Other than earning the title of best gift giver in the world, there are a lot of reasons people give a car to someone for Christmas. However, before you leap into the big purchase and making a dream come true, there are some things you should know about gifting a ride. It’s not always as straightforward as one would imagine, which is why you need to read the holiday car gift giving guide.
Start with Title and Financing
While the image of a bow-wrapped vehicle is probably dancing in your head, it’s important to recognize that during the normal car-buying process there are a lot of other things to think about, like contracts, price, financing and the title. Just because a car is a gift doesn't mean you don't have to go through the same process. Like most contracts, people who are going to own and make payments on something are going to need to sign and provide IDs and personal information. Even if you plan on making payments, but want to put the car in both your names, you won’t want to do it until after the fact so you don’t ruin the surprise. That means you need to be able to afford the vehicle on your own. Factors that could prevent this are:
- Poor credit
- Lack of credit
- No down payment
- No driver’s license
- No cash in full
You’ll want to check rules for your state, and make sure you have the means to make your holiday gift happen. Once Christmas is over, and you’ve had the big reveal, you can go about the business of adding someone to the title if you want to. But again, you’ll want to look at rules for your state, and make sure the recipient is in a place to be able to be part of owning the vehicle, or be able to own the vehicle outright.
You can even look at your gift as simply the down payment. In that scenario, you’ll still want to evaluate the person’s finance situation and make sure you are able to refinance in their name, or at least co-sign with you. If they have bad or no credit, this could create issues.
When in doubt, call your local DMV with any questions you may have, and to work out the details of the situation ahead of time. Hint: You’ll also need to address insurance. If they already have a ride, use their current information, or call insurance companies to get information about what you're doing and to get the ball rolling.
Work with the Dealership on the Surprise
Many dealerships have a lot of knowledge, or the ability to get it efficiently and quickly. Because of this, you can let the dealership in on the surprise, and work with them to make it happen. This can also help ensure that it remains a secret until the big day because they'll know what's going on. Hint: Give a personal cell or work number so there is no risk of receiving a call at home if that is where the recipient lives.
Know Your Recipient
Nothing is worse than giving a big gift that someone doesn’t like, unless it’s a teen desperate for any ride. But in general, you should have an idea of what would work for the giftee, and what they would like. Make a list of what types of cars, trucks or SUVs they would want, and start researching, reading reviews and fine-tuning to make sure you can find a reliable, affordable car.
Give Yourself Time
Oftentimes, you need more than a few days to find the ideal car. Give yourself plenty of time to make it happen. Take your list of top choices and shop at dealerships with a good reputation. Look for specials—it's the holidays, and many dealerships will offer reduced pricing. Find the best deal possible.
Take it for a Spin
Don’t buy the car blind. You want to approach shopping for a gift vehicle the same way you would shop for a car for yourself. You’ll want to take it for a test drive, make sure there are no issues. Perform your own inspection, or take it to a reputable auto mechanic for a pre-purchase check if possible.
Getting Ready for the Big Reveal
The last part of giving a vehicle is keeping it secret until the big reveal. You’ll need a place to store it, and minimize who you tell. The night before or morning of, sneak out and get everything into place—or have a trusted friend ready to do it. A big red bow never hurts, and you can wrap a box with a note to go outside (or to the garage), or the keys.
Giving a car is an incredibly rewarding and special experience. Make sure you have all the information before you go for it.
