Open Today Sales: 8 AM-6 PM
Wheelers Chevrolet of Merrill sits about 20 miles north of Wausau, straight up US-51. Figure just under half an hour from downtown. The reason people make that drive is simple: our salespeople don't work on commission, so nobody here gets paid more for putting you in a bigger truck. We'll also buy your vehicle whether or not you buy one of ours.
Wausau has car dealers. Good ones. So the honest question isn't whether we're closer than they are, because we're not. It's whether the drive up 51 buys you anything.
Here's our answer, and you can hold us to it.
Because how a salesperson gets paid changes what they sell you. Ours are not on commission. That is the whole pitch, and it's the one thing a commissioned floor cannot copy without rebuilding how it pays people.
What that looks like in practice: nobody steers you from the Trax to the Traverse. Nobody gets quiet when you say you want to think about it. If the right answer is the cheaper truck, or a used one, or nothing today, you get told that.
The rest of what we promise, in plain terms:
One piece of local history worth knowing. Merrill went without a Chevrolet dealer after Stark Automotive closed in 2019. Wheelers reopened the store in September 2020 and brought the franchise back to town. Same family that's been selling cars in central Wisconsin since 1964.
About 20 miles. The drive is almost entirely US-51 and it runs a little under half an hour from downtown Wausau, less if you're already on the north side of town.
Sales is open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 6 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM. If you're driving up after work, you've got time.
New Chevrolet across the line: Silverado 1500 and the heavy duty trucks, Colorado, Equinox, Traverse, Trax, Blazer, Tahoe, Suburban, plus the electric side of the lineup. If you're after a specific trim, engine or color, call before you drive up and we'll tell you straight whether we have it or can get it.
Used is the half people tend to miss. We carry CARFAX one-owner vehicles, trade-ins from around Lincoln and Marathon County, and a rotating set of units under $30,000. Most of what we take in on trade comes from around here, so the used lot leans toward trucks and SUVs rather than city cars.
| If you're looking for | Start here |
|---|---|
| A new Chevrolet | New inventory |
| Used, any make | Used inventory |
| One-owner used | CARFAX one-owner |
| A number on your current vehicle | Sell or trade |
| Service or repair | Schedule service |
Yes. GM-certified technicians, genuine GM parts, and it does not matter where the vehicle came from. Oil changes, tires, brakes, diagnostics, warranty work, the bigger jobs.
Worth thinking about if you live in Wausau: you visit a service department a few times a year and a sales floor maybe once a decade. Starting with an oil change is a low-stakes way to find out whether a dealership is worth the drive.
Quick answer: Yes. Our GM-certified technicians handle engine and electrical diagnostics, brake work, oil changes, tires and alignments, about twenty minutes up Highway 51 from Wausau. Loaner vehicles are limited and go to warranty work and longer repairs, so call a service advisor first and we will tell you what is available.
If you are weighing the drive, the honest answer depends on the job. For an express oil change there are shops five minutes from your house in Wausau. For anything that needs a diagnosis, the drive is usually where the time comes back.
This is the part a general shop has to guess at. GM-certified technicians train on these specific vehicles and work from GM service bulletins, factory diagnostic tools and the recall database. A check-engine code on a turbo four, an intermittent electrical fault, anything on an EV or a diesel: those are the jobs where having the factory information is the difference between a repair and a series of educated attempts.
It also means we can tell you when a noise is a known characteristic of the vehicle instead of charging you to chase it. That happens more often than people expect.
We use genuine GM parts, which are built for your vehicle and carry a GM warranty. Aftermarket parts sometimes fit and sometimes just fit well enough.
Chevy brake pads usually last 30,000 to 70,000 miles, and Wisconsin winters land at the short end of that range because road salt and stop-and-go driving both wear pads faster. If you are hearing a grind, feeling a pulse through the pedal or noticing the vehicle pull to one side when you slow down, get it looked at before the pads take the rotors with them.
We quote brake work before we do it, and we tell you which axle actually needs it rather than selling you all four corners by default.
A quick-lube changes your oil. A service department changes your oil and then looks at the rest of the vehicle while it is already on the lift: tire tread and pressure, brake wear, fluid levels, wiper blades, a multi-point inspection. If nothing needs attention, we tell you nothing needs attention.
We use the oil weight your engine was built for, and the visit goes into your vehicle's GM service history, which matters at trade-in and on warranty claims.
We stock and mount tires for Chevrolet cars, trucks and SUVs, and we handle rotation, balancing, alignment and TPMS sensors. If you are running all-seasons through a Central Wisconsin winter, come talk to us in October rather than in January.
Worth knowing before you book, because a twenty minute drive changes the math on waiting.
Call a service advisor before you drive over and we will confirm what your job qualifies for and what is actually free that day. That one call is the difference between planning your day and guessing at it.
Yes, and that's not a technicality. Bring your vehicle in, we'll appraise it, and you get a real number you can take somewhere else. No obligation to trade it against anything on our lot.
People use this to find out what their truck is actually worth before they start shopping. That's a reasonable way to do it.
About 20 miles north on US-51, a little under a half hour drive from downtown Wausau.
No. Wheelers sales staff are non-commission, so what they recommend isn't tied to what they earn.
No. We'll buy your vehicle even if you don't buy ours, and you can take the number elsewhere.
Yes. You can complete a purchase 100% online and arrange delivery or pickup, so the drive is optional.
Yes. Our GM-certified technicians service any Chevrolet regardless of where it was purchased, using genuine GM parts.
Monday through Friday 8 AM to 6 PM, and Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM.
Yes. Our used inventory covers most makes, including CARFAX one-owner vehicles and local trade-ins.
Tomahawk, Antigo, Rhinelander, and the Marathon County communities south of us including Rib Mountain, Weston and Schofield.
We have a limited number of loaner vehicles and provide one when it is available for warranty work and longer repairs. We do not provide loaners for same-day or express service. Call a service advisor when you schedule to confirm what your job qualifies for and what is available that day.
Shuttle service may be available depending on shuttle driver availability. Request it when you schedule your appointment and a service advisor will confirm whether we can cover the ride that day.
Ask your insurance provider about a rental vehicle. Rentals on claim work are usually covered through the claim rather than provided by the dealership.
An appointment gets you in and out faster and you can book online or by phone. If you are driving over from Wausau, call ahead and we will tell you the current wait.
Tell us what you're looking at and we'll do the work before you drive up. We'll check what's on the ground, what's coming, and what your current vehicle is worth. No commission on our sales floor, so there's nobody on the other end of that call trying to close you.
See new inventoryGet your priceVehicle availability changes daily. Price excludes tax, title, license and dealer fees. See dealer for details. Drive times and distances are approximate and vary with traffic and starting point.