So I just bought a new (to me) car and am pondering about whether I should purchase a car alarm. My car is nothing fancy, 97 VW golf, and as I am now a family man, it is unlikely that my fancy stereo will ever get reinstalled in my vehicle. I am not particularly worried about theft of my vehicle, who wants to take a family car with no power or expensive aftermarket add-ons? Now that my disposable income has shrunk to nearly nil I am finding that this decision has become harder than before.  My past vehicles has always had alarms, even my craptastic 87 VW Jetta. I always bought a new one for each car too, I never bothered to have the old one removed to be transferred into my new vehicle. So to help me make my decision, I look at it in point form...

Pros of having a car alarm

Aftermarket alarm allows for add-ons to older vehicles. Most notably, powered door locks and actuators. Very convenient!
Protection (Some) from vehicle break-ins. Maybe your car is worthless, but what about your iPod, cell phone, loose change, wallet, or recent purchases that you left in your car?
Ability to install immobilizer. Electronic immobilizers make your car almost unstealable. (Well, realistically anything can be stolen but if the car won't move under its own power it is much less likely)
Alarm/Remote start. Also convenient. Nice to have a warm/cool car to get into. Also where I live frosty windows are a pain to scrape each morning so having my car defrost automatically while I finish my morning coffee would be great.

Cons of having a car alarm

Price. Alarms can be pricey, especially when being installed into a newer vehicle. Remote start even more so with the ever increasing number of bypass modules required to do it legally.
Reliability. I hate it when alarms are triggered in false alarm. This can be minimized by having it properly adjusted but almost never totally eliminated. Also an improperly installed alarm/remote start can actually damage your vehicle, so make darn sure that whoever is installing such a system is insured!
So, for me it’s defiantly a yes. I’m saving up and know a reliable source for a quality alarm and its installation.