The 6,000-pound vehicle appears to make light work of the dunes, kicking up the sand in spectacular fashion as the highly able driver executes the kind of sweat-inducing maneuvers that would surely result in a ticket on any public road.
Rust in peace
Buick Regal
In the pantheon of cool Buick names like Invicta and Electra, this Opel import with the blue-hair name was doomed from the start, although its remarkably unremarkable personality didn't help.
Acura RLX
A perfectly anonymous car with an equally anonymous name, the RLX is a stark reminder of how far Acura's product development and marketing has fallen from the excellence established by the Legend.
Alfa Romeo 4C
Now that America has become a nation of SUV-loving truck drivers, where dreary practicality triumphs over sheer fun, pure sports cars like the fun-to-drive 4C are sadly overlooked also-rans.
BMW i8
You'd think a gas-electric hybrid as attractive as the BMW i8, with handling to match, would succeed. But $147,500 for a car powered by the Mini's three-cylinder engine? Really?
Chevrolet Impala
While car buyers think nothing of buying enormous SUVs, they think twice about buying a large car, even one as good as the Impala. That said, a more inspired design would have helped.
Cadillac CT6
With a name only a lifeless marketer would love, this flagship sedan was sabotaged by tepid styling that lacked the Escalade's unmitigated swagger, and a cabin far too cheap for its station.
Chevrolet Sonic
With exorbitant gasoline prices now a distant memory, this funky and fun little hatchback lost its raison d'etre. Its platform lives on, however, in the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore.
Ford Fusion
Ford may blame lack of buyer interest with killing the Fusion. The absence of any meaningful update for years has much more to do with it. A sad, self-inflicted end to a well-respected and popular car.
Dodge Grand Caravan
Cheap to buy and very practical, but the end has come for this minivan after 35 years as Dodge focuses on performance-oriented products. Its replacement, the Chrysler Voyager, is now on sale.
Dodge Journey
Outclassed in every respect except for its low price and archaic Ultradrive four-speed automatic transmission, this sad relic of the DaimlerChrysler era is thankfully seeing its journey come to an end.
Honda Fit
Its beauty was its utility, which was far larger than its size suggested thanks to the flexibility of its seating system. And it was unexpectedly fun to drive, something rarely said of cheap utilitarian cars.
Honda Civic Coupe
While the whole sport compact scene grew out of cars like the Civic Coupe, its time has come and gone, as buyers are unwilling to put up with an iota of inconvenience in the name of fashion.
Jaguar XE
Like the X-Type before it, this entry-level British sports sedan never possessed the requisite grace, pace and space needed to steal buyers away from the BMW 3-Series.
Lincoln Continental
Developed using a front-wheel-drive Ford Fusion platform to save money and lacking the requisite aura of the concept car that foreshadowed it. The Continental's fate was sealed from the start.
Lincoln MKZ
This gussied-up Ford Fusion with a crummy name was bound to exit once the Fusion did. Aside from seniors who liked nabbing a Lincoln at a low price, the MKZ was never special enough.
Lexus GS
Always the middle child, never as popular as the Lexus LS or ES sedans. Toyota President Akio Toyoda wanted to kill the GS in 2011. Executives saved the car, but sales never improved. Now, Akio gets his wish.
Jaguar XF Sportbrake
If you thought that the idea of a Jaguar station wagon seemed a bit off, you're not alone, even though this was a fabulously fun-to-drive alternative to the overwhelming overabundance of SUVs.
Mercedes-Benz SL
Mercedes-Benz has killed the two-seat SL-Class, but online reports speculate that the renowned roadster could return as a 2+2 for 2022, built by Mercedes-AMG.
Mercedes-Benz SLC
With buyers ignoring everything except SUVs, this cut-rate convertible is circling the block for the last time, still in need of the upscale elan, space and build quality that its larger siblings possess.
Toyota Yaris
Americans hate subcompacts, especially when gas prices are low. So even though this disguised rendition of the Mazda2 is fun to drive, downsized cars are DOA.
The 25 cities with the highest car theft rates in the US
The car theft capitals of America
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Crime in the U.S. has trended downward since the early 1990s, and new data from the University of Pennsylvania suggests that COVID-19 has caused these numbers to drop even further across the nation’s largest cities. Since the onset of the pandemic, property crime, violent crime, and drug crime all experienced double-digit percentage declines when compared to averages over the previous five year period—a trend attributed to more residents staying home.
25. Wichita, Kansas
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 646 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 2,519
- Overall property theft rate: 5,505 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,117 per 100k people
24. Dallas, Texas
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 680 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 9,277
- Overall property theft rate: 3,232 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 796 per 100k people
23. Omaha, Nebraska
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 693 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 3,259
- Overall property theft rate: 3,606 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 597 per 100k people
22. San Jose, California
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 702 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 7,299
- Overall property theft rate: 2,444 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 423 per 100k people
21. Newark, New Jersey
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 705 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 1,983
- Overall property theft rate: 2,024 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 753 per 100k people
20. Spokane, Washington
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 710 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 1,565
- Overall property theft rate: 6,681 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 699 per 100k people
19. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 716 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 2,825
- Overall property theft rate: 4,716 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,148 per 100k people
18. Bakersfield, California
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 727 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 2,821
- Overall property theft rate: 4,095 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 471 per 100k people
17. St. Paul, Minnesota
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 730 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 2,266
- Overall property theft rate: 3,462 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 611 per 100k people
16. Denver, Colorado
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 738 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 5,376
- Overall property theft rate: 3,643 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 709 per 100k people
15. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 748 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 1,360
- Overall property theft rate: 5,817 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,053 per 100k people
14. Baltimore, Maryland
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 753 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 4,495
- Overall property theft rate: 4,643 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,933 per 100k people
13. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 764 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 1,546
- Overall property theft rate: 6,531 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 763 per 100k people
12. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 764 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 4,514
- Overall property theft rate: 3,123 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,455 per 100k people
11. Cleveland, Ohio
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 798 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 3,048
- Overall property theft rate: 4,624 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,516 per 100k people
10. Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 809 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 3,251
- Overall property theft rate: 5,420 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,035 per 100k people
9. Kansas City, Missouri
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 836 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 4,147
- Overall property theft rate: 4,194 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,566 per 100k people
8. Tacoma, Washington
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 852 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 1,863
- Overall property theft rate: 5,287 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 831 per 100k people
7. Anchorage, Alaska
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 864 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 2,486
- Overall property theft rate: 4,946 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,271 per 100k people
6. St. Louis, Missouri
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 938 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 2,820
- Overall property theft rate: 6,153 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,972 per 100k people
5. San Bernardino, California
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 1,007 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 2,183
- Overall property theft rate: 4,076 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,318 per 100k people
4. Portland, Oregon
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 1,040 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 6,886
- Overall property theft rate: 5,397 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 522 per 100k people
3. Detroit, Michigan
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 1,080 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 7,165
- Overall property theft rate: 4,416 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 2,025 per 100k people
2. Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 1,170 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 6,575
- Overall property theft rate: 4,507 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,360 per 100k people
1. Oakland, California
- Motor vehicle theft rate: 1,199 per 100k people
- Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 5,202
- Overall property theft rate: 5,874 per 100k people
- Violent crime rate: 1,269 per 100k people
Detailed findings and methodology
The car theft capitals of the U.S. are spread out across the country. On average, these 25 cities had 827 car thefts per 100,000 people, several times higher than the national rate of 228 per 100,000, and averaged nearly 4,000 cars stolen annually. The cities with the highest car theft rates tend to have high violent crime rates as well, averaging 1,088 violent crimes per 100,000 people. The national violent crime rate is much lower, at 383 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused record high unemployment, and while the economic situation has improved since the spring, millions of people remain jobless. High unemployment may lead to higher property crime rates (including car thefts). In this regard, cities with already high levels of car theft might experience further increases this year.
Larry Printz is an automotive journalist based in South Florida. Readers may send him email at TheDrivingPrintz@gmail.com.
