10. Nissan Murano - 473 Thefts

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released a list of the top stolen sport utility and crossover vehicles in the United States, compiling data from 2009-2011 model years only. In total, entry-level CUVs were the most stolen with 6,357 thefts while hybrid SUVs were the least with 67 – of course, there aren’t as many hybrid SUVs on the road as there are entry-level CUVs. The information also revealed that California had the most thefts with 3,003 with Texas in second (1,826 thefts) and Florida third (1,784 thefts).

The 10th most stolen SUV/CUV from 2009-2011 model years was the Nissan Murano, with 473 thefts last year. The mid-size crossover from Nissan first hit the market in 2002 as a 2003 model year and was the automaker’s first crossover for the U.S. market. The second-generation Murano began with the 2009 model year and got revised exterior styling that seems to have become a hit with some thieves.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Nissan Murano Previewed in Resonance Concept

Leaked patent filings from Nissan appear to reveal the production version of the Hi-Cross concept, which could be a preview at the next-generation Rogue or X-Trail, the latter of which isn’t sold in America.

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10. 2009 Ford Fusion: $2,890

Insurance isn’t kind to teenage drivers. Rates are usually double the price of experienced drivers. Luckily CarInsure.com has provided a list of the top 10 best vehicles to insure for teenagers. 

The rates are calculated based on a Washington family: a married couple driving a 2011 Honda Accord and a 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, with a clean driving record and good credit. Their teenage driver is a 16-year-old male, also with a clean driving record. This list covers a five-year insurance impact. The vehicles on this list are from 2008, or 2009.

Tenth on the list is the 2009 Ford Fusion, equipped with ESC. This car gains its price thanks to a perfect NHTSA front impact score and the highest score possible for frontal-offset and side impact tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The key to this model though is the optional electronic stability control.

10. Jeep Compass (tie): 52.7%

Ever wonder just how different men are from women when it comes to picking their vehicle of choice? Here’s a top 10 list of vehicles with the highest proportion of female buyers, provided by Polk via InsideLine. There are a few unexpected models on the list, and a couple of models that, to our surprise, are missing.

Tied for 10th is the Jeep Compass, the only American vehicle on the list. In a way it makes sense, the Compass never gets the respect it deserves, packing a four-cylinder engine and hardly has the rugged off-road ethos that traditional Jeep fans embrace. So in our most sexist tone possible, it makes sense that women embrace the Compass – no really, it’s Jeep’s baby SUV.

Dread parallel parking? Find yourself driving around for an extra thirty minutes just to snipe yourself a parking spot in a lot rather than on the street? Might have to go grab yourself a 2012 Nissan Rogue, the first vehicle in its class to feature an innovative Around View Monitor, helping the driver parallel park with ease.

The Around View Monitor features four small, superwide-angle cameras located on the front, side mirrors and rear of the vehicle that provides a virtual 360-degree view of objects around the vehicle. The system converts the images taken from the four cameras to create and display a virtual image of the vehicle from above.

And thankfully something like this was designed to be simple to use and simple to understand, otherwise it’d probably just add more headache to parallel parking. It displays the rear-view and front-side view simultaneously, helping see the most worrisome areas when parallel parking.

Check out the video of the Around View Monitor in action after the break.

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Nissan‘s decidedly pedestrian 2011 Rogue made its debut at the 23rd annual Z Car Convention held at Nissan HQ in Tennessee. The Rogue is pretty much unchanged from previous years aside from the addition of a “krom” trim level with 18″ wheels. The cosmetic changes give the car a more angular look in like with recent Nissan styling cues.

[Source: Nissan]

Hit the jump to read the official press release

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Rogue

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