[Kabrich]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

The study is based on thefts entered in the National Crime Information Center database.

BMW shows up in second place with its 3 series, and again sixth place with the 5 Series in the study, which looks at thefts of 2010 to 2012 model year cars across the country.

See the complete luxury vehicle theft report and the background data.

The most-stolen list:

1. Mercedes-Benz C Class

2. BMW 3 Series

3. Infiniti G

4. Mercedes-Benz E-Class

5. Cadillac CTS

6. BMW 5 Series

7. Lincoln MKZ

8. Acura TSX

9. Lexus IS

10. Mercedes-Benz S-Class

EDIT: The original link here is now dead. You can see the release at the links prior to the above list.

[300hp]

Its the damn electric steering and poor suspension, that's why we did not make number 1

[dinonz]

It's only 328s that are stolen - 335s come with an Alarm so nobody would be able to steal those!

[JesseS]

Does this mean these are the most desirable at chop shops or the most easily stolen?

Hmmm....

[Poohbore]

Probably the easiest to steal.

In the UK we had the security recall over the obd port security.

[southbynorth]

328s dont have an alarm! Even the base model does in the UK

[southbynorth]

Originally Posted by Poohbore

Probably the easiest to steal.

In the UK we had the security recall over the obd port security.

Golf is the top stolen car in the UK

[SomeRandomer123]

Originally Posted by Poohbore

Probably the easiest to steal.

In the UK we had the security recall over the obd port security.

Yeah for the E Series models, not for F30.

[Bimmerfestool]

Originally Posted by southbynorth

Golf is the top stolen car in the UK

Not luxury.

[southbynorth]

If you say so - cant say there is a huge difference between the Golf and the 3 series interior - what makes the 3 series luxury, but not the Golf?

Edit. I'll clarify that. I have owned both cars. 17k down on a Golf bought me a 2ltr turbo diesel, leather heated seats, auto lights, auto wipers, cruise control, rear sensors.

The same spec on the 3 series cost me over 25k - and while its undoubtedly the better car - faster, larger, more fun to drive, I honestly dont think there is much gap in the interior spec which is what I would expect from the 'luxury' car - BMWs interior looks nicer, but isnt any better quality IMO

[300hp]

Originally Posted by southbynorth

If you say so - cant say there is a huge difference between the Golf and the 3 series interior - what makes the 3 series luxury, but not the Golf?

Edit. I'll clarify that. I have owned both cars. 17k down on a Golf bought me a 2ltr turbo diesel, leather heated seats, auto lights, auto wipers, cruise control, rear sensors.

The same spec on the 3 series cost me over 25k - and while its undoubtedly the better car - faster, larger, more fun to drive, I honestly dont think there is much gap in the interior spec which is what I would expect from the 'luxury' car - BMWs interior looks nicer, but isnt any better quality IMO

It's a US vs UK thing. State side people are more inclined to believe the Golf is nowhere near the 3 series. Over there people would not make such a big deal about it which is why you see Car magazine pitting the Golf against the 135i for example.

My 2 cents

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by dinonz

It's only 328s that are stolen - 335s come with an Alarm so nobody would be able to steal those!

Are you kidding me, the 328 doesn't come with an ALARM??!!!
Don't all cars do?

Glad I purchased the 335i as my first BMW, I would've been rip-roaring pissed had I found out about a lack of alarm post-purchase...

[jorgep03]

I have a 328i no line and it DID NOT come with an alarm!
Now reading this makes me think really seriously to install a factory alarm, any idea
how much it will be????

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

Are you kidding me, the 328 doesn't come with an ALARM??!!!
Don't all cars do?

Glad I purchased the 335i as my first BMW, I would've been rip-roaring pissed had I found out about a lack of alarm post-purchase...

My last 328i didn't either!

Still, I wonder at the point of an alarm these days. Studies have shown that generally it just pisses people off with the noise rather than causes them to go check and scare away anyone who might be stealing your car.

[doublevanosrc]

Originally Posted by dinonz

It's only 328s that are stolen - 335s come with an Alarm so nobody would be able to steal those!

The alarm doesn't help unless someone is trying to take articles from inside the car. All BMWs have coded driveaway protection which is what matters when stealing a car. A 335 can be taken as easy as any other BMW model.

[Stillhart]

I'd be curious to see a list based on the numbers of those luxury cars on the road. I suspect there's a strong correlation between the two lists.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by doublevanosrc

The alarm doesn't help unless someone is trying to take articles from inside the car. All BMWs have coded driveaway protection which is what matters when stealing a car. A 335 can be taken as easy as any other BMW model.

Yeah - as you see in my post just above yours, I don't think much of car alarms these days. The thing I like the most about my car alarm in my 335i is that it chirps when I shut the doors. My 328i would only blink the lights in silence

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by Stillhart

I'd be curious to see a list based on the numbers of those luxury cars on the road. I suspect there's a strong correlation between the two lists.

Also, doing a bit of statistical analysis (i.e. making shit up) we can get a few bits of data. Sort of.

They said 4384 luxury cars were stolen in 2 years. So given they listed 10, if we presume those were the only 10, then 438 and a few parts of each were stolen on average.

So we can roughly guestimate that the Caddy and 5 Series were about the 438 mark. So maybe the 3 Series was about the 500 mark?

500 out of how many 2010, 2011 and 2012 models sold in the US? Anyone?

[Kabrich]

Originally Posted by Stillhart

I'd be curious to see a list based on the numbers of those luxury cars on the road. I suspect there's a strong correlation between the two lists.

Well, people are not going to steal cars that no one wants or drive.

[Kabrich]

Originally Posted by dinonz

Also, doing a bit of statistical analysis (i.e. making shit up) we can get a few bits of data. Sort of.

They said 4384 luxury cars were stolen in 2 years. So given they listed 10, if we presume those were the only 10, then 438 and a few parts of each were stolen on average.

So we can roughly guestimate that the Caddy and 5 Series were about the 438 mark. So maybe the 3 Series was about the 500 mark?

500 out of how many 2010, 2011 and 2012 models sold in the US? Anyone?

Your assumptions of only 10 models being stolen in a bad hypothesis, just as your statement that a 335i could not be stolen, only a 328i.

[300hp]

Originally Posted by Kabrich

Your assumptions of only 10 models being stolen in a bad hypothesis.

+1

Use the 80/20 rule that should make it better

[dinonz]

Here's another copy of the article:

http://news.yahoo.com/nicb-issues-re...100000796.html

Even better is about 2/3 of the way down are links to the original report and original data. I've not looked at the data yet but could be interesting...