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BMW X5 no longer the UK’s most stolen car

The BMW X5 is no longer the most stolen car in the UK, according to data from vehicle recovery experts Tracker.

Of the £12.5 million pounds worth of cars recovered by Tracker in 2015, the BMW X5 was second in the top 10, ending its six-year reign at the top. Replacing it is the Range Rover Sport, thanks to a mix of performance and desirability.

Third place went to another Range Rover, this time the Vogue, which is a step below the Autobiography trim level. Worldwide popularity has no doubt made it a favourite among car thieves.

Fourth place is the Mercedes-Benz C220, which is an extremely popular car in the UK and considerably more plentiful than its C63 AMG brute of a cousin.

It seems thieves love a bit of 3 Series action, too, even though many of them lack a badge so it’s hard to tell if they are the cheaper 218d model or a pricier 335i. Thieves are happy taking the risk, though.

Then we come to the aforementioned C63 AMG, which in its latest form retains the 63 name (a loose reference to its old 6.2-litre engine) but now has a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that is more efficient and more powerful.

Yet another BMW, this time it’s the 5 Series. It may have been out of the top 10 list since 2009 but revisions to the car and a new M5 model have no doubt flagged it up on the radar of people who would rather steal than pay for one, helping it secure seventh place.

In keeping with German performance cars, eighth place goes to the Audi RS4, which has managed to stay in the list since 2014. The mix of practicality and a 4.2-litre V8 no doubt a big part of why it gets targeted so often.

Rounding out the list in ninth is the Range Rover Autobiography, the top-flight version of the sports utility vehicle, followed by the Audi Q7, another bulky family wagon that can go offroad.

Of the top ten most stolen cars in the UK, eight were German. 44 per cent of Land Rover thefts included manipulating the keyless entry system, highlighting the fact thieves can use technology to avoid brute force.

Tracker also looked at where the most car thefts happen. Leicestershire and Lancaster came in 10th, Merseyside in ninth, Hertfordshire in eighth, West Yorkshire in seventh and the London commuter belt of Surrey in sixth.

Kent, meanwhile, took fifth place honours (presumably because thieves have a shorter drive to take stolen cars to be shipped around the world), Essex came in fourth, West Midlands in third and Greater Manchester in second place.

So which area was the hottest for car thefts, according to the Tracker data? Greater London, of course, where Range Rovers are the most popular cars to half-inch.

Tracker advised a number of ways to help keep your car in your hands, including the use of a steering wheel lock, keeping your keys out of sight, always having the car doors locked when driving to keep carjackers at bay and hiding valuables when out of the vehicle.

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