Of the plenty of great car security products that deter car thieves, installing the best car trackers is the number one way of keeping tabs on your vehicle.
These include locking your vehicle in a garage if you have one or putting your keys in an RFID and Faraday key pouch. You could even invest in a CCTV or outdoor security camera setup to ensure that you keep eyes on your vehicle at all times. But in the unfortunate event that said thieves succeed in making off with your hard-earned Range Rover, what then? And it would likely be a Range Rover because car theft is such an issue with them some insurers are refusing to cover them in London.
Investing in steering wheel locks and RFID key fob pouches is a fine way to block thieves’ progress to taking your vehicle. But if they override these, a car tracker could be the saviour in recovering your cherished machine.
The best car trackers at a glance:
Editor’s pick: Rewire Security Thatcham S7 – Buy from Amazon.
The best budget car tracker: Rewire Security DB1 Advanced GPS Tracker – Buy from Amazon.
The best magnetic tracker: Rewire Security 104 PRO Magnetic GPS Tracker – Buy from Amazon.
The best car trackers
Editor's pick
The great thing about Thatcham systems is that they're insurance-approved. And if you're lucky, you could get up to 20% off your next renewal once you have either the S7 or S5 series fitted.
Pros
- Packed with useful features
- Price includes one one-year subscription
Cons
- You have to pay thereafter
The best budget car tracker
The Rewire Security DB1 is an incredibly comprehensive system for the cash. Not only does it have the ability to set a geographical zone, but a theft alarm system is also integrated, alerting you of suspicious movement from your vehicle.
The one drawback is that to activate the tracking system, you need to pay a £5 monthly fee to access the perks.
Pros
- Effective tracker for the cash
- Great for bringing down insurance premiums
Cons
- Monthly subscription required after purchase
The best versatile car tracker
Journey history and zone alerts are also available on the TruTrak apps. But you have to pay a monthly fee of £4.72 a month to top up the in-built SIM card.
Pros
- Accessible, easy-to-use tracking device
- Simple to install
Cons
- Monthly sim card top-up charge
The best magnetic car tracker
It lasts up to 90 days on a single charge and is easily trackable via the GPSLive app. In order to get the perks though, you have to pay a monthly fee of at least £5 a month through a pay-as-you-go method.
Pros
- Easily installed, thanks to a magnetic base
- Tracking is easy to use
Cons
- Monthly fees required
The best tracker for features
You can also view and replay journeys that were taken from your vehicle for up to 90 days. The device has a year's worth of GPSLive subscription when you buy it, as well as free installation once it arrives.
Pros
- Comprehensive amount of features, including remote immobilisation
- Top-of-the-range protection
Cons
- Have to pay a subscription after one year
The best value VHF car tracker
Tracker claims that this signal can be detected even if the car is in a shipping container or underground car park. The device has to be professionally fitted and is supported by all UK police forces when it's needed.
Pros
- Motion sensor built-in
- Support from nationwide UK police forces
Cons
- Tracking only available in certain countries
The best advanced VHF car tracker
The S5 Plus device is professionally fitted for free and is not affected by GPS or GSM signal jammers. There is even a backup battery in the event of a theft, giving you that extra piece of mind.
Pros
- Comprehensive amount of features to keep track of your vehicle
- Highly advanced system
Cons
- You can't install it yourself
What are the different types of car trackers?
Car trackers are in a different league from smaller devices such as key trackers. Generally, you will find two types of car trackers and two price brackets.
GPS trackers
You will be familiar with this technology: a device that is tracked using GPS signals – it’s what your phone uses. GPS has global coverage, but the signal can be jammed deliberately or lost if the device is hidden underground, for example.
There are basic car trackers from reputable companies, such as the DB2 from UK company, Rewire Security. It’s a hardwired unit you install yourself and pay a £5 monthly subscription for. In return, the DB2 will report on real-time location, speed, and route history, among other things, via the GPSLive app. The DB2 also comes with a SIM that will automatically connect to the strongest available signal in 120 countries and is accurate to roughly two metres. Such are the perks of international GPS coverage.
VHF trackers
Very High Frequency (VHF) is a better tracking technology than GPS. It will still provide a signal underground or in a shipping container and is indifferent to GPS signal jammers. VHF technology is also operated by all UK police forces.
The company Tracker uses this patented, effective technology and provides a number of Thatcham-approved product options. Generally speaking, they are much more comprehensive than GPS systems, and this is reflected in the price differences.
Why is car theft so common?
During the course of the 2022/2023 year, there were over 130,000 vehicle thefts in England and Wales. This makes the case of finding the best car trackers ever more important.
Part of the reason is that the conviction rate for car thieves is so low. This could suggest the police don’t consider car thefts as much of a priority. Unless it’s nailed to the ground with a wheel clamp, modern cars are also incredibly easy to swipe, thanks to keyless technology. In addition, if there isn’t a car tracker, retrieving stolen cars is a major challenge for police. Unfortunately, thieves know this.
There is a lot of money in car theft – in exporting stolen vehicles and selling parts. If there weren’t, car theft wouldn’t be such an issue. The huge profiteering is indicative of large-scale organised crime. Nor does it help that the devices thieves use to undertake keyless thefts are available to buy online. That can, of course, be prevented by storing the keys in RFID and Faraday key boxes.
Will a car tracker help?
The sooner your car can be traced, the higher the likelihood of you getting it back. As time passes, you’re less likely to get your car back. Therefore, a car tracker certainly helps.
None of this is to say, however, that thieves are incapable of being deterred by even the best car trackers. A common method is that thieves will leave a stolen car abandoned for a short while to determine whether it has a tracker on it. In that space of time, it can be tracked and recovered. But others haven’t been so lucky.
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Chris Williams is an Automotive Content Writer for Parkers and CAR Magazine, he trained as an automotive journalist in New Zealand, prior to which he studied International Relations and History.
