property which is acquired by purchase for use in the active conduct of a trade of business. [1] Buildings were not eligible for Section 179 deductions prior to the passage of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010; however, qualified real property may be deducted now. (1**)"

As of current, the limits for Section 179 are up to $500,000 with a $2,500,000 investment ceiling. If you decide to purchase a vehicle for your business on January 1, 2015, Section 179 goes back to a $25,000 limit with a $200,000 investment ceiling.

If you are a business owner, this means big savings for you! There are limitations on vehicle sizes. Make sure you connect with your Accountant and make sure it works for you AND your business!

If you have any questions about Section 179, again make sure you get in touch with your Accountant! Also make sure you take a look at www.Section179.org to get all of the information available. Click Here to get information on the Vehicle Deduction eligibility.

Victory Ford's first 2015 F-150 fresh off the Transport on Dec 20th!

Victory Ford also recently just received our first 2015 F-150! If you are looking for a business vehicle, this one would definitely make you stand out of the crowd!

We also have 2014 F-150s remaining on the Victory Ford lot if you! Don't forget that December is Truck Month at Victory Ford, too! If you buy a 2003 or Newer truck from Victory Ford by Dec. 31st, you will receive $300 in truck accessories! What a great way to end 2014 for all of the business owners out there!

Again, please make sure to get in touch with your accountant on all of the tax information, and if you have any questions about vehicles, please feel free to contact Victory Ford at 563.875.2409!

From all of us here at Victory Ford, we hope you have safe travels for the Holidays, and enjoy the rest of your 2014!

(1**) Wikipedia

Adaptive Steering and the 2015 Ford Edge

First things first: The Order Bank for the 2015 Ford Edge is now open! So if you have been waiting for this moment, call Victory Ford at 563.875.2409 to schedule a time to meet with one of our wonderful Consultants to build and price one for you!

Haven't heard of the Ford Edge before? Let me give you some background.

The Ford Edge debuted in the Fall of 2006 as a 2007 Model. It is a Midsize 5-Passenger SUV that is larger than the Ford Escape, and its sister is the Lincoln MKX. Drivers have applauded it's roominess for both the front and back seat area. The Edge was given a minor face-lift in 2011, and now we're into the Second Generation for the 2015 Model.

The 2015 Ford Edge will come in four Trim Levels: SE, SEL, Sport and Titanium. Coming standard on all of these trim levels is the EcoBoost Engine.

Optional Features Include:

Start-Stop System for the 2.0T if you are looking to get the most out of your fuel economy (Please keep in mind that the EPA Fuel Economy Figures have not been released yet -Thank you Auto Blog!)



Adaptive Steering System
Adaptive Steering assists you with how much you turn your steering wheel while driving. Take a look at the video above to see how it works! This will definitely be a great feature to have!
Essentially the steering ratio changes to require less turns at lower speeds.


Air Curtain System
These will decrease the amount of turbulent air around the wheels and help with fuel economy.

Active Grille Shutters 
These help with the aerodynamics and fuel efficiency of the Ford Edge.

Victory Ford is definitely excited to see these roll off the assembly line and hit our Dealership in the Spring of 2015! Don't forget we can already build and price one out for you, so give us a call at 563.875.2409 if you have any questions for us!

A shout out to Auto Blog for writing such a great piece about the highly anticipated 2015 Ford Edge!

The Life of an Owner After the Sale

Let's face it - when the majority of people shop for a vehicle, they try to find one that suits their needs, wants, and most importantly, their budget. The one important factor we forget about is WHO they are purchasing from, and what the Dealership has to offer after the purchase.

For example, say you are in the market for a pre-owned Ford Focus with a manual transmission under 50,000 miles and to stay within your monthly budget of $150/month. You go on to a search engine website, and find two that look like they can work at two different dealerships.

The first dealership you go to the Consultant gives you a great deal you can't refuse. BUT you do refuse because you feel like you should go look at the second one just to make sure you are getting the best deal! You assure the Consultant you will be in touch with them, and head over to the second dealership.

At the second dealership, you test drive the Focus, and it seems extremely comparable to the previous Focus you drove at the first dealership. Before the Consultant gives you numbers, they bring you around the dealership showing you their Service Department, highlighting their pick-up and drop-off service for routine maintenance, service loaners, among other things.

You are in complete awe that the second dealership would do this for you! And at NO extra cost on top of that! You call over to the first dealership, and ask them if they offer these features if you would purchase from them.

"I'm sorry, but unfortunately we do not offer those services at this time," you hear on the other end.

Considering you are getting the same great deal on both vehicles, it is obvious you should go with the dealership who is going to look out for you and your vehicle AFTER the sale!

At Victory Ford in Dyersville, Iowa, we are determined to help each and every one of our customers when it comes to their vehicle(s). Some of our features include:

- Complimentary Service Loaners
- Complimentary Pick-Up and Drop-Off 
- Complimentary Car Wash after maintenance is performed 
- Same Day Scheduling - Obviously we do have some days that are fuller than others! 
- We have an App that you can actually schedule right from your phone! 
- Owner Rewards, which get you 5% credit on parts and service purchases towards future vists, AND every 5th oil change is Free! 

Victory Ford's core values revolve around putting the customer as the number one priority, especially when it comes to the longevity of your vehicle. If you have any questions about how any of these features work for you (even if you haven't purchased from us!) please contact our Service Department at 563.875.2409. James Halverson, our Service Manager, would be more than happy to assist you in any way he can! 

Construction is in its Finishing Stages!

Hello everyone!
For those of you who haven't heard the news, Victory Ford in Dyersville, Iowa started major renovations in April of 2014. We are glad to say that it is 99% COMPLETE! We are currently finishing up the new Detail Building, which should be completed by the end of November. This will be a stand alone building adjacent to the Sales and Service Department.

With that said, Victory Ford in Dyersville has added some new features that will dramatically impact our customer's experience. Some of these features include:
- A Heated Service Drive-Up Bay
- A Heated Delivery Bay
- A Brand New State of the Art Customer Lounge with Free Wi-Fi, 60" TV
And much more!

We want to take a moment and thank all of Victory Ford's Patrons who have been patient and considerate during this process! If you haven't stopped by the new dealership, please stop by and say 'Hi!'

Below are some photos of the stages of construction. To view more photos, check out our Facebook Page!

Victory Ford Supports the Dyersville Area Relay for Life with the Sweaty Plunge!

Hi everyone!
I have some great news to share with you. Team Victory - Victory Ford's Dyersville Area Relay for Life Team, started a new fundraiser on Thursday, August 21st. It is the Sweaty Plunge!


On Wednesday, August 20th, Team Victory performed the Sweaty Plunge. Playing off the Polar Plunge that was popular last winter, Team Victory geared up in winter attire in the sweltering heat to jump into a body of water. Our goal is to raise funds for the Dyersville Area Relay for Life.

Team Victory decided to choose businesses for this event, and they chose KDST Radio Station, Auto Tech Inc., and the Dyersville Commercial. Once nominated, businesses have 106 Hours to complete this challenge, or donate $100 to Team Victory's Relay for Life Team!



So far, we have seen the Sweaty Plunge performed by the Dyersville Commercial, and we are extremely excited for the coming days and weeks. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful, supportive community!

If your business has been nominated, and you are donating to Team Victory - Dyersville Area Relay for Life, please send donations to:
Team Victory
30584 Olde Hawkeye Road
Dyersville, Iowa 52040

Victory Ford is Partnering with the Dubuque Regional Humane Society!

Hello everyone!
We cannot believe it is already July! To kick off this month, we wanted to share with you that Victory Ford in Dyersville, Iowa is partnering with the Dubuque Regional Humane Society to bring you Maxx + Friends!

Maxx + Friends was created to help furry friends of the Dubuque and Tri-State area! Each month, Victory Ford and the Dubuque Regional Humane Society will choose one cat and dog.

Don from the Dubuque Regional Humane Society!

If you mention Victory Ford while adopting either one of these Furry Friends, you will receive a $50 Gift Certificate to the Furry Feet Boutique at the Chavenelle Humane Society location.

This is Eddie from the Dubuque Regional Humane Society!

For the month of July, we have Don the Cat and Eddie the dog! These two are extremely adorable and both extremely deserving of a new home!

Victory Ford in Dyersville, Iowa is extremely excited to kick-off this program, and we are looking forward to seeing more pets adopted in the Tri-State area! Please stay tuned in the coming weeks, as if Eddie and Don get adopted in the month of July, we will choose another pet in its place and keep doing so until July is over! We will also be adding a page to the Victory Ford website in the Community Events Section to promote Maxx + Friends!  

If you have any questions about the featured pets of Maxx + Friends, please feel free to reach out to Kelly Spreitzer, Internet Advisor at Victory Ford at 563.875.2409, or you can contact the Dubuque Regional Humane Society at 563.582.6766!

Happy National Odometer Day!

May 12 is National Odometer Day! Sounds kind of silly, but we would be really lost if we didn't have an odometer!

For those of you who don't know what an odometer is, it is an instrument that indicates the distance traveled by your vehicle. It can be both electronic, mechanical or both!

Did you know that the word odometer is derived from the Greek words hodos - meaning path or gateway and metron - meaning measure.

In some countries, an odometer is called a Mileometer, Milometer or Tripometer!

An odometer developed by Benjamin Franklin

We think odometers were developed when cars were made, but actually they were first developed in the 1600s for wagons and horse-drawn vehicles in order to measure the distance traveled.

Benjamin Franklin developed an odometer in the mid 1700s while he was developing the postal service. Honestly, what didn't he think of?!

With that said, the first odometer for automobiles appeared in 1903 and was patented as the Auto-Meter.

Victory Ford in Dyersville, Iowa has a sorting feature where you can sort vehicles from lowest to highest odometer reading. Click here to check it out!

Looking to find out what other days are fun National Holidays? Check out Nationalholidaycalendar.com!

Thank You from Victory Ford!

Hello All!
I wanted to shy away from the car jargon and do-it-yourself postings, and focus a little more on who we are at Victory Ford.

Victory Ford in Dyersville, Iowa is a hometown dealership that has a staff of 38, and is a sister dealership of the Brown's Family of Dealerships located in Guttenberg, Elkader and West Branch, Iowa. As of recent, the Victory Ford family has been focusing on giving more to the community by means of fundraising, donating and supporting multiple causes ranging from supporting the troops, to raising funds for local schools. Our Marketing and Promotions Coordinator, Kaleann Means, has created a Community Events page to keep everyone updated on Victory Ford sponsored events, along with photos and Scholarship information.

From Left to Right: Patrick Valant, Dan Hammel, Kaleann Means,
Kevin Krogman, Jason Waterman, Larry Biermann, Marcy Bernardi,
and Holly Tegeler

With all of this said, 2014 is starting to be a great year for the Victory Ford family. On January 29th, the Dyersville Chamber of Commerce named Victory Ford as the 2013 Business of the Year. Victory Ford was in the running against 4 other businesses in the Dyersville Community, and we are definitely excited to have this honor.

Jason Waterman, General Manager, with
Kevin Krogman, Service Director holding the
2013 Ford Motor Company TSS Trophy

Along with the Dyersville Business of the Year recognition, Victory Ford received the TSS (Total Service Satisfaction) Award given out by Ford Motor Company. The TSS award is given out monthly to Ford Dealers who have the highest TSS percentage. Whomever receives the award the most times every month, receives the trophy. Victory Ford averaged 2013 with 94% Total Service Satisfaction, and received the trophy 3 times in 2013 out of 15 Ford Dealerships in the region. On top of all of this, Victory Ford received the trophy for top TSS in February, 2014!

With Victory Ford receiving the Business of the Year and Total Service Satisfaction Awards, we also have been recognized from Ford Motor Company for our overall Customer Service. Victory Ford was 1 of 7 Ford Dealerships in the state of Iowa to be a President's Award recipient. This is a major honor for our business, and I cannot be more proud of the team I work with every single day.

We honestly could not have done this without the Dyersville area and surrounding communities support and continued patronage. Victory Ford is in it's 16th year of business, and we are looking forward to the next 16! We want to thank every single person that has walked through our doors, attended events and fundraisers, and even the people that wear our Victory Shirts (we all know you love them :).)

To show our thanks, Victory Ford is in the middle of construction to further enhance the customer experience, and to benefit the Dyersville community. This is a very time consuming process (and we definitely appreciate your patience if you do visit us during this time!) Please rest assured we know that in the end it will definitely be worth it! We are looking forward to a brand new waiting room for guests, along with much more additional features!  

Construction area where the new customer entrance will be placed! 

Again, we are extremely thankful for the continued support, and we absolutely cannot wait to reveal our finished construction to benefit the Dyersville community! 

Even if you're not in the market for a vehicle, we would be more than happy to have you out to take a look at the current construction or get a car wash from our top-notch detail department! 

Lastly, just a friendly reminder that Victory Ford's Customer Appreciation Day is going to be June 28th, 2014! Everyone is welcome from the Dyersville community, and we hope to have a great turn out this year.

Image from Customer Appreciation Day 2013

Make the Most of Your Fuel Economy

Gone are the days of finding pocket change stuck between your car seats to buy gas. The price of gas has gone through the roof since the mid 2000s. Auto makers have tried to remedy this by building more fuel efficient vehicles for us to transition a little easier to these fuel costs, but some of us are still hurting. Those of you who can't upgrade to the latest and greatest hybrid, there are some tips and tricks on how to improve the fuel economy of your vehicle. Please keep in mind that some of these tips might not work for you, but it's worth a shot to try and save some green! (And make the world a little greener!)

Mythbusters proved that if you turned your car into a gigantic golf ball, you could improve your fuel economy, but I think you would rather spend the extra money and not look so crazy.

Below are just some of the ways you can improve your fuel economy!

Tire Inflation:
Make sure you have your tires inflated properly to ensure you get the best mileage for your vehicle. Please note that in colder temperatures, your tires will deflate quicker than in the summer. Make sure you check your pressure more often in winter, and check your owner's manual for optimal tire pressure for YOUR vehicle!






Air Filter:
Just as you put air filters in your home to keep your air clean - same reasoning goes for an air filter in your vehicle. We want to keep these clean to prevent things to get into your motor, and to keep even air flow. Keeping a clean air filter can help you with your fuel economy. When the air flow is not even through an air filter, we are making the vehicle work harder, and in turn use more gas. Just an easy step to take to save some pocket change!

DIRTY Air Filter

Brand new CLEAN filter

Clear Fuel Injection System:
A clean fuel injection system can definitely help your fuel economy. This system is similar to a Brita Filter: as you filter water through, debris gets trapped. You need to clean this every once in a while to ensure best results. Cleaning a fuel injection system is no easy feat. Contact the Service Staff at Victory Ford in Dyersville, to see if it's time to get your fuel injection system cleared!

Drive the Speed Limit:
Every vehicle is made differently, which means each vehicle has different fuel economies. Accelerating and stopping erratically during a short period of time really influences your fuel economy. As the story of the tortoise and the hare goes, "slow and steady wins the race." And in this case, it's $$$!
According to FuelEconomy.Gov, for every 5 MPH you drive over 50 MPH, you are paying an additional $0.24 per gallon of gas!

Along with all the tips I gave, Ford also came out with a great article on the smaller things that will save you some money! Click here to check it out.

If you have any additional tips I didn't mention, feel free to add them in the comments!
Kelly

The 411 on Tires

Image from Tour de Fat : Shoes as Bike Tires! 

2014 is finally here! For many people, a New Year's Resolution is in order. For some it could be cutting out sweets, or saving more money for retirement. Others, it's pushing themselves and getting to the gym to prepare for a marathon or two during the warmer weather (which we so dearly miss!) The most important thing you will need to make your workouts more tolerable are a good pair of shoes. Your feet and shoes are the most important factor in your mobility, and same goes for the tires on your vehicle!

Throughout this article, we will look into how to get the most out of your current tires.



There are many factors that determine how long your tires will last: 
How You Drive :
Now, being from the Chicago suburbs, I have a tendency to have a lead foot. I love pretending to be able to drive like Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear.
Just kidding! Although it would be tons of fun to have his job!

Accelerating and stopping quickly is going to wear my tires out a little faster than those of you who accelerate accordingly. Along with that, braking from a farther distance will extend the life of your tires. If you're like me and are experiencing a lead foot, practice makes perfect! Just keep reminding yourself you'll get there when you get there. Not to mention you will be saving some $$$ in the meantime!

Where You Drive :
Depending on where you mainly drive, the road conditions can really dictate the life of your tires. If you're mainly driving on gravel roads, expect more wear in the same amount of time compared to driving on the highway daily. If you're doing a lot of city driving, the extra braking at lights will impact your tread. There are measures you can take no matter where you're driving. See the Rotations and Alignment section below.

Tire Pressure Sensor on Dashboard

Tire Pressure : 
When driving your vehicle, you should be aware of your tire pressures. Since 2008, tire pressure sensors have been built into vehicles, BUT please be aware that these are just machines gauging your tires, and you or a Technician should inspect your pressure regularly. Please keep in mind that for every 10 degree temperature drop, your PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) goes down by 1.

Sticker on Driver's Side Door of a Ford Fusion

Tire pressure changes from vehicle to vehicle. You can find out how much air to put in your tires by consulting the inside of the driver's door, or your owner's manual.
               
Rotations :
Rotations are very influential for the longevity of your tires. Tire rotations increase the lifespan of your tires. The majority of vehicles on the road are FWD, which means the front tires are giving you the power to move your vehicle. This means that the tread on the front tires will wear quicker than the rear. When rotations are performed, you are giving your tires the chance to even out the rear and front treads. For example, I had my tires rotated when I had my last oil change. The front tread was 7/32nds, and my front were 9/32nds. Yes, you could do this task yourself with a simple car jack, but it would take you a decent amount of time to tackle this feat. At Victory Ford in Dyersville, Iowa, we offer this service for $12! Definitely worth your time! Click here to schedule your tire rotation, or call 563.875.2409 today!

Alignment :
If your vehicle tends to be pulling harder on one side over another, you might be having some alignment issues. A vehicle that has poor alignment will cause the tires to wear unevenly or your steering wheel could develop a shake. Our Service Manager, Kevin Krogman, suggests you get a 4 Wheel Alignment about once a year.

We tend to think that 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' is the best practice for our vehicles. Considering that the majority of the population relies heavily on their vehicle, it has almost become an extremity like an arm or leg. We go to the doctor for prevention of illnesses, and we should be doing the same for our vehicles!

Victory Ford wants to help make this process easier for you. If you buy 4 (four) tires of any brand from Victory Ford in Dyersville, we will give you FREE Tire Rotations throughout the lifetime of those tires. Just mention this blog to our Service Department, and we would be more than happy to assist you!

If you are experiencing any issues with your tires, please contact Victory Ford's Service Department at 563.875.2409 to schedule an appointment! We would be more than happy to have one of our highly experienced Technicians inspect your vehicle and remedy any problems you're experiencing.