Vehicles with large engines were among the most stolen insured vehicles, according to the HDLI. 
 -  Photo via HDLI.

Vehicles with large engines were among the most stolen insured vehicles, according to the HDLI.

Photo via HDLI.

Two Dodge muscle cars and Infiniti's Q50 midsize luxury sedan sit at the top of the annual list of the most stolen insured vehicles released by the Highway Loss Data Institute.

The Dodge Charger HEMI V-8 and Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat powered by a 6.2L V-8 with up to 797 horsepower were five times more likely to be stolen than the average 2016 to 2018 models. The Q50 was also five times more likely to be stolen. Nearly all of the 20 models with the highest theft rates have big engines or were luxury vehicles or pickups.

"The models most likely to be stolen tend to be powerful, pricey or pickups, but vehicle theft is also a crime of opportunity," said Matt Moore, the institute's senior vice president. "Better security features on all vehicles would be the best way to address the problem."

Five General Motors pickups appeared on the list, including the GMC Sierra (almost four times above the average), Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab (about three times the average), Silverado 1500 crew cab with four-wheel drive, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab  with four-wheel drive. The Nissan Titan crew cab short bed also appeared on the list.

BMW's rear-wheel 3 Series sedan was the least-stolen model with just one claim in 104,901 insured vehicle years. Other lower-theft vehicles include Tesla's Model S and Model X. Battery-electric vehicles have lower theft rates than conventional vehicles likely because they are usually parked in garages or close to a house to be near a power supply.

The Cadillac Escalade, which has dominated previous lists, has fallen lower on the list because of the increased competition with additional luxury SUV models. The Infiniti QX80 (fourth on the list) and Land Rover Range Rover are now the most stolen large luxury SUVs.

Also, Cadillac added more security features starting with the 2015 model year such as glass breakage sensors, motion detectors and an inclination sensor that triggers an alarm if someone tries to take the wheels off, tow the vehicle or lift it onto a flatbed truck.

The institute and the National Insurance Crime Bureau's Hot Spots report are the two annual measurements of auto theft. While the institute measures thefts of insured vehicles through filed claims, the bureau reports all thefts, including older uninsured models, based on crime data that's reported by local agencies to the FBI.

View the full list of stolen vehicles.

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