Best New Cars for Holiday Gifts

Trying to gift a new car over the holidays? We’re bringing you some of the best deals right now and how gifting a car works!

The Yearly Holiday Car Commercial Trope

Woman receiving a car as a gift
Woman receiving a car as a gift

Every year, car manufactures like to play into the holidays with their marketing campaigns. There’s the Happy Honda Days, Toyotathon, Lexus December to Remember, The Season of Audi, RAM’s Big Finish, and plenty of other punny sales events related to the winter holidays that are all popping up as dealerships work to move their new and incoming inventory. Alongside those events is the classic commercial trope of a couple gifting each other a brand-new vehicle featuring that giant red bow on the roof.

While gifting a car this holiday may seem a bit much to some, there are those of you out there that are actually looking to follow through and gift a car to a loved one this holiday. So, we compiled some great deals on current models for different people in your life to see if we can’t help make gifting a car a little easier. But first, we have to look at the process of actually gifting a car to someone.

How Gifting a Car Works 

Husband gifting his wife with a car
Husband gifting his wife with a car

Obviously, the first step in gifting a car is making sure the person on the other end actually wants or can handle a new car. Let’s start with some worries to consider after handing over the car to recipient. Do they have a license? Can they afford insurance, gas, or any of the other expenses that come with owning a car? If so, then you’re in the clear to shell out the cash for one of these new cars.

Dropping a boxy Kia Soul in someone’s lap when they actually wanted a full-sized truck like the Ford F-150 isn’t going to go over very well, so you’ll want to figure out the right vehicle for them. One way to go about finding out their wants is to take a trip through some local car lots with them to gauge their interest in different makes, models, sizes, and even colors. Just play coy when they ask why you two are looking through dealerships though. There are also those car commercials I mentioned earlier that are playing in plenty of different places constantly, so you could use them as a conversation starter too.

Now that we’ve assessed the car that is being gifted, we get to talk about the less fun stuff, the finances, taxes, and other headaches. If the recipient of the new car happens to be your spouse or child that lives at your household, stuff can be a little easier. You can bring the car home overnight on a test drive with intent to purchase, surprise them with the new vehicle, and have them co-sign some of the ownership paperwork from there.

Bow on a key fob
Bow on a key fob

Wanting to outright gift that car with no attachment to you in the end? You’re going to want to completely own that vehicle, title and all. You can’t completely gift a car to someone if it is actually owned by a financial institution that you’re still making payments to, so any payments will need to be completed. Once any financial circumstances are taken care of, you can bring the title to the DMV to transfer over to the recipient. Be aware, different states have different ways they handle gifting cars. Some are as easy as handing over the keys, while others may have some additional taxes based off of the price of the vehicle, so be ready to throw more cash at this present.

Still ready to gift a car this holiday? Here are a couple of suggestions to look out for at dealerships. Not only do these cars have pretty great incentives this December, we’ve also bucketed them into some niches to help with shopping for that perfect gift.

Best Car to Gift New Drivers

2021 Chevrolet Malibu - media.chevrolet.com
2021 Chevrolet Malibu - media.chevrolet.com

So, your kid has grown up, gotten their license, and is ready to tackle the streets on their own? How exciting! They grow up so fast. Well, we know you’re still a parent and want your child to stay safe on the roads, so the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu may be a great choice. Jump for the LS trim or up to gain access a host of advanced safety features and the Teen Driver Technology system that keeps track of your new driver’s speed, music volume, and plenty of other helpful metrics when they’re out driving alone. The 2021 Chevrolet Malibu LS has an MSRP of $23,395 and the Red Tag event going on combined with the added Customer Cash can knock $1,000 off that price.

Best Family Vehicle to Gift Growing Families

2021 Ford Expedition - ford.com
2021 Ford Expedition - ford.com

Are car rides getting too cramped in the rear seats and causing a fuss? It may be time to surprise your spouse with a new family hauler that you’ve both been dreaming of. Ford has a great option in their 2021 Ford Expedition. Three rows of seating, plenty of cargo room, available dual-headrest screens for rear occupant entertainment, and six USB ports to keep those iPads charged. Speaking of which, those iPads can even be hooked up to the internet via FordPass Connect’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot, so the kiddos can each listen to different versions of Baby Shark on repeat. As for the deal on this full-sized family SUV, Ford is ready to finance it with you for 0% APR over 60 months with prices starting at $50,595. They’ll even knock off $1,000 that price at some dealerships near you.

Best Truck to Gift That Special Someone

2022 RAM 1500 - media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
2022 RAM 1500 - media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Have a hard worker in your life that’s been dealing with a rusty old farm truck for years now? Can’t go wrong with a brand new 2022 RAM 1500, especially with 0% financing for 72 months and no monthly payments for 90 days. RAM has really upped their game when it comes to building a great truck. They have some of the nicest interiors, best powertrains, and their added equipment like the RamBox or Multifunction Tailgate make that truck bed the ultimate tool. Plus, the TRX is a pretty awesome truck too if you think they’d want a little more power at the pedal.

Coolest Vehicle to Gift This Year

2022 Kia Stinger - kiamedia.com
2022 Kia Stinger - kiamedia.com

I know there are plenty of cars that can be considered cool, but not many of them come with a good deal too. The 2022 Kia Stinger is Kia’s fun sports sedan that offers a turbocharged four-cylinder or a much more enticing twin-turbo V6 engine sending power to all four wheels. Inside is a standard 10.25” infotainment touchscreen and some seriously sporty appointed interior. As for the deal you can expect this holiday, the 2022 Kia Stinger starts at $36,090 with 0% financing for 60 months and Kia will knock off up to $1,500 in cash back offers if you splurge a bit for the GT1 or GT2 trims.

Most Affordable Car to Gift This Holiday

2022 Mitsubishi Mirage - mitsubishicars.com
2022 Mitsubishi Mirage - mitsubishicars.com

While a lower priced car option may not be as exciting as some of the options above, it’s still a free car for the recipient in the end. The 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage is a subcompact hatchback that can reach a combined 39 mpg, has a great list of standard safety tech, and a great set of warranties only matched by the likes of Hyundai and Kia. Mitsubishi doesn’t have much in the way of additional incentives for this model, but a starting MSRP of $14,645 on a brand-new car isn’t too shabby all things considered.

Still Not Sure Which One to Go With?

Woman online shopping
Woman online shopping

Not quite the models you were looking for? Well, we’ve gone through and found plenty of other current financing, leasing, and cash back deals out there this month in our December Car Incentives article. And don’t be afraid to shop for a used car option on CarsForSale.com, as there are plenty of great options out there ready to be sent off with that giant red bow.

Related Comparison Articles

Get These Cars at 0% APR Right Now

Hyundai Elantra vs Mazda3

The Greenest Car of 2024 Isn’t an EV

Tags:
Jesse McGraw

Jesse McGraw brings his life-long car obsession into his writing. A fun childhood that involved growing up around race tracks, working on a rusty ‘99 Dodge Dakota held together by zip ties, and collecting Hot Wheels developed into a strong appreciation for automotive history. If there is an old, obscure, or rare car, he wants to know about it. With a bachelor's degree in Web Development & Design from Dakota State University, Jesse can talk shop about car or computer specs, focusing on classic cars, imports, and car culture.

  • 1

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share
Tweet
Pin