Best Car Alarms For 2022

Solid build quality and a wide array of features for the price make the Compustar CS7900-AS the best all-around choice in aftermarket car alarms. It offers a 105-decibel alarm paired with bright LED lighting as well as instantaneous paging for tamper alerts and alarm activation. The contol fob works within 3,000 feet of the vehicle and has remote start capability, allowing a driver to preheat the interior on cold days or precool it on hot days. Depending on the vehicle, that may require additional equipment. On the negative side, all this capability means this is not a do-it-yourself installation. The manufacturer recommends professional installation and only offers customer service help through pro installers.

The Viper 3100V is a basic car alarm at a low price. It focuses on one job, making a lot of noise and drawing a lot of attention if someone tries to break into a vehicle. With a loud alarm, flashing lights and an engine immobilizer, the basics are covered. Installation is also among the easiest on the market today. That said, if you’re looking for any advanced features, you won’t find them here.

Less expensive than the Compustar, the Avital 5305L is a solid two-way alarm system that’s built for expansion later on. Buyer reviews suggest it’s among the most reliable alarms on the market today. What you give up to get the lower price is about half the range (the Avital’s maximum is 1,500 feet) and five decibels of loudness on the alarm itself (100 decibels is still quite loud). Like the Compustar, it can be upgraded after purchase to allow for remote starting.

The Python 5305P proves that you can get a budget-priced two-way system that includes remote start without extra-cost add-ons. It provides some extras of its own, too. In addition to the two-way fob, there’s a one-way backup fob for simply arming and disarming the alarm. There’s also an app that enables tracking and controlling the system using a smartphone or tablet. Additionally, it features multi-level arming, which gives you the ability to determine which sensors to activate if there’s a situation where you may only want to make the alarm sensitive only certain areas or not want to use all of its functions.

The Carlock 2nd Gen Advanced Real Time 3G Tracker and Alarm checks a lot of boxes at once. There’s only one piece, and it plugs into your car’s OBD-II diagnostics port, so installation is easy and the device is hidden out of sight. From under your dash, it communicates your car’s status and location directly to an app on your smartphone. Distance is no object because it communicates via the internet and using GPS to track. And the price is the lowest of any system we’ve seen. The catch is that there’s no active deterrence. No lights or alarms sound if somebody breaks into your vehicle. The information (including live tracking of where the vehicle goes) comes straight to you. That information can be shared with police and could improve the odds of recovering a stolen vehicle, but many security system shoppers want to prevent thefts in the first place.