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Are you shopping for a new vehicle, but have never been on a test drive? Test driving is exciting, but it is easy to forget good questions when deciding if it is the vehicle for you. Here are ten questions to ask yourself and the salesperson during a test drive. 10 questions to ask yourself or to check out during a test drive: Always start by observing your space as the driver. Do you have enough legroom? Is the seat easy to adjust? Does the steering wheel adjust? Check out the cooling system to make sure it is easy to use. If you want separate controls, heated seats, or cooling seats check for those too. As you begin to drive, see how well you can see your surroundings with your mirrors. Do not forget to check the back seat if you typically drive your kids or animals in the vehicle. Think about the sounds of the vehicle. Is it too loud? Do any sounds annoy you? Any sounds of concern? If you like the radio on then try it out. See if you think you will be able to figure out the infotainment system or if it is too much. Pull into a parking lot while you are testing it to see how parking goes. Is it easy to park? If not, do you think it’s something you could get used to? Leave the driver's seat on your preferred settings and move to the seat behind it. See how the space is in each seat as if you were a passenger. Think about what you typically haul around. Will it fit in the trunk? Ex. stroller, car seat, wagon, sports gear, etc. Ask yourself how this vehicle compares to your current vehicle. What do you like or dislike compared to your current vehicle? If you love the vehicle, be sure to ask the salesperson questions like the vehicle's warranty, specials, the longevity of the vehicle, opinions on the different versions, etc.

Winter is here, but is your car ready? Prepping your car for winter is a great way to help your car live its full life span. Here are 7 simple tips to prepare your car for winter. Wash it We all know this is something we should do more often, but doesn’t always get done. It’s important to get it done before the winter because build up on your car from salt and snow will happen in several states. Washing your car before winter can really help your car's exterior. Check your tires and breaks Make sure your tires have tread and your breaks function properly so if the roads are icy your car can function as it should. Some would even recommend having winter tires put on your car, but this isn’t always necessary in all parts of the USA. Get your oil changed Your car needs lots of juice to function well in cold weather, so an oil change is a must. Make sure your oil is up to date and check your manual to see if your car needs a lighter oil to run better in the winter. Check the battery and tire pressure When you’re getting your oil changed be sure to ask them to test the battery and check your tires. Being stranded in the cold because of an old battery or flat tire  is a nightmare, so get it checked before the cold hits. Fill fluids This is another simple thing to have done when you have your oil changed. Just ask them to top them off, especially your wiper fluid. Replace the wiper blades Most people don’t realize you should change your wipers based on the weather, so check out https://www.monkennissan.com/blogs/4240/best-wiper-blades-for-your-vehicle for details. This can help if you’re driving in winter weather! Prepare an emergency kit This might sound silly, but you can’t prepare for every situation to keep your car from having issues, so it’s smart to have a car emergency kit. Put all you could need in a bag and toss it in the trunk with a blanket.

Monken Automotive was started by Harold Monken in 1967. His son, Wes Monken, joined the dealership in 1997. The dealership currently has two second generation employees with Wes Monken and Amy Monken-Brandt and now a third generation employee, Eric Monken. Eric’s parents moved from Hoffman to Georgia where he was born, and shortly after moved back to Hoffman where he grew up on Monken Road near the rest of his family. Since grandpa, Wayne Monken, died at an early age, Harold Monken, Eric’s great uncle, was right down the road and quickly became a grandfather figure in his life. Growing up, on Tuesday mornings Harold and his friends would all drink coffee in his barn, so it was a special occasion for Eric to get to crash these mornings. He also enjoyed going to horse shows and getting ribeye sandwiches at DuQuoin with Harold every year. He’s been getting to know Wes more recently and even mentioned the fun memory of taking Wes to a crawfish boil earlier this year. Wes said it was a lot better than he thought it would be, but for Eric it was fun to see Wes in a different element. Eric currently serves as the Used Car Manager. Although he may have more agriculture experience, Eric grew up changing oil and helping around the dealership, so he’s excited to be back. At work you can find Eric appraising used vehicles and assisting the sales department. When Eric was asked what it meant to be a third generation Monken he said, “The whole Monken family takes that name pretty seriously. I live on Monken Road and we weren’t ever going to move anywhere else. The Monken roots are here and it’s an honor to work here.” Aside from the honor of being a third generation employee, he also really loves working at Monken Automotive because of the people. It’s family owned and they treat everyone as if they’re all one big family. Eric closed by saying, “I’ll be confident that the business will stay in the family and nothing is going to change from the time when Harold started it all.”

All major automakers offer a car with third row seating, but it can take time to compare them all, so we’re going to do it for you. The list below are functional third row vehicles. There are some vehicles on the market that include a third row, but are not very functional. This list includes vehicles where most teenagers would fit comfortably in the third row. Check out our breakdown of the top 6 third row SUVs we sell based on space, seating, cost, gas, and user reviews. Nissan Pathfinder The Nissan Pathfinder seats 8 passengers, unless you choose captains seats in the middle. It’s the perfect design between a SUV and minivan. This SUV gets 23mpg combined and runs between $35,000-$48,000 depending on the model. The Pathfinder has good cabin space, but cargo space is smaller compared to other third row SUVs. As far as comfortability, users say it’s a very quiet, smooth ride, but the seats can be a little uncomfortable. Toyota Highlander The Toyota Highlander is very comparable to the Nissan Pathfinder seating 8 passengers unless you choose captain seats. The back row in the Highlander is a little tighter than other SUVs. It ranges between $36,000-$50,000 depending on the model and gets 24mpg combined. It is available as a Hybrid with 35mpg combined. Cabin and cargo space are very similar to the Pathfinder as well. This SUV has a really high safety and reliability rating. Chevy Traverse The Chevy Traverse is an 8 passenger, but like the others it can come with captain seats. This SUV has the most cabin and cargo space. The Traverse has the lowest gas mileage at 21mpg combined and sells for $34,000-$52,000 depending on the version. It doesn’t have lots of fancy extras like some of the other SUVs. Jeep Grand Cherokee L The Jeep Grand Cherokee L is a 7 passenger SUV, but can actually be a 6 passenger with captain seats. The middle row adjusts to give more room to the third row, so most people can sit in the third row comfortably. As far as cargo space it is pretty spacious. The Grand Cherokee L costs around $44,000-$69,000. It has the same combined 21mpg as the Traverse, but when it comes to quality, you do get a little more in the Jeep aside from space. Jeep Grand Wagoneer The Jeep Grand Wagoneer can be either a 7 or 8 passenger vehicle, depending on captain seats or bench seat. This car has a very nice interior, lots of high-tech features, and space in front of and behind every seat. Since the Wagoneer is so large it gets a combined 16mpg. Pricing varies a lot with the Wagoneer, but the base is around $80,000. Nissan Armada The Nissan Armada can be a 7 or 8 passenger. There is a lot of storage room and leg room in every row. The Armada ranges from $51,000-$68,000 between the 4 models, and also gets 16mpg. Although it has lots of leg space, it doesn’t have as much trunk space according to reviews. This blog is based on the top 6 SUVs from the brands sold at Monken Automotive.

The Truck Life of Drew Baldridge Drew Baldridge is a country music star from Patoka, Illinois. Drew recently got a 2021 Ram 1500 from Monken Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM and we wanted to hear what he loves about the truck and more about his “truck life.” He has quite the history of vehicles, both new and old, but memories from each of them that will last a lifetime. Check out what we asked Drew and learn a little more about him! You just got a new truck, what are your favorite features about your RAM 1500? I love having the big screen, heated seats, and it rides so nice. I love having everything on the screen, it’s like two feet long. It also just rides so much smoother than any other truck I’ve been in. I can also automatically start it and it turns on my heated steering wheel and seats. We haven’t hauled anything with it yet, but I can throw all of my merch into the truck bed and it fits! Katie (Drew’s wife) loves the heated steering wheel and how happy it makes Drew! Have you had any friends comment on your truck? Oh yeah! Every one of them. Every song writing friend, everybody. They all talk about how much RAM has stepped their game up. Someone told me they’ve always driven a big Escalade, but they could see themselves driving a truck if they had one like it. Everyone comments on how clean and nice it is. Have you ever driven a truck prior to your RAM? I got my first truck when I was 16, it was an F150. Then after that I bought a RAM 1500 and loved it, but was so broke when I moved to Nashville I had to sell it. Then I bought a completely hail damaged black Chevy Cobalt. It looked like a black golf ball, but now it feels so good to be back in a truck. One of the first times I was writing at a new place, I arrived early and the door was locked so I was sitting on the hood of my black Chevy Cobalt. It looked terrible, but I was just trying to make ends meet. Then this really nice Chevy truck pulled up beside me and out stepped Thomas Rhett. He came walking up and I was telling him how much I loved his truck. He looked at me and said “What happened to your car?” I told him I actually bought it like this. So... the new RAM is a big step up! How did you get your first truck? So my mom made me a deal when I was 14 that said she would match whatever money I made to buy a truck. I worked hauling hay for my grandpa and started my own mowing business. By the time I was 16 I had a lot of money saved up and my parents were generous enough to match it, so I bought a 2001 Ford F150. What Is something fun you used to do with your truck? I remember back home when we used to get big snows. I had an F150 that was pretty jacked up and had pretty big tries on it. Then my brother had a truck that was a little bigger. So every time it would snow we would take our trucks to see if we could get stuck and then use our chain to pull the other out. Then we would find a field that was frozen over and do donuts on it. Did your family have a vehicle that you loved or dreamed to have one day? My dad had an old blue stick shift Dodge Dakota. It was one of the trucks I learned to drive stick on and it had a bench seat so we had to call the window seat. Then whoever sat in the middle would work the gears while my dad worked the clutch. There’s just a lot of memories in the old blue Dodge Dakota. Now my dad and my brother both drive RAMs. Do you have any great memories from family road trips? We used to take so many family road trips. My mom and dad used to have a minivan, so we piled in and slept in the back of it. We drove every year for beach trips to Florida and Alabama. Then we got one of those DVD players that would Velcro to mom and dad's head rest, which was a huge deal. Do you have any upcoming road trips you’re planning? I’d like to take a whole family road trip out west. They all haven’t been so I think it would be so cool to take them. Show them the Rocky Mountains, elk, different animals we don’t have, and so they can see the beauty out there. We are going to elk hunt as well. Trucks have been a big piece of Drew’s life between the memories and the traveling. We had a great time getting to know Drew more and learn about his truck life. Make sure to follow his country music journey on social media and listen to his songs on any platform!

Gas is an essential item every non-electric vehicle owner must buy, but it takes out a large chunk of your budget. It's easy to get rewards for gas, so why not take advantage of them! Join a Fuel Rewards Program Most gas stations offer a reward program so you can earn rewards points when you purchase gas. Each program is different when it comes to the amount you must spend for rewards and how much you can save, so be sure to find the one you love. Find a credit card with rewards Various gas stations offer their own credit cards or some credit card companies offer cards with gas rewards. Make sure you read the fine lines of the credit card program and pay it off each month so you’re not paying interest. Some credit cards even offer cash back rewards or in station credit, which means you should choose a station that is nearest to your home or you’re most likely to stop at. Use apps to find the cheapest gas Gas Guru, Waze, and Gas Buddy are a few great apps that can help you find the cheapest gas wherever you may be. If you’re planning a road trip you can check the prices before your trip and pre-plan where to stop. Gas Buddy also offers their own reward program for free and there’s a few paid options too. They also help with roadside assistance through paid programs. This is a great app that’s worth paying for if you travel often! Check and maintain your vehicle Lots of people don’t know this, but there’s various things on your vehicle that can help you save gas in the long run. The lighter the vehicle the better, so remove racks and accessories added to the car when it’s not needed. Make sure your oil is changed routinely and keep your tires inflated to the correct amount of air. These may be little things, but every dollar counts!

If you are a Centralia High School alumni or had a child attend Centralia High School, then you are familiar with the Centralia May Fete tradition that has existed for over 100 years.  The Monken Family has been proud to be a part of this tradition and all family members have participated in the dances and/or court during their high school years. Jan Monken's mother, Dorothy Rixmann Miller, was the 25th May Fete Queen.  At that time May Fete was held outdoors and Dorothy made her own dress and train.  Her daughters, Jan, Melissa, and Wendy, were all attendants their junior year. Kim Monken McMillian's daughter, Megan Marcum, was a flower girl for Stacey Smudrick, a freshman attendant and May Fete Queen.  Her sister, Andrea Walton, was a freshman attendant the same year that Megan was queen. Both girls were involved with dances when they weren't on the court.  Lance and Megan’s kids, Hadley and Eli Marcum, served as scepter bearer and crown bearer. Shawn Monken Hartmann, was a flower girl for Carol Jo Vaccaro and an attendant her senior year.  Her children, Bredesen Hartmann and Katie Hartmann, along with their cousin, Will Miller, served as the trainbearers and flower girl for Megan Marcum.  Bredesen Hartmann participated in the couples dance every year and became a May Fete escort during his junior year.  Katie choreographed and participated in multiple dances all four years. Wes Monken, was the trainbearer for Jan Johnson when he was seven.  He wore the first white tuxedo ever used in May Fete and participated in the dance. Wes's older daughter, Jalyn Monken, participated in dances all four years. This year Wes's daughter, Addison Monken, will wind the senior maypole for her last year at Centralia High School. She has participated in dances every year.  Addison is the last Monken grandchild to participate in May Fete.  We look forward to all the great-grandchildren participating!

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying A Car Buying a car is a really big decision and can be really stressful. It’s typically a decision you never want to rush into. It’s worth taking some time to work through a few questions before investing in a big purchase like a car. We know buying a car is not something you do frequently, so we want to help ensure customers feel comfortable and confident in their new investment. In order to help, we’ve compiled a list of the top five questions to ask yourself before buying a car. Should I buy new or used? This is probably the top question you should ask because it could be the difference of a few thousand dollars in your final total. Did you know there’s a $15,000 average price difference between a new and used car. If you are on a tight budget, used is the way to go because it will likely still have a full warranty and probably everything you need minus the new car scent. If you have no budget and are planning for your dream car, then buying new is probably for you. How are you going to use it? If you have a large family, then you’ll want several seats, extra space, and maybe even built in dvd players. If you need to tow a trailer every week then you’re going to need to find a vehicle with a tow rating and payload best for whatever you plan to haul. These little factors are going to determine a lot with what vehicles you should even consider. Ask yourself what life changes are you or your family likely to see soon? We won’t tell you to avoid the two-seat sports cars, but you might meet someone in a year and have a child in 4 years, lots can happen in 10 plus years. (a common lifespan of a car) Also something to keep in mind with children is how big they will be near the end of the lifespan of your car, this is often forgotten and later regretted. What are the operating costs? Many people love big SUVs or sports cars, which might be within your car buying budget, but when you discover you need to gas your car every other day, your budget might implode. If you already budget a certain amount of gas each month, then buying a car that will use a similar amount is your best option. Another option is always spending more on an economical car, because long term it will likely increase your budget. What do you like or dislike about your current car? This is a great question to ask yourself, especially since you’ve probably had your current car for a while. What made you buy the car in the first place? Do you like or dislike how it handles, safety features, gas mileage, repair costs, etc.? You know what you like and don’t like about your car, so make a list. When you decide to start the buying process bring the list with you, so we can help too! 5. Do you really need to buy a new car? People often get caught up in the idea of new, shiny things, especially cars. Look at your expenses. Are you paying more per year for car upkeep than car payments? Is your car hurting your budget? Maybe your family has outgrown the car or are you just planning ahead? Asking yourself these questions and making sure a car payment truly fits into your budget is really important. You want to be ready and prepared for a big purchase.

Apps for your phone, there’s so many of them. Did you know there’s even apps to help with your car and travel?  We have researched and found some of the top apps that will soon be your vehicle’s sidekick. Our cars are becoming more tech savvy, but we’re still thankful for these apps that do things our car can’t! Waze Waze is a map app, much like Google or Apple maps, but maybe even better. It’s a daily commuter app, full of time saving tips and tricks! The app warns drivers of traffic jams, road closures, speed traps, construction delays, and even potholes. Another interesting aspect is when more drivers utilize the app, more road data is available because of the frequency of data recorded by drivers. These aspects make planning your commute easy and doesn’t require an account of any kind. GasBuddy GasBuddy is an app which helps you find the cheapest gas, wherever you are at the time. Like Waze, it relies on crowdsourced data, by drivers reporting gas prices through the app. Then you can use the data shared to find the best and cheapest gas for you. There’s fun perks too like prize drawings for fuel reports. The app by itself is free, but you can get a premium membership which has perks for discounted gas and roadside service. Roadtrippers Roadtrippers is a road trip planning app, which might be our favorite app we’ve found yet. All you do is enter your start and finish goal, then it will give you some of the coolest “off the beaten path” places throughout your trip. This app helps you escape the tourist bubble, while still finding some of the coolest stops along the way. With this app, you don’t even have to plan a trip, just let the app plan it for you! Drivvo Drivvo is one of the best apps to track car expenses and keep on top of your car maintenance. The core of the app requires you to enter the vehicle’s mileage after a fuel up, and it builds a record of your car’s cost to operate over time. This can help with budgeting for car expenses, and helps you know how much money you’ve spent on your car. The app also keeps a log of past vehicle service work and reminds you of upcoming vehicle maintenance that’s needed. Turo A lot of people don’t know about this app, but Turo is basically an Airbnb for cars. You can choose from a very unique selection of cars, like a truck to help you move, or your dream car for a fun getaway. This would be a great app to use on a vacation, or when you need to rent a car, but there’s no local rentals available. This is both a safe and trusted app, whether you want to find a car or maybe make a little money listing yours. Check out all these apps on your next roadtrip or commute to work! We can’t wait to hear what you think about them.

When buying a vehicle, you typically already have one you want to get rid of first, but should you sell it yourself or trade it in through a dealership. This can be a hard decision for many people. Here are some pros and cons of both options! Trading Your Vehicle Through A Dealership Pro: Doesn’t take time or much work on your part The biggest benefit is that the dealership does most of the paperwork for you. Typically, you trade in your vehicle at the dealership you are buying a new car from, so you don’t have to put work into looking for a buyer. Pro: No denial It’s very rare to get denied for any trade-in, so you don’t have to worry about not getting rid of your vehicle. You also don’t have to wait for multiple people to look at your vehicle, instead only the dealership needs to look at it and make you an offer! Pro: No Tax Credit There is no tax credit when you trade through a dealership. This is really appealing when you break it down. Example: the dealership gives you $10,000 for your trade-in, which then translates into not paying $625 in sales tax on your new purchase. If you think about it, you’re getting $10,625 which is more than you think you’re getting! Con: Typically, a lower sale value Dealerships still need to make a profit from trade-ins, so they may offer you less then what you could get out of privately selling your vehicle. The dealer also has to put some cost into it depending on the quality, so that could lower the value they offer as well. Selling Your Vehicle Pro: Higher sale value The buyer of a private sold vehicle is not typically buying the vehicle to sell, so they’re willing to buy it at it’s worth. You set the price instead of the dealership setting it for you, so you can choose how much you want to sell it for. Pro: You are in control of the purchase If you want to sell your vehicle in the condition it’s in then you can ask that value for it, but if you decide you’d like to raise the value you could have it detailed, parts fixed, or new parts put on it. You basically decide the quality you want to sell the vehicle in, which will then set the value of the vehicle. Then you can decide who the best buyer is between your various offers. Con: More work and time on your end Selling a vehicle means you have to prepare the vehicle, list the vehicle, and find a buyer all on your own. This could take weeks depending on a few factors. Once you do find a buyer you also have to do all the paperwork and do it correctly to make sure the vehicle is transferred to the new owner correctly. Also, make sure you meet in a public place if you do not know the buyer. Ultimately, it is up to you and what you want out of the vehicle. If it’s a simple process, with little work on your end, but at least a little money then you should trade the car into the dealership. If you have the time to put into selling your vehicle and want to make an at worth value for it, then you should probably choose to sell it on your own. Neither choice is a bad one.

Not all parents want the same type of vehicle, therefore, we researched the top 3 areas most parents value in a family vehicle. Being a parent can already be stressful enough, so here are 3 tips to help take the stress off buying one. Safety Safety is the number one feature valued by parents because they want to protect their families. Both parents usually look through many consumer reports and crash tests to see how the vehicle they are interested in will perform in an accident. Other important safety features to them include airbag locations, child safety locks and latches for child car seats. Size The size need in a vehicle depends on the size and age of the family. Car seats can take up a lot of room and really determine how much space is needed for seating. If the parents don’t have any kids in car seats, they might have sports gear and three of their kid’s friends to haul around during sports season. Whatever the reason may be, a roomy vehicle is very important to parents so their family can be comfortable when traveling. Affordability The third factor parents’ desire in a vehicle is typically its value for their family. They don’t want to break the budget when it comes to the vehicle, insurance, and gas. This factor has one of the biggest impacts on their family, especially when parenting can already be expensive. Most parents love a good deal or getting the biggest bang for their buck out of anything, including a vehicle. If you’re a parent currently searching for a vehicle perfect for your family, consider these three factors that most parents appreciate in any vehicle!

Shopping for a new car can sometimes be stressful, but we’re currently living in a virtual based world. How would you feel about purchasing a car completely on-line? This is an option that is becoming more and more possible, even through local dealerships! The real problem is now, “how do I even go about buying or shopping for a car on-line?” Let us help by breaking down the easy steps to this process, so you can do it confidently! Make sure you have a budget set. When setting this number, don’t set it based on your monthly payment, but instead set it on the total cost of the vehicle, possible including interest. This will help you begin to narrow your search. Consider getting pre-approved for a loan. You can easily shop for loans through credit unions, banks, and other lenders on-line or through the phone. If you know the dealership you plan to buy through, call them so they can begin helping you get pre-approved for a loan. Find the right model for you. If you don’t know the type of car you want, start doing research within your budget, look at car rankings and ratings. If you know your needs in a car, start using those to narrow your search even more. Websites such as Kelly Blue Book and Cars.com can be very helpful when it comes to researching cars and pricing. Look at your local dealership’s used cars on-line. If you are considering a used car, look on-line to see what the dealership has to offer. You can always call to talk about the car with a salesman or do your own research. Look up the dealership’s social media too, because typically they will post current car deals on it for both new and used. Take a test drive. Obviously, this takes you away from strictly being on-line, but if you want to test drive there’s always an option, especially if it will help you narrow down your search. Many dealerships now offer test drives at your own home, where a salesman will bring the car to your home. Get your car delivered or finish it up at the dealership. Depending on the dealership you might have to go there to finalize your purchase, but many dealerships can now bring the paperwork and car to your home! If you do decide to go to the dealership make sure you know all the paperwork needed for the salesman so you won’t have to make several stops. These steps will vary based on where you live and how much of the process you truly want to be virtual, but these will guide you through the main steps. Start shopping on-line today, especially if you’re in need of a new car, but prefer to stay home!