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 20 cars that rack up tickets The highest percentage of recently-ticketed drivers operate a Lexus ES300, according to a 2016 survey by Insurance.com, the car insurance comparison-shopping website. The stylish Lexus sedan sits at the top of this year’s list of cars with the most tickets. In a previous Insurance.com study, conducted in 2014, the Subaru WRX ranked as the highest “ticket magnet,” but that make and model dropped to number 12 in the most recent data analysis. Insurance.com reviewed insurance claim and traffic violation data from 331 models and more than 323,000 recent customers. While the most frequently ticketed vehicles include a variety of economy and luxury cars, the cars with the lowest percentage of tickets are generally more expensive vehicles, such as the Buick Encore (3%), Lexus IS350 (3%), Acura ILX (6%) and Cadillac ATS (6%). “It’s the driver that gets tickets, not the car,” says Penny Gusner, consumer analyst for Insurance.com. “But it is interesting to see what vehicle makes and models attract drivers who are prone to traffic violations.” 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 1 #1. Lexus ES 300 – 33% This popular Lexus was manufactured between 1992 and 2003. As an older model, it is possible that current drivers may have purchased a used vehicle at a great value, or that younger drivers could be operating a family sedan that was passed down to them. Drivers in this study were surveyed between February 2014 and February 2016. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 2 #2. Nissan 350Z--33% This sports car was introduced in 2003, and it had a good run until 2009 when the 370Z replaced it. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 3 #3. Dodge Charger SE/SXT--32% While Dodge Chargers have been built for many years, beginning in 1966, the SE was introduced much later: in 2006. These sedans continue to be manufactured today. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 4 #4. Volkswagen Jetta GL – 31% First produced for the 1980 model year, this affordable car offers drivers the choice between a manual or automatic transmission. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 5 #5. Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS/LT – 31% While the first Monte Carlo appeared in 1970, the LS model was introduced nearly 30 years later, in 1998. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 6 #6. Mazda 3S – 30% This attractive car was introduced in 2003, for the 2004 model year. A third generation Mazda 3S was unveiled in 2013, for the 2014 model year. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 7 #7. Volkswagen GTI – 30% This vehicle helped popularize the "hatch back" feature that endured for more than a decade. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 8 #8. Dodge Stratus SXT – 30% This mid-size sedan replaced the Dodge Spirit in the mid-1990s. From 2001 through 2006, Chrysler employed a "cab forward" design which provided more room in the trunk and interior. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 9 #9. Acura 3.0s – 30% This option-rich sedan model has been on the road since 1998. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: No. 10 #10. Toyota Tacoma – 30% This powerful and reliable truck was available beginning in 1995 and the Tacoma model continues to sell today. 
 
 Cars with the most tickets: 11-20 The next set of cars whose drivers got the most tickets comprises this list of vehicles in spots 11-20: 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% Insurance companies often pay more attention to claims than they do to traffic tickets when setting rates. Car models with high insurance claim rates can result in higher premiums for everyone owning those vehicles. Violation tickets drive up the individual coverage costs for the person who receives a citation. “It’s notable that cars on most tickets list also appear to have an above-average number of insurance claims,” says Gusner. Twenty-three percent of surveyed drivers at the top of Insurance.com’s ticket list filed an insurance claim during the survey period, while only 19 percent of all other cars made insurance claims within that timeframe. ||||| DETROIT (AP) — The four-door Mini Cooper Countryman was the only one of 12 cars to earn a top rating of "good" in new frontal crash tests. 
 
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 The Nissan Leaf, Nissan Juke, Fiat 500L and Mazda5 wagon all fared worst in the tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an Arlington, Va.-based safety group that's funded by insurers. 
 
 The Chevrolet Volt, Ford C-Max, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ all got the second-highest rating of "acceptable." The Hyundai Veloster and Scion xB were a notch below that, with "marginal" ratings. 
 
 The small overlap front crash test, introduced in 2012, replicates what happens when 25 percent of a car's front end strikes a rigid object at 40 miles per hour. It's a difficult test because a small area of the car's front end must absorb and manage the energy from a severe, high-speed crash. 
 
 To earn a "good" rating, a car must keep the cabin around the occupants largely intact and protect them with a combination of seat belts and air bags, the institute said. When a car's cabin collapses, as it did in the crash tests of the Juke, Leaf, 500L and Mazda5, it can move the seats and air bags out of place, increasing the risk of injuries. 
 
 The institute said 19 of the 32 small cars it has now tested have earned "good" or "acceptable" ratings on the small overlap test. The institute said the Mazda5 was among the worst performers it has tested. Its side air bags didn't deploy at all and its driver's side door unlatched, which shouldn't happen during a test. 
 
 In a statement, Mazda pointed out that the Mazda5 has earned "good" ratings on other IIHS tests, including a front moderate overlap test and a roof strength test. It earned a "marginal" rating in a side-impact crash test performed by the institute. 
 
 "We take these results seriously, and are studying the results of these IIHS tests as we consider the design of future vehicles," the company said. 
 
 The Chevrolet Volt was the only car in the group to be labeled a "Top Safety Pick Plus," because it has an optional front crash prevention system. The C-Max Hybrid, Countryman, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ earned "Top Safety Pick" awards because they don't have front crash prevention systems. 
 
 To be a top safety pick, vehicles must earn "good" or "acceptable" ratings for small overlap protection and "good" ratings on the institute's other four crash tests.
– What car should you buy if you're hoping to avoid tickets? Apparently not the Nissan 350Z. OK, to be fair, it's probably not the car's fault—but people who buy that car are more prone to traffic violations, a new survey from Insurance.com finds. The five cars with the "highest percentage of recently-ticketed drivers" between February 2014 and February 2016: Nissan 350Z: 33% Lexus ES 300: 33% Dodge Charger SE/SXT: 32% Volkswagen Jetta GL: 31% Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS/LT: 31% And the five cars with the lowest percentage of ticketed drivers during that period: Buick Encore: 3% Lexus IS350: 3% Acura ILX: 6% Cadillac ATS: 6% Chevrolet Express: 8% See Insurance.com for the full list in each category, or read about 8 celebs who lived in their cars before their big breaks.