You Won’t Believe How Much Car Thefts Have Increased

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Some are blaming the alarming increase in car thefts on COVID-19. But experts have a hard time saying why other than thefts have been consistently lower over the past several years. Over 873,080 cars were stolen in 2020 for an increase of almost 10 percent. 

Thieves are after specific vehicles and specific car parts

Car thief | Nicolas Armer/picture alliance via Getty Images

Some states are being affected worse than others. Mostly, California, Florida, and Texas are seeing the highest increase. And in those states, the targets are mostly Chevy and Ford pickups, and Honda sedans. But there is another problem affecting many victims.

Catalytic converter theft has significantly risen. Thieves are after them to sell to metal recyclers for their rare metals. They’re fairly easy to steal and are small enough to hide, so they make handy items to sell to recyclers but also to shady body and repair shops. 

Over 1,200 catalytic converters are stolen every day

Catalytic converter under car
The stolen converter will be sold to a recycler who will salvage the platinum from it | James L. Amos/Corbis via Getty Images

Statistics say over 1,200 catalytic converters are stolen every day but it is suspected the number is far higher. It was estimated that just under 300 a month were stolen in 2019. Thieves get between $50 to $250 each for used converters on average.

Some say the lockdowns and restrictions for COVID-19 are partly the cause for the increase. So prices have steadily risen while demand has increased, too. Among the thieves’ favorite targets is the Toyota Prius because it has two catalytic converters. 

Thieves like pickup trucks

catalytic converters
Catalytic converters | Reuter Raymond/Sygma via Getty Images

RELATED: Why Are Thieves Stealing Catalytic Converters In My Town?

And because they’re hybrids their converters tend to be in better overall shape. But thieves like pickups, too, because their higher suspension makes them easier to slide under. And there are more pickups out there than just about anything else. 

One of the best deterrents, if you can’t park in a garage, is to park in a well-lit secure place. The advantage that thieves have is that they are hard to detect being under a car or truck. But detaching a converter does create noise, but sometimes it is hard to determine where it is coming from.

Check with your insurance company to see just how you are covered

Car thief with police
A car thief suspect drops to his knees as Long Beach Police officers order him and two other occupants out of the vehicle | Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

You might want to check with your insurance company to see just how you are covered in case a catalytic converter is stolen from you. If your policy has comprehensive coverage then your insurance will probably pay for or replace your converter as well as damage thieves have made. This will be done based on your coverage limits and of course minus your deductible. 

Finally, make sure you call the police as well as your insurance provider. Stepped-up patrols and a general awareness by the police will help to keep thefts down in your area. 

The post You Won’t Believe How Much Car Thefts Have Increased appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

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The 2021 Ram 1500 Still Outranks the Ford F-150

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It seems like it’s been a quiet year for the 2021 Ram 1500. The 2021 Ford F-150 has been in the news more often as the best-selling truck. However, the Ram 1500 still manages to outrank the F-150 on some lists as the best truck and beats the F-150 in certain areas.

The 2021 Ram 1500 vs. the 2021 Ford F-150 

2021 Ram 1500 Limited | Stellantis

According to U.S.News, the 2021 Ram 1500 outranks the 2021 Ford F-150 for the Best Full-Size Pickup Truck title. This goes against other critics from TrueCar and MotorTrend that have the F-150 listed as the best option. 

Across different sites, vehicle ranking processes vary. U.S.News ranks vehicles based on published reviews from respected automotive critics and data from third-party sources. The reviews come from newspapers, magazines, and automotive reviews that provide information about the vehicle’s performance, interior, safety, reliability, cargo, comfort, fuel economy, and awards. 

Each segment has a unique formula to accurately rate a vehicle with a score from zero to 10. For example, minivans are rated a bit differently than pickup trucks to correctly line up with shopper’s expectations across different segments. Also, the scores may change as updated information rolls out. 

What does the Ram 1500 rank higher than the Ford F-150? 

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The 2021 Ram 1500 has a score of 9.1 from the U.S.News, and the 2021 Ford F-150 has a score of 8.9. They have an incredibly close score, but ultimately the Ram 1500 managed to pull ahead because of its interior. 

The Ford F-150’s ranking says that it’s less upscale and comfortable than the Ram 1500. The only con listed for the Ram 1500 is that some rivals can tow more. The Ram 1500 got a totally redesigned interior in 2019 that competitors haven’t been able to match yet. 

The Ford F-150 received an interior refresh in 2021 that includes max recline seats and updated tech, but it still has some catching up to do. The Ram 1500 has a unique coil-spring rear suspension that provides a more comfortable ride, and it provides a more peaceful interior. 

According to Edmunds, the Ram 1500 has comfortable and supportive front seats that are great for long distances. The backseat has a comfortable backrest angle and a nice recline angle. Edmunds noted that the max recline seats in the F-150 are great for taking a nap but lack side bolstering and overall comfort compared to the standard seats. 

How do the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 compare? 

The 2021 Ford F-150 towing a boat on the road
2021 Ford F-150 | Ford

You can get started in 2021 Ram 1500 for about $32,795, and the 2021 Ford F-150 begins at about $28,940. The Ford F-150 gets an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city and up to 26 mpg on the highway. The Ram 1500 gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in the city and up to 33 mpg on the highway. 

The Ford F-150 Hybrid may provide an advantage for fuel-conscious drivers. However, both trucks offer a diesel engine. When properly equipped, the F-150 can tow up to 14,000 lbs, and the Ram 1500 can tow up to 12,750 lbs. 

Both trucks offer an optional 12-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The systems are fast and easy to use. Convenience features include a wireless phone charger, ventilated seats, and a panoramic sunroof. 

While the Ford F-150 may be a little stronger with new bells and whistles, such as the onboard generator, the Ram 1500 is considered the more comfortable option. Both trucks are great choices to consider.

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2 Fun, Fast Cars You Won’t Regret Getting Instead of a Mini Cooper

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Mini Cooper is a zippy car that’s practically in a category of its own. But these subcompact cars aren’t perfect, and some customers might want a cheaper option. Here’s a look at two fast and fun cars that are great alternatives to a Mini Cooper.

The 2021 Mini Cooper isn’t perfect

Every car has some flaws. In the Mini Cooper’s case, its main issues are economics. It starts at just over $22,000, and though that’s not a ludicrous amount of money, it’s a few thousand more than subcompact rivals, U.S. News reports.

On top of that, though the standard Mini Cooper’s turbocharged 1.5-liter engine is powerful enough for regular folks, it’s not that sporty or fuel-efficient. Its standard engine makes only 134 hp, and when it comes to fuel economy, it’s rated at 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. 

So for folks who want a Mini Cooper that’s fun to drive, they might have to opt for the more powerful JCW trims. However, those jack up the price, starting at over $30,000, and offer even worse fuel efficiency. That’s why the following two models are great alternatives. 

2020 Volkswagen Golf/GTI: Bigger and more powerful

RELATED: Why Is the Mini Cooper So Expensive for a Subcompact Car?

According to U.S. News, the Volkswagen Golf and Golf GTI are great alternatives to the Mini Cooper. Both VWs are more expensive than the standard Cooper, but they’re more affordable than the latter’s sporty trims. The Golf, for example, starts at about $23,000, while the GTI starts at around $28,000. 

Plus, because both the Golf and GTI are compact cars, they’re also larger than the Cooper. That means the VWs are more spacious and practical than the Cooper.

And, of course, the Golf and GTI are fast and fun cars to drive. The Golf is more powerful than the standard Cooper, and its fuel economy is roughly the same. The GTI, on the other hand, is significantly more powerful, but it sacrifices some fuel economy for performance. However, both VWs are agile cars that handle well.

2020 Subaru WRX

Another great alternative is the Subaru WRX. Like the VWs, the WRX is a compact car, so it’s larger than the Mini Cooper. That said, because of the WRX’s larger size and more powerful engine, its starting price of $27,000 is significantly higher than the standard Cooper, U.S. News reports. But it’s still cheaper than the Cooper’s sporty trims.

The WRX comes with a lot of features that make it fast and fun, however. For example, its standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 268 hp, and it also comes with a manual transmission as standard. On top of that, the WRX also has all-wheel drive as standard.

Thanks to those features, U.S. News calls the WRX a “worthy adversary” to the Mini Cooper when it comes to performance. However, in other areas, such as fuel economy and practicality, the WRX may fall behind. Regardless, if performance is what customers care about, the WRX is easily better than the standard Cooper and a tough competitor to even the JCW GP.

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The Mercedes CLK GTR Story Starts With a Modified McLaren F1

by Gabrielle DeSantis

AMG is more than just the road performance arm of Mercedes-Benz. The tuner/division’s history starts with the race-ready ‘Red Pig’ Mercedes sedan. And ever since Mercedes purchased it, AMG has been the German automaker’s motorsports division. That means it was also in charge of creating one of the most iconic homologation supercars of the ‘90s: the Mercedes CLK GTR. Doing so, though, required the help of another supercar legend: the McLaren F1.

The Mercedes CLK GTR was built to beat the McLaren F1 using a McLaren F1

1999 Mercedes CLK GTR | Mercedes-Benz

On a superficial level, the Mercedes CLK GTR and the McLaren F1 follow a similar formula. Both are rear-wheel-drive supercars with mid-mounted V12 engines, carbon-fiber chassis, and carbon-fiber bodywork. Though in the CLK GTR’s case, the chassis also has some Kevlar, Car and Driver notes.

They both also owe their existence to racing; quite literally, in the CLK GTR’s case. Yet, the Mercedes CLK GTR also wouldn’t exist without the F1.

An orange 1993 McLaren F1
1993 McLaren F1 | McLaren

Though he drew on his Formula 1 experience, Gordon Murray didn’t design the F1 for racing, Road & Track explains. It was only after customers asked for a racing version that McLaren created the F1 GTR. But despite its somewhat casual development, the F1 GTR was almost immediately a dominating force on the racetrack. And in 1997, it started competing in the newly-formed FIA GT class.

This is where Mercedes-Benz gets involved. After the DTM racing series collapsed in 1996, the German automaker didn’t have a motorsports outlet, Hagerty reports. So, when the FIA GT class was announced, it jumped at the opportunity. However, that left Mercedes and AMG with a fairly short time frame to develop the CLK GTR. In total, the team designed, built, and tested its race car in 128 days, or just over four months, R&T reports.

The rear 3/4 view of a silver 1999 Mercedes CLK GTR
1999 Mercedes CLK GTR rear 3/4 | Mercedes-Benz

Luckily, AMG had a helpful time-saving tool at its disposal during Mercedes CLK GTR development: a McLaren F1 GTR. Mercedes bought and modified an original F1 GTR to use as a development mule. And here, ‘modified’ means ‘fitted custom bodywork and an AMG engine to.’

But even with the chopped-up F1 speeding things up, AMG only just finished in time. The CLK GTR wasn’t officially homologated until six days before its first race, R&T reports.

To quote Carfection, the Mercedes CLK GTR is “an absolute animal of a car”

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It may have arguably been a rush job, but the Mercedes CLK GTR was a successful race car. While it never won at Le Mans, it won six of the 11 1997 races, earning Mercedes the Driver’s and Constructor’s Championships, Autoweek reports. And as Carfection host Henry Catchpole explains in the video below, its performance still intimidates.

The Mercedes CLK GTR uses a V12 originally designed for the W140 S-Class and R129 SL. In the latter two cars, it’s a 6.0-liter engine. However, the CLK GTR has a 6.9-liter V12 rated at 612 hp and 568 lb-ft, The Drive reports. A few ‘Super Sport’ examples had an even larger 7.3-liter V12 with over 654 hp, Automobile reports. And unlike the McLaren F1, the CLK GTR doesn’t have a traditional manual transmission. Instead, it has a paddle-shifted six-speed sequential transmission with a foot clutch. With it, the Mercedes goes 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds, Autoweek reports.

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The Mercedes CLK GTR isn’t as practical as the McLaren F1. It only has two seats, no real trunk, and the interior is “rather cramped,” R&T reports. Catchpole claims “it might just be the most awkward car I’ve ever got [sic] into.” But it does have leather seats, A/C, a radio, and interior trim from Mercedes of the era. Plus, the wide door sills double as cargo areas, and the steering wheel is removable. So, while it’s more ‘extreme’ than the F1’s interior, it’s arguably more ‘normal.’

On the move, though, the Mercedes CLK GTR “feels really special,” Carfection says. It feels shorter than it is going around corners, with plenty of grip and communicative steering. It weighs more than the F1, but the CLK GTR’s engine makes more torque and a deeper noise. And the sequential transmission is “much, much better than…expected,” Carfection reports.

It’s an exceedingly rare supercar that’s “more race car than street car,” Road & Track says

The average enthusiast has a higher chance of spotting a McLaren F1 ‘in the wild’ than a Mercedes CLK GTR. For one, at its release it was the most expensive production car in the world, R&T says. And secondly, Mercedes only made enough to satisfy the homologation requirements. So, while there were 107 F1s, there are only 25 CLK GTRs.

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However, despite its rarity, the CLK GTR is less expensive than the F1. True, one example sold at a 2018 RM Sotheby’s auction for $4,515,000. But F1s regularly trade at 2-3 times that much, if not more.

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