choosing cars due to fear of scumbag thieves...

[atticusford]

hi there,

this is basically chance for people to tell me whether I'm over reacting to internet jibber jabber or whether I am right to think as I do...

basically, I live on a quiet side road that is off a very main road, I have a driveway but it is perfectly visable from the cars stopped at the traffic lights on the main road... so basically I start thinking about getting a new car and thinking to myself because I'm young and not currently tied down that I car get myself something a bit fun like a focus st/rs etc... but I'm forever seeing the posts on forums saying 'keep an eye out for my stolen st/rs' and I end up looking at something more tame and dare I say it... a little dull...

so basically I just want to know if I am overreacting... I dont live in a particularly rough area but it is still nagging in my mind... I'm not that fussed about the car, but I am bothered about somebody breaking into my house to get the keys...

anybody else as paranoid as me?
what are people's opinion on this?

thanks
Callum.

[kentmotorcompany]

Insurance. Thats why we have it, so you don't need to worry about that kind of thing.


Making decisions based on fear is never a good thing IMO.

[Perd Hapley]

Don't let lowlifes dictate your choice of car. If you want one, get one. If it's a high risk for theft, take sensible precautions such as fitting a tracker.

[alfabadass]

I've been tempted by a 130i M Sport recently but just remembered about the ECU security issues....thanks OP!

[tbc]

to be honest as you have insurance i wouldn't worry

but If your spending thousands on a car then I always have some simple measures which cost little or nothing

i always lock my gates if i'm away and at night

I have a masterlock box hidden in a cupboard with key pin which my keys go into everytime i'm in the house

and I have anti- burgular paint on the top of my wall so they slide off if they grip the top of my wall

I live in what would be considered a middle class area with low crime but just some small steps can make it difficult for the scum of the earth

[HeatonNorris]

The key is to buy nice cars, but avoid those which appeal to chavvy scum - which means fast Fords and Vauxhalls are out.

[MattOz]

A number of years ago, my 330d was targeted by a local scally. He was arrested having crashed another stolen car and he had my reg number in his little black book of cars he wanted to steal. It put me off having a nice car for a while, but I didn't sell it until I bought an M3. I pay the insurance premium and hope someone doesn't take too much of a fancy to it. Life's too short to worry too much. It might never happen.

[ohtari]

335i
318d badge

Job jobbed

Edited by ohtari on Tuesday 21st August 21:52

[stargazer30]

I live in an ex council house and have owned 3 Focus STs. Not one bit of bother. Now go buy a Porsche and it will get keyed, STs are regarded as "chavy" anyway. As for stolen, if you go onto STOC you'll see there has not been a single case of an ST being stolen without either the keys getting nicked or the car physically being lifted onto a truck. Modern cars (except BMWs) are very hard to steal these days.

The MK II RS is upping the game a bit. That's the type of car a pro thief will put a gun in your face for the keys, but again still a very outside risk.

[mike9009]

You shouldn't let fear of this dictate your life. Off topic a little but my brother in law suffers dramatically from OCD, and now won't travel into cities for fear of terrorism (let alone flying!) Ruining his life.

Some preventative measures to put your mind at ease, may help. For example a tracker, put a fence up to hide car from main road, disk lock etc, etc.

Mike

[66comanche]

Insurance has sweet F.A to do with it IMO. These people are going to enter your house to take the car, a workmate had a Focus ST stolen from a reasonable area, the scum had just been scanning every street till they found one that was left parked roadside/driveway, went back mob-handed and smashed into house and took keys. Nothing the guy could do against 4 blokes, ruined his life for a time, terrified his missus, they hated that house afterwards.

OP - if you're paranoid now before even getting it, I would reconsider, is there a garage that can be rented nearby? could still be stolen but unlikely, and very unlikely to involve you or your household if it was.

[Baz Tench]

The Internet is terrible for scare-mongering about anything and everything IMO.

Just get what you want and don't let the paranoia in.

[Carpal]

From a year ago, and the guardian but...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/aug/15/ford-k...


After the Ford Ka3, the least stolen model was the
Chevrolet Matiz,
the Suzuki Ignis,
the Hyundai i10 Comfort,
and the Nissan Skyline , all of which had tiny theft rates of 1 in 5,000 or less



The Toyota Yaris is the number one most stolen car, with approximately one in every 244 models lost to thieves,
followed by the the Volkswagen Touareg, with 1 in every 256 stolen.
Next came the the Volvo XC90 (1 in 370),
the Porsche 911 (1 in 417),
and the humble Seat Altea (1 in 435)

[aww999]

My bonkers in-laws bought a nearly-new BMW 330 (or something very similar) as a treat to themselves. They were so terrified that it might get keyed/stolen that they refused to use it, and ended up selling it at a loss after 12 months and about 100 miles. As a previous poster said, this is why you have insurance. If someone threatens you in order to get at it, you can cheerily hand them the keys, tell them how to adjust the seat, and explain how the radio works, safe in the knowledge that the nice men from Admiral will be buying you a new one in a few days time.

Edited by aww999 on Tuesday 21st August 22:20

[stargazer30]

Also BlackJack (I think that's what its called) might be worth a look. Its a security system that lets them drive off and shuts the car down a short while later. Giving you a chance to lock the front door, call the plod, get your shot gun or whatever.

[Silver]

atticusford said:

hi there,

this is basically chance for people to tell me whether I'm over reacting to internet jibber jabber or whether I am right to think as I do...

basically, I live on a quiet side road that is off a very main road, I have a driveway but it is perfectly visable from the cars stopped at the traffic lights on the main road... so basically I start thinking about getting a new car and thinking to myself because I'm young and not currently tied down that I car get myself something a bit fun like a focus st/rs etc... but I'm forever seeing the posts on forums saying 'keep an eye out for my stolen st/rs' and I end up looking at something more tame and dare I say it... a little dull...

so basically I just want to know if I am overreacting... I dont live in a particularly rough area but it is still nagging in my mind... I'm not that fussed about the car, but I am bothered about somebody breaking into my house to get the keys...

anybody else as paranoid as me?
what are people's opinion on this?

thanks
Callum.

While I can understand your hesitation, I would certainly not let fear of theft get in the way of a car purchase. If you do, you're just giving in to the mentality of never having anything nice in case something happens to it.

The OH had a MK4 R32 which he'd owned for a couple of years and done a lot of work on. It was super-quick and lovely to look at. Then we were burgled a couple of years ago and I got a call from a neighbour saying they'd seen the car being driven down the road with no lights on and thought it was suspicious, so they checked our house and found the back door smashed in (yes, really). Seems the thieves had been by a few days before and had been checking the car out on the drive but no-one thought to report it. Next door neighbour's RS4 had vanished in similar circumstances the year previously. The R32 turned up six months later, about 20 miles away and stripped to the shell down some country lane. The insurance paid out with no quibbled whatsoever though the premium is increased.

Anyway, OH really wanted an M3 but was afraid of making the house a target again. In fact, he was all up for getting a shed, despite the fact he loves nice cars and loves to tinker and make them faster and better. I absolutely vetoed this for the reasons above and convinced him that he shouldn't allow his car choices to be dictated by criminals. In the end, he listened and didn't get an M3 but a wolf in sheep's clothing.

In short, you may be unlucky but you'll get more fun and enjoyment of your life and money by buying the car you want.

[FeelingLucky]

HeatonNorris said:

The key is to buy nice cars, but avoid those which appeal to chavvy scum - which means fast Fords and Vauxhalls are out.

Surely the second bit is implicit in the first?

Use your garage, this gives me peace of mind.

[james280779]

do what I do, rent a garage off the council for 9 quid a week. lowers insurance and almost certain to be one locally. Luckily I had literally 70 garages within 50 feet of my home.

[Baryonyx]

Carpal said:

and the Nissan Skyline , all of which had tiny theft rates of 1 in 5,000 or less

Amazing. That stat must be incorrect, I can remember several being stolen in my area in days gone by. A colleague also has an R33 GTST which has been screwed numerous times.

Has the threat of theft made me think twice about buying cars in the past? Yes, without a doubt. The only one, really, was a Sierra Cosworth. Last year I had the cash ready to buy and insure a Sierra Cosworth. I had arranged to go and see one, had my heart set on it. Until I spoke to some of my friends in Police, who tell me car crime has dropped dramatically since years gone by but they could all recall a recent bulletin about two Cosworths stolen recently, never to be seen again. It would probably be alright on my drive, where you can't see it unless you walk past. But as soon as I parked it at Tesco or the Metro Centre I'd be worrying that someone would either try and break in or steal bits off it!

That said, another colleague drove his Escort Cosworth to work every day. But I wasn't prepared to take that risk, coupled with my garage having fixed units and appliances stopping me getting a car in it.

[Carfiend]

Unless it is a R34 GTR they are not worth stealing as plenty are available at low prices in the UK or from Japan.

That is what I expect anyway.