They are after the metals in the converter: palladium, platinum and rhodium. I think they are going for easy pickings right now and seem to be targeting older Honda Jazz, Accords, Toyota Prius and a few others. I have tried googling the location of the newer Jazz converters but not having much luck.

On my 2012 Jazz the cat is close to the cycinder head - not part of the exhaust manifold.. but inaccessible from below..(the engine tray hides it and there is s a sub frame as well..)

"do they not just take a portable grinder to the pipe either side of the CAT in order to get in and out as quickly as possible?"

They do, there was something on the radio a while ago.

You’re right about the pros and cons but once bitten, twice shy.

In our case, they used an angle grinder. There are videos showing how it can be done in less than two minutes.

Buy a car fitted with a manicat ( cat bolted directly to the exhaust manifold ) as these are extremely difficult for thieves to remove quickly at the roadside.

They are after the metals inside. The price of palladium, platinum and rhodium are up.

Indeed - I live close to a factory that tests and builds products (including cats) that use such precious metals, and they have VERY high security (not only to go in/out, but to just go to the canteen for lunch you are searched and go through a scanner like at the airport, to check for hidden metals) and in their processes, they collect the metal dust/shavings for re-use, even from extractor fans!

Good point but it does seem to depend on the car/age/model. The one I had replaced was on my old Octavia (a couple of years ago - the original nearly fell to bits with rust!) and is still relatively cheap . Current listing for circa £84 :-

https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/bm-catalysts-8332926.html

The later tsi versions seem much more expensive

At the weekend i was chopsing to a security gate chap in that London, the most awful noise came down the road, low and behold a almost new Auris hybrid pulled up opposite and parked, obvious what the issue was.

We got talking about this problem, the young security bod was telling me his girlfriend wants them to get out of London as soon as they can because this is only the tip of the violent and criminal iceberg they live in constantly, i could only agree with her sensible view.

The future of our country is bleak and no one in authority is prepared to stand up and apply a fix.

I was going to say its not only the Jazz but other cars as well being targeted, London is getting worse- no two ways about it- but no one in power seems interested apart from, we will do this we will do that.....never happens though.

not surprised people want out of London, I really dont blame them:(

As for expensive, well, its one big rip off Maybe Labour cant do any worse eh

2003 Yaris D4D and 2012 Jazz have close coupled cats.. Not easy to remove - subframes and engine block/bulkhead in way.