They’re more often known as babe magnets, speedsters, or my personal favorite, wheels on fire (am I really the only one who says that?), but some of the fastest cars in the world are earning their stripes by a very different metric — how many tickets they rack up. And no, that’s not ballet tickets or passes to the cinema — we’re talking speeding tickets. Given the incredible horsepower of some of the world’s most impressive cars, it’s no wonder that they don’t like to be contained by the speed limits on most state highways (gotta move to Texas, y’all). And now, an Insurance.com study has revealed which cars are the most prone to attracting those flashing blue lights.
According to the most recent survey, which was based on insurance claims and traffic violation data reviews from 331 car models and over 323,000 recent customers, Lexus ES300 drivers make up the highest percentage of recent offenders when it comes to speeding. This is quite the change from the last time Insurance.com conducted such a survey back in 2012, when the Subaru WRX was dubbed the most egregious ticket magnet. This time around, the WRX doesn’t even break the top 10 — it comes in at number 12.
Interestingly enough, the cars (or drivers) least likely to get a ticket are the more expensive ones — the Buick Encore, Lexus IS350, Acura ILX, and Cadillac ATS receive citations very infrequently (just 3 percent of drivers of both the Buick and the Lexus reported being ticketed, and 6 percent for the Acura and Cadillac). That said, there’s no real rhyme or reason in determining the cars with the most tickets — that list is compromised of a healthy mixture of both luxury and economy cars.
“It’s the driver that gets tickets, not the car,” Penny Gusner, consumer analyst for Insurance.com, says of the recent findings “But it is interesting to see what vehicle makes and models attract drivers who are prone to traffic violations.”
Here’s the full list of ticket magnets in the most recent year, by percentage of drivers who reported receiving speeding tickets:
1. Lexus ES 300 – 33%
2. Nissan 350Z – 33%
3. Dodge Charger SE/SXT – 32%
4. Volkswagen Jetta GL– 31%
5. Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS/LT – 31%
6. Mazda 3S – 30%
7. Volkswagen GTI – 30%
8. Dodge Stratus SXT – 30%
9. Acura 3.0s – 30%
10. Toyota Tacoma – 30%
11. Mazda Tribute – 30%
12. Subaru Impreza WRX – 30%
13. Lexus LS 400 Series – 30%
14. Subaru Impreza 2.5I – 30%
15. Mercedes-Benz C300 4 Matic – 30%
16. Chevrolet Malibu 2LT – 29%
17. Lincoln LS – 29%
18. Ford Fusion S – 29%
19. Mazda 3I – 29%
20. Chevrolet Tahoe K1500 – 29%
Unsurprisingly, the drivers of these cars also tend to file other non-speeding ticket related insurance claims more often than do other car owners. So if you’ve got a need for speed, chances are you’re breaking a few other rules, too.
