Most Ticketed Cars: Is Yours On The List?

An interesting story out of Forbes caught my eye regarding the most ticketed cars. Prior to reading it, I was all ready to expect something quite different. The data Forbes used came from  Quality Planning, a Varisk Analytics company that checks and verifies policyholder information for auto insurers. For the purposes of the study, Quality Planning looked at traffic violations per model for a one-year period, from February 2009 to February 2010. The resulting top 10 vehicles most likely to get a ticket? You might be surprised. See if yours is on the list.

Note that any manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRPs) that are listed are for 2011 models – even though the list isn’t confined to any particular model year (although cars over 10 years old were removed by Quality Planning).

And just to keep it interesting, we’ll list them in reverse order:

10. Volkswagen GTI
With an average age of 40 and a 44 percent male, 56 percent female gender breakdown, the compact Volkswagen GTI hatchback is the least-ticketed car on this list with drivers only 1.8 times as likely to get a ticket as the average Joe (or Jane). The upscale small car appeals to drivers who want sporty performance, great fuel economy, and overall high-quality refinement. Base MSRP starts at $23,664 for the 2011 Volkswagen GTI.

9. Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG
Just as the Volkswagen GTI drivers are 1.8 times as likely to get a ticket as the average driver, so, too is the Mercedes-Benz  AMG driver. Average age for the driver of this Benz model is 47, and the gender breakdown is 44 percent male, 56 percent female.

8. Pontiac Grand Prix
The now-discontinued brand from General Motors, Pontiac, and its fabled Grand Prix sedan--which was terminated after 2008--chalks up number eight spot in the most-ticketed cars list. Again, Grand Prix drivers, whose average age is 40, are 1.8 times as likely to catch that ticket. Gender of drivers is 41 percent male and 59 percent female.

7. Acura Integra
Drivers of the Acura Integra, averaging 33 years of age--and the second youngest in the top 10 most-ticketed cars list--are 1.9 times as likely to get a ticket. The gender breakdown of drivers is 60 percent male, 40 percent female. The final model year for the third-generation Acura Integra was 2001.

6. Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
This luxury sedan, which Mercedes-Benz terms a “four-door coupe,” with a 2011 MSRP of $99,050, is the second-most expensive car on the list. With its 507 horsepower from the AMG 6.3-liter V-8 and 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, is it any wonder this Benz might catch the radar of law enforcement? Drivers of the CLS 63 AMG are 2.6 times as likely to get ticketed, average 46 years of age, and the split is 58 percent male, 42 percent female.

5. Scion xB
The other hatchback on the list is the Scion xB, from Toyota’s youth-oriented division. The boxy xB hatchback is popular because of its funky style, generous cargo space, strong engine, long list of standard features, and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHSS) Top Safety Pick designation. Starting MSRPs begin at $16,720 (manual) and $17,670 (automatic) for 2011 models. Still, with an average age of 37, Scion xB’s drivers are 2.7 times more likely to be ticketed than average drivers. The gender breakdown is 40 percent male, 60 percent female.