Coupe Information

While many of the coupes in this report are robust performers in their own right, they can't deliver the visceral high-performance experience of thoroughbred sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette or Porsche 911. However, those cars also can be difficult to live with on a day-to-day basis as ride and comfort give way to performance and handling. If, however, performance is your number one goal in buying a coupe, make sure to read the ConsumerSearch report on sports cars for some excellent options. If four doors make more sense for you, there's still no reason to sacrifice performance. See our report on sports sedans.

Also see the ConsumerSearch report on economy cars for some three-door hatchback alternatives, such as the Toyota Yaris, VW Rabbit and Mini Cooper. A hatchback may offer more practicality than a two-door coupe with a trunk. While the styling may not be as sleek as some coupes, some drivers may find that a sporty hatchback's utility can more than compensate.

Coupe news

The Cadillac CTS coupe was supposed to roll off assembly lines in mid 2009 as a 2010 model. General Motors has since delayed the two-door CTS, however, which is now scheduled to arrive during the summer of 2010 as a 2011 model.

The release of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro was widely expected to include a top-tier, mega-performance Z/28 model, but that has been delayed for the moment. The Bumblebee character in the film "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" reportedly shows off what the Camaro Z/28's styling was supposed to look like. Power was rumored to come from the same supercharged V-8 used in the Cadillac CTS-V. If and when the Z/28 program will be revived is the subject of much online speculation.

The rumor mill also churns at Ford, where the Mustang is expected to see a more powerful, modern V-6 become the new base engine. Turbocharging is likely in the future as well, as Ford is committed to putting its direct-injected, turbocharged EcoBoost engine family into as many vehicles as possible. The 2011 Ford Mustang GT is also rumored to be receiving a new, more powerful 5.0-liter V-8.

Aside from those listed in the Our Sources section, we found the following sources especially helpful:

FuelEconomy.gov is a government site where the Environmental Protection Agency releases fuel-efficiency information for vehicles. The site has statistics for past model years, as well.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a nonprofit organization that tests vehicles and assigns safety ratings in an attempt to reduce the number of annual losses due to car crashes. This is the place to visit when it comes to finding information on a car's safety rating.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website is a government resource for safety information, including results from frontal, side and rollover crash tests; summaries of vehicles' safety equipment, and articles on safety topics. It is also possible to search a specific car model for any safety recalls.