Rank the CRMs

[Kyle Gage]

This is a long shot probably, but are there any dealers interested in taking a look at the CRM we just launched. I know that sounds super salesy but we are honestly looking for some feedback. We take all input and bring it to our development team and some of our best upgrades to our websites and other software have been suggestions on demo calls!

 

[Alex Snyder]

This is a long shot probably, but are there any dealers interested in taking a look at the CRM we just launched. I know that sounds super salesy but we are honestly looking for some feedback. We take all input and bring it to our development team and some of our best upgrades to our websites and other software have been suggestions on demo calls!

I would take them up on this. Interesting things Space Auto is doing by combining advertising, websites, and CRM. @Jeff Kershner and I got a sneak peak.

 

[Niki.E]

Hi all,

Realizing this is a loaded question, but curious who you all think are leading the pack in crm. We are currently on elead at our 12 stores and i cant even remember the last innovation they had. As painful as it is to change, we are considering making the move.

I know the choices aren't that great, but curious what people think these days of Vin Solutions and Dealersocket. Any other new kids on the block. No input from CRM Vendors in this group please.

Love to hear your input and your rankings..

If you or anyone had the misfortune of using CDK CRM, you will understand what I am going to say next. ELeads WAS a good CRM, then CDK bought it. Enough said.

 

[Jordantodorovki]

Good afternoon, everyone!

I'm Jordan, and I'm here representing AutoAlert, a company many of you are familiar with. We've recently launched an all-in-one CXM platform that includes CRM, Desking, Data Mining, and more - all accessible with a single login. Essentially, we're simplifying the process by eliminating the need for multiple front-end vendors, which can lead to significant cost savings for your dealership.

I'm reaching out to see if I can have just 15-20 minutes of your time for an online presentation. We'd love to show you what we've got and, more importantly, hear your thoughts. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we're committed to continuously improving our platform based on the input we receive from dealers.

 

[DealerInt]

@Brad Burlingham This is still a relevant question in 2026. For 12 stores on Elead, the switching cost isn't just the software — it's the 6-12 months of retraining your BDC and losing institutional knowledge baked into your templates and workflows.

VinSolutions has the widest adoption so finding staff who already know it is easier. DriveCentric has a genuinely better UI but thinner support infrastructure for larger groups. DealerSocket has struggled with stability post-merger.

For a 12-store group the real question is whether your variable ops leadership can enforce a consistent process across all stores in the new system — most CRM migrations fail on adoption, not technology.

 

[Steve Roessler]

@DealerInt Saw your post and thought I'd comment not to commercialize but hope the group does appreciate the evolution of CRMs. All CRMs are "DataBase Platforms" and the transition should be to Engagement.

The "Legacy CRMs" are just integrating in with everyone they can vs "building". That just create more problems and more windows to manage from. It's proven not to work as technology continues to evolve very quickly.

DriveCentric is an "Engagement Platform" for the last 8 years or so. Now, 3rd party integrations with companies like Mastermind, Polk and Carfax(examples) will power the Agentic AI. Data / AI is the new "All in one" solution vs CRM/DMS. @Dan Sayer has seen the evolution.

If you want to see this tech in action, happy to just show you what we are doing. Also, Brian Pasch just published in Jan a study evaluation all CRMs. The results are attached for a reference.

 

[DealerInt]

@DealerInt Saw your post and thought I'd comment not to commercialize but hope the group does appreciate the evolution of CRMs. All CRMs are "DataBase Platforms" and the transition should be to Engagement.

The "Legacy CRMs" are just integrating in with everyone they can vs "building". That just create more problems and more windows to manage from. It's proven not to work as technology continues to evolve very quickly.

DriveCentric is an "Engagement Platform" for the last 8 years or so. Now, 3rd party integrations with companies like Mastermind, Polk and Carfax(examples) will power the Agentic AI. Data / AI is the new "All in one" solution vs CRM/DMS. @Dan Sayer has seen the evolution.

If you want to see this tech in action, happy to just show you what we are doing. Also, Brian Pasch just published in Jan a study evaluation all CRMs. The results are attached for a reference.

@Steve Roessler , the database vs engagement framing is a useful distinction. The integration sprawl problem is real; every "legacy CRM" adding more windows and more vendor connections without solving the underlying data quality issue is just complexity tax.

The Agentic AI angle is interesting but it raises the same question I keep coming back to — the AI is only as good as the data it's working with. If the underlying deal data is incomplete (which it usually is at the DMS level), the engagement layer is working with a partial picture.

Would be curious to see how DriveCentric handles data fidelity on closed deals, not just the engagement side.