My 2010 II with no additions should be here in a few days. I live in a fairly bad neighborhood of NYC (Washington Heights) and I am a little concerned about parking my car on the street, but I don't want to pay the incredible prices for a lot. Can people share with my their opinions of the 2010 II's security and its chances of being targeted for a break-in. I know this is a bit of an odd question and if you think I should just spring for the lot, than please say so. Thanks PC!
If I were you I'd just make sure to never leave anything in the car. Don't close the rear cargo cover (this way a thief can see there is nothing in there.) Like they said your car wont go anywhere without the key fob, so with nothing to steal your chances of a break-in are very small. ..... Vandalism on the other hand... I lived in the Navy Yard of Brooklyn for a few years, great place, but somewhat scary sometimes, never had any issues with my vehicle except a little bit of vandalism of people backing into me, etc. Damn, I miss the city.
I asked my dealer the same question. If the car is running, and you get out and leave the door open, anyone can get in and drive it off .... or if you are forced from the car. However, if they stop for whatever reason, (say to buy gas) they will be unable to start the car without the fob. Just make certain you do not leave the fob in the storage tray.
I was concerned as well especially since I will be getting the NAV package I contacted my local precinct (I am in Jersey City) and they said there have been no reports of factory installed navigation units. Most break ins are grab and gos when comsone leaves a cell phone, ipod, portable GPS etc in plain sight. For stealing the car, everyone says they would have to flatbed it. On edmunds.com they have a confessional series, and one was written by a car thief. Check it out for some tips. I see tons of Prius on the street in Jersey City and Hoboken. Zipcar has a bunch of them. Maybe contact them and see if they have issues. I am getting the VIP security though. It won't do much but let me know my window is broken. I hope it comes with a sticker because that could be a good deterrent.
The car has an immobilizer (like most modern cars), so an amateur will have a tough time, but a pro will just flat bed it. Realistically, though, a pro will find bigger fish to fry. The optional Toyota alarm includes a glass break sensor, which would help with somebody wanting to break in to steal something from inside.
Let's put it this way - if a thief wants to steal something, it wil. It all depends on how badly it wants to steal it and what tools he has available. So grab'n'go happens if you leave visible items (*any*). Stealing the whole car, makes sense only if there is enough black market to resell spare parts or the car itself. As for spare parts, I think the Prius is not widespread enough and quite complicated to re-use part of it. As for the whole car, there are more attractive (read expensive) cars that attract, ie. BMW, Mercedes etc.etc.etc. I live in Germany, Munich and I will live with the immobiliser for the time being. Installing the VIP is about 500€, I can install it later. It does have a sticker on the side window, but while it is a deterrent, it is also an attractor for kids that like to move the car to let it make noise merrily in the middle of the night. I have a car alarm in my Polo which is quite attractive to steal for the above reasons, especially spare parts, and not once has the alarm gone off. It was standard, but in Germany it doesn't help. And cars with VIP/Alarm, will get stolen if the thief has the right equipment, time and will to do it. But this is why one has an insurance against car theft, right?
Any car is susceptible to a smash and grab of something left in the vehicle, but I don't think the Prius is high on the list of theft of the entire vehicle. It isn't exclusive enough to be stolen and shipped out of the country and isn't the type of car that kids street race, so nobody is desperate for parts. I think theft of factory stereos and GPSs are low due to the security codes required to reactivate these units once the power has been restored. Overall, deterrents are your best bet, even if they are easily defeated. An alarm may be ignored, but a thief will bypass your car with alarm sticker and flashing lights if the car next to it has none. Likewise with a CLUB on the steering wheel. Theft is all about timing, and an extra minute to defeat a security device could mean the difference between successfully stealing the car and going to jail.
I would layer your vehicle protection. Your vehicle is more likely to be a target of a smash n' grab than a stolen vehicle (The Prius already comes with an engine immobiliser). I would put a glass breakage sensor in the vehicle. If someone taps the glass hard, the car will give a warning (usually 4 beeps) to let them know that there is a glass breakage sensor. Use a Club. Anything that gives a visual cue that the car is armed is one thing a thief will cross off his list and move on. The longer he has to take to disable the theft-deterrent devices, the bigger his chances of getting caught. Go down to your local police station and ask if they have any of those decals that have "No valuables left in this vehicle". Leave the tonneau cover retracted so the thief can see that there's nothing hiding in the boot. You may go further and leave the gloveboxes open (if you only keep the owner's manual there and nothing valuable)
