The tricked-out Cadillac Escalade, long a favorite of hip-hop stars like Ludacris and Akron as well as A-list athletes like Tiger Woods, is again the most stolen vehicle on the American roads today.
Other vehicles that get scooped up with a quickness include the F-250 crew cab pickup, the Infiniti G37 two-door coupe, the muscle car Dodge Charger and, suprisingly, the Chevy Corvette Z06.
What are the least stolen vehicles? Family vehicles like the Volvo S80, Saturn Vue and Nissan Murano, Honda Pilot and Subaru Impreza. Also, two-door minicars are the least likely group to be targeted.
Insurance Industry Group, The Highway Loss Data Institute that is part of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, studied the results from 2007–2009. It calculated that the Cadillac Escalade SUV with a median price tag of $63,000 — and that’s a naked Escalade before it’s even blinged out — has ranked as the most stolen vehicle in six of the last seven reports.
A theft claim is filed for one out of every 100 insured Escalades, the group said, and the average insurance payout is $11,934. That compares with an average of $6,883 for all vehicles. Also, every fourth Escalade theft claim is for an astounding $40,000 or more.
The frequency of Cadillac Escalade thefts is a testimony to the criminals’ determination and resourcefulness. The Escalades are equipped with antitheft ignition immobilizers that prevent them from being started without a special key, but that doesn’t prevent some thieves from hauling them away on flatbed trucks, said Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute.
The payout on Cadillac Escalade thefts is higher because the Escalades are packing something serious under the hood. “Thieves are after chrome, horsepower and HEMIs,” Hazelbaker said.
Large vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks have higher value for thieves, which explains why they have the highest overall theft losses. Number one, they are used for work; and secondly, they are carrying valuable tools or cargo, the report says.
–terry shropshire
