The 20 Cars That Get the Most Traffic Tickets

This post comes from Des Toups at partner site Insurance.com.

The top 20 ticket magnets include sports cars, SUVs, old beaters and a hybrid.

Insurance.com analyzed data submitted by more than 557,000 drivers who were comparing car insurance quotes to find the car models whose drivers had the most violations.

One in 3 drivers of the Subaru WRX had a traffic violation in the past three years, ranking the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sport compact atop the 526-model list. (See the entire Ticket Magnets rankings.)

The most-ticketed brand overall was Scion, with 27.5 percent of owners reporting a traffic conviction. The average for all vehicles was 19.9 percent.

Cars that get the most tickets, by rank, make and model, and the percentage with tickets:

1. Subaru WRX — 33.6 percent.
2. Pontiac GTO — 32.7 percent.
3. Scion FR-S — 32.6 percent.
4. Toyota Supra — 30.8 percent.
5. Subaru Tribeca — 29.7 percent.
6. Volkswagen Rabbit — 29.6 percent.
7. Mercury Topaz — 28.8 percent.
8. Scion TC — 28.8 percent.
9. Toyota FJ Cruiser — 28.4 percent.
10. Mazda Mazda2 — 28.1 percent.
11. Hyundai Veloster — 28.1 percent.
12. Volkswagen GTI — 28.1 percent.
13. Suzuki Reno — 28.1 percent.
14. Scion XA — 27.8 percent.
15. Pontiac G8 — 27.7 percent.
16. MINI Cooper S Countryman — 27.5 percent.
17. Mitsubishi 3000 GT — 27.4 percent.
18. Saturn Aura — 27.1 percent.
19. Infiniti QX56/QX80 — 27.1 percent.
20. Toyota Prius C — 27 percent.

Insurance companies pay more attention to claims than tickets when they set rates. A car whose owners have a lot of accident claims or expensive repairs will cost more to insure, even for the driver who has a spotless record.

But tickets do tend to have a dramatic effect on individual rates.

A 25-year-old male in ZIP code 94608 driving a 2013 Honda Civic with full coverage, for example, would see his monthly premiums soar with a single conviction for speeding 11 to 15 mph over the limit.

Company	No tickets	With ticket	Increase
A	$187	$310	66%
B	$195	$271	39%
C	$234	$281	20%
D	$237	$308	30%

The driver’s cheapest option with a clean record becomes the most expensive with a single speeding ticket; shopping around after a violation would save this driver $39 a month – $468 a year.

More on Insurance.com:

• How Much Insurance Should You Buy?
• 7 Reasons Your Car Insurance Rates Go Down
• Cars That Get the Most Traffic Tickets