Is the M135i targeted by thieves as much as s3/golf r

[Martin brown]

Hi,
Contemplating buying a m135i. Having seen a few threads regarding golf r and s3 being stolen regularly, wanted to know if anyone has had the same experience with the BM (being a fast hatch)?

I'm not Rambo and have a kid on the way so if there is a good chance of having people breaking in for the keys I will pass for something else! It's just not worth the risk.

Cheers
Martin

[turboman786]

Probably not as much as the R or S3 but still very desirable by scum. ....and enough to get your house broken into I'd imagine.....

Personally I think all new performance cas are a target for this breed of amoeba

[anonymous-user]

a lot is to do with where you live.

[sjg]

I leased one for two years. It didn't get stolen.

I have had just one car stolen over the years: a diesel Honda Civic. I don't really factor how likely something is to be stolen when I decide on a car. Unlike the internet hardmen that usually pop up on these threads, I'm not willing to put my (or anyone else in my family) life at risk over it, that's what insurance is for.

[J4CKO]

This is of interest to me, my thinking is that it is of less interest for the thieves as it isnt as good for doing an armed robbery in, mainly as it is only 2wd, a 135i wouldnt see which way a Golf R went if its wet, even in the dry the R seems to be regarded as quicker point to point, so if you are trying to get away from the Police, the R is the choice, great for ram raids as well, has always been the case for the 4wd VAG stuff.


I am sure that the BMW is still desirable to scum but not as much, still good for blasting about in and maybe to put in a container to send abroad but I think that is more something that happens with the SUV's, Q7's and X5's etc as they are in big demand abroad, but a small hatch with a big engine, probably less so.

I would get 5 door in white with the model designation delete, perhaps stick a 116i badge on or just leave it debadged, am sure the anoraks liek us can tell but probably more likely to get overlooked, I like the lack of clues to the performance.

[j80jpw]

A lady in the next street to me had her new 135i stolen from her drive, they walked in through her unlocked front door, took the keys from the kitchen while she was upstairs and drove it off. I live in a small quiet village outside Ely in Cambridgeshire, not exactly crime central. I believe it was found parked up in a residential street a few days later, not local but not sure where though.

Coincidentally my 2010 520d m-Sport touring was stolen from my drive without the keys around 3 years ago. No trace of it since,

I'm quite sure these were both part of a well organised group and knicked to order. I suspect these cars are chosen from a database somewhere, a database that shows the address of the vehicle. My car was on my drive well hidden from the road and I'd only had it a few months, the thieves were well aware of the security flaw that series of car had. Not an opportunist type crime. If your car is chosen they will take it irrespective of where you live.

Edited by j80jpw on Sunday 15th January 22:53

[thebraketester]

Put a 116d badge on the back of it and run it on steel wheels. Job done.

[legless]

A neighbour of mine had his M135i stolen from him around 2 years ago, after they followed him home and made him hand over the keys by pointing a gun at his 3 year old son.

The car's never been seen again, so suspect it was loaded into a container and shipped abroad.

The neighbour in question now drives a bog-standard middle-of-the-range Fiesta. That experience shook him up so much that he never wants to stand out from the crowd again.

Edited by legless on Sunday 15th January 23:07

[Matttrakker]

I think people worry too muchabout this because it's been news worthy.
As a cop I report many many cars stolen over a month, usually none are a golf R or an s3. Lots of Land Rover type cars but there's no specific pattern in nw London that I'm aware of. Perhaps scooters and motor bikes but they are easy to steal.
It definitely depends on location too.
I drive a golf r and have never considered buying on what might not get stolen.
Should the worst happen, I'm not going to fight anyone for the keys either, it's a just a car I'd rather that was stolen than these ****s coming upstairs.

[JQ]

Martin brown said:

Hi,
Contemplating buying a m135i. Having seen a few threads regarding golf r and s3 being stolen regularly, wanted to know if anyone has had the same experience with the BM (being a fast hatch)?

I'm not Rambo and have a kid on the way so if there is a good chance of having people breaking in for the keys I will pass for something else! It's just not worth the risk.

Cheers
Martin

The S3 is the most stolen car in the UK, with 0.85% of S3's stolen each year, or to put it another way, 99.15% aren't stolen. It's not exactly a foregone conclusion an S3's going to get stolen.

[culpz]

It is a real shame that something like this needs some proper consideration before buying a car. It's hardly surprising in today's world though, unfortunately.

It is a risk. I think any well-known high performance models/brands will be more likely to be nicked but, then again, there are just some common scum out there willing to nick anything for a quick joy-ride out for a bit.

What i'm saying is, you could have the car you really want and have no issues. Yet, the cheaper/less desirable car you bought instead, ends up getting nicked. It's just a complete gamble. Life's too short to let scumbags dictate to you your choice of car, especially as an enthusiast.

Saying that, my above example could go the other way or even neither of them get pinched in the end. Obviously, family is more important than any car or possession and for some people, just the potential of anything like this happening or having to watch over their shoulder has been more than enough reason for them to get rid. I do understand why you would do so though.

[stewies_minion]

Had mine a year and it's still in my possession.

They're not exactly shouty and I'm sure most people don't know what they are.

[Gareth79]

JQ said:

Martin brown said:

Hi,
Contemplating buying a m135i. Having seen a few threads regarding golf r and s3 being stolen regularly, wanted to know if anyone has had the same experience with the BM (being a fast hatch)?

I'm not Rambo and have a kid on the way so if there is a good chance of having people breaking in for the keys I will pass for something else! It's just not worth the risk.

Cheers
Martin

The S3 is the most stolen car in the UK, with 0.85% of S3's stolen each year, or to put it another way, 99.15% aren't stolen. It's not exactly a foregone conclusion an S3's going to get stolen.

It's much more likely to be stolen in some areas than others though. My boss' S3 was stolen off the street in central London just before Christmas.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Gareth79 said:

It's much more likely to be stolen in some areas than others though. My boss' S3 was stolen off the street in central London just before Christmas.

also if the owner was smart enough not to spec keyless entry

[FN2TypeR]

sjg said:

I leased one for two years. It didn't get stolen.

I have had just one car stolen over the years: a diesel Honda Civic. I don't really factor how likely something is to be stolen when I decide on a car. Unlike the internet hardmen that usually pop up on these threads, I'm not willing to put my (or anyone else in my family) life at risk over it, that's what insurance is for.

Same, I was putting a motorbike away late one night when two chaps came down the driveway with a crowbar

Take it, it's yours.

I phoned the coppers and it turned out that numerous bikes had been stolen, usually with the keys often through a break in, from the area - the people in question, eventually caught, were traveling in from another area to steal 'em, they saw me, followed me home and took their chance with it being dark and me being alone.

[maxxy5]

I only know one person who's had their car stolen in the past five years or so, guess what it was?

[Yipper]

Most of the R and S3 thefts are happening up north. Midlands, North West, North East and South Scotland being particularly targeted.

The M135i is desirable but less nickable because it is almost undrivable at speed in the wet (which it is most of the time up north).

[ReaderScars]

j80jpw said:

I suspect these cars are chosen from a database somewhere

I think it would be trivial to make a theft database from the content right here on PH.

The number of threads that PHers respond to regarding car types, location, property photos etc etc, it's all here. Thread types such as 'Show us your...' .

In addition all it takes is for a (criminal) operator who appears to have a legitimate requirement for access to the DVLA database (wasn't this sold across EU recently?) to be able to determine who lives where, with what.

Even without the DVLA paranoia, the amount of info that people share on PH has got to be of value to particular types of criminals.

[FN2TypeR]

maxxy5 said:

I only know one person who's had their car stolen in the past five years or so, guess what it was?

Lada Riva?

[rampageturke]

JQ said:

Martin brown said:

Hi,
Contemplating buying a m135i. Having seen a few threads regarding golf r and s3 being stolen regularly, wanted to know if anyone has had the same experience with the BM (being a fast hatch)?

I'm not Rambo and have a kid on the way so if there is a good chance of having people breaking in for the keys I will pass for something else! It's just not worth the risk.

Cheers
Martin

The S3 is the most stolen car in the UK, with 0.85% of S3's stolen each year, or to put it another way, 99.15% aren't stolen. It's not exactly a foregone conclusion an S3's going to get stolen.

What metric is that by? Genuinely curious, % of cars stole compared to sold, or just sheer volume stolen? Because 0.85% doesn't sound a lot for being the most stolen

Edited by rampageturke on Monday 16th January 15:19