Giving gifts doesn’t need to be reserved for the most wonderful time of the year. Sometimes, gifts aren’t for holidays or even birthdays, but crucial milestones in one’s life. For example, if someone you know purchased a car for the first time, that’s cause for celebration. I’ve put together a list of five gifts I believe are perfect for any first-time car owner. Some gifts I’ll mention would have been greatly appreciated when I purchased my first car, while others are gifts I did receive and got me off on the right foot.
Gas Gift Card
This one is self-explanatory, but if you’re buying a gift for a new driver who just purchased their first car, you should buy them a gas gift card. When I began driving my first vehicle, I remember being a bit nervous financially because I had just signed for the largest loan I have ever had. Those who recently acquired their first car are likely in a similar boat, and saving money may become a priority wherever possible. It’s not until you drive your own car you begin to feel the inconvenience of paying for gas.
With a gas gift card, you can save a new driver money on as many gas station trips as you see fit. For example, my first car was a Toyota Camry, which is a highly fuel-efficient sedan. Throwing $20 in the tank leads to a sufficient amount of fuel that can last for days or even a week.
If they commute with their first car, a gas station gift card is invaluably beneficial for the first days or weeks of car ownership. My recommendation for a gas card is to aim for a minimum of $20, but I guarantee you’ll get a strong and immensely thankful reaction if you go for $50 or $100 denominations. I wish someone had given me a gas station gift card when I purchased my first car, and there’s a chance that you may feel similarly, so be the difference maker in your friend or family’s introduction to the open road.
Mirror-Mounted Air Freshener
When growing up, everyone has heard about the “new car smell.” For many, it’s an easily understandable concept, and if you’ve ever sat in a parent’s new car, you get the jist. However, until you’re sitting in your car, you just don’t fully appreciate the fresh scent of a new car.
Many dealerships freshen and clean the interior of a used car before it’s purchased, meaning even pre-owned vehicles can smell like a new car without full detailing. If you know someone who recently purchased their first car, I assure you they’re enjoying a new car smell. Even if they’re driving a 25-year-old vehicle previously owned by a heavy smoker, the dealership has eliminated the odor and has made it not only bearable to sit in, but pleasant too.
A new car smell is real, but it doesn’t last forever. Along with the interior’s scent changing for various reasons, even a hot bag of fries or a large pizza in the passenger seat filling the aroma, you naturally become accustomed to smells, meaning it doesn’t take long for the new car smell to become anything but a memory. When I sit in my car nowadays, I don’t think “new car.” It’s simply “my car.” Whoever you’re buying a gift for who recently purchased their first vehicle, consider choosing a mirror-mounted air freshener to keep the interior smelling fresh for months.
If you know your friend’s or family member’s favorite scent, there are plenty to choose from to make the smell of their first car’s interior fresh or delicious. As for me, my first air freshener was one aptly named “New Car Smell.” It’s hard to explain, but after smelling the air freshener, it’s easy to see what they mean. I recommend buying a two- or three-pack, especially if you want to use one for your vehicle.
Steering Wheel Cover
A steering wheel cover is a great gift for a first-time car owner. Granted, steering wheel covers are tricker to shop for as a gift because you not only have to consider the driver’s taste in style, but it’s also helpful to know the type of car they drive. Knowing the color of the steering wheel isn’t a bad idea, either. After I purchased my first vehicle on the week of my birthday, my mother and I went shopping at our local Wal-Mart, and she gifted me a few items for my car. One of the items was a steering wheel cover, which she knew I had grown a liking for after learning how to drive in her car. It had a nice, albeit rather flashy, steering wheel cover that was not my style, but it was enough to introduce me to the idea of using a steering wheel cover.
Let’s say the person you’re buying the gift for has recently purchased a 2010 Honda Accord. A quick Google search of its interior will tell you everything you need to know. Many steering wheel covers are made to fit different types of steering wheels, but regularly, common cars like Accords, Camrys, Corollas, and Civics, among others, are easy to find compatible steering wheel covers for anywhere you can buy them. One of the reasons why I enjoy steering wheel covers is because they add girth to your steering wheel. I prefer a thick steering wheel, and in my first car, the Camry’s steering wheel was a bit too thin for my liking. After a strenuous 15 minutes of putting the steering wheel cover on, it quickly became a favorite part of driving my car, so treat that newly licensed driver you know to an excellent steering wheel cover.
Seat Covers
Seat covers are a thoughtful gift for anyone who just purchased their first car. However, as I mentioned with the steering wheel covers, shopping for a seat cover isn’t the simplest, although you’re far more likely to find one-size-fits-all covers for seats than steering wheels. The reason why shopping for seat covers may be tricky again comes down to style and color. You can Google their car’s interior and make an educated guess on what color seat covers they may enjoy. Visualize how the interior looks in your head with black, grey, or white seat covers, for example, or ask the car’s owner what their favorite color is.
The great part about seat covers is that they’re inexpensive yet highly effective. Seat covers add some visual flourish to the cabin of your friend or family member’s car and protect the cloth, leather, or leatherette from tears, stains, and spills. Protecting the seating material makes the interior spotless, and resale values can remain high. Seating covers are regularly machine washable, too, so your friend or family member doesn’t need to feel bad about spilling their large milkshake on the passenger seat.
Cleaning Materials
It may sound boring on the surface and like something you’d expect Danny Tanner from Full House to give us a gift, but cleaning materials are an excellent gift for a first-time car owner. Cars get messy over time, like any room in the house, whether it’s food crumbs on the carpet, leaves that flew in when the door was opened, or dirt from the bottom of a shoe. In my case, I have a dog that sheds, and the hair that gets on my clothing finds its way into my car, on the radio screen, on the dashboard, etc. Even if the person you’re buying gifts for doesn’t have a shedding pet, dust can still build around a cabin.
Keeping a car clean isn’t difficult with the right supplies. Some of the supplies you should consider include anti-static dust cloths used to clean infotainment centers, radio screens, clocks, and gauges. A screen cleaner and an anti-static cloth can also clean mirrors like your rearview mirror. While you’re at it, consider buying a handheld vacuum for your friend or loved one to store in their trunk and use at a moment’s notice. With a handheld vacuum, they don’t need to be near a power source to clean their car, nor spend any money to use the vacuum at a car wash facility.
My Final Piece of Advice
If you’re shopping for someone who recently purchased their first car, I have a few last parting words of advice for you. Regardless of what gift you purchase, they may find uses for it, even if they didn’t intend to buy a steering wheel, seat cover, or even an air freshener. Gifts like cleaning supplies and a gas card may not be flashy, but they’re important and will be used. I must insist that you always ask for a gift receipt when purchasing someone a present, even if it’s to swap a strawberry-scented air freshener for a pineapple one.
