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Switching from Reynolds to CDK - Short-term pain, long-term savings!
Updated October 14, 2021

Switching from Reynolds to CDK - Short-term pain, long-term savings!

Mark DiNallo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with CDK Drive

We use CDK as our primary Dealer Management System, throughout the entire organization. It replaced Reynolds & Reynolds, which performed many of the same functions but at a much higher cost and on an older style infrastructure. Every department uses it at all locations, and some have found the transition easier than others, but the cost savings definitely justify the switch and temporary loss of efficiency and productivity.
  • Cloud-based, uses far less resources to run on each individual computer, minimizing the costs of upgrading hardware for every employee.
  • The fact that it is able to be used remotely adds a great deal of functionality, as there are times when usage outside of normal business hours is needed in my position.
  • Possibly because of the web-based nature, there are times when it can be slightly slow and laggy.
  • Some functions are less intuitive to use than Reynolds and Reynolds but that is more of a personal preference.
  • It has had an enormous impact on lowering our fixed expenses, as everything is less expensive, down to the paper that is used.
  • Data processing costs are down as well due to the fact that multiple facets of the program combine needed processes into one.
CDK presents a much stronger, full integration of needed services than I found with AutoMate in particular, slightly better than Dealertrack, without the enormous additional cost incurred by using ERA-IGNITE. I have used nearly every DMS on the market and while I am still most comfortable with Reynolds, the thousands of dollars per month extra simply can no longer be justified for a product that lags behind in areas like reporting and cashiering functionality.

Do you think CDK delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with CDK's feature set?

Yes

Did CDK live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of CDK go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy CDK again?

Yes

The only situation within the automotive field in which I would not recommend using this product is if your employees are already comfortable with another, similarly priced DMS, such as DealerTrack or AutoMate. In that type of situation, the positive impact of the DMS would likely be outweighed by the cost and effort of retraining an entire staff to use it.

CDK Drive Support

Great job by everyone from the initial sales staff to the implementation team to the support staff. Always ready, willing and able to help out with any questions or issues that arise, even those from people who are simply not computer savvy and have had a hard time transitioning to a new product for everyday use.