It’s a common theme in car ads. Assuming you really want to buy someone a new car, and have it delivered as a surprise in their driveway, is it as easy as it looks? If you don’t want to be responsible for any ongoing costs, such as registration and insurance, don’t you need some kind of consent, including paperwork and documentation?
Side question: do car dealerships actually have those big bows to put on the car?
If you buy it for your spouse or child, it’s not hard. It won’t be titled in his or her name but likely will not care. You just add it to your existing family policy, and register it in your own name. If necessary the recipient(s) can be added to the title later.
I’ve only known it done for a high schooler as a graduation gift. Yes the dealer did put a huge blue and yellow (colors of the high school) bow on it and deliver it to the house during the graduation party.
There was an ad running back at Christmas time where some guy surprises his wife with not one but two giant honkin’ GMC pickups in the driveway. Thing that bothered me was, how did he manage to buy two vehicles AND get them home without her knowing anything about it? I figured either he’s really good at sneaking around on her, or she’s dumber than a box of rocks. (Possibly both.)
A big problem is if the recipient would prefer a different car or different color, you can’t just return or exchange the car. It’s not as if this is something you’re buying from a department store. I’d recommend just borrowing the car from the dealer, and then, assuming the recipient wants that one, returning to do the paperwork. BTW, Lexus dealers at least do have the big bows. My mother bought a new Lexus a few years ago and they did this for her.
(My mother considering doing the whole buy-a-new-car for someone and put in in the driveway but my stubborn-as-a-mule brother refused the offer. He’d rather continue driving his nearly thirty year old Camry.)
Actually, you can. Carvana, and at least one of the chain used car dealers offer a seven day no questions return policy.
I was thinking of a new car purchase.
As to whether it happens, actually it does sometimes. Here’s a recent article about the phenomenon. It says, “So many people give costly cars as presents that gift sales can make up 10 percent or more of December sales for luxury auto dealers, brand representatives and dealers say.”
I gave my wife a new car for her birthday some years ago. I knew which model and color. I didn’t put it in the driveway with a big bow (especially since we don’t have a driveway). Rather I just made an excuse for us to drive by that dealership when it was ready for pick up, suggested we take a look as long as nearby, ‘isn’t that one over there like the one you wanted?’ etc. It went over well.
How many people do you think would buy a surprise car for someone that they don’t live with? I’m guessing almost 100% are for either a spouse or child they live with, which means it could just be an additional (or replacement) car on your policy.
Yes, some dealers have them.
At least some dealers will let you take a car for an extended test drive w/o them, sometimes overnight. I have a small garage & won’t buy any car before it’s seen the inside of my garage & have actually ruled a car out because it failed this test. I could get it into the garage but couldn’t open the rear/hatch because the pivot angle would cause it to hit the (closed) garage door.
I also had a neighbor who bought a gift car for their eldest, no huge bow, though. They have three kids who are in lots of various sports & other activities. They got a lease for < $200 a month. It made their life easier since they not only didn’t need to worry about getting her to/from practice but she could help with transport of her siblings. This meant one parent could actually cook a meal at home which saved them on takeout costs.
Interesting takeaway from the ad. I think they failed. 
Hey, where’s Beck? Sedona Orange Metallic…
I’m here. Mr.Wrekker bought me this orange Escape completely w/o my knowledge. Furthermore he was out of state and did it completely from his cell phone. He has a long history with this Ford dealership. In fact his cousin is the Service manager. I coulda jumped up and down and pitched a fit at his little surprise. But it was just pointless to do so. Now I’m zipping around the boonies of S. Arkansas in my Orange flash! Trying to lay low and dodge Trooper Meany-pants.
P.S. I’m not dumber than a box of rocks, just a little pre-occupied and spacey.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. It’s certainly easy if it’s all in one household. There’s actually an ad out now in which I think a grandfather has a car in his driveway. The daughter asks why he didn’t buy his dream car. And then he hands her the keys because his new dream is taking care of the grandkid. I wish I remembered the brand, but it is what prompted my question.
My dad used to do this all the time for my mom. She used to find out she was getting a new car when he would take hers out to fill it with gas and come back a couple hours later with her new one. He never put the big bow on it though. I think he used to put both of their names on the title so either of them could trade it in but he always did the car shopping.
When I shopped for my most recent car, several dealers offered to deliver it if I so wished. Delivery is easy to arrange.
I’ve never tried to take the car off the lot without registration and insurance so I don’t know how that would work. If you finance the car, I’m pretty sure that the loan agreement specifies that you will register and keep it insured, so I don’t think the dealer will release the car to you without that in place. Perhaps if you pay cash, the dealer won’t care about whether it’s registered or insured and they will just dump it in your driveway.
Insurance is easy to arrange for online or on the phone. Registration takes place when you pay sales tax and go to the DMV to get tags. Most dealers put a temporary tag on for you to drive it off the lot.
(In Arkansas. YMMV)
You make a good point that the need for insurance and registration before delivery will vary by state. I only mentioned insurance and registration because the OP specifically wanted to make those things the recipient’s problem. I’m just observing that not arranging for insurance and registration might make buying someone else a car more complicated rather than less.
My wife is way too picky to buy her a new vehicle. However, I did buy myself a new vehicle while she was taking a nap at home and surprised her with it!
I worked at a car dealership years ago. People came in and bought cars as gifts or didn’t want to trade in the cars they drove to the dealership fairly often. Usually the sales person would come back and grab a porter, (shop kid that washed the cars on the lot and other odd jobs), who would follow the sales person delivering the new car. Normally the porter would drive the sales person’s demo car for the trip.
Adding a name to the title may or may not be that simple.
I bought a new car (for myself). I have always had our cars jointly registered to my wife and me, but because she was not there to sign the paperwork they would only title it in my name. There was also a loan on the car.
I went to have the title changed later. The state told me that if there was a lien on the car the lien would also have to be updated before they change the title. The bank (Wells Fargo) told me that to update the lien they would have to refinance the loan, not just do a paperwork change. To change the loan they would have to quote me a different interest rate, which would be much higher than the existing one. So I’m waiting until I pay off the loan to change the title.
I wasn’t thinking of buying a car with a loan on it. I never have. If it does, it will be very complicated.
You are correct. I thought Carvana was new cars.
But a used car gift would make a great bit. The recipient comes out, gets all excited, starts it up, and smoke belches out the tailpipe and the engine falls out.
Comedy gold.