Best Sport Coupes

2010 Chevy Camaro makes triumphant return to the muscle-car wars

Mainstream front-wheel-drive coupes such as the Honda Accord do a wonderful job blending good looks and usable packaging without completely sacrificing driving fun at the altar of practicality. Still, front-wheel drive is not the optimal configuration for the best performance, which is why the most athletic sport coupes get their power sent to the rear wheels. And there are plenty of attractive options.

It's been more than 30 years since the coupe marketplace played host to a Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger at the same time, but in 2009 all three classic muscle car nameplates are back, modernized and loaded. The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro (*Est. $22,245 to $33,430) is new (prior to this car, the last new Camaro sold was the 2002 model) and is based on the same basic rear-drive architecture that underpins the soon-to-be-departed Pontiac G8 sedan. The 2010 Chevy Camaro is powerful: Its base V-6 engine makes over 300 horsepower, while the Camaro SS's Corvette-sourced V-8 makes a thundering 426 horses when paired with the six-speed manual gearbox. It's an incredibly stylish coupe, too -- essentially a dead ringer for the 2006 Chevy Camaro Concept that set tongues wagging at the Detroit Auto Show that year.

Critics are impressed: "Graced with massive power, excellent efficiency, unfailing refinement and show-stopping looks, the Camaro SS nails every essential for its segment," say the editors of Motor Trend as they crown the 2010 Camaro SS coupe the winner in a comparison against the 2010 Ford Mustang GT and 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T. Over at Edmunds Inside Line, the Camaro wins an identical comparison, where engineering editor Jason Kavanagh writes, "No longer does [the Camaro] have to apologize for its performance with a bang-for-the-buck cop-out -- though it handily snatches that crown, too. It packs a talented chassis, performance and, yes, attitude at a price within the reach of working-class stiffs." Still, there are some criticisms. "The cabin design and cheap-looking hard plastics won't give Audi designers sleepless nights," writes Kavanagh. Autoblog.com calls the instrument cluster "WALL-E-esque" and Motor Trend mentions the Camaro's "laughable, submarine-hatch trunk opening." Cars.com describes the tight rear seats, saying, "Contortionists should feel right at home in the back seat of the Camaro, but no one else will."

Nipping at the heels of the 2010 Chevy Camaro is the 2010 Ford Mustang (*Est. $20,995 to $46,325), the subject of a comprehensive update that has vastly improved the iconic pony car. New body work, a dramatically improved interior and excellent dynamics have some critics picking the Mustang ahead of the much more powerful 2010 Camaro in comparisons. Such is the case at both Car and Driver and Cars.com. Editors at the former say, "Perhaps it's because the Mustang stayed in production while the others took long sabbaticals. Ford used the intervening years well. This Mustang is the most beguiling yet."

Most reviewers say the Mustang is lighter, about as quick and handles very well. At Cars.com, the Mustang basically dominates a comparison against the Camaro and Dodge Challenger. Editors are "wowed" by the Mustang, which they call the best value of the muscle trio and "the most fun to drive at everyday speeds." (Note that the aforementioned comparisons evaluate the V-8-powered Mustang GT.) The base-level V-6 Mustang also benefits from the 2010 updates, but its carryover engine is inferior in every way to the Camaro's modern, powerful and efficient base V-6, which carries a lot more appeal. Horsepower junkies still have more to look forward to: The 2010 Shelby GT500 hits showrooms later this summer. Early first-drive reports of this 540-horsepower Mustang say it performs like a supercar at a fraction of the price.

The Dodge Challenger (*Est. $22,220 to $40,220) is the perpetual bronze medalist behind the Camaro and Mustang. Critics have favorable things to say about the midlevel Challenger R/T, which is the car that appears in the comparisons. In addition to being the best-looking of the Detroit trio in the eyes of many critics, it's the most spacious and comfortable, too. More than once, critics say it's the car to take on a long road trip. It's big and heavy, though, and those factors conspire to make the Challenger less agile than both the Camaro and Mustang, especially when the roads get curvy. The top-tier Challenger SRT8 delivers great power, but it's priced over $40,000 -- more than the equally muscular Camaro SS that wows critics. The base Challenger SE looks as good as its V-8 brothers, but like the Ford Mustang, its V-6 also trails that of the Camaro in terms of power, refinement and efficiency.

Hyundai Genesis coupe: Real sportiness, bargain pricing

The biggest compliment critics pay to the 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe (*Est. $22,000 to $29,500) is evident in the caliber of the cars it's being compared against. The highly anticipated two-door from Hyundai has been put up against varied competition: premium coupes such as the BMW 1 Series and Infiniti G37, traditional muscle coupes like the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevy Camaro V-6, and even two-seat sports cars like the Nissan 370Z. The buzz surrounding the Hyundai Genesis coupe was such that Ford's public relations staff forbade outlets from performing early comparison tests of the Mustang GT and Hyundai Genesis, even though preproduction versions of both cars were making the media rounds at the same time. (The inevitable comparisons eventually came out.)

The Hyundai Genesis coupe often finishes second in comparisons. Exceptions include a win over the six-cylinder Chevrolet Camaro at Motor Trend, where Todd Lassa says the Hyundai likely represents the future of the sporty coupe segment. Edmunds Inside Line also gives the nod to the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 over the Infiniti G37 two-door. "The Hyundai effectively opens up the sport coupe arena to a new buyer -- one who isn't prepared to drop the better part of $50 large on a car but wants the looks and most of the performance of the big players," writes senior road test editor Josh Jacquot.

Even in comparisons it doesn't win, the Genesis draws accolades. Motor Trend's Ron Kiino, in a discussion of how the Hyundai Genesis coupe compares to the Ford Mustang GT and the Nissan 370Z -- both of which he says are superior in different ways -- summarizes the Hyundai by saying "the Genesis Coupe represents, in some ways, the best of both worlds. It is quick and fun to drive. It's easy on the eyes and on the wallet. And it comes with a stellar warranty from an automaker whose sales aren't in the toilet."

At Road & Track, a head-to-head comparison against the Infiniti G37 (*Est. $35,900 to $38,700) ends in a split decision. Douglas Kott picks the Infiniti, saying it's clearly the better car. Jim Hall agrees with him, but says that if it was his money to be spent, it would be on the Hyundai: "For the price of our as-tested G37 coupe, I could buy a $29,000 V-6-powered Genesis Coupe Grand Touring model with an automatic for daily driving and be about two-thirds of the way toward buying a $23,750 R-Spec edition that could be hopped up and used exclusively for track days." The underlying message is clear: The Hyundai Genesis coupe is a serious and stylish performance bargain. The turbocharged four-cylinder Genesis coupe starts at just $22,000, while the powerful V-6 car's base price is only slightly higher at $25,000.

Alternatives to the Hyundai Genesis coupe include the Chevrolet Camaro V-6 and Ford Mustang GT. The Mazda RX-8 (*Est. $26,435 to $31,930) may be worth a look here, too. It's been updated for 2009, and a new top-tier sport model, the R3, has been added to the lineup. But Car and Driver says that despite the rotary-engined Mazda RX-8's spectacular handling agility, "it's light on torque, short on horsepower and thirsty when pressed." Ultimately, "this Mazda icon appears played out," writes Car and Driver's Tony Swan. The Nissan 370Z (*Est. $29,930 to $39,130), covered in our report on sports cars, is also frequently mentioned as a competitor to the Hyundai.