If you’re in the market for a car, regardless of whether you plan to buy a new or second hand model, there are a number of points worth considering before the part with your hard earned cash.
With petrol prices continuing to rise, making a clear comparison of running and servicing costs between the models you are considering is important to ensure you don’t get hit with a hefty bill a few months down the line. Be sure to check service intervals as well as costs to ensure you are making a fair comparison.
If you’re buying the car with finance, find a good online car loan repayment calculator so that you know exactly how much you’ll have left over each month. How well a vehicle performs in safety tests is another important consideration, especially if you have a family.
One factor many potential owners overlook is checking to see just how secure their cars are going to be. Certain vehicles have a reputation for being popular among car thieves, either for short-term thefts such as joy riding or for profit-related theft in which the vehicles are resold.
In particular, certain older cars are easier to steal due to poor safety features and are more likely to be targeted as there is a large market for second hand parts. Choosing one of the more commonly stolen vehicles not only increases your risk of losing your new pride and joy but could also increase the cost of your insurance premium.
Here are the five cars most likely to do a vanishing act from your driveway.
1. Toyota Camry
A hugely popular vehicle in many parts of the world, there are so many of these vehicles around that they are bound to figure in the theft statistics. The best-selling passenger car throughout North America, Australian sales of the Camry have also been incredibly strong. Surprisingly, the Camry failed to take off either in its native Japan or in Europe where the vehicle is no longer available.
2. Toyota RAV4
The first compact crossover SUV ever launched, the RAV4 has always been a strong seller. The second generation of the vehicle was particularly successful, overtaking the Honda CR-V in 2001 to become the best-selling SUV in the country.
3. Hyundai Excel
The most commonly stolen small car in Australia, the Hyundai Excel proved an instant hit after its launch in 1994 due to a combination of high reliability and a low price. Between 1996 and 1998 it was the third best-selling car in the country. In markets outside of Australia, the car was known as the Hyundai Accent while the Excel name was given to the Accent’s predecessor.
4. Ford Falcon
In continuous production since it was first manufactured by Ford Australia back in 1960, the Ford Falcon has sold more than 3 million units. The more recent models have improved security features but early ones are favourites among thieves who know they are easy to steal and easy to dispose of bit by bit.
5.Holden Commodore
Australia’s best-selling car for more than a decade, sheer weight of numbers mean the Holden Commodore is over-represented in the statistics when it comes to lists of the most commonly stolen cars. The problem is particularly acute with older model Commodores which lacked adequate security features. Immobilisers were fitted to all models as standard beginning in 2001 but prior to that the door and ignition locks were prone to wearing out, allowing Commodores to be opened and started with virtually any key.
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