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Best CRM & Communication Stack for Independent Dealers in 2025?

Dec 23, 2025
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First Name
Funnel
Hi everyone,


I’m looking to get some insight from the community on Car Dealer Technologies that are actually working well right now — especially for independent and small-to-mid-size dealerships.


Specifically curious about real-world experiences with:


  • CRM & ILM (lead handling, follow-ups, automation)
  • Chat tools (website chat vs. AI chat)
  • Desking solutions
  • Email & SMS platforms (deliverability + compliance)
  • Phone systems (call tracking, recording, integrations)

A few questions to kick things off:


  1. What CRM are you currently using, and what do you like/dislike most?
  2. Are you running all-in-one platforms or mixing best-of-breed tools?
  3. Any tools you switched away from recently — and why?
  4. Which tech actually helps close more deals instead of adding complexity?

For transparency, I work with Funnel Gator (lead capture & marketing automation for dealers):
Smart Business Process Automation for Faster Growth | Funnel Gator


Not here to pitch — genuinely interested in hearing what’s working (and what’s not) across different dealership setups.


Thanks in advance for the insights.