6 Cars To Stay Away From If You Live in a Big City

You might be prepared to take on life in a big city, but what about your car? While some vehicles are well equipped for large metros, others are more susceptible to issues like navigating pavement during drives, being too large to fit into compact spaces or acting as a target for car theft.

Drivers may need to think twice before they start budgeting to buy any of the cars mentioned in this roundup. Keep reading to find out which six cars to stay away from buying if you live in a big city.

At first glance, it’s not hard to see why the Ford F-150 made this list. The popular pickup in the Ford F-Series is a big vehicle and one that will likely have a harder time maneuvering into tight spaces in parking garages, street parking spaces or dense streets than more compact cars.

Another major issue Ford pickups face in big cities is theft. In 2024, The Zebra shared data related to the most stolen cars in the United States. Full-size Ford pickups have historically been victims of auto theft, ranking in third place as the most stolen car with 337,287 thefts between 2010 through 2020. Ford pickups are also the most stolen cars in a whopping 17 U.S. states, including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

One look at the Chevrolet Silverado and most drivers know whether or not their metro location will be able to accommodate driving around and parking in a full-size pickup. 

And like the Ford F-Series pickups, Chevrolet pickups aren’t immune to car theft. Their full-size pickups rank in fourth place for the most stolen vehicles at 308,105 thefts. Full-size Chevrolet pickups are the top stolen cars in 15 U.S. states including Arizona, Nevada and Texas.

Some readers will be surprised to see the Honda Accord on this list. Previously, GOBankingRates has ranked the Accord among one of the best cars for your retirement thanks to its affordable price and budget-friendly gas mileage.

What makes the Accord less ideal for cities is how susceptible it is to theft. The Honda Accord was revealed to be the most stolen car between 2010 to 2020 with 513,025 thefts. This is especially true of used Honda Accords from the 1990s. These have become an increasingly popular target for thieves since older models don’t have anti-theft technology like newer ones.

The Jeep Wrangler is technically a good investment from a resale value point of view. U.S. News & World Report put the SUV on its 2024 list of cars that have the slowest depreciation. Over a five-year period, Jeep Wranglers depreciated by 20.8% with a -$8,951 change in value.

Relying on good resale value, however, isn’t enough of a reason to invest in a Jeep Wrangler if you live in a city. Some of its cons include a lack of cargo space, being expensive to purchase and to drive and the SUV’s open-air capability, making the Wrangler an irresistible target for car thieves.

Even though the Chevrolet Camaro looks cool and offers drivers a smooth ride, there are too many cons positioning this muscle car as a poor investment in big cities. 

One of the biggest issues is how it’s hard to see out while driving and this is true of visibility in the front and back of the vehicle. An article on TopSpeed said visibility is made complicated by the Camaro’s narrow, low windows, low roofline and raked rear windscreen.

The cool factor of the BMW X6 aside, drivers may quickly find that keeping up with a BMW’s overall maintenance means funneling a portion of their paychecks toward the car and having less money left over to put in savings. 

The BMW X6 also has certain year models that buyers need to beware of, especially those shopping for cheaper used BMWs. According to CoPilot, shoppers are recommended to avoid purchasing the 2011 BMW X6 due to its overheating engine. Yikes!