Are your departments working in silos?
This disconnect between your sales, service, and finance teams creates chaos, making it difficult to see a clear view of your dealership’s health.
The real issue is when disjointed data hurts customer satisfaction and slows down your entire operation, costing you sales and repeat business.
According to Lotlinx, many dealerships face significant operational inefficiencies from manual inventory and pricing strategies. This directly impacts your ability to move vehicles quickly.
But the right software fixes this by unifying all your operations into one cohesive system, giving you complete control over your dealership.
In this guide, I’ll review the best auto dealer software to help you connect every department and finally streamline your multi-department workflows.
You’ll discover tools that reduce administrative workload and improve customer retention, so you can focus on growing your dealership’s bottom line.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CDK Global → | Multi-location dealerships | |
| 2 | Cox Automotive → | Operations managers | |
| 3 | DealerSocket → | Multi-department managers | |
| 4 | Reynolds and Reynolds → | Comprehensive dealerships | |
| 5 | DDS → | Operations managers |
1. CDK Global
Are you seeking a unified dealership management solution?
CDK Global offers integrated software suites that strengthen workflows across every department, providing a complete solution for your operations.
This means you can streamline your dealership with a powerful system designed to maximize efficiency and profitability for your multi-location business.
Here’s how CDK Global can help.
CDK Global offers a Dealership Xperience Platform to transform how you sell and service cars, along with how you operate your business.
This platform is open, integrated, and customer-focused, helping you exceed consumer expectations by making the buying journey easier from online to in-store.
Additionally, their Intelligence Suite provides advanced analytics and AI, fine-tuning performance, while the Vehicle Inventory Suite uses AI to help you price more profitably and elevate merchandising, directly addressing the need for measurable sales performance improvements and reduced administrative workload.
The result is increased profitability and customer satisfaction.
Before diving deeper into dealership solutions, you might find my analysis of laboratory information management system helpful for managing complex data.
Key features:
- Foundations Suite: Strengthens workflows across all departments with one complete solution, ideal for multi-location dealerships seeking comprehensive operational control and efficiency.
- Fixed Operations Suite: Builds customer loyalty and boosts efficiency, maximizing Parts and Service income to help you improve customer retention and service profitability.
- Intelligence Suite: Fine-tunes your dealership’s performance with advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning, providing data-driven insights for improved business growth.
Learn more about CDK Global features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: For operations managers seeking to integrate sales, service, and finance modules, CDK Global stands out as a strong candidate for the best auto dealer software. Its integrated platform, coupled with powerful CRM and AI-driven inventory solutions, helps you boost customer satisfaction and optimize profits.
2. Cox Automotive
Struggling to connect your dealership’s many departments?
Cox Automotive offers an end-to-end partner experience, streamlining operations from marketing to fixed ops and inventory. This means you can manage everything from a single platform.
The platform provides solutions for marketing, sales, fixed operations, back office, and inventory management, meaning you can centralize your entire dealership’s operations.
It’s time to transform your retail experience.
Cox Automotive empowers your dealership to capitalize on opportunities through digital solutions. You can reinvent your retail experience for a digital future, exceeding consumer expectations.
This includes capabilities like digital advertising, dealer websites, social and reputation management, and even merchandise vehicle displays for an immersive online shopping experience. You can also access a credit app network and manage rebates and incentives.
Additionally, their ecosystem provides tools for managing your social community, measuring marketing performance with analytics, and optimizing inventory planning to turn your dealership into a turnover machine. This holistic approach means your sales, service, and finance modules are seamlessly integrated, improving customer retention through advanced CRM and reducing administrative workload across the board.
The result is increased efficiencies and profitable growth.
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Key features:
- Comprehensive Marketing & Sales: Tools for digital advertising, website creation, social media management, and CRM to nurture customer relationships and accelerate deals.
- Integrated Operations Management: Solutions spanning fixed operations, back office functions like DMS and accounting, and detailed inventory management for acquisition, merchandising, and reconditioning.
- Data-Driven Insights: Harness the power of connected data and marketing analytics to inform your business strategy, optimize inventory, and drive long-term growth and success.
Learn more about Cox Automotive features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re an Operations Manager evaluating software to replace outdated systems, Cox Automotive offers a comprehensive suite of digital solutions, making it a strong contender as the best auto dealer software. Its integrated modules for sales, service, and back office, combined with powerful data insights, provide the tools needed to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, and improve overall dealership performance.
3. DealerSocket
Are you struggling to streamline your dealership operations?
DealerSocket provides powerful, automated, and configurable solutions, helping you effectively manage customer relationships and sales. This means you can create productive relationships and deliver a personalized, simple car buying experience.
Their software helps you overcome challenges by centralizing your sales and marketing pipeline, making it easier to track customers and prevent lost sales.
Here’s how you can simplify workflows.
DealerSocket helps you maximize dealership value across the entire car ownership journey, elevating purchasing, servicing, and financing. This means digital marketing drives customer engagement, building customers for life with integrated service solutions.
You can streamline processes and reduce frustration using their innovative DMS software and support. Their Inventory+ solution gives you enterprise views for informed decisions across all your dealerships. Additionally, their IDMS solution offers automated workflows and mobile capabilities, allowing you to increase productivity without increasing headcount.
The result is a seamless customer relationship throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
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Key features:
- CRM software: Streamlines sales and marketing, automating pipelines and fostering productive customer relationships through personalized experiences.
- Inventory management: Works with your inventory strategy to drive profit, helping you make data-driven decisions on stocking and pricing.
- Integrated DMS: Provides powerful features and industry integrations, offering a solution that scales with your business needs.
Learn more about DealerSocket features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: With its integrated CRM, inventory management, and DMS capabilities, DealerSocket offers a cohesive solution for multi-department operations. This makes it an ideal best auto dealer software choice for managers seeking to reduce administrative workload, improve customer satisfaction, and drive measurable sales performance.
4. Reynolds and Reynolds
Is juggling multi-department operations overwhelming your dealership?
Reynolds and Reynolds offers a comprehensive Retail Management System designed to simplify your complex automotive business needs. This means you can sell more cars with a smaller, more efficient staff, and find higher margins in a competitive market.
Their Spark AI capability helps you move beyond starting every customer interaction from scratch, making it simpler to access actionable information without endless data searches. This means you can unlock your full potential by moving forward.
Transitioning to a complete solution is key.
Reynolds and Reynolds helps you overcome complexity by providing a full suite of solutions. For example, their CRM streamlines customer interactions across sales and service, while vehicle management and parts inventory management keep your operations running smoothly.
Their eContracting and digital document storage features simplify the finance and business office, reducing administrative workload. Additionally, you get advanced analytics across your entire dealership, including cash flow management and network security, to drive profitability and customer retention. You also get specific service operations tools like appointment scheduling, check-out and payments, and upselling communication, ensuring a holistic approach to customer satisfaction and increased service revenue.
This complete system empowers your business to thrive.
Key features:
- Retail Management System: A complete, dealership-wide platform that integrates sales, service, parts, and business office functions for streamlined operations.
- Spark AI: This innovative artificial intelligence capability simplifies complex tasks, providing actionable insights without needing to pull data or start interactions from scratch.
- Integrated CRM and Analytics: Manage customer relationships effectively across departments, improve customer retention, and gain valuable insights through advanced analytics.
Learn more about Reynolds and Reynolds features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re seeking the best auto dealer software to integrate all your departments, Reynolds and Reynolds is a top contender. With documented success like a 7-day decrease in CIT time and a 10.6% increase in overall gross for switching dealerships, their comprehensive system effectively addresses multi-department challenges and boosts profitability.
5. DDS
Are you drowning in multi-departmental chaos?
DDS offers core features to simplify your operations, providing the real-time visibility you need. This means you can track every lead and every vehicle.
With DDS, you gain the ability to connect every aspect of your business. This helps you streamline your workflows and boost efficiency.
Here’s how DDS helps you thrive.
It integrates your front-end sales with back-end operations for a complete view. You can manage your entire inventory, track customer interactions, and handle financing all in one place.
You will find it’s easier to improve customer retention with integrated CRM capabilities. This comprehensive system supports your sales, service, and finance departments, ensuring seamless data flow.
Additionally, you can achieve measurable sales performance improvements. The result is a more efficient and profitable dealership.
Key features:
- Integrated Dealer Management System: Consolidates sales, service, and finance modules into a single platform for streamlined operations and real-time data access.
- Comprehensive Inventory Management: Provides robust tools for tracking every vehicle and lead, ensuring accurate, up-to-date inventory information across departments.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Enhances customer retention and satisfaction by centralizing customer interactions and sales activities for personalized service.
Learn more about DDS features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: DDS stands out as a strong contender for best auto dealer software by providing a unified solution that addresses key pain points for operations managers. Its integrated approach simplifies multi-department workflows, offering the transparent pricing and clear implementation roadmap necessary for confident investment.
6. Epicor
Struggling to unify your dealership’s complex operations?
Epicor offers end-to-end ERP platforms and AI-driven applications specifically tailored for your automotive business.
This means you can streamline processes across sales, service, and parts departments, helping your team make, move, and sell more every day. You’ll simplify complex workflows and empower your workforce.
Here’s how.
Epicor’s integrated solutions combine deep industry knowledge with smart software to help you navigate disruption and enhance omnichannel retail. This helps your business adapt quickly to changing customer needs and market conditions.
The platform includes AI-powered applications like Epicor Prism and Epicor Grow, offering predictive insights and streamlined operations. You can leverage automation for a smarter, more productive workforce. You’ll also find robust data management to improve accuracy and security, plus integration capabilities to connect all your disparate systems and trading partners.
The result is a more agile, proactive, and efficient dealership.
Key features:
- Epicor Industry ERP Cloud: Provides a comprehensive, scalable enterprise resource planning solution tailored for automotive dealerships, ensuring resilience and security for your critical data.
- AI-Powered Applications: Features like Epicor Prism and Epicor Grow offer predictive insights and streamlined operations, optimizing your supply chain and managing inventory with artificial intelligence.
- Digital Commerce & Service Management: Includes solutions like Dealer Network Portal, Epicor Commerce for Automotive, and Epicor Service CRM to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
Learn more about Epicor features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Epicor is positioned as a strong contender for the best auto dealer software, especially for large dealerships or those with complex supply chains, given its robust ERP solutions, AI capabilities, and comprehensive modules for sales, service, and parts. With 70% of all aftermarket parts sales in the U.S. relying on Epicor, it clearly delivers significant value.
7. AutoSoftDMS
Struggling with disconnected dealership data and workflow bottlenecks?
AutoSoftDMS offers tailored solutions for low-volume franchise dealerships, aiming to maximize your efficiency and profitability. This means eliminating frustrating paperwork and toggling between multiple platforms.
The software enhances productivity across all departments, giving you accurate insights into inventory, sales, and customer data. The result is a fast lane to streamlined operations.
How can you achieve seamless dealership operations?
AutoSoftDMS provides a modern, intuitive interface that puts you in the driver’s seat for managing your dealership. It keeps your service bays full and efficient, allowing you to work deals with lightning speed using its integrated CRM.
You also gain a single source of truth for accounting and financial data, which helps in making optimized inventory and parts decisions. Additionally, the platform integrates with over 200 third-party technologies, letting you run your operations exactly your way without disconnected data.
This comprehensive approach means all features you need for a lean operation are in one place, from sales tracking and inventory control to service scheduling, connecting your teams and data across locations.
Your dealership’s full potential is within reach.
While we’re discussing streamlining operations, you might also be interested in how to elevate enrollment with best dance studio software.
Key features:
- Integrated CRM and Inventory Management: Work deals rapidly and access real-time inventory insights, ensuring your sales and parts teams have the data they need to serve customers efficiently.
- Comprehensive Accounting and Analytics: Gain a single source of truth for financial data and fuel your decisions with real-time insights, streamlining your administrative workload.
- Extensive Third-Party Integrations: Connect with over 200 external technologies, allowing you to run your platform your way and eliminate data re-entry tasks across departments.
Learn more about AutoSoftDMS features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: AutoSoftDMS is positioned as an excellent best auto dealer software solution for low-volume franchise dealerships, centralizing critical processes like sales, service, and accounting. Its focus on eliminating data re-entry and providing real-time insights helps streamline operations, supporting growth and customer retention, as highlighted by a general manager seeing gains in every department.
8. vAuto
Struggling with fragmented dealership operations and unclear ROI?
vAuto helps you master your inventory with data-driven insights. This means you can make better retail pricing and sourcing decisions for every vehicle.
Their ProfitTime GPS solution provides unique data about each vehicle’s value, empowering you to optimize inventory and processes for maximum profitability.
Here’s how to manage every car’s potential.
vAuto’s suite of solutions covers the complete lifecycle of new and used inventory. Their Provision software, powered by Live Market View, helps you precisely stock, appraise, price, and list used cars.
Conquest offers real-time Live Market View for new car inventory, leading to improved strategies and potentially a 39% increase in new car sales. Additionally, Stockwave streamlines wholesale sourcing by providing access to over 300 marketplaces with up-to-the-minute market data, helping dealers see up to a 40% increase in gross profit. Their iRecon tool also helps you communicate with reconditioning partners to reduce holding costs and get vehicles front-line ready faster.
You can manage all stages of a vehicle’s lifecycle on mobile or desktop.
If you’re also looking to elevate accuracy across your operations, my article on best quality management software covers essential solutions.
Key features:
- Live Market View: Get the most accurate appraisals and pricing recommendations for new and used inventory, moving beyond basic VIN comparisons.
- ProfitTime GPS: Drive profitability car by car with data-driven insights, allowing you to optimize acquisition strategies and manage success by channel.
- iRecon & Merchandising: Streamline reconditioning to reduce holding costs and enhance online VDPs with attention-grabbing content like 360-degree spins to influence buyers.
Learn more about vAuto features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: vAuto offers comprehensive end-to-end inventory management, making it an excellent choice for operations managers seeking the best auto dealer software. With proven results like a 17.3% higher increase in front-end gross profit for ProfitTime GPS users and a 4.5% increase in sales volume, it empowers dealers to optimize vehicle acquisition, pricing, and merchandising for sustained success.
9. Dealertrack
Is managing your auto dealership’s operations a headache?
Dealertrack offers a connected, cloud-based platform to simplify every aspect of your business.
This means you can streamline your multi-department operations and integrate sales, service, and finance.
Here’s how Dealertrack helps you thrive.
It provides a comprehensive solution for inventory, desking, F&I, and compliance.
The result is a unified workflow, helping your team make faster, smarter decisions and improve customer satisfaction scores.
Additionally, you can manage vehicle acquisition, digital retailing, and even payment processing. This complete platform helps reduce administrative workload, leading to higher efficiency and better performance across your dealership.
The benefits are truly transformative for your business.
While discussing your operations, understanding regulatory change management software can be crucial for compliance.
Key features:
- Comprehensive Inventory Management: Centralize vehicle acquisition, digital retailing, and showroom operations for a streamlined sales process.
- Integrated F&I Solutions: Manage finance and insurance processes with powerful desking tools and compliance support, ensuring smooth transactions.
- Unified Dealership Platform: Connect sales, service, and finance departments through a single, cloud-based system for improved collaboration and efficiency.
Learn more about Dealertrack features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you are looking for the best auto dealer software to integrate sales, service, and finance while reducing administrative burdens, Dealertrack offers a powerful, connected cloud-based solution. Its comprehensive features streamline operations and lead to measurable improvements in customer satisfaction and sales performance.
Conclusion
Still battling operational silos?
When your sales, service, and finance teams operate in silos, the entire customer experience suffers. This operational drag directly hits your dealership’s bottom line.
Lotlinx reports that dealerships using AI can optimize sales velocity and profitability. Using AI for inventory and pricing is no longer a luxury; it’s now essential for staying competitive.
Here’s my top recommendation.
From my hands-on review, CDK Global is the clear choice for unifying your dealership. It connects every department into one powerful, cohesive system.
Its Dealership Xperience Platform integrates every touchpoint, from online browsing to in-store service. Choosing the best auto dealer software like CDK Global means you’re proactively optimizing your entire operation.
I recommend you learn more about CDK Global on their website. See how its integrated platform can fix your workflow challenges.
You’ll finally achieve total integration.
