Cadillac Escalade Nabs Most-Stolen Vehicle Honor

It looks like car thieves don’t concern themselves much with fuel efficient driving.

Large trucks and SUVs make up most of the list of the top-10 most stolen vehicles, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The Cadillac Escalade ESV is king among this lot (with the regular version at No. 3), likely because of its high profile and desirability. Celebrities and athletes have made the vehicle a status symbol, and Escalade owners frequently include expensive options and add-ons like premium stereo equipment, expensive rims and interior accessories. The Escalade has 11.3 stolen car claims per 1,000 vehicles, and the average claim is a $14,657 loss payment, compared to the $9,396 average for all vehicles.

Trucks make popular targets as well, due to the expensive equipment sometimes stored in the beds or tool boxes.

The Insurance Information Institute estimates that a car is stolen every 24 seconds in the United States. Some of the cars you can worry less about leaving in a parking lot overnight, however, include Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class, the Buick Rainier and the Subaru Forester.

Read after the jump for the list of the 10 most and least stolen vehicles.

All data is for model years 2005-07.

Ten Most Stolen Vehicles

1. Cadillac Escalade ESV
2. Ford F-250 SuperCrew
3. Cadillac Escalade
4. Dodge Charger
5. Ford F-350 SuperCrew
6. Hummer H2 SUT
7. Dodge Magnum
8. Hummer H2
9. Dodge Durango
10. Honda S2000 convertible

Ten Least Stolen Vehicles

1. Mercedes E-Class
2. Buick Rainier
3. Subaru Forester
4. Buick Terraza
5. Volkswagen New Beetle
6. Ford Focus
7. Volvo V70
8. Toyota Prius
9. Saturn Relay
10. Ford Freestyle

The Most Stolen Cars in the U.S. (ABC News)