Car thieves favor big, bold vehicles, according to an annual report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Cadillac Escalade once again is the most common target for grand theft auto, being stolen six times more frequently than the average car and resulting in losses that are 10 times greater.

The IIHS releases a theft claim report each year, and the Escalade remains a perennial favorite despite engine immobilizers being standard equipment. The figures look at thefts based on vehicle years, thereby adjusting for sales. Specifically the Escalade EXT variant is ranked the most popular with more than 14 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years.

Pickup trucks rank among those vehicles with the highest insurance theft claims, both in frequency and the average loss payments. It seems that thieves have a lot of work to do, a penchant for gas-guzzlers, or perhaps more opportunities to sell and part out full-sized, crewcab, American-branded trucks. IIHS notes that the theft losses for pickups is twice that for cars and SUVs, even though losses have decreased for trucks in recent years.

Despite the proliferation of engine immobilizers, professional thieves can tow a vehicle away. Pickup trucks carry the added risk that cargo can be pilfered from an open bed.

General Motors has responded to this news by noting that the 2012 Escalade has a “more robust” steering column lock system, and it will be available with a shock sensor and inclination sensor that would be triggered by towing, or even jacking the vehicle. We’ll see in a couple years if these measures can bump the Escalade from this most-wanted list.

A key takeaway from the IIHS report is that some vehicles carry higher insurance premiums for a real reason and that care needs to be taken to lock a vehicle when leaving it unattended and to park in a safe, well-lit location.

Highest claim rates 2008-2010

Lowest claim rates 2008-2010