The new 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe has a more boxy look than before, but is actually more aerodynamic.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
I want to buy a new mid-sized three-row SUV and I’d be willing to sacrifice the perfect car for one that is statistically less likely to be stolen. I’m able to find the top 10 most stolen cars list and the top 10 least stolen cars, but what about the rest? Considering the gravity of the current auto theft situation, I think Canadians should be made abundantly aware of the theft rate of all makes and models of car so they can decide accordingly. Are you able to get that information somehow? I’ve also heard that hybrids and EVs are less likely to be stolen. Is that true? I live in Toronto. – Matt
Mark Richardson: Vehicle theft in Canada is a terrible problem right now. It’s three times the scale of just three years ago. And thieves love larger SUVs.
Petrina Gentile: But one thing they often don’t like are manual transmissions. I watched a local newscast the other night showing a video of an attempted carjacking, but the thieves couldn’t drive a manual so they left it behind. That’s one good deterrent.
Richardson: That’s a brilliant deterrent, but no help for Matt. He wants a mid-sized SUV and there are none sold with manual transmissions.
Gentile: That’s not true. You can still find some Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler models with a stick shift.
Richardson: I think of Broncos and Wranglers as being in a compact, off-road class of their own, and neither have the three rows of seats Matt is looking for.
Gentile: True. Matt asked about hybrids and electric vehicles – are they less likely to be stolen?
Richardson: Hybrids are not much different, but right now, EVs are much less likely to be taken. The countries our stolen vehicles are shipped to don’t have much for charging networks. Also, their clever anti-theft technology is difficult to defeat. Few Teslas are ever stolen, for example. Their owners can switch on the cameras and watch the thieves inside the cars.
Gentile: Let’s mention a few of the gas-powered SUVs Matt should avoid because they are the most stolen vehicles in Canada, like the Honda CR-V, Lexus RX, Toyota Highlander and Land Rover Range Rover.
Richardson: Those are on the top-10 list for Canada, though the models vary by province. Insurance agencies don’t publish more than the top-10 most and least stolen vehicles though, as Matt is asking for. I called Équité Association, which publishes these lists each year, and was told the other rankings are never released. It’s because they start breaking down into variations and different years of the same model and become less relevant, and if they include too much information, there are too many variables that skew the results unrealistically.
Gentile: Then let’s talk about some of the least stolen SUVs in Canada as a starting point for Matt.
Richardson: The latest figures are for 2022, and the 2023 numbers won’t be released until August. But the Volvo XC90 is on the national least-stolen list – that’s a three-row SUV. These numbers are still flawed as absolutes, though. The 2021 Toyota Highlander was the fifth most-stolen vehicle in Canada, for example, but it was the 10th least-stolen vehicle in Alberta.
The 2024 Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 AWD.Courtesy of manufacturer
Gentile: Yes, it all depends on where you live. But the Volvo XC90 is the only three-row SUV in the top-10 list of least stolen vehicles. Other SUVs on that list include the Cadillac XT5 and Buick Envision. Let’s focus on the Volvo for Matt.
Richardson: I’m surprised it’s not more attractive to thieves because it’s a European status brand and not cheap – it starts at around $75,000, plus taxes. For that, it’s a lovely car to drive. I really like the airiness of the cabin, which I guess is a Scandinavian feel.
Gentile: I like the technology inside of it, too – it has Google Built-in with a useful personal assistant and it’s even offered as a plug-in hybrid, but that costs more. Yet it’s not as popular as the European competitors.
Richardson: The XC90 marked the turnaround of the brand as Volvo works to make the world’s safest vehicle. It’s also Canada’s least-stolen large SUV, ranking No. 7 on the list – only five units were taken of more than 15,000 insured in 2022. But there’s so much more to car theft than desirability or security loopholes. I think Matt would be smart to just put The Club on his steering wheel and then he can own, and probably keep, any SUV he wants.
Gentile: That’s a wise idea. Let’s give him some other three-row SUV options. Maybe the new Hyundai Santa Fe? I love the boxy look, which translates into serious space inside. But it may be a magnet for thieves because it’s so unconventional in its design compared to typical Hyundais.
Richardson: I don’t like those exterior looks, to be honest, but that’s just a personal thing. It certainly looks good from inside the cabin. It’s a comfortable ride too, though the third row is cramped for legroom.
Gentile: It is, but that’s often the case with many three-row SUVs. Those seats are better for kids than adults.
Richardson: There’s another alternative for Matt if he’s hung up on statistics: move to Alberta. In Alberta, the least stolen vehicle is the three-row Acura MDX, and the Nissan Pathfinder and Honda Pilot also make the list for being unpopular with thieves. They’re never mentioned in any other parts of the country.
The 2022 Acura MDX.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Gentile: That’s true. Of the three you mentioned, I like the Acura MDX the most. It’s comfortable, spacious and has a nicely appointed high-tech cabin. The drive is a bit lacklustre, but it’s hard to find an exhilarating and sporty drive in a three-row SUV.
Richardson: Matt doesn’t say anything about wanting an exhilarating and sporty drive. I think he just wants a vehicle that will stay where he left it when he parks it.
Gentile: Acura may be a target because it is a luxury brand, but often it does fly under the radar compared to European luxury brands. Do you think a Nissan Pathfinder might be better?
Richardson: I don’t think there’s really a difference when it comes to likelihood of theft. But there’s another alternative: the all-electric Kia EV9.
The 2024 Kia EV9 will come in five trims with between 201 and 379 horsepower.Michael Bettencourt/The Globe and Mail
Gentile: An electric SUV? I don’t know about that. When I drove it recently, everyone stopped and stared and asked about it. The EV9 has cool, distinct styling and plenty of passenger and cargo space, but people were drawn to it. I think it would be a target for thieves.
Richardson: No it wouldn’t. Like I said earlier, few EVs are being stolen. The market for them doesn’t exist in those faraway countries that are taking our vehicles. If it stays in Canada, you can use your phone to track it and lock it. Statistically, an EV is unattractive to thieves, and practically, the EV9 is an exceptional three-row SUV that’s getting a lot of favourable acclaim, from me included. The flat floor even gives comfortable leg room in the third row.
Gentile: I was pleasantly impressed with it, too. So you’d recommend the EV9 over the other gas-powered three-row SUVs?
Richardson: We don’t know if Matt can charge an EV at his home, or if he wants to spend at least $60,000 on buying his vehicle, but if he can accommodate the EV9, it’s the best of all worlds: a lovely three-row SUV that thieves don’t want.
Gentile: But if he can’t accommodate an EV, he should go for a Volvo XC90. It is one of the least stolen vehicles in Canada and it’s a practical, smart and spacious three-row package.
Richardson: And Matt, whatever you buy, get a steering wheel lock to deter thieves – they’ll have to spend a while breaking it or cutting it off, and they don’t want to waste that time. Also, buy a Faraday box for $20 to store your key fob at home, so its transmission signals are blocked from illicit electronic readers. Those two simple things could make all the difference.
What car should you buy? Write to Mark and Petrina at globedrive@globeandmail.com and use ‘What car’ as part of your subject line. Emails with different subject lines may not be answered.
Shopping for a new car? Check out the new Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest discounts, rebates and rates on new cars, trucks and SUVs. Click here to get your price.