Two-door coupes straddle the line between four-door sedans and two-door sports cars and roadsters, which prioritize style and performance at the expense of day-to-day comfort and practicality. The coupes we discuss here are typically geared toward daily use, offering forgiving rides, decent storage space and back seats that adults can actually use (though some might not be particularly comfortable doing so.)

Here's what experts say to consider when choosing a coupe:

  • Coupes are not the best family cars. Unlike most sports cars, the coupes in this report have seating for four and sometimes five. Comfort for rear-seat passengers is often compromised, however -- especially for longer trips -- and getting into and out of those rear seats can be challenging.
  • Safety is on the upswing. Coupes are generally purchased as fun vehicles, with a lower emphasis on safety than a typical family sedan. However, manufacturers continue to improve the safety features in coupes, offering features such as multiple air bags, electronic stability control, antilock brakes and more. Several coupes have done reasonably well in government and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash testing. Still, the laws of physics apply, and coupes are typically among the smallest and lowest-riding vehicles on the road.
  • Take insurance into consideration. Some coupes will carry higher insurance premiums than other types of vehicles, as they are sometimes lumped together with performance cars. Basically, if the coupe you like looks like or is a derivative of a performance car, you'll likely be paying sports-car insurance. If it looks like or is derivative of an economy car or family sedan, you'll be paying sedan insurance rates.

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