10 Excellent Holiday Gift Ideas for the Automotive Enthusiast or Traveler in Your Life

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Some people love video games, others love technology, and further still, some love cars. If you know anyone like that in your life — the auto enthusiast, specifically — it can be tough to shop for them. Cars are expensive, after all, and accessories for those vehicles can be just as tough to shop for. That means, you need to find gear they can use in or around their car or in their garage, which, again, is not the easiest category of items to shop for, especially if you’re not a knowledgable car mechanic yourself.

With the holiday sales in full swing, some excellent discounts to be had and lots of gear ready to fly off the shelves, now’s a good time as any to explore some car-related holiday gift ideas for the automotive enthusiasts in your life. Here are some of the top recommends:

1. Portable Jump Starter

Jumper cables are essentially that one required item everyone should carry in case the battery in their vehicle dies. But a step up from that are portable jump starters. They’re pretty much what you’d expect — they’re a powerful battery pack with enough energy stored to jump start a vehicle even with a dead battery. They are a miracle in a compact form when your battery is completely dead, even more so if you’re in the middle of nowhere and there aren’t any drivers around to give you a jump start.

Some jump starters are even multi-functional with a built-in portable air compressor to fill the air in your tires, too. They make an excellent gift for everyone, no matter how into cars they are because they’re more of an emergency preparedness item. You never know when you’re going to need to jump your car’s battery.

2. OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner

An Innova OBD2 diagnostic scanner is the perfect gift for mechanics and car DIY enthusiasts. Even the simplest code reader allows you to diagnose common problems with your vehicle by reading computer-specific codes, some at the dealer-level. Scanners are precisely the same kind of tools professional mechanics and dealership service centers use. There’s no reason not to have one handy at home.

For basic repairs, go with the Innova 1000. For more advanced diagnostics, check out the Innova 5210 or the Innova 5610 bidirectional scanner.

3. Mechanics Tool Set

Engine problems. Loose bumper or chassis parts. Fans or filters that need replacing. With all of these potential problems, at some point, tools are going to be necessary to dig into the vehicle and get a task done. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have a set of mechanics tools available, particularly a set of wrenches and ratchets.

Amazon Basics, Dewalt, and some other brands offer excellent and well-priced sets with everything you, or your recipient needs. The best part about giving a toolset like this as a gift is it already comes packed neatly inside a box.

4. Electric Screwdriver

There’s no sense in manually spinning or cranking a screwdriver when you can simply press a button. That’s what electric screwdrivers are for. They take different bits, similar to a drill, and you usually charge via USB-C, making them portable and handheld. When you’re ready to do some work you just press the button to tighten or loosen screws and that’s it. Easy. Convenient. What a wonderful gift idea.

They’re more lightweight than a drill and don’t put out as much power or force. As for why you’d use them, they’re great for assembling furniture, working in or around small electronics or interacting with vehicle components and parts.

5. All-Season Car Cover

If you know someone that has a car sitting outside or even in an old garage an all season cover can be incredibly helpful. They come in a variety of sizes and styles but the point is to protect the exterior of the vehicle from sun damage, dust and other nasties, even critters.

Car covers are not expensive at all but they offer years and years of protection. So, really, they’re one of those gifts that are relatively low-hanging fruit and accessible but offer tons of value. Imagine giving a car cover during a game of White Elephant though?

6. Smart Lighting for the Garage or Shop

More of a category, smart garage lights come in many shapes and styles, including different colors for the lighting. RGB strip lights, for example, offer a neon glow. More professional looking white and warm glow lights can be installed in different ways. There are some that mount to the ceiling, attach to fixtures via magnets or they screw right into a regular bulb outlet. At any rate, lights are a great way to liven up a space and in a garage, while doing repairs, they can be a huge help.

The important part is that bulbs and lights always go bad, so even if the recipient has lights they’re eventually going to need replacements and that’s where your gift is a stand-in.

7. A Customized Sign

Nothing says this is my space like a fully customized and illuminated sign and that’s the idea behind this gift. It’s not expensive but it is personalized and whoever you give it to is going to love it. It also works as a tongue in cheek gift even if the person doesn’t have a garage or a shop.

The model picked out here comes in various colors, but you can also find more simple lights with whites and a yellow, warm glow. Not everything has to be colorful and snazzy.

8. Seat Belt Cutter and Multi-Tool

Dangerous scenarios are not exactly the best to think about. But sometimes, it’s important to think ahead and plan for various emergencies. For example, if and when your vehicle goes over an embankment or off a bridge into some water what are you going to do to get out? Water starts pouring in fast and the pressure can make it difficult to open the door or windows or even break the glass. Cue this Amazon Basics emergency belt cutter and window hammer tool. It can get you out and back onto dry land quickly and safely.

It makes for a solid “just-in-case” gift for friends and family, too. Bonus points if you grab one for the new, amateur driver in your life.

9. Electric Car Jack

Pretty much all modern cars have a jack tucked away somewhere inside. While that’s excellent for roadside emergencies if you have a flat, it’s not the best when you’re trying to do some repairs or extra work. An electric car jack, on the other hand, is super convenient and does all the heavy lifting with minimal effort. One-button lifting, for example, raises the vehicle to the necessary height in seconds — no twisting or cranking levers.

They’re not expensive either so that also makes electric car jacks a fantastic gift for car mechanics and DIY fixers.

10. An In-Car Fridge or Cooler

Whether hanging out in the garage doing mechanic stuffs, on the road headed to visit friends and family, or camping out in a local park, it’s always a good idea to have some cold storage for food and snacks. An in-car refrigerator or cooler is the next best thing, offering a place to store cold beverages, meats, even dairy for a temporary period. You could even use it to keep your groceries cold after picking them up from the store.

The BougeRV model shown above uses low power to keep everything cold, which ensures it’s not draining your car battery when in use — that’s always a plus. Surprisingly, they’re not that expensive either, making them highly accessible but thoughtful gifts for friends and family.

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