Latest activity

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 12, 2026

Blair, I’d call it a dealership data warehouse with reporting and alerts built around it.

The dashboard is the easy part. The hard part is getting the CRM, DMS, marketing, purchasing, inventory, and service data to agree on the same customer, VIN, deal, and store.

Once that’s clean, you can set the ranges you care about and have it flag things like leads sitting too long, aging units, recon getting backed up, or ad spend climbing without sales following.

I’d be careful with anyone promising true real time. You’re only as real time as the feeds coming in.

If the data underneath isn’t clean, it’s still the same fire hose just with better graphics.

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 12, 2026

Steve Stauning said:
Steve, a lot of dealers are getting handed activity reports and being told that’s performance.

If the account is set up to count chats, map clicks, VDP views, and 20-second calls as conversions, the numbers can look great. That still doesn’t tell me how many people showed, how many units we sold, or what the gross looked like.

I wouldn’t call every bad campaign fraud. Sometimes it’s bad tracking, lazy setup, or somebody trying to make the report look better than the showroom. Brand search is the same way. It may keep a competitor off your name, or it may just charge you for traffic that was coming anyway. Cut it back carefully and watch what happens to total leads and sales.

CPL is fine. Cost per sold and gross pay the bills. If you can’t show me what the spend did for the store, I’m cutting it.

joe.pistell · Jul 12, 2026

Uncle Joe thought bomb for ya

Supply vs demand

Estimated monthly visits per VIN

•• Carvana: 1,068
•• CarMax: 228
•• CHEVY DEALER*: 103
•• CarGurus: 14.5
•• Cars.com: 11
•• Autotrader: 10.1

When you cut those big ass checks to the big 3 marketplaces, take a deep breath... control your anger. Know, their days are numbered.

GPT SOURCES & METHODOLOGY
Monthly site traffic: Similarweb estimated worldwide visits across all devices, June 2026.
Vehicle inventory: Carvana live inventory search, July 12, 2026; CarMax live nationwide search, July 12, 2026; Cars.com SEC filing, December 31, 2024; CarGurus published U.S. inventory disclosure; Autotrader published inventory disclosure, October 2020.
Calculation: Estimated monthly site visits divided by nationwide vehicle listings.
Traffic and inventory figures are estimates from different reporting dates. Website visits represent sessions, not unique shoppers or individual VDP views.
Similarweb:
https://www.similarweb.com/website/carvana.com/
https://www.similarweb.com/website/carmax.com/
https://www.similarweb.com/website/cars.com/
https://www.similarweb.com/website/cargurus.com/
https://www.similarweb.com/website/autotrader.com/
Vehicle inventory:
https://www.carvana.com/cars
https://www.carmax.com/cars
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1683606/000095017025029023/cars-20241231.htm
The Best Used Car Websites - CarGurus
Autotrader - page unavailable

*SMALL RURAL STORE

ChrisCT · Jul 11, 2026

Hi DR. We have been using Keyper for many years and I appreciate the pain it solved of using a peg board "system".

For the last 3 years we have had what I will call a connection problem when accessing our Keyper's local IP address to use the keybox's web portal. For years the web page interface connected instantly. Then a few years ago an odd pattern appeared where it would sometimes take 1 or more minutes to connect.

In the past few months the delay frequency has increased, and the delay itself increased from 1+ minute to around 5 minutes. This week we are seeing 15+ minute delays (if you are patient enough to just let the browser try to connect).

Over the years Keyper Support has advised me they have never heard of this issue, so I assumed it was our network. Our IT team has investigated many times, tried various white-listing solutions in our anti-malware apps, etc. Those efforts have not solved it. I can see that it is a difficult problem to investigate since the connection will often work fine, which gives our IT team the impression that they solved it. We now have a case open with Keyper and I am being told Keyper is working the case on their end which is a surprise to me since I expected the root cause would be on our end.

I have searched online for any reports of this issue and found nothing. I do not have an IT background. I prefer to approach problem solving where I reduce the variables. If I were permitted to explore this, I would install a packet analysis app on my PC and also pursue various diag methods including removing the box temporarily from our network and connecting it to a PC using a switch to simulate a small network to explore if the same problem occurs in that tiny test environment. Frustrating.

Sharing here in case anyone has seen connectivity delays on their keyper system - thank you

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 11, 2026

Richard_Lloyd said:
Can you manually selcect the vehicles you send them to keep the feed under that 75 unit threshold?

You can manually remove specific vehicles in DealerDash, but you can’t add them back yourself without emailing support.

So yes, you could keep the live count under 75, but rotating inventory would become a hassle. Before doing that, I’d still get Cars.com to confirm in writing that the pricing tier is based on active published units, not total feed count, contracted inventory, or peak inventory.

joe.pistell · Jul 10, 2026

Richard_Lloyd said:
Can you manually selcect the vehicles you send them to keep the feed under that 75 unit threshold?

I do this for my clients, a delightfully simple export algo.

1. Export all non-brand VINs from day one.
2. Any remaining slots, export your oldest in-brand VINs until you hit your max.

A tip from your ol' Uncle Joe :unclejoe:

• ex-Head of Marketplace @ Cars.com

George Nenni · Jul 10, 2026

Here's a quick trick to find out.

Pop this regex search string into Google Search Console's query filter:

^(what|how|why|who|when|is|can|does|are)\b

(Regex is just a pattern-matching shorthand language, a way to tell a search tool "find me anything that looks like this.")

This regex filters for question-form organic search queries, the kind that people type into ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Gemini AI Overviews, rather than traditional search.

I tested this for a large Chevy dealer client and the results were eye-opening, and are attached to this post.

Their blog pages are now ranking for queries like:

→ "what are the payload capacities of the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado HD?"
→ "what changed with the 2026 Chevy 1500?"
→ "how much weight can a Silverado 1500 carry in the bed?"

Compared to the same period last year? These pages weren't showing up at all.

Now they are.

The theory is, as more searches are influenced by AI tools, queries are getting longer and more conversational, and begin with “what, how, why, who, when, is, can, does or are”. Blogs written to answer real questions are picking up that traffic in ways that traditional keyword optimized pages are not.

I’ll put another screenshot in the comments, for guidance on how to use this regex filter.

If you manage a website with a blog, spend 5 minutes in Google Search Console and run this regex filter, you might be surprised what's already ranking.

Chris Cachor · Jul 10, 2026

The ticket for a vendor employee to attend is $3500 and that's not with a booth - feels steep.

That's a shakedown!

Rob · Jul 10, 2026

craigh said:
The ticket for a vendor employee to attend is $3500 and that's not with a booth - feels steep.

That’s nuts

craigh · Jul 10, 2026

Ryan Everson said:
The exhibitor floor plan still looks a little empty too, so I would definitely be negotiating for a discount if you do choose to attend!

The ticket for a vendor employee to attend is $3500 and that's not with a booth - feels steep.

Dan Sayer · Jul 10, 2026

Ryan Everson said:
I had to do a double take. For a second there, I thought @Dan Sayer was the one giving the GoTo Connect demo

I mean, Taylor's a good looking dude so I can see the confusion!

As for GoTo, I think they’re a company worth watching.

Like every vendor at NADA, there were some pretty ambitious promises made at their booth this year. In fairness, I think Sales got a little ahead of where Product actually was in Q1 and even into Q2. That’s not uncommon in our industry, but it did create some disconnect during my evaluations after NADA.

The strategy itself makes a lot of sense, though. Historically, I viewed GoTo primarily as a PBX provider. About three years ago, when I led a group-wide phone system evaluation, they were near the top of my list. The challenge at the time was that I’d still have needed a separate call tracking platform (CallRevu, CallSource, etc.) plus an integration partner like PurpleCloud to bridge SMS into DriveCentric. We ultimately selected TotalCX because it gave us PBX, tracking, and a native DriveCentric integration in one package. Either way, I saved the group $200,000 annually over a legacy Momentum Telecom agreement! Check your phone invoices people!

Fast forward a couple of years, TotalCX PBX and Tracking became part of CallRevu, we migrated onto their tracking platform, and today we’re a CallRevu customer. To their credit, they honored our legacy TotalCX pricing, which ended up being substantially better than current retail pricing.

After NADA this year, our owner came back excited about what GoTo was pitching around consolidating the entire communications stack. Frankly, I think that’s exactly where the industry is heading. PBX, call tracking, SMS, AI coaching, reporting, CRM integrations… dealers don’t want to stitch together five different vendors anymore if one platform can legitimately do it well.

When I dug deeper, though, I found some of the capabilities weren’t quite production-ready yet. The new tracking platform, the CRM integrations, and some of the SMS functionality were still maturing, and there seemed to be some differences between what GoTo was communicating and what DriveCentric understood was currently supported.

One thing I will absolutely give GoTo credit for: once Jeff Cook, their Director of Product, became involved, things moved quickly. He was responsive, transparent, and several items I had raised started getting addressed. That gave me confidence they’re listening to dealers.

At the time, however, I wasn’t interested in being an early adopter for something as mission-critical as our communications platform (especially around TCPA). When you’re supporting multiple rooftops, “should work” isn’t quite enough.

That said, GoTo remains on my Q3 review list. I want to revisit the platform, verify the current state of the direct DriveCentric integrations, confirm the tracking and SMS capabilities have matured, and see how the overall platform has progressed. If they’ve closed the gaps from earlier this year, I think they’ll deserve another serious look.

On the other side, CallRevu has been a solid partner for us. Their reporting and tracking continue to be strong, their AI call coaching tools are not bad, and we’ve generally had a positive experience. My biggest criticisms today are more around the user experience. The PBX interface is still the old InteractiveTel dashboard, and the mobile app has been frustrating-particularly for our Android users. I’d also like to see more consistency around SMS security and opt-in/opt-out compliance as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve.

One thing I don’t think gets discussed enough is UX/UI. Dealers spend hours every day inside these systems, and that matters. GoTo’s interface is genuinely one of the better ones I’ve seen. If they can pair that user experience with a mature, reliable feature set that stacks, they’ll be an extremely compelling platform.

It’s encouraging to see real competition in this space because it pushes everyone to improve. As dealers, we’re ultimately the beneficiaries when vendors are forced to innovate instead of simply maintaining the status quo. Thanks for posting the review demo!

ryan.leslie · Jul 10, 2026

Dan Sayer said:
Don't forget Site Referrals... @carmart.mustafa shoot me a DM and I can walk you through a couple of things.

You should ABSOLUTELY take Dan up on that offer. You're guaranteed to learn something from him!

It's been almost 18 years since I worked for Cars. Rate increase month used to be March.

One of my best dealers let me take him to lunch the last week in Feb. We laughed, we talked about the store's performance and goals, we talked about his family... You see, I'd spent hours in his office learning from him that year. He was gracious with his time, he answered all of my questions, even the truly stupid ones. He let me be a fly on the wall and I have him to credit for much of my base of knowledge and love of this business all these years later.

My first visit back in March was with the rate increase letter in hand. He didn't say a word, he didn't even look at me, he handed me a letter of his own and pointed at the door. His letter had one sentence and his signature. "This is your 30-day notice. Paul"

Why do we look back fondly at what could be described as psychological warfare?

Happy Friday and Good Luck!

craigh · Jul 10, 2026

What's our take on Digital Dealer in 2026?

We have been going on and off again, but the last few years the ratio of vendors to dealers was quite heavy on the vendor side and we found it fairly unproductive.
This year I noticed the vendor pricing has increased substantially so we are once again trying to decide how to handle this.

They're also in Detroit this year which is new.
Anyone planning on being there?

Alex Snyder · Jul 10, 2026

Tacos are better in Texas than Mexico... Tacoma tariffs, that is.

Perplexity said:
Toyota is planning a major $3.6 billion expansion of its San Antonio, Texas plant to add a second vehicle assembly line and shift a substantial portion of Tacoma pickup production from Mexico to the U.S., a move it links to roughly $9 billion in costs from U.S. tariffs on Mexican-built vehicles.

Most production of the Tacoma midsize pickup will transition from Toyota’s Baja California/Tijuana plant in Mexico to the San Antonio facility over an approximately four‑year period. Toyota will continue producing some Tacomas at its Guanajuato, Mexico plant, so this is a partial, not total, relocation of output.

Toyota’s North American arm recently reported that U.S. tariffs on vehicles and parts imported from Mexico have stripped around $9 billion from its operating income over the relevant period. By moving a significant chunk of Tacoma production to Texas, Toyota is effectively re‑shoring production to reduce exposure to tariffs that can reach as high as 25% on autos imported from Mexico.

Toyota Announces $3.6 Billion Investment in San Antonio Plant in Texas | Corporate | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website

Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Toyota's North American headquarters, today announced an investment of 3.6 billion USD in its San Antonio plant in Texas, including the establishment of a second vehicle assembly line.

global.toyota

ryan.leslie · Jul 10, 2026

I love an analogy.

You take a stranger to a fishing tournament. You drive them there, you pay their entry fee, they sit in your boat, they use your pole, they drink your beer, they use your lures, they catch a fish, they win the tournament, they send you a Venmo request for the pleasure of their company...

If that stranger wasn't fishing where YOU were fishing, from YOUR boat, with YOUR pole, using YOUR lures, that fish would have been yours.

In VLA, the third parties ARE your competitors in a fishing tournament. Don't let your competitors fish with YOUR lures.

-----

I am not anti-3rd party. They have a place in the marketing mix, but this is a hill I'll defend.

The equitable exchange of value that a 3rd party offers to a dealer is their brand recognition, traditional marketing scale, and national audience for unique and specialty units. They are a liability to the dealer whose inventory they are using in VLA.

Dan Sayer · Jul 10, 2026

KennySmithAutoUnite said:
I would push back on that.

Cars.com can be a good source, but I would not let them justify an increase just because your cost per lead is low.

If your CPL is $5, that usually means your cars are priced right, your photos are good, your inventory is desirable, and your team is handling the opportunities. That is not automatically a reason for the vendor to raise your bill.

I would ask them for the full breakdown:

VDP views
SRP views
Calls
Emails
Chats
Appointments
Shows
Sold units
Cost per sold
Lead quality
Duplicate leads
What package you are on now
What changes at 75-plus cars
What extra value you get for the higher price

Cost per lead alone does not tell the whole story.

If the increase is because you crossed an inventory count or package tier, I would ask them to show that clearly in writing. If the increase is because your results are good, I would negotiate hard.

I would not cancel right away if it is working, but I would not accept a random increase either.

If they want more money, they need to show more value than “your CPL is better than other dealers.”

Don't forget Site Referrals... @carmart.mustafa shoot me a DM and I can walk you through a couple of things.

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 10, 2026

This makes sense.

Price complaints being down does not mean affordability is fixed. It means customers are getting used to the new normal, or the deal is getting stretched far enough to make the payment work.

The pressure is still there, it just shows up somewhere else.

More negative equity. 84 month terms. Bigger payment sensitivity. More concern about what happens if the car breaks while they are still buried in the loan.

That is why the warranty piece stands out to me. The customer may accept the price today, but they are thinking about the next 5, 6, or 7 years.

At the desk, you can feel that shift. It is not just “can I buy this car today?” anymore. It is “can I live with this payment, this trade position, this 84 month term, and this risk?”

That is where a good desk and F&I process matters. If the customer understands the number, the trade, the payment, the term, and the protection options, the deal has a better chance of feeling right after they leave.

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 10, 2026

I would push back on that.

Cars.com can be a good source, but I would not let them justify an increase just because your cost per lead is low.

If your CPL is $5, that usually means your cars are priced right, your photos are good, your inventory is desirable, and your team is handling the opportunities. That is not automatically a reason for the vendor to raise your bill.

I would ask them for the full breakdown:

VDP views
SRP views
Calls
Emails
Chats
Appointments
Shows
Sold units
Cost per sold
Lead quality
Duplicate leads
What package you are on now
What changes at 75-plus cars
What extra value you get for the higher price

Cost per lead alone does not tell the whole story.

If the increase is because you crossed an inventory count or package tier, I would ask them to show that clearly in writing. If the increase is because your results are good, I would negotiate hard.

I would not cancel right away if it is working, but I would not accept a random increase either.

If they want more money, they need to show more value than “your CPL is better than other dealers.”

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 10, 2026

I would start with RouteOne and Dealertrack first, then keep pushing CUDL.

For lenders, I would try:

Capital One
Ally
TD Auto
Westlake
Lobel
Veros
CPS
Exeter
Santander
GLS
United Auto Credit
Credit Acceptance

For SoCal credit unions, I would call:

Kinecta
Wescom
Logix
SchoolsFirst
California Credit Union
Credit Union of Southern California
Orange County’s Credit Union
Southland Credit Union
Premier America
Patelco
Partners Federal

Ask for the indirect lending manager or dealer relationship manager. Do not just ask the branch.

The main question to ask is simple:

Do you work with smaller independent dealers directly, or only through CUDL?

I would also be careful with modified cars. Use clean-title regular inventory first when trying to get approved with new lenders. It will be easier for them to underwrite and easier for you to build the relationship.

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 10, 2026

This lines up with what I’m seeing too.

The cheap car is the hot car because it still moves. If a customer is staring at an $800 payment, a clean cheaper car starts looking real good fast.

Those cars can still be profitable for the store because they turn quick, and a lot of buyers in that price range are more realistic. They know it is not going to be perfect. Sometimes it is more of a DIY customer. They would rather buy affordable transportation and fix a few things themselves than jump into a payment that does not fit.

Private party can still be a good place to find those cars, but you have to be disciplined. I would want a tech to look it over before buying it. If the seller has legitimate warranty coverage and something can be repaired before the sale, even better. At least then you know what you are buying and you are not getting buried in recon after the fact.

That is the biggest thing. The car may look cheap until you add tires, brakes, detail, transport, inspection, and whatever else it needs.

I still like private party better than chasing everything at auction right now. Auction prices are still high, fees are high, and transport is not cheap either. If you can find a clean cheap car from a private seller and buy it right, that is still a good play.

Clean, affordable transportation is still the fight. The winner is whoever can find it, check it properly, and own it right.

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 10, 2026

This is where AI can really help a store, but it can also make things worse if nobody is watching it.

Speed matters. If a customer sends a lead and gets a real answer in a few minutes, that is a big advantage.

But stopping the clock is not the same as handling the customer.

If the customer asks about availability, payment, trade, rebates, packages, or out-the-door numbers, the response has to be tied to what the store can actually do. A generic answer might make the CRM look good, but it does not help the desk, the salesperson, or the customer.

To me, the best setup is AI helping the store, not replacing ownership.

Let AI help with speed, routing, summaries, basic questions, and making sure leads do not sit. But someone still has to own the customer, check the inventory, confirm the numbers, and make sure the answer matches reality.

The danger is not AI. The danger is the store thinking the lead was handled just because the system responded.

A good response should answer the question, move the customer forward, and give the sales team enough context to pick it up without starting over.

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 10, 2026

I think the real answer is yes, but only when the EV fits the customer’s actual life.

Some customers absolutely want electric vehicles. They have home charging, predictable driving, maybe a shorter commute, and they like the technology. For that buyer, an EV can make a lot of sense.

But the mistake is assuming every customer wants an EV just because the industry is pushing EVs.

Most customers still buy around payment, convenience, confidence, and how the vehicle fits their daily routine. If they live in an apartment, drive long distances, tow, travel often, do not have reliable charging, or are already stretched on payment, the EV conversation gets harder fast.

That does not mean they are anti-EV. It means the ownership story has to make sense.

I think hybrids prove that point. A lot of customers like the idea of better fuel economy and lower operating cost, but they do not always want the lifestyle adjustment that can come with a full EV. So they move toward the middle ground.

From a dealership standpoint, I would not treat EVs as a yes or no question. I would treat it as a fit question.

Can they charge at home?
How far do they drive daily?
What payment are they comfortable with?
Do they understand real-world range?
Are they buying, leasing, or just chasing incentives?
Will this vehicle still make sense for them two years from now?

If the answer lines up, great. Sell the EV.

If it does not, pushing the EV just creates a bad ownership experience and probably a bad survey later.

So yes, customers want EVs. But more than that, they want the right vehicle, the right payment, and confidence that it will actually work for their life.

KennySmithAutoUnite · Jul 10, 2026

My personal ranking would be:

VinSolutions
Best overall for ease of use, reporting, cost/value, and actual salesperson adoption.
eLeads
Still a solid option. A lot of dealers know it, and it can work well, but it depends heavily on setup, process, and whether the team actually follows the tasks.
DealerSocket
Has its place, but I would put it behind VinSolutions and eLeads for day-to-day store usability.
Reynolds Contact Management
Powerful in some ways, but too confusing and time consuming for the average sales floor in my opinion.
AVV Web Control
If people are still using it, I would be looking to move. That would be at the bottom of my list.

For me, the best CRM is not the one with the most bells and whistles. It is the one your team will actually log into, work every day, and that gives managers clean visibility without wasting time.

Latest activity

Latest activity

Supply vs demand​

Estimated monthly visits per VIN​

PR & News Digital Dealer - Is it Back?

Filter

Supply vs demand

Estimated monthly visits per VIN