Coupe Review

Comparing two-door coupes

Coupes are two-door cars that straddle the line between traditional four-door sedans and two-door sports cars and roadsters. Coupes generally 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). If you're more interested in two-door coupes that focus on maximum performance and peak handling, check out the ConsumerSearch report on sports cars. For affordable three-door hatchbacks, see our report on economy cars.

While a lot of the flash and sizzle is in performance or luxury coupes, there are a number of entry-level coupes designed to provide basic transportation that's sportier and more stylish than the common sedan. The ever-present threat of increased fuel costs, along with stricter fuel economy standards adopted by the federal government, are likely to continue driving consumer and manufacturer interest in economy coupes, as many offer above-average or better gas mileage with a dash of style.

To that end, a brand-new arrival from Kia appears ready to give the critics' favorite, the Honda Civic (*Est. $15,305 to $21,905), and the popular Scion tC (*Est. $17,670 to $18,470) some healthy competition this fall. The 2010 Kia Forte Koup (pricing not yet announced) is the jaunty two-door counterpart to the just-arrived 2010 Kia Forte sedan (*Est. $13,695 to $18,195). A pair of powerful four-cylinder engines (156 and 172 horsepower) will motivate the new two-door, each offering highway fuel economy north of 30 mpg. The Kia Forte Koup is the latest salvo in the new-product onslaught from the Korean automaker, which is intent on backing up its value-priced image with an increased focus on style and quality. The Koup was one of the stars of the 2009 New York International Auto Show, where it was formally introduced in April, and automotive publications and websites are buzzing with anticipation.

The coupe segment is getting plenty of attention on the performance side this year, too. For the first time since the 1970s, Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge have competing muscle coupes in showrooms. The all-new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro (*Est. $22,245 to $33,430) joins the extensively revised 2010 Ford Mustang (*Est. $20,995 to $46,325) and the year-old Dodge Challenger (*Est. $22,220 to $40,220) in the battle for Motown bragging rights. Hyundai has stepped up to the plate with the Genesis coupe, a sexy, sporty and value-priced rear-driver designed to appeal to different types of enthusiasts. Finally, on the luxury end of the scale, Mercedes-Benz waves goodbye to the CLK coupe and welcomes its replacement, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe (*Est. $48,050 to $54,650).

Along with the new arrivals come some departures. As part of its ongoing bankruptcy reorganization, General Motors has killed the entire Pontiac brand; 2009 is the final model year for all Pontiac vehicles, meaning that two presently available coupes, the 2009 Pontiac G5 (*Est. $16,685 to $20,280) and 2009 Pontiac G6 (*Est. $22,220 to $28,960), will leave the scene permanently before the current calendar year is out.

Credible reviews of coupes for this update were plentiful, including single-car evaluations and head-to-head comparisons. Edmunds.com and its enthusiast-oriented spinoff, Inside Line, have extensive experience reviewing cars, and it shows in their well-done, complete reporting. Editors clearly identify which cars they believe are best by segment -- including one for coupes -- and readers can rate cars and share their opinions as well. ConsumerReports.org is shorter on discussion, but provides long-term reliability data that is hard to find anywhere else. ConsumerGuide.com provides objective ratings in a number of critical areas and lets readers know how those ratings stack up against similar cars. Car and Driver, Road & Track and Motor Trend magazines provide details and first-person reporting that are unmatched by most other reviewers, but the publications don't do as complete a job of providing rankings for coupes and tend to concentrate more on higher-end performance and luxury coupes.