Alarms: A Must Have?

It seems the info/opinion about having an alarm is mixed. Obviously I dont have a high end vehicle, or a boutique audio setup...but I know that doesnt mean Im clear of theft. It seems some people say an alarm is a must have, and others give it the "if they want your stuff, an alarm isnt going to stop them."

Im considering the Viper 5901. Two way, shock sensor, etc. Im just trying to decide if its worth the cost. I really dont think I have the type vehicle to attract a pro, but Im wondering if the alarm will deter enough to keep my safe from everything other than a window smash etc.

The vehicle is parked in a garage, in a good neighborhood, etc., but Im sure there are lots of theft stories that start with those exact words. Of course the big worry is being in foreign parking lots while shopping, etc.

Thoughts?

 

If you live anywhere near the border, get an alarm. Otherwise, na.

 

And by border, I mean the Canadian border.

 

I have the 5901 and its pretty nice. I don't love the side buttons on the remote though. To me its cheap insurance.

 

I would not own a car without an alarm.

Needs 2-way remote, hood pins, window magnets, back up siren/battery and glass sensor.

 

Back in the 80s I had a stereo stolen from my car in my apt complex parking lot. they ripped the dashboard apart with a crowbar or somesuch. 6 months later they tried again with new stereo and alarm. The alarm went off and that chased the pricks off and woke me up to go down and relock the car.

Alarms aren't a cure-all but they do have some benefits depending on what you expect out of them. They probably won't stop the pros if the truck is left in a vulnerable location, but might deter them and more casual thieves in normal circumstances. Also, remote starters and such can be pretty useful depending on where you live and if you park your vehicle outside. So, cheap insurance against break-ins and nice convenience features make this a no-brainer for me.

 

My other halfs ride has an autopage two way paging w/ remote start. This is the greats that was added other than the sound sys. Starting the car in hot weather is awesome. I just need to wait til my funds are up to get mines

 

Must have IMO. I got a viper 1002 pro installed for 299. its worth twice that to me, at least.

 

Yes, I used to always install add-on pagers with my alarm systems but the 2-way remotes have paging built in these days. This is a great feature, for instance, if you are on travel and have to park in a motel lot where you might not hear the siren. The pager can still alert you to a break in. I still wouldn't leave anything super valuable out there but with the alarm and 2-way you probably don't have to offload everything to the room for the night. It all depends on the circumstances, like distance, what I plan to leave in the car, etc. etc. Works for me, anyway...

 

As a pure deterrent, no, not really. If you consider a drop in insurance (usually ~5%) and remote start/convenience, yea, they can be, depending on the cost of the alarm.
I guess it depends where you park too. Park in Newark NJ and you can have 3 alarms and it wont matter one bit