Attention Racine and Kenosha residents! The deal at Raymond is worth the Drive!

I was going to write an long blog post explaining why it is worth you to drive to Antioch, IL to get your best deal on a new Chevy or Kia, but I think I'll let Mark Scarpelli, owner and president of Raymond Chevrolet Kia, tell you.


To see all of our offerings, visit our YouTube channel or Facebook Page to see complete videos!

Perfect Holiday Gifts

It’s hard to believe that it’s THAT time of year again. The time of year when we’re all hustling and bustling into stores only trying hard to find the perfect gift for that car buff on your list. Well your trusty Lake County Chevrolet dealer is here to help. After much thought and research. Here is our gift guide for the car lover in your life:

Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth HeadsetIn reference to our blog post yesterday, it’s always a good idea to go hands-free if you’re driving, Try the Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset! Listed for $77.91 on amazon.com

Flash Rods' "Back to the Future" Delorean Hard DriveAs our computers become more and more bogged down with photos, videos, MP3, it’s more important than ever to back our files up on an external hard drive. This hard drive combines functionality with fun. The Delorean from Back to the Future helps you go back in time to retrieve those files on this external hard drive. $250 on Flash Rods website.

Lee Friedlander: AmericaDo you have a car finatic that also loves to read or travel? Then the Lee Friedlander: America book is the find for you. The photos, all taken from a vehicle as it travels around the country, incorporate various views from the car and how it would look to travel places. $32.97 on amazon.com

Custom vehicle graphics
this is a great gift for that 20-something in your life who wants to customize that first new car of theirs. At Raymond Chevrolet in Antioch, IL, we help you get an appointment set up and issue you a certificate to get those custom graphics complete!


Breathalyzer Keychain with Parking Meter TimerOkay this one might indicate to someone that you think they ***might*** have a slight drinking problem, but could be a fun gift too! Blow into the keychain and it will tell you what your blood alcohol level is at. It also doubles as a parking meter timer to avoid those pesky parking tickets.


A New Car or TruckWell you knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have you to come into Raymond Chevrolet and pick up a new 2011 Chevrolet Camaro or a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette for that special someone. Imagine finding that under your tree on Christmas Morning!

Thanks to our buddies at thecarconnection.com for helping us with the list!

In any case, we wish you all happy shopping and we’ll have more tips to come.

7 Dangerous Things To Do While You're Driving

We're all guilty of it. We all do dangerous things while driving. Some things are obvious, like texting while driving, which is illegal in Illinois and Wisconsin, while others on the list might surprise you. CarConnection.com recently published a list of things that you SHOULDN'T do while driving. These things include:

Eat and Drink
Drinking caffeine
Let your pets ride shotgun
Text Tweet or Facebook
Make Phone Calls
Read billboards
Get Comfortable

I, personally, never thought about letting your pet ride shotgun or getting comfortable. If you're on a long road trip, wouldn't you want to be comfortable while driving? Well if anything, the article is worth the read and worth some thought. You can read the article by clicking here.

Our Reviews speak for themselves!!!

Listen to what some of our customers are saying about your favorite Lake County Chevrolet and Lake County Kia Dealer!!!!

I just picked up a beautiful 2011 Kia Optima today! This is my 2nd Kia Optima from the Raymond Auto Group and I just have to say that I am very happy with how everything has been handled from start to finish. I gave this team of professionals a few challenges throughout the process, but everything was always handled with a smile and grace above anything I have ever seen from a car dealership. These guys are the Best!!!
Thank you so much!
Mary Ann Kuhn
P.S. – Mark Scarpelli Rocks!!!

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Good afternoon Mark,

On my end I have pretty much finalized putting my 2011 Chevy Avalanche into service. Upon reflection of the entire process, from my initial research in determining manufacturer, brand and vehicle, to dealer selection and final negotiation, I felt compelled to write this note of thanks and appreciation to you.

From our discussions I came to understand that the dealership is family owned and operated, well I want to commend the entire team at Raymond Chevrolet for, quite honestly making me feel like part of a family.

From my initial and continued contacts with the sales group (special thanks to thanks to Derek & Brian), through introductions to several service and parts department team members and ultimately ownership, I found myself thinking; “are these guys for real, because they sure are different”.

Moving further into the process with Delivery & Finance (thanks to Norm & Charlie) the same theme played out; people who knew their stuff. To a man everyone was willing to spend whatever time was required to make sure that any and all of my questions were answered. The entire group genuinely seemed to love what they were doing, who they were doing it for, and were determined to make sure I was comfortable and satisfied with my family’s decision to place our MONEY & TRUST in them.

This was a major purchase decision in some very difficult times in this country and I am glad that I decided to buy the GM product that I did but more importantly I am very happy that I bought my part of the Raymond Chevrolet team.

Thanks again,
JIM SHANNON
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Great Experience at Raymond....‎‎ We purchased a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse this past weekend at Raymond Chevrolet. I must say, it was one of the easiest experiences I have personally ever had purchasing a vehicle. We began shopping for a Traverse this past summer and Raymond's salespeople gave us a great price and have been in contact with us throughout the entire experience. We had an appointment on Saturday afternoon, when we came in and our vehicle was waiting. Not only did we get a fair price on our Traverse, they gave us a great price on our trade-in. Once the financing was complete, we were able to drive away in our new vehicle very satisfied. The entire staff at Raymond was wonderful to work with. They made a process that can be overwhelming very painless. We'll be buying our vehicles from Raymond from now on.
Beth Andersen

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Wonderful Easy Great Experience‎‎ I do not normally take the time to write reviews but I wanted to share my great experience at Raymond Chevrolet & Kia. My daughter needed a reliable, late model car and not only did Raymond have quite a selection; they had the perfect car for her. The salesperson was quite knowledgeable, polite and helpful. I could tell that these people take pride in their products and service. I guess that's why they have been in business so long, and have such a good reputation. I will recommend this dealer to friends and family.
The Thomas Family.
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I went to another dealer near me and had an uneasy feeling. I was looking for a used car for my son who just turned 16. We knew what we had to spend and we wanted a 4 door smaller car with good mpg. We ended up driving to Antioch from Grayslake and looked at a few cars that WE wanted to look at, not that the salesman was pusing onto us. The car we decided on was almost $1000 over what we wanted to spend but it was perfect. Tom worked with the manager and we left with the car me and my son wanted at the price we wanted to pay. Tom and the manager he went to were helpfull in getting us to that price and showed us around the dealership if we ever needed anything, we met the owner, who was nice also. They filled up my gas tank and we are now VERY happy Raymond owners!
John H
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I don't normally write about my experience with a car dealership, but I must tell everyone that my wife and I went into see why everyone loves Raymond Chevrolet. I was suprised that everyone was smiling and very friendly. It appeared that despite the news about our economy everyone here was very optimistic. The sales consultant help me and my wife decide on which vehicle was right for our family. My wife wins this one hands down. The sales managers were very helpful in assisting the sales consultant in our purchase. "WOW" thats what I can say about my experience about Raymond Chevrolet. The finance process went smooth and it they are very consumer friendly. I normally finance with my Credit Union, but Raymond Chevrolet was able to get me a rate lower than what I expected. I want to tell everyone that I meet to take the time to see why Everyone Loves Raymond Chevrolet. At the time of delivery the salesperson explained all the new gadgets that our new vehicle had on it. There is a lot of fancy stuff that we did not have on our previous vehicle.
Dave S
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My family lives near Raymond Chevrolet, and my son is leaving town soon after he graduates from college. We decided to go and browse to see what kinds of used cars they had on their lot. We were greeted soon after entering the dealership. The salesman took us out on to the lot and my wife and I found a nice looking 2006 used Chevy Impala. It was not much longer before we were in the car taking a test drive. After about a half-hour to forty five minutes of taking a test drive we decided that we would buy it. Once we finished the test drive, the time it took to process the paperwork was not very long at all. We drove home happily because we made a great decision to go to Raymond Chevrolet. I really suggest other potential buyers stopping there to look and see what they have.
JS350
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Toys for Tots

The Holiday season is almost upon us and we'd like to take this opportunity to give everyone a chance to brighten the Holidays for a child. Raymond Chevrolet is an offical drop off Toys for Tots. Bring in any unwrapped present between now and the first week in December and help others in need.

We hope to see you, and your generous spirit, there.

Is Carmageddon officially over?

In my reading over the last few days it seems as though the general consensus is that "Carmageddon," the complete collapse of the auto industry, from the last few years seems to have gone the way of the 8-track. While I personally don't think we're completely out of the woods yet, things are dramatically different than they were even at the beginning of 2010. Things are much more optimistic. Inventory levels are good, but not bloated. People are willing to buy a vehicle, albeit more challenging to obtain financing than it has been in the past. Do I think sales will rebound to the levels they were at a mere 5 or 6 years ago? Probably not. At least not in the next year. Is that a good thing? Probably. Hopefully next year I'll be writing about how car sales are going gangbusters and things will be up, up, up in 2012.

I distinctly recall a mere 2 years ago the aura of disbelief and uncertainty that surrounded much of the automobile industry. This directly stemmed from the manufacturers and suppliers and trickled down to the dealership levels. I mean General Motors was going bankrupt!! I think even in my wildest dreams I NEVER thought GM would be broke. Five years ago I would have bet that if any auto company would be bankrupt, it was going to be Ford. I have to give credit where credit is due, with Alan Mulally at their helm, Ford has turned that ship around and impressed everyone in the process.

Every time you looked dealers were shutting their doors because they could no longer afford to be in business. A business they thought would sustain them and the families they support for many years to come. Between having their floor plan (the dealer equivalent to an inventory mortgage) called in to the bank, the dramatic downturn in business, the credit crunch, lack of leasing programs and a overstocked inventory supplies all made for what is now being called Carmageddon.

Slowly but surely, the stronger dealers have weathered the storm and are beginning to emerge a little battle worn, but smarter and leaner for having been in the fight. Internal spending and budgets have been cut. Staff has been pared down through lay-offs or by attrition. The belts have been tightened and in general dealers have become smarter and leaner. While we're starting to see the belt loosen a bit and things creeping back to "a new normal" level. However, the lessons of the past two years will not be forgotten.

Now in the final quarter of 2010, at a time when we see sales figures returning to an acceptable level, I ask you, is this over? Will Sales rebound to 2005 levels? Should they rebound?

We've got an app for that

Launching today, 2011 Chevrolet customers can download an app for their iphone or android phone. The apps are revolutionary in the auto industry and communicates a host of information to their users. The myChevrolet and the myLink OnStar applications are available for free download to owners who's vehicles are equipped with OnStar.

A summary of functions is as follows:
mylink OnStar - GPS parking reminder, reference material for your vehicle, database designed to explain warning lights.
myChevrolet - lock and unlock doors, automatically start your vehicle, offer diagnostic information, such as fuel, oil, tire pressure.

Visit www.chevrolet.com and get your application today.