Coupes Reviews

We saw lots of great reviews of coupes for this update. Edmunds.com has extensive experience reviewing cars, and it shows in their well done and very complete reporting. Editors clearly identify which cars they think are best by segment -- including one for coupes -- and readers can rate cars and share their opinions as well. Consumer Reports is a bit short on discussion, but provides long-term reliability data on cars that's hard to find anywhere else. Consumer Guide does a great job of providing objective ratings in a number of critical areas and of letting readers know how those ratings stack up against similar cars. Car and Driver and Motor Trend magazines provide details and first-person reporting that's unmatched by most other reviewers, but don't do as complete a job of providing rankings and tend to concentrate more on higher-end performance and luxury coupes.

Coupes are two-door cars that span the gap between four-door sedans built for comfort and practicality and two-door sports cars and roadsters that are usually anything but practical or comfortable. In fact, many traditional sports cars are coupes. What differentiates them from the cars covered here are performance, comfort and cost. While many coupes are sporty, they don't quite have the horsepower or handling chops to compete with true sports cars, though some come quite close. Some high-performance and luxury coupes also come close to sports cars in cost, though most are much more affordable. Finally, the coupes we discuss here are typically more practical for everyday use. They offer more comfortable rides, a modicum of storage space -- or lots of hauling flexibility in the case of hatchback coupes -- and even honest-to-goodness back seats that adults can use (though some might not be that comfortable doing so). If you are interested in coupes that provide the maximum in sports car handling and performance, check out the ConsumerSearch report on sports cars for top-rated models.

While a lot of the flash and sizzle is in performance or luxury coupes, entry-level coupes designed to provide basic -- and sometimes more than basic -- transportation get lots of attention as well. Coupes like the Scion tC (*est. $15,000 to $17,200) and ultra-budget-priced Toyota Yaris (*est. $11,150 to $12,050) get their fair share of accolades. One economy choice -- the coupe version of the Honda Civic (*est. $14,810 to $23,040) -- is by far the most recommended coupe, though some of that is on the strength of its sporty and more costly Si trim line. The high cost of fuel is also helping to drive the interest in economy coupes, as many offer above average or better gas mileage.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Regardless of your budget or reason for wanting a coupe, there are plenty of good options available. Among those is the Honda Civic, whose many trim lines fill niches for those wanting inexpensive transportation, an environmentally friendly non-hybrid or a pulse-quickening sports car experience without the compromises -- or expense -- most sports cars demand. The MINI Cooper and Cooper S deliver a head-turning "cute" coupe that, while not the most powerful car on the road, is a blast to drive. For those craving the utmost in performance in a car that's more suitable for day-to-day driving, the new Audi TT gets some recognition. Finally, if you crave luxury and performance, it is tough to top the BMW 3 Series 335i coupe.