It seems car thieves can’t resist the roar of a supercharged V8.
The Dodge Charger Hemi and Challenger SRT Hellcat — yes, that’s its real name — topped this year’s list of most stolen vehicles, according to a report completed by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).
The report looks at vehicle theft rates among 2016-2018 model vehicles.
Other popular vehicle types among thieves are luxury cars and pickups.
See the most and least stolen vehicles by model below.
1/10
This large 4-door sedan tops the list of most stolen cars, with a whole-vehicle — that is, stolen outright as opposed to stripped for parts — claim rate that is 5.4 times the national average.
The low-end for horsepower in a Charger model that boasts a Hemi engine is an impressive 370hp. Some models crank that to an insane 707hp. It’s clear why that might be tempting to a potential car thief.
Don’t rest easy just because you didn’t opt for the top-of-the-line model. The base Charger is the 14th most stolen car on the list and the Charger 4WD is 11th.
2/10
The Hellcat is an impressive, if intimidating, automobile. It exhales clouds of rubber and asphalt as its supercharged V8 roars like — well, like a beast from hell.
None of this is enough to scare off the thieves though, and the Hellcat is stolen around 5.3 times the national average.
The base model Challenger also makes an appearance as the sixth most stolen car on HLDI’s list.
The Infiniti Q50 is a popular luxury sedan that doesn’t skimp on power, with some models pushing 400hp.
Maybe the combo of power and class is what gives it the allure for thieves. It’s stolen 5.25 times the national average.
4/10
Space and luxury prove to be a tempting offering. This classy sedan is the victim of car thieves 4.2 times higher than average.
5/10
Rounding out the top five most stolen cars is GMC’s popular Sierra 1500 Crew Cab pickup truck. This 4-door behemoth is stolen 3.93 times more often than the national average.
In a surprising twist — if the top five are any indicator for thieves’ usual tastes — the popular BMW 3-series is actually stolen the least of any the current generation of vehicles.
The second least likely car to be stolen on this year’s list is the Tesla Model S. HLDI offered a possible explanation for why that may be.
“Two of the vehicles on the least-stolen list are the Tesla Model S and Model X,” HLDI said. “Their low theft rate may be related to the fact that, as electric vehicles, they are usually parked in garages or close to a house to be near a power supply.”
HLDI said a previous study showed that electric cars in general have lower theft rates compared to their combustion-powered counterparts.
8/10
The third least stolen vehicle in this year’s report is the Tesla Model X.
This family-friendly SUV was largely spared by thieves and was the fourth least-stolen vehicle on the list.
Apparently the trick to not having your car stolen is to buy a family-friendly, sensible SUV. The fifth least stolen car on HLDI’s list is the Buick Encore 4WD.
