Tuesday, October 4th, Gavin and Audrey McGrath welcomed their first child, Hayes Bernard McGrath, into the world! Gavin is the General Sales Manager at Pat McGrath Dodge Country and Pat’s only son of three children. Hayes was born at St. Luke’s Hospital at 11:32 am. He is Pat and Mary Kay McGrath’s first Grandchild. Gavin and Audrey decided to Honor Gavin’s grandpa Horace Bernard by giving Hayes the same initials so he would also be H.B. McGrath, which is was Horace was most commonly called. Hayes will be three weeks old next Tuesday and is already spoiled by his parents and grandparents! Congratulations to the McGrath family!

“Our people, our employees are really customer oriented. They understand their job and our role is to serve the customer in whatever we’re doing, that’s what I think really sets us apart,” Pat McGrath said to the Corridor Business Journal.

It seems to have set McGrath Auto apart according to the Corridor Business Journal subscribers. This is the second year in a row McGrath Automotive Group has been awarded Best Auto Dealer!

McGrath Automotive Group consists of our two main dealerships: Pat McGrath Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and Pat McGrath Chevyland. We also have the Marion Used Car Superstore and Westdale Used Car Superstore. In 2007, McGrath Auto also expanded into the recreational sport vehicle business. McGrath Powersports is a dealer of Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Victory brand motorcycles and ATVs.

Pat went on to explain “With the amount of inventory, about 1,100 used vehicles, available to our customers, it makes the experience nice for the customer because we are able to fulfill most everybody’s needs.”

It doesn’t just stop at selling cars either. Along with purchasing a vehicle, many customers have had their satisfying experience through being assisted with financing on their vehicle, have service work done or purchasing parts for their vehicle.

Click Here to View the Best of the Corridor Winners

Back in April, Pat McGrath Chevyland received the coveted Dealer of the Year title awarded by General Motors. The award recognizes the top 2% of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers by region, and for 2010, Chevyland made the cut!

A few weeks ago, we held a store-wide banquet celebrating this prestigious achievement. Representatives from General Motors were on hand to recognize Pat McGrath with the award, as well as a commemorative plaque documenting the achievement, which was signed by the staff members of Pat McGrath Chevyland.

There was tons of food and the banquet provided a great opportunity for the staff to relax and enjoy some conversation. Enjoy some photos of the event below!

Last Monday, the McGrath Auto dealerships joined forces to bring Cedar Rapids the best selection and prices to our annual summer tent sale at Westdale Mall! The sale went on throughout the week, concluding this Monday, and while the weather did its best to derail the event, we charged forward and the week turned out to be a great success!

The turnout was great with many eager shoppers looking to trade in their old clunkers for a smooth new ride of their dreams! Enjoy some photos from the event and stay tuned for future sales events from McGrath Auto!

Last night’s Cruise Night gathering was a great success with a huge variety of cool classic cars, both new and old! All of us here at Pat McGrath Chevyland would like to thank you for joining us and helping to raise money for Relay for Life! Check out some photos from the event!

The 2011 Ram 1500 not only provides the utility and versatility pickup truck owners demand, it also stands out with its classic styling, unique features and powerful engines, making it a formidable contender in the hotly contested pickup market.

Ram pickups have long stood out from the crowd with their unique “big-rig” styling that now has even more of a “head-down, ready-to-charge” attitude thanks to a forward-sloping crosshair grille. The latest generation Ram features a higher glass-to-body ratio than its predecessor and the central pillar on the Quad Cab and Crew Cab models is slimmer, all of which leads to better outward visibility.

Along the sides, the doorsills have been extended to cover the frame rails for a cleaner look. At the rear, a spoiler has been integrated into the tailgate to smooth the airflow off the back. The result is best-in-class aerodynamics with a drag coefficient of just 0.379. Underneath the tailgate, the 5.7-liter HEMI®-powered Ram is the first light-duty pickup to offer a dual exhaust system with chrome tips.

Ram 1500 customers can configure their trucks to meet their specific needs with three cab sizes and three bed lengths. Those who need maximum bed size can get an eight-foot-long bed in combination with the Regular Cab. Those who need to carry extra passengers have two four-door cab options, the Quad Cab, with 34.7 inches of rear legroom, and the Crew Cab, with 40.3 inches of legroom. Any of the three cabs can be equipped with either a three-across front bench seat or a two-seat configuration with large center console.

View Our Dodge Ram Inventory

Rams can be outfitted to meet the needs of almost any customer from a basic work truck with durable vinyl seat coverings to a full-out luxury truck with premium leather upholstery, and two grades of cloth in between. Available power-adjustable pedals combine with power adjustable seats to make sure the driver can choose a comfortable position.

The Ram comes standard with the Media Center 130 entertainment system with six speakers and CD/MP3 playback, SIRIUS satellite tuner and an auxiliary port. The Uconnect™ Voice Command system and a remote USB port are available on some models. The Ram Sport includes the Media Center 430 with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display and 30GB hard drive. Drivers who want navigation can upgrade to the 430N or 730N systems, and Crew and Quad Cab drivers can even get an optional rear-seat entertainment system.

Regardless of seating configuration, the Ram offers plenty of storage space – up to 42 compartments within the cab. The center section of the front bench seat can be folded forward and used as an armrest or business console. The console is large enough to accommodate a 15-inch laptop computer, phones and more. The console offers even more space for the gear drivers need for business and pleasure. The Quad and Crew Cabs also offer latching storage bins under the folding rear seats.

No other manufacturer offers the Ram Crew Cab’s unique RamBox system. RamBox provides weatherproof, drainable, illuminated, lockable storage compartments integrated into both fender sides for effortless convenience. The boxes offer easy access for smaller, frequently used items, so drivers don’t have to reach down into the bed. The boxes offer 7.4 cubic feet of space, enough for each to hold a golf bag, toolboxes, six fishing rods or five cases of 12-ounce beverage cans.

Dodge Ram 1500 is available with three powertrain options, which allow buyers to outfit the truck to meet their needs. The 3.7-liter V6 offers 215 hp and 235 lb/ft of torque while the 4.7-liter single overhead cam V8 generates 310 hp and 330 lb/ft of torque. For maximum towing capability, select the 390-hp 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and get up to 10,450 pounds of trailer-towing potential. Ram trucks are the only full-size pickups to include four- and seven-pin trailer wire connectors as standard equipment.

The Ram 1500 is also the only full-size pickup with a coilspring rear suspension and five links to locate the axle. The coil setup provides the best ride quality of any big pickup, regardless of whether the bed is empty or loaded to the max.

The 2011 Ram 1500 ST starts at just $20,180, and with a huge list of sizes and options, you can find the Ram that fits your lifestyle. Contact us today and let us help you make the choice.

View Our Dodge Ram Inventory

This past week it was announced that General Motors has awarded Pat McGrath Chevyland with the distinguished 2011 Dealer of the Year honor which recognizes the top 2% of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers by region. To win, a dealer must be a top performer in sales and customer satisfaction. Dealers must also show commitment to these areas on a long term basis by retaining customers, using only Genuine GM parts, participating in Standards for Excellence and maintaining compliance with the Essential Brand Elements program requirements.

Pat McGrath Chevyland would like to thank all of the McGrath Auto employees for making this accomplishment come to fruition. Your hard work and uncompromising dedication to delivering the best vehicle shopping experience in the midwest has propelled us to the top in service and customer satisfaction! The great people that comprise Pat McGrath Chevyland are the glue that holds this company together and you are truely appreciated.

We’d also like to thank all of our loyal customers who continue to choose Pat McGrath Chevyland for their automotive needs. Whether it be for our top notch new and used car selection, vehicle service department or automotive detailing, you continue to trust us with one of the most important investments in your life and we will continue to work hard to do the job right FOR YOU! Without you, none of this is possible.

THANK YOU! We look forward to seeing all of you around the dealership!

Monthly Car Show Returns to Pat McGrath Chevyland in April

After a long winter hiatus, Pat McGrath Chevyland is proud to present our monthly Cruise Night car show! The event will be held from 5:30 to 9:00 PM on the second Thursday of the month, every month throughout the spring/summer, starting April 14th! All makes & models are welcome and there will be food, music, amazing cars to gaze upon and plenty of fun for everyone! Cruise Night will be held at our Pat McGrath Chevyland location on the west end of the dealership lot. Directions

For any additional details, feel free to contact Vince Edwards during Chevyland business hours at 393-6640!

Check back for updates on a new photo album of the past years’ show cars!

Attention McGrath Auto Staff

If you are interested in volunteering to help move cars in preparation for the event, it would be greatly appreciated! Contact Vince Edwards for details!

April 14th, 2011
5:30 – 9 PM

Jason & Faith Cleveland Win Mazda Miata from Cedar Rapids Dodge Dealer

The Pat McGrath Dodge Country Car Giveaway contest went down as a huge success, with more entrants than we could have anticipated! McGrath Auto would like to thank all who participated and we’d also like to urge you to stay tuned for future contests here and on our Facebook page!

The Pat McGrath Dodge Car Giveaway drawing was held Saturday and the McGrath Auto representatives doing the name drawing honors were Gavin McGrath & Johnny Vasquez. Now to introduce our winners!

Jason & Faith Cleveland were the lucky contestants who drove away behind the wheel of their new Mazda Miata! Jason and Faith had been in the store earlier purchasing a car and decided to enter the drawing. When contacted, neither could believe their fortune and begged to be reassured that it wasn’t part of some cruel joke! The Cleveland couple made their way in to pick up their prize on Monday, smiling from ear to ear! They shared that the new Miata would probably be Faith’s car and she thinks she’ll name it Tink after the Disney character, Tinker Bell.

The Cleveland family were wonderful and appreciative people to be around and we couldn’t be happier to award them with a new vehicle! Thanks again to all the participants and good luck to you all in future drawings!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RWkcxPoKm4

Support McGrath Auto Employee in Linn Country Blues Society Chili Cookoff Charity Event

Pat McGrath Chevyland’s Chris Heck is a part of the Linn County Blues Society and is participating in the 11th Annual Blues n Buffet Chili Challenge this SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27th from 2-5 at the Marriott Hotel on Collins Road in Cedar Rapids, IA. Directions

This is a Chili cook-off between the Linn Country Blues Society and The Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club.  All of the proceeds from the Chili Challenge go to the H.D. Youth Center and The Community Free Health Clinic. This event has raised well over $10,000 for local charities!

Last year Chris Heck won the Peoples’ Choice and Spiciest Chili awards!  It would be great if you could stop by and support a good cause and your fellow employee to help him win again this year!

It is $6 for tickets in advance and $7 at the door!  Hope to see you there!

For more details, visit the Linn County Blues Society’s website by clicking here.