Do you love new cars?

Do you love the idea of driving them around for cash?

If so, did you know there’s a way to get paid to test drive cars?

Yes!  It’s 100% legitimate and you could make your money as early as today.  You won’t get rich, but it can a few extra dollars to your pocket every week.  Most of what I’m about to talk about pays anywhere between $30 to $60+ per test drive.

As with all of my guides, I never spew out garbage as everything you read here is honest and legit.  I only recommend services/tips that I only would use.

If you’re in the market for a new car or maybe you just want some cash while testing a new car, the tips I’m about to mention can help you do so.

First, understand how the process works

Below, I’m going to mention the two most popular ways in that you can test drive cars for money.

One popular way is simply by looking for dealership promotions, wherein they will give you a coupon and you bring it in for your cash/gift card after you test drive the car.  This process is one of the easiest options and can pay up to $50 in most cases.  You can either find them online, usually via the company’s official website, or you may have to be targeted to receive one.  Don’t worry as I will tell you how it works.

A second way is in what’s known as mystery shopping.  I have mentioned this process so many times on this blog, such as in my hotel mystery shopping and restaurant mystery shopper post.  In short, you will pose as a “mystery shopper,” where you will show up at a dealership and act as if you’re going to buy and/or test drive a car.  In many cases, you will have to drive the car and then fill out a report once you complete the job.  This opportunity can require more work, but it could pay much more, sometimes as much as $100+ per visit!  You’re still getting paid to test drive, however.

No matter what option you want, both of them are straight-forward.  Just read the directions and fine print, and as long as you follow it to a T, you shouldn’t have a problem getting your reward.

Now that you know how the process works in simpler terms, here are the many ways you can take advantage.

How to Test Drive New Cars for Money

In this first section, I want to talk about the easiest way to make money test driving a car.  It’s as easy as downloading a coupon, taking it in to the dealership and then getting your reward after you test drive a car.  Yes, it’s as easy as that.

Why is that?

Easy!  The dealerships want your information, and studies have shown, at least to some car brands, that they can recoup these costs after they contact you a few times in the future.  They wouldn’t do it if it didn’t make sense for them, right?

As I note below, these deals aren’t always available, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t find an offer.  However, in following all of these links, I can almost assure you that at least one will have an option active as of today.  No promises, though!

And, to qualify, you must be at least 18+ years old and have a valid driver’s license.  Some may require that you’re 25+.  Be sure to read the fine print before proceeding to know that you qualify.

NOTE:  These options won’t always work as it greatly depends on their current promotion and the supply.  In following these tips, you should be able to find at least one or two opportunities you can take advantage of today.

Get $40~ With Hyundai

Hyundai almost always offers a $40 test drive deal.  It won’t always pop up, but when it does, it’s an easy $40 to claim.  If you don’t want the prepaid $40 Visa card, you can also choose from a variety of gift cards, such as Amazon and Target.

To see if it’s currently available, just follow this link and then fill out the information by clicking on the “get your reward code” button near the bottom of the screen.  It will look something like this:

I have been following deals for quite some time and have almost always seen the $40 deal.  If you don’t, then keep checking back as it will pop up eventually.

Just fill out the information and take your coupon in to get your reward after your test drive.

• Website:  Hyundai

Get $50~ With Chrysler

Chrysler often offers $50 gift cards in exchange for test driving one of their newer vehicles.  This one can be tricky and not always available, but to trigger it, you will want to do the following.

First, you will want to visit the official Chrysler Dealership Locator and then find your local dealer by inputting your zip code.

In your search results, you will then want to click on a local dealer, followed by clicking on the “new inventory” tab.

In doing so, you should see a pop-up advertising, asking if you want to test drive a car for $50.  Remember, this won’t always pop up and sometimes can be targeted.  So, for that reason, consider using an incognito browser or keep checking back.  Again, I can’t stress it enough.  You won’t always see it.

If you’re lucky to trigger the pop-up ad, then you will enter your information, following by a code to get a coupon you can take to your local dealer.

• Website:  Chrysler

Drive a Dodge to Get $50

Dodge, much like the many I list here, offer $50 test drive coupons on occasions.

It’s as easy as the other ones mentioned, wherein you just need to find a dealer near you, click on inventory and then look for the pop-up, looking something like this:

I can’t stress it enough.  This offer may not be available as time goes on, and this can be said about a lot of these.  It will only take a few seconds of your time to see if you can trigger it.

• Website:  Dodge

$30 Test Driving a Subaru

Like Chrysler, this opportunity isn’t always available, but to trigger it, you will want to do the following:

First, you will want to head to the official Subaru website and find a local dealer near you.

Click on a dealer nearby and then on the “new inventory” link to take you the current list of cars.  In doing so, a pop-up should pop up, offering you a $35 gift card in exchange for a gift card, but it doesn’t always do so.

To trigger it, you may need to open an incognito tab or just check back in the future.  Just make sure your pop-up blocker is off so that you can see it!

• Website:  Subaru

$25+ With Nissan

Depending on when you click on the link, your reward could range anywhere from $25 to $50 in rewards.  From what I see, it really depends.

To activate this offer, you will want to head to the new inventory page located here.  This alone won’t trigger it like the other dealers I mentioned, so what you will want to do is click on a car of interest.  Depending on the time of the year, certain cars will trigger it.  For example, as I wrote this, the Nissan Rogue Compact Crossover would trigger it.

If you’re lucky enough to activate it, a pop-up will show, again, asking for information.  You will then take this code you receive into the dealer to claim.

• Website:  Nissan

$50 With Volvo

This is another one that’s not always active, but when it is, you can collect a cool $50 reward, either as a Visa prepaid card or in the form of a retailer gift card, such as an Amazon gift card.

To trigger this offer, it works much like the other dealers I mentioned.  You will want to head to the official Volvo dealership website and then click on the new car inventory portion of the website.

In doing this, you should see a pop-up advertisement, offering you $50 to test drive a Volvo.  Just click on this link, fill out the information and then “get my reward” to get a coupon that you can take to your local dealer.

• Website:  Volvo

Even More Dealers

The dealers I mentioned above offer test drive incentives more often than your other brands, but you may find that one of the brands I list below may offer one as well.  No guarantees, however!

Like the many already mentioned, every brand below will work in the same way.  Find a local dealer, click on the new inventory tab and see if you get some sort of pop-up.  Again, it’s not a guarantee, but it will only take you a minute.

To save your time, here’s a direct link to every dealership’s brand page.  Click on it and follow those directions mentioned prior to see if you can score a gift card/cash.  They will all work in a similar way.

• Buick
• Fiat
• Ford
• GMC
• Honda
• Infiniti
• Jeep
• Land Rover
• Lincoln
• Lexus
• Mazda
• MINI
• Toyota

TIP:  Bookmark Slickdeals for Even More Test Driving Deals

I often find a lot of my test driving opportunities through the very popular deals website, Slickdeals.

In short, this forum compiles hundreds of deals every day, and occasions, you find test driving opportunities throughout the month.  The website does an awesome job finding deals faster than most of us can.  For any deal, always make it a habit to come here first to make sure you’re getting the best value for your purchase.

Even if you don’t want to bookmark that link and check it out every day, you can always set up an alert through the site, using the “test drive” keyword so that you’re alerted any time a deal pops up.  If one does, then you will get an email.

The thing about these test driving opportunities is that they can go fast if people gobble them up.  For that reason, you will want to act fast to increase your chances of landing one.

• Website:  Slickdeals

Mystery Shopping to Test Drive Cars for Cash

In the section mentioned above, I talked about the many dealers that will often send you cash just for test driving a car.  It’s as simple as that, but let it be known that there are even more ways to make cash testing driving cars.

As mentioned in my introductory paragraph, you can also test drive cars via the many mystery shopping companies out there.  It’s as simple as signing up for these companies, getting approved and then selecting a test driving opportunity on the job board.  You get to work whenever you want and you get to choose the job you want.  It’s a fantastic, yet flexible side gig.  I wrote about how mystery shopping works in my 75+ best mystery shopping companies, so I recommend you at least check it out if you want to learn more about how the industry works.

In short, to succeed, you will just have to follow the directions and don’t blow your cover and you should be fine.  During most of these jobs, just to give you an idea as to what you will do, you will need to test their knowledge and/or how long it took the employee to meet with their manager.  Sometimes, you may have to see how clean the dealership and car is.  It really does vary.

If interested in shopping undercover, all while test driving a car, these are the mystery shopping companies to consider:

TIP:  Never EVER pay to join a mystery shopping company.  A legitimate company will never ask for any payment information… period!

Automotive Insights

As the name implies, Automotive Insights focuses on the automotive industry, working with dealers, supplies and vehicle manufacturers.

If you want to test drive cars, this is a company to consider as they always seem to have a ton of work all across the United States.

Most of the test drive opportunities pay about $50, and in some cases, you can perform more than one in a day if you live in a busier area with a lot of dealerships.  Follow the link below to learn about this opportunity.

• Website:  Automotive Insights

BestMark

According to the official website, BestMark works with a variety of car dealerships, with summer often being the busiest time of the year.

In most of the jobs you complete, you will be analyzing the customer service, from test driving the car to the actual negotiating.  While you won’t be purchasing the car, the car manufacturers often want to know how well a sales associate does in the sales process as well as what the final numbers may look like.  They also want to know how long your sales associate is gone for when meeting with the “manager.”  Again, your paperwork will tell you everything you need to know about the job.

BestMark has been in the business since 1986, covering more than 13,000 cities.  You can follow the link below for an application.

• Website:  BestMark

Business Evaluation Services

Business Evaluation Services was founded in 1996 and has been part of the Mystery Shopper Providers Association (MSPA) since 2001.

The company often posts dealership opportunities, many of which are part of your bigger name brands.  Most of the jobs pay up to $50+.

To become a shopper, you can follow the link below to the official application.

• Website:  Business Evaluation Services

IntelliShop

IntelliShop is yet another mystery shop company that often posts car dealership jobs.  The company is also part of the MSPA, the very reputable mystery shopping association.

If interested in becoming a mystery shopper, the company has a very in-depth FAQ, all of which cover what’s expected of you as well as how payments work.   Be sure to check it out if you’re interested in joining their platform.

• Website:  IntelliShop

Person to Person Quality

Person to Person Quality offers a variety of test driving opportunities throughout the United States.

With these jobs, it will be your duty to meet with a salesperson and then take a test drive.  Once completed, you will fill out a questionnaire after you leave the showroom.

Most jobs pay $45, but you can earn bonuses if you complete more than one visit.  To learn more, you can follow the link below, where they will explain the project more in detail.

• Website: Person to Person Quality

Shoppers’ View

Shoppers’ View pays an average of $50 for a “vehicle inquiry shop.” It will be your duty to pose as a customer and take a test drive if offered.  You will also observe the cleanliness as well as evaluate the service provided.

If you would like to learn more about what Shoppers’ View can offer, you can follow this link to watch a video.  It helps walk you through the registering process as well as teach you how the platform works.

If you want to skip the video, then you can follow the link below to go directly to the official application page.

• Website:  Shoppers’ View

Sinclair Service Assessments

Sinclair Service Assessments pays one of the highest rates for test drives, sometimes as much as $60+ per job.  While most of these jobs can take up to two hours to complete, depending on how far it is from your home, it still averages about $30+ an hour.  Not bad, right?

To become a new shopper, they do ask that you review the ” Information for Mystery Shoppers” document as well as pass the “New Shopper Challenge” in order to get approved.

The link below takes you directly to the application page where you can start the process.

• Website:  Sinclair Service Assessments

TIP:  Use JobSlinger, the #1 Mystery Shopping Job Board

There are a ton of mystery shopping companies out there, and I’m bound to miss some.  This is where JobSlinger can come into the picture.

Aside from applying directly to the companies mentioned above, I also recommend you check out the #1 job board, JobSlinger.com.

This job board will post hundreds of mystery shopping opportunities in your area, all based on your zip code on one page.  Just skim the list, and if you see a test driving opportunity, see which company is offering the gig as it acts like a job aggregator of sorts.  If you’re not a member of that particular company, then you can sign up and complete the job.

Aside from test driving gigs, it’s a great way to see what kind of mystery shopping jobs are out there in your area all in one place.  It’s 100% free to use.

• Website:  JobSlinger

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to print a coupon and make money tonight or you want to make money weekly mystery shopping, there are ways to make money test driving a car.  It’s up to you to decide which option works for you as I don’t have the answer as to what may work best in your situation.

In the end, just let it be known that it is, indeed, possible to earn cash while test driving a car.  You won’t earn much, but it could put $50 to $200 in your pocket by the end of the month.

Now, it’s your turn.

Have you test drove a car and made some cash?  If so, how was it?

Do you know of any other ways?  Again, I’d love to hear about it.

Feel free to sound off in the comments below.