Auto thieves have a penchant for fast and flashy rides, as evidenced by the number of Cadillac Escalades and Chevrolet Corvettes (among other models) stolen in recent years. However, new data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) suggests a more pragmatic brand of criminal targeting the Honda Civics and Hyundai Elantras amongst us.   

Fresh off the heels of its report on the Top 10 Most Stolen Sports Cars, the NICB published an overview of thefts involving late-model compact and subcompact vehicles. The report is based on National Crime Information Center (NCIC) vehicle theft records for 2010, 2011 and 2012; model year vehicles that were stolen during the period of April 3, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2012.

During the specified period, 19,759 compact and subcompact cars (for model years 2010-2012) were reported stolen in the United States. Perhaps most notably, significantly more compact cars were stolen when compared to subcompact models—14,258 compared to 5,501. California reported the highest overall theft frequency with a total of 4,205. Florida trailed behind with 2,029 total thefts, followed by Texas (1,584), New York (873) and Illinois (699).