Thieves are not worried about fuel efficiency when it comes to steeling a vehicle according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the insurance Institute for Highway Safety. According to Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice president, "Thieves are after chrome, horsepower, and HEMIs."

The rate at which people file insurance claims for theft is highest for versions of the 2007-09 Cadillac Escalade followed by the Ford F-250 crew pickup, Infiniti G37 luxury car, and Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine. Theft rates for these vehicles are 3 to 5 times as high as the average for all vehicles. Overall theft losses take into account not only the rate at which insurance claims are filed but also the size of the payments for claims.

The Escalade has ranked worst in overall theft losses in 6 of the past 7 HLDI reports. All 4 versions of the Escalade head the list of the worst overall losses for theft, with average yearly losses more than 7 times the average for all passenger vehicles. The Escalade EXT 4-door 4-wheel-drive has the highest theft losses of all, with $146 in theft payments per insured vehicle year. This is more than 10 times the $14 average theft payments per year for all passenger vehicles.