Want to get a hybrid but parking would be on-street. Chances of exhaust theft?

Constancedm

My car is an old diesel and I will be upgrading shortly, and would love to get a hybrid.
I'm concerned about the stuff I'm reading about people getting their catalytic converter stolen repeatedly.
Apart from being very expensive, it presents a serious problem when insurances start refusing to cover, which seems to happen.
I live in London SE5 and I have to park my car on a street around the corner so it's not like the car would be in a garage.
I called my insurance to find out if they have any advice on this, and the lady said to just get a comprehensive cover, which I don't find completely satisfying as an answer. And the Catloc thingy doesn't look very effective.
Any views or advice?
Thanks everyone...

Herzlos

Doesn't pretty much everything have a cat converter now? I wouldn't worry about it.

Grumpy_chap

Toyota cars are so easy for "undesirables" to "borrow", the car should be offered with no cat as a standard option.

foxy-stoat

How many cars are parked on the street in SE5, and everywhere else?  I wouldnt worry about it as if they want it they will steal it but lots of cars to choose from.  A few decades ago it was wheels and stereos that got stolen....give it another 10 or 20 and it will be the batteries....

Ganga

Buy a pure electric and it will not have a catalytic convertor or any part of an exhaust system   

NBLondon

Buy a low-slung car - much easier to get the cat off a crossover or SUV so the thieves will look elsewhere.  I don't expect an insurance co to have any useful advice - they will simply go off the postcode and statistics (and that may depend on how far down the postcode they look).  Are you in nearly Dulwich or nearly Brixton bit of SE5?

tacpot12

The CatLoc might not look very substantial but nothing will withstand a cordless angle grinder for long. The benefit of the CatLoc is to just make the job a little harder for them. Thieves are lazy so if you make their job just a little bit harder they will move on to the next car. 

macman

When cat theft started, they went mainly for Priuses (Prii?). Now, it's almost anything they can quickly get access to. 
Hybrids cats can be worth a little more, but the average offender isn't that discerning.

bhjm

its more about where the cat converter is located, rather than by the type(hybrid) of the vehicle. most of the modern cars will have the cat in the engine bay within the exhaust manifold, those won`t be stolen as the access isn`t that easy. 

Ian1961

Don't know if you could purchase an additional alarm system which sets off if the car is raised off the road?

hollie.weimeraner

Ian1961 said:

Don't know if you could purchase an additional alarm system which sets off if the car is raised off the road?

I have de badged my Auris and it now looks like a petrol version. I have also had a tilt alarm fitted.
Like everything you just make it harder for the thieving gits to steal/identify.
People still buy Corsas despite their front ends disappearing like the clappers and high end cars that get stolen via their keyless vulnerability.