Great Car-Related Gifts for Teens

Being in the automotive business, we like to give useful gifts to teens that encourage them to care for their cars and drive safely. Here are some of our favorites in a variety of price ranges:

• Oil change gift cards
• Gas gift cards
• Car wash gift certificate
• iPod dock for cars or a new car radio with an ipod adaptor. (We got one for our daughter. She connects her iPod, selects a playlist and is less distracted about changing radio stations or flipping CDs.)
• Steering wheel or car seat covers
• CD holder for the car
• GPS – especially great for teens going off to college

Recommended Books for the New Driver

Lauren Fix’s Guide to Loving Your Car by Lauren Fix, The Car Coach This informative book covers many items a car owner/driver should know. Lauren discusses everything from how to purchase a car to driving tips, maintenance you can do yourself and vehicle vocabulary. One of our favorite parts of this book is the “What if…” section on handling emergencies. “What if my Check engine light comes on? What if my brakes fail? What if I have a blowout on the road?” Perfect for having handy in the glove compartment.

Every Woman’s Quick & Easy Car Care – A Worry-Free Guide to Car Troubles, Trials & Travels by Bridget Kachur This book explains how cars work using easy to understand pictures and diagrams. It gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do basic maintenance yourself. Kachur includes a great troubleshooting section on what symptoms might mean and discusses what to do during a variety of on-the-road emergencies.

This Girl's First Car: Teenage Girls Guide to Safe Car Care & Easy Maintenance Tips by Stephanie Esterlin This is a very small book that lends itself to being kept in the glove box. It covers most of the basics, like changing a tire and how to jump start a dead battery. We don’t agree with her recommendation to change the oil every 6 months (click here to know why) but otherwise think it’s a useful basic book.