MoneyHub analyses Police data to reveal 25 most stolen cars across New Zealand

MoneyHub published the findings on its car insurance comparison guide to inform New Zealanders of the extra insurance costs that are often associated with owning a car more likely to be stolen.

The desire for a stolen Toyota Hilux, Subaru Legacy and Subaru Impreza shows no signs of diminishing, with at least two reported stolen every day around New Zealand. Comprehensive analysis of Police data by financial comparison website MoneyHub.co.nz confirms Canterbury is the stolen car hotspot of the country, with over 800 vehicles reported stolen in the last six months of 2018.

MoneyHub published the findings on its car insurance comparison guide to inform New Zealanders of the extra insurance costs that are often associated with owning a car more likely to be stolen. MoneyHub obtained stolen car data from the New Zealand Police to reveal the 25 most stolen cars and which areas of New Zealand are prone to more theft, among other facts.

MoneyHub’s senior research Christopher Walsh says:

“Thieves had different preferences around the region. Auckland thieves lusted after the Mazda Familia more than any other car. But in Waikato, the Ford Falcon was the most stolen car, and in Southland and Otago thieves preferred the Honda Civic. In Wellington, Mitsubishi Lancer was most favoured, while the Toyota Hilux was popular with thieves all over the country, especially those in Canterbury, Bay of Plenty and Northland”.

“We’ve seen some interesting data points. Despite over half of all the reported thefts of Subaru Legacy models being from within Canterbury, thieves there still preferred the Toyota Hilux, with 68 stolen there in a mere 6 months”.

“If you own a Toyota Hilux, Subaru Impreza or Subaru Legacy, you could pay a lot more for car insurance than for less 'in demand' models by thieves. But many models continue to be in demand by thieves, and until now, there wasn’t a definite list of which models were most susceptible to being stolen”.

“When it came to stolen cars as a ratio of a region’s population, Otago and Southland reported the lowest number, while Canterbury, Northland and Counties/Manakau posed the most risk to car owners.

“Our guide to car insurance is helping thousands of New Zealanders every month save money and get the best policy. Whether or not your car model is a target by thieves may not be an obvious question to ask, but it’s certainly helpful to know, and MoneyHub is focused on getting the word out there”.

“MoneyHub will continue to analyse Police data every six months, with the aim of informing New Zealanders by making the latest stolen car data accessible”.