According to some basic statistics, it isn’t too hard to determine which cities are the best place to own a sports car.
For example, the dream spot would have low fuel costs, because owning something like the Mustang GT will drain your gas-budget in just a few miles. Keeping money in mind, insurance would have to be a pretty significant factor too, since each city has different insurance premium. Finally, the city’s police presence should have an impact on your ability to enjoy a sports car, so you won’t have to be nervously checking your rear-view mirror every time you take a corner or on-ramp too aggressively.
The folks at Nerdwallet ranked these factors to determine which city is the best for sports car ownership, so lets jump in and see if your neighborhood is on the list. Using a 34-year old male with a 2014 Ford Mustang GT, the group came up with ten ideal cities.
Virginia Beach shows up in the number 10 spot on the list. Costing just $2,044.06 a year to insure a 2014 Mustang GT, and with gas costing 3.27 per gallon, Virginia Beach is a pretty affordable place to own a sports car. However, while there are just 17.8 police officers per 10,000 residents in Virginia, Nerdwallet notes that Esurance ranks the state No. 7 on its most-ticketed list.
Tied for the lowest price of fuel on this list, Charlotte sounds perfect for those who own a big, V8 powered muscle car. However, the city also features the most police per 10,000 residents (21.3) and has a high likelihood of an accident. At least insurance is also affordable, with a Mustang GT costing just $2,035.20 a year.
According to NerdWallet, San Diego has the fewest police officers, making it a bit easier to explore the limits of your sports car. However, fuel costs and insurance is a bit on the high end. At $3.29 a gallon and $2,541 a year to insure, it’s certainly on the pricier side of things, but if cops make you nervous, San Diego may be the place to drive.
In Mesa, you are 14 percent less likely to get into an accident than the national average and there’s just 17.1 officers of the law per 10,000 residents. On the other hand, insurance is eye-poppingly expensive, at $5,763 a year to insure a Mustang GT.
With just 16.4 police officers per 10,000 residents, you may believe that Fresno has some laid back thoughts on speed enforcement. However, the state ranks fourth when it comes to the most tickets handed out. Gas prices in Fresno are $3.30 per gallon, and it’ll cost an average of $2,839.29 a year to insure a Mustang.
El Paso has some unbelievable insurance costs – just $1,937.79 a year to insure a Mustang GT. Fuel costs are also pretty low at just $3.20 per gallon.
While it costs 2,445.34 to insure a 2014 Musang GT, the average accident rate is 8.7 percent lower than the state average. Fuel also rings in at $3.20, although the police presence is pretty high at 20.9 cops per 10,000 residents.
Tucson’s safe roads seem to hint at low police presence. Insurance is pretty low, costing just $2,572 a year for a Mustang GT. With an accident rate 14.7 percent lower than the state average and just 18.5 police officers per 10,000 residents, Tucson emerges as the number three location for best cities for a sports car owner.
Coming in at the number two spot is Raleigh, which sounds like a car enthusiasts dream. The city features low insurance rates ($1,915 a year) low fuel costs ($3.13 per gallon) and a low proportion of cops to citizens (18.3 per 10,000 citizens). While a sports car is sure to put a smile on your face, those statistics will certainly help keep it there.
Like Raleigh, this city features just about everything – insurance is low, costing just about $2,325 a year to insure a Mustang GT, fuel costs under $3.20 a gallon, and there’s just 17 police officers per 10,000 residents. It also stands out with a low chance of an accident, with a rate that’s 1.8 percent lower than the national average.
[Source: NerdWallet]