I have a MCS 09. I did not purchase it with the car alarm installed and I am wondering if anyone thinks I should, just in case.

Are minis cars people would steal?
If you don't have alarm system, do you use a steering wheel club or other devices?
Do you feel comfortable not having alarm system?

Just wondering cause not sure if i should install one or not.

 

well I love my Cricket, I ordered it with the factory installed alarm. I figured if I spent my money I wanted to protect my asset. If you want to protect your asset, protect it - I don't like to tempt fate

 

I'm sure others will not agree with me on this, but I don't think an alarm will do anything to prevent theft of the car itself. People ignore them. It might help scare a would-be grab if you leave valuable items inside, but doing that is really just asking for trouble anyway.

Unless someone leaves the fob in it (you don't do that, do you?), if you want to take a MINI, you use a tow truck. The engine immobilizer makes it likely that the car would then be parted out.

 

Which is why I want a system installed that routes 50,000-100,000 Volts through the metal parts of the car when it's touched without the fob around. Dismantle that.

That would also get rid of those pesky birds.

 

I agree with ran-o-matic actually. But it's really a personal decision when it comes down to it. If you feel more comfortable having an alarm on your car, then by golly go get one. But I am also of the belief that alarms really don't help much. Use common sense. Try not to park in sketchy neighborhoods at night. NEVER leave valuables in plain sight (even with an alarm you'd be surprised how quickly thieves can smash a window and steal your laptop bag or whatever). I work in SF and I would say 90% of all smash-and-grab thefts that I know of involved someone leaving something valuable on their seats. Not smart.

I do believe in the LoJack though. If a car thief really wants your car he's going to get it no matter what you have installed, but at least you'll have a chance at retrieving it relatively quickly. And it lowers your insurance premiums a bit. And they offer add-ons like if you can't recover your car within 30 days LoJack will give you $5000 (that's on top of the insurance payout). It's $2500 to you and $2500 to the dealer towards the purchase of the replacement car. It seemed like a pretty good investment to me.

 

HAHAHA - yeah...or get that ^^^ Maybe install a hidden camera too to capture the moment and share with the rest of NAM.

 

Check this site out (MINI is listed under BMW):
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/theft/theft.cfm

As you can see, each year you have a .3-.6% chance of having your MINI stolen. You're much more likely to have it totaled. So instead of paying for an alarm, I just have good insurance coverage as I'm way more likely to need it if somebody vandalizes my MINI or I get in an accident!

Also, has anybody ever heard of a MINI being stolen around here that wasn't the result of towing, having the keys stolen or car jacking? A car alarm will not protect you from any of those, so it's just a waste of money.

 

+1

 

I agree. Thay get ignored here or worse. They get vandalized by people who hate the sound of the damn things all night long.

 

My thoughts exactly, and why I didn't order one. I plan on parking in the garage, and even if there was someone around in the garage at work, they're not likely to care or do anything.

I don't leave anything in the car anyone might want to take, in sight or out. I have good insurance with a deductible I can afford. I'm more concerned with jerks in the parking lot than someone breaking into and/or stealing the car.

 

I installed an Audiovoxx alarm that is activated by voltage drop ( if a door is opened and the light comes on) or by vibration....works fine...gives me piece of mind if I'm in a sketchy area.....yeah, no alarm will stop a pro but the noise might scare away the local druggie types.... plus it was only $35

 

I dont have an alarm on my car. I planned on getting one but never did, and now I don't think I will. My car came with lojack, but I still need to do everything to get it into my name. Even if it didn't have lojack, I dont know if I'd get an alarm. I had an integra before, and it got broken into and stolen with a pager alarm. The thieves turned it off so fast it didn't matter. If it gives you a peace of mind, get one. It depends on the area you live in and where you park at night in my opinion.