The 10 Most Stolen Luxury Cars

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Getting your car stolen is a terrible experience. Not only are you losing (possibly) you main method of transportation, but you're also out a significant amount of money. When you spent upward of $30,000 on a car, you stand to lose a lot if someone decides to steal it.

This top ten list shows which luxury vehicles are stolen the most, and how many of them were stolen between 2009 and 2012. The numbers come from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. For some reason, it seems that criminals really like German luxury cars, with fully half of the list coming from German manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

10. Mercedes-Benz S Class, 163 stolen

With 163 vehicles stolen between 2009 and 2012 the Mercedes-Benz S-Class comes in at the bottom of the list. It's also the most expensive car from Mercedes-Benz to make it on the list, with two less expensive sedans taking higher spots. The S-Class starts at $92,900 and currently only comes in one model, the S550. The 2014 S550 comes with a 4.6L biturbo V-8 engine with 449 horsepower. Possibly contributing to its low rank on the list is the standard Mercedes-Benz mbrace2 that turns the car into a Wi-Fi hotspot and lets drivers control some aspects of the car from their smartphone.

9. Lexus IS, 117 stolen

The Lexus IS is ninth on the list with 117 vehicles stolen between 2009 and 2012.

The 2014 Lexus IS line starts at $36,100 with the IS 250, though the most expensive model, the IS 350 F Sport, starts at $43,585. Between those two models are the IS 250 F Sport that starts at $39,565, and the IS 350 that starts of $36,615. Engine options include a 2.5L, 3.5L, and a 5.0L option, with horsepower ranging from 204 HP to 416 HP.

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8. Acura TSX, 190 stolen

Eighth on the list of most stolen luxury cars is the Acura TSX, which was stolen 290 times from 2009 to 2012.

The Acura TSX is the cheapest car on this list, with the base model starting at $30,635. That's still a lot to spend on a car for most people, though. That base model sedan comes with a 2.4L engine with 201 HP. Acura offers an option to upgrade to a 3.5L engine with 280 HP. There's also a station wagon option that starts at $31,985.

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7. Lincoln MKZ. 226 stolen

The Lincoln MKZ makes it to number seven on the list with 226 vehicles stolen from 2009 to 2012.

The only car from Lincoln to appear on the list, the Lincoln MKZ starts a $35,190 for the base model. The base MKZ has a 2.0L, 240 HP engine. The next step up comes with a 3.7L V6 engine with 300 HP for $36,420.

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6. BMW 5 Series, 256 stolen

At number six is the BMW 5 Series, which was stolen 256 times between 2009 and 2012.

Starting at $49,500 The BMW 5 Series is the more expensive BMW vehicle on the list. The 5 Series can come with a 2.0L, 3.0L, or 4.4L engine, with horsepower ranging from 240 HP to 445 HP. For the 2014 model BMW currently offers a total of seven different models of for the 5 Series: Sedan, Touring, Gran Turismo, xDrive Sedan, xDrive Touring, M5 Sedan, and ActiveHybrid.

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5. Cadillac CTS, 326 stolen

The Cadillac CTS was the fifth most stolen luxury car in the U.S. between 2009 and 2012, with criminals taking 326 of them in a few years.

The 2014 Cadillac CTS starts at $34,495 for the base model vehicle. It can come with a 2.L, 3.0L, or 3.6L engine, with horsepower ranging from 270 HP to 420 HP. Cadillac currently offers six models in the CTS line: CTS Coupe, CTS-V Coupe, CTS Sedan, CTS-V Sedan, CTS Sport Wagon, and CTS-V Wagon.

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4. Mercedes-Benz E Class, 381 stolen

From 2009 to 2012 car thieves stole a total of 381 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans. Fittingly, the middle-of-the-pack Mercedes-Benz sedan in terms of price also falls between its brethren on this list, and fourth overall.

The E-Class Sedan starts at $51,400 for the base model. It's the only hybrid car that Mercedes-Benz currently offers, though only one of its six models offers a hybrid engine. The E-Class also comes in a diesel model for those who prefer it.

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3. Infiniti G Series, 405 stolen

Third on the list of most-stolen luxury cars is the Infiniti G Series. A total of 405 G Series cars were stolen between 2009 and 2012.

The G Series follows the general trend of less expensive cars being stolen more often. The base model 2014 G37 Journey starts at $32,950. The Infiniti G37X AWD costs a bit more, starting at $34,550. Both vehicles have a 3.7L V6 engine with 328 HP, with the main standard difference being the all-wheel drive available in the latter model.

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2. BMW 3 Series, 471 stolen

The BMW 3 Series comes in at a close second on this list with a total of 471 cars stolen between 2009 and 2012. Unfortunately, we don't know the breakdown by model, so we can't say if the hybrid, sedan, or convertible is more likely to get stolen.

The current 2014 model of the BMW 3 Series starts at $32,750 making the less expensive of the two BMW cars on this list. The car is available with either 2.0L or 3.0L, with horsepower ranging from 180 HP to 335 HP. BMW offer five different models of the 3 Series include the aforementioned Sedan, ActiveHybrid, Convertible, as well as the Touring and Gran Turismo.

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1. Mercedes-Benz C Class, 485 stolen

With 485 vehicles stolen, the Mercedes-Benz C Class is the most stolen luxury vehicle in America. Of those 485 cars stolen, only 78 of them were never recovered.

Mercedes-Benz makes six different models of the C-Class, with the least expensive model starting at $35,800. It's the cheapest of the three sedans the company makes, all of which appear elsewhere on this list. We don't know why criminals prefer the C-Class, but if you're looking into one you might want to invest in a few security features.

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