The 12 Car Models People Are Most Likely To Speed In

Whether you're cruising down the highway or just going somewhere in a rush, it's easy to stray over the speed limit and attract the attention of your local police force. Millions of drivers will accidentally end up with a speeding fine every year, and subsequently, curse the fact that their insurance premiums will go up when they renew. But, then there are always some that simply prefer life in the fast lane and will speed no matter what the implications are. Across America, speeding fines have spiked since the pandemic, and they're showing no sign of decreasing.

Insurance quote comparison platform Insurify compiled data from a total of 6.5 million quotes across 2020 and 2021 to see which drivers looking for insurance quotes had the highest percentage of previous speeding fines. It seems that drivers of certain car models are more likely to get caught speeding than most, and while some of those models follow stereotypes, a few entries on the list are surprising. It's worth noting that there is no way of obtaining data on why these fines were given, so it's possible that some car models just attract the attention of the police more than others. But, whatever the reason for their tickets, drivers of these cars just couldn't help but get caught speeding.

Perhaps one of the more unsurprising entries on this list, Dodge Challenger owners have a penchant for going over the limit. In 2020, 15.09% of owners getting a quote with Insurify had a previous speeding violation, compared to that year's national average of 10.54%. The 2022 Challenger starts at $30,075, making it one of the most affordable muscle cars on the market, although it's on borrowed time.

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis recently confirmed that both the Challenger and its sister model, the Charger, will go out of production in 2024, as the company begins the shift to electrification. Both models will be replaced with new, electric versions, but it remains to be seen if these EVs can foster the same kind of loyal fanbase that the current generation Challenger and Charger have garnered. The Charger also featured in Insurify's speeders list in 2020, although it didn't make the overall top 12. A total of 14.71% of Charger owners had previously gotten themselves a ticket.

A more unlikely entry than the Dodge, the GMC 1500 is the only pickup to be featured here. It was the seventh most ticketed model in the 2021 data, with 15.31% of drivers having a previous speeding violation. That's 38% more than the national average for that year, which stood at 9.59%, slightly down from 2020's overall average. Pickups like the C1500 don't exactly have a reputation for being quick, but evidently, owners of the model are just as happy as sports car drivers to sit in the fast lane.

It seems like certain pickups simply end up as the models of choice for owners who want to get places in a hurry, as in an equivalent UK study by car insurance provider Admiral, another pickup also ranked in the top 10 for speeding convictions. It wasn't an American truck but rather a Japanese one, the Mitsubishi L200, and it clocked in at number nine on their list.

The pint-sized hot hatch might not have garnered the same worldwide recognition as its German counterparts, but Hyundai's Veloster is somewhat of a hidden gem in the market. SlashGear tested the 2022 Veloster N and found it to be a thrill to drive, with a punchy turbo 2.0L engine and a DCT gearbox that's just as good as the manual. It's priced competitively too, with a sticker price of $32,500 plus fees. With a car as fun to drive as the Veloster, it's difficult to blame drivers for wanting to test out its upper limits.

With 15.43% of Veloster drivers having a previous speeding violation in 2020, it's also a car that seemingly attracts the attention of police officers all over the country. It's significant that most of the models listed here are affordable performance cars, with a noticeable lack of Teslas, Porsches, and the like. Perhaps they simply don't speed as much, or perhaps certain models like the Veloster simply catch the police's eye more often. Without concrete data on why said fines were issued, it's impossible to tell for sure.

The Dodge Dart is a fairly unassuming compact sedan that was sold for just a few years between 2013 and 2016, before being axed in favor of more profitable SUVs. It offered good value for money, but it never really made much impact in the wider market, as it struggled to differentiate itself from its competitors. Its awkward automatic transmission didn't help its appeal, either. It might have had a short production life, but it clearly made a big impression on drivers with a taste for speed, as it beat several performance-focused rivals to make it into the top 10 most likely cars to get ticketed in.

In 2020, 15.45% of Insurify customers who drove a Dodge Dart had previous offenses for speeding. The data doesn't break down which trims were mostly likely to get caught, but chances are it was drivers of the more powerful GT or GT Sport that attracted the most tickets. With its 2.4L inline-4 engine, the Dart GT and GT Sport made 184 horsepower, not a huge amount, but evidently enough to rack up those fines.

Nissan's luxury arm Infiniti has never been able to make much of a dent in the U.S. market, but that hasn't stopped it from putting out a number of excellent cars over the years. The G37 was launched with the aim of taking on BMW, and it was seriously quick, being able to pull from 0-60 mph in just five seconds flat. That rapid acceleration continued all the way up to the car's top speed of 155 mph, which was limited to match its European competition.

Unfortunately, a combination of bad market timing and a lack of brand recognition meant that the G37 was never a bestseller, but those who did buy it clearly appreciated its performance. The car was one of the most likely in the 2020 study to be driven by speeders, with 15.61% of drivers having previous tickets. That's over 48% more than the average driver.

Subaru describes its Impreza as "more than a car," yet despite this vaguely grand assertion, it's about as typical as economy cars get. That's no bad thing though, as it starts at around $19,000, making it one of the cheapest models on the market. Subaru has also carved out a reputation for making safe, reliable cars, and the Impreza is no different. It comes with all-wheel drive and a suite of safety assistance features as standard, so some people might assume it's primarily driven by law-abiding citizens.

Well, data suggests that's not the case, as the Impreza is one of the most likely cars for drivers to get caught speeding in. In 2020, 15.9% of Impreza drivers had received at least one ticket, putting them comfortably towards the top of the table. In 2021, that figure dropped slightly to 14.81%, although that was still high enough to see them ranked within the top 10 most likely models. Clearly, Impreza owners drive with a very different driving style than their safety-conscious car suggests.

The second of three Subarus in the table, the BRZ ticks all the right boxes for a small, affordable sports car. It's far from the most powerful model in its segment, but its excellent handling, sharp styling, and large aftermarket make it appealing to a wide range of enthusiasts. That includes plenty of speeders, as data from 2021 revealed that 16.21% of owners had previous fines. Equally ticket-happy were owners of the BRZ's badge-engineered sibling, the Scion FR-S, 16.01% of whom had previous offenses on record.

The second generation of the BRZ went on sale for the 2022 model year, with a larger 2.4L engine, an optional six-speed manual, and a starting price of less than $30,000. It also comes with a programmable meter that can display coolant temperatures, amps, or lateral-G forces. This, alongside the added power, should make it more track-friendly than ever. Let's hope that the new generation's owners test their car's limits on the track rather than on the road. Then, maybe they'd get fewer tickets.

Although it's an enthusiast-focused car, it's a little surprising to see the Mazda 3 quite so high up in the speeders' hall of shame. A choice of two engine options is available for 2023, either a naturally-aspirated or turbocharged 2.5L four-cylinder. The base spec engine makes 191 horsepower, while the turbo makes 250 horses. A six-speed manual is optional, although only if buyers stick with front-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive requires Mazda's six-speed automatic. The car shares some of its DNA with the Miata and it's undoubtedly an enjoyable drive, but clearly, its owners are more impressed with its top speed than its agile handling.

In 2021, 16.36% of drivers searching for quotes on Insurify had at least one speeding ticket on record. Sales figures show that over 1.5 million examples of the Mazda 3 have been sold between 2005 and 2022, and even if only half of those are still on the road, that would still be well over 120,000 Mazda 3 drivers that have speeding tickets on their record.

Taking on the Germans at their own game is never going to be an easy task, but that's exactly what Kia has done with the Stinger sedan. The BMW-baiting 2022 model comes with more power than ever, with the base-spec 2.5L turbo four-cylinder engine making 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. Throw a bit more cash Kia's way and you can get a twin-turbo 3.3L V6, which packs 368 horses and an even meatier 376 lb-ft of torque. The latter option will enable the Stinger to hit a top speed of 167 mph on summer tires, or 149 mph on all-season tires.

With performance stats like that, it's easy to see how drivers could push their cars well beyond the legal speed limit without much effort. The alarming bit is how often they do it, with 16.58% of Stinger owners being caught for speeding at least once according to Insurify's 2021 data.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a hot hatch classic, with an extensive aftermarket that includes everything from track-ready engine upgrades to VW-approved aftermarket body kits. Even in stock form, the car is a hoot to drive, and it still remains the class benchmark even with the emergence of a whole field of upstart challengers from South Korea and Japan. Most German performance cars are built with the autobahn in mind, and clearly, plenty of American owners think they're driving on one when they're on the highway.

Unfortunately for those owners, there are no autobahns in the U.S., or in fact anywhere outside of Germany. A full 17.38% of American GTI drivers clearly didn't get the memo, as they were caught driving too fast anyway. Strangely, the GTI is the only German car on the list. Evidently, the stereotypically fast drivers in BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes-Benzs are less common on the roads than many people would think. Instead, it seems the real speeding menaces drive hot VW hatchbacks.

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe might have been discontinued in 2016, but it had a lasting impact on the number of speeding tickets issued by American police every year. It was a bit of a sports car bargain in its day, with a price starting under $27,000 and a 3.8L V6 as standard. With its precise steering and rumbling exhaust note, the car was key in changing the public's perception of Hyundai's cars. It proved that the South Korean manufacturer could build a sports car to compete with the big players, and set the tone for the forthcoming "N" line of cars.

Buyers of the Genesis Coupe celebrated the fact that they were getting a sports car bargain by racking up speeding tickets in the tens of thousands, and they're still doing so today. In 2021, 17.72% of drivers getting an insurance quote on the Genesis Coupe had been fined for getting a little too keen with the gas pedal.

An impressively consistent car for speeding offenders, the Subaru WRX took the top spot in both the 2020 and 2021 data. In 2020, 20.49 percent of drivers had previously got a ticket, and in 2021, that number dropped slightly to 18.8%. The WRX comes with most of the same safety features and systems as the rest of Subaru's range, which is a good job considering how many rulebreakers like to drive the car. The WRX has a reputation for being driven recklessly by younger drivers, and the model is also a favorite among modders looking for an affordable project car.

It might have a loyal fanbase, but in our review, the 2022 WRX simply didn't hold up against the competition. The newly-redesigned steering didn't have as much feel as the previous generation car, with that lack of feedback making it difficult to determine the Subaru's limits through corners. The gear ratios on the manual car also made it difficult to keep the engine pulling hard between second, third, and fourth, which is strange for a car with a relatively low 6,000 rpm redline. Presumably, though, most buyers of the WRX aren't too fussed about the car's ability to provide feedback or keep acceleration steady, as they're too busy racking up fines from law enforcement to notice.