No. Stealing a car is theft. The difference between the two lies in the definition of theft. In the Criminal Code, the offence of theft is defined as the accused taking property with an intention to deprive the owner and convert the property to his or her own. With joyriding, the accused only had the intention to use or drive the vehicle, and not to deprive the owner and convert the vehicle to his or her own. Last Reviewed: August 2012