California's CARS Act is now in effect.

What that means for AI replies

California's CARS Act is now in effect.

What that means for AI replies

California's CARS Act is now in effect.

What that means for AI replies

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Podium vs Impel

Compare Podium and Impel for automotive dealerships, from AI lead response and 24/7 call answering to appointment booking, customer communication, and reviews.

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Why Wild West Ford switched from Impel to Podium

After comparing Impel and Podium side by side, Wild West Ford switched to Podium’s AI Employee. The dealership saw approximately 50% higher lead engagement and gained the equivalent of three sales representatives’ worth of coverage without adding staff.

We compared our previous AI to Podium side by side. Podium sounded more realistic, question for question. Podium felt more human.

Lee Rogers, Dealer Principal & Partner

Wild West Ford

We compared our previous AI to Podium side by side. Podium sounded more realistic, question for question. Podium felt more human.

Lee Rogers, Dealer Principal & Partner

Wild West Ford

Podium

Impel

App Store Rating*

4.7

32K+ ratings

3.1

60 ratings

Google Play Store rating*

4.4

3.5K+ ratings

2.5

46 ratings

*App Store and Google Play Store ratings as of October 2026

How Podium and Impel compare

See how Podium and Impel handle AI conversations, inbound calls, appointment booking, automated follow-up, and customer communication for dealerships.

1. Natural AI conversations and lead response

Podium

Podium's AI Employee, Jerry, responds to leads 24/7, answers vehicle questions based on dealership inventory, and books test drives through natural, humanlike conversations. Jerry handles leads across text, chat, and phone, even when the sales team is busy or the dealership is closed.

Impel

Impel's Sales AI engages shoppers through text and email, answers questions about inventory, financing, and trade-ins, and books showroom appointments. Its Chat AI also handles website conversations and uses dealership information and vehicle data to answer questions. Some dealers evaluating Impel have reported that its AI responses can sound robotic.

2. Inbound call handling and service booking

Podium

Podium's Voice AI answers incoming calls 24/7, answers lead and customer questions, and books service appointments directly into Xtime and Tekion. It supports more than 200 service operation codes and has resolved 87% of calls without transferring to a live employee.

Impel

Impel's Voice AI answers inbound service calls, handles routine questions, and books appointments. It also routes calls to dealership staff and can follow up by text when needed.

3. Automated lead follow-up

Podium

Jerry follows up with shoppers who haven't responded or booked a test drive, helping dealerships keep leads engaged without relying on sales staff to send every message. Conversations and follow-up stay connected in a single inbox so the team can see what's happening and step in when needed.

Impel

Impel's Sales AI automates lead nurturing and follow-up through text and email. It can personalize outreach and keep prospects engaged throughout the buying process.

4. Customer communication and reviews

Podium

Podium brings calls, texts, webchat, and other lead channels into one inbox. Dealerships can also automate review requests, use AI to respond to reviews, and collect payments through text or in person, keeping more customer interactions in one platform.

Impel

Impel supports AI-powered customer conversations across sales and service through text, email, chat, and voice. It also offers marketing automation for customer outreach and retention, but doesn't include native review management or payment processing.

5. AI customization and control

Podium

With AI Studio, dealerships can give Jerry feedback directly in the inbox and update his responses and workflows without developer tickets. Teams can flag an incorrect response and make changes the same day. Dealerships using AI Studio have seen 26% higher conversion.

Impel

Impel's Agent Studio lets dealerships configure AI behavior, including call routing, follow-up questions, and other conversation settings.

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Podium vs. Impel at a glance

Before Podium

Podium

Impel

AI conversation quality

Natural, humanlike conversations. Wild West Ford preferred Podium in a side-by-side comparison

AI conversations for sales and service, configurable through Agent Studio

24/7 sales engagement

Jerry responds to leads, answers questions, and books test drives around the clock

Sales AI engages shoppers, answers questions, and schedules appointments

Inbound Voice AI for Service

Answers calls 24/7, handles common questions, books service appointments, and transfers calls when needed

Answers inbound service calls, handles inquiries, books service appointments, and routes calls

Service appointment booking

Books directly into Xtime, CDK, and Tekion, supporting 200+ service operation codes

AI scheduling through supported integrations, including Xtime

Automated lead follow-up

Jerry follows up with shoppers who haven't responded or booked a test drive

Automated lead nurturing and follow-up through Sales AI

Customer communication

Calls, texts, webchat, and supported lead channels in one inbox

AI-powered sales and service conversations across supported channels

360° vehicle walkarounds

Offers 360° vehicle walkaround video options

Offers 360° vehicle merchandising and interactive vehicle displays

AI customization

Update Jerry's responses through AI Studio, with inbox feedback and no developer tickets

Configure AI agents and workflows through Agent Studio

Reviews and payments

Automated review requests, AI-assisted review responses, text-to-pay, and in-person payments

No native review management or payment processing

Feature availability and integrations may depend on the dealership's systems and purchased products.

Speak with a Podium expert

Choose Podium if:

You want AI to answer calls, respond to leads, and book sales and service appointments 24/7.
You need automated follow-up to keep shoppers engaged without adding work for your sales team.
You want to customize AI responses and workflows without developers or support tickets.
You want hands-on onboarding, a dedicated customer success team, and responsive product support when you need help.
You want calls, texts, webchat, reviews, and payments in one platform.

Choose Impel if:

You need dedicated vehicle merchandising tools, including 360° walkarounds and interactive vehicle listings.
A standalone customer data platform is a key requirement for your dealership group.

What switching to Podium looks like

Podium's onboarding team helps your dealership transition from Impel, connect your existing systems, and get your team ready to use Podium.

1. Prepare your customer data

Work with Podium's onboarding team to identify the customer contacts, lead information, and other available data needed for your new setup.

2. Set up Podium

We'll connect your supported dealership systems, configure your communication channels, and set up Jerry, your AI Employee, to respond to leads, answer calls, and book appointments.

3. Train your team

Your sales and service teams learn how to manage conversations in the inbox, review AI activity, and make adjustments to Jerry's responses and workflows.