USED CARS - Coupes Reviews

Coupes sort of live in the area between sports cars and sedans. Initially, the term "coupe" was used to describe a car that had two doors and a fixed roof. Over the years, however, the lines have gotten blurry, with some manufacturers releasing four-door coupes. The definition of "coupe" as provided by the Society of Automotive Engineers is a ”closed car with two side doors and less than 33 cubic feet of rear interior volume." In addition, vehicles which have added performance-based options are often referred to as "sports coupes." So for our report, we cover two-door cars that fit this profile. Our report on convertibles covers both two-door and four-door drop tops. And our report on sports cars also covers some coupes. Likewise, our reports on family sedans, sports sedans and economy cars also feature the four-door variants of some of the two-door coupes discussed here.

Our top review for coupes came from Car and Driver, which annually chooses ten vehicles to be the "Top Ten of the Year." Not only did Car and Driver include a slot in their top ten for coupes, they also thinned out the market by electing the best sports coupe. The tests at Car and Driver are some of the most exhaustive performed anywhere. Edmunds.com has a specific category for coupes, which makes researching a prospective purchase very simple. A main aspect to the success of the review at Edmunds is that they top-rate more coupes in a broad range of prices.

Consumer Reports reviews cars with a focus on safety, value and long-term reliability.This publication doesn't have a section specifically for coupes, but you can filter their auto reviews by class, which is helpful. This year, Motor Trend selected a coupe as it s Car of the Year. This is one of the most prestigious honors for a vehicle, and the award is based on rigorous testing.

Rising fuel costs have driven attention away from luxury vehicles and more towards the affordable end of the spectrum,with reviewers' picks for the top coupes ranging everywhere from $15,000 to $80,000. In fact, the number-one ranked coupe of 2006 is the Honda Civic, which comes in with a starting price of under $15,000.

Not all economy coupes hit the mark, however. Introduced in 1998, the Volkswagen New Beetle (*est. $17,180 to $22,120) is still in the market, although several reviewers and analysts believe that the New Beetle may be on the way out. In order to remedy lagging sales in the past two years, the 2006 New Beetle received its first true changes in eight years. The changes to the exterior are somewhat minimal: The lights are different, the wheel wells are more arched, and the fuel door is now circular instead of rectangular. The largest change is the engine -- the 115-hp, 4-cylinder has been replaced with a 150-hp, 2.5-liter 5-cylinder. While some amount of rear-seat comfort is lost in the coupe platform in general, reviews are especially critical of rear-seat comfort for the Beetle, and it's also short on trunk space. In the realm of cute coupes, reviews say the Mini Cooper (discussed below) is a better bet.  ... Continued

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

Given current fuel prices, it's not too surprising that 2006 reviews focus on value. The redesigned Honda Civic, including the coupe variant, wins the most critical praise. The Civic couples a healthy element of style along with practicality and exceptional fuel economy. Several mid-priced coupes are also critical favorites, including the Ford Mustang and Mazda RX-8. The BMW 3-Series coupes and Chevrolet Corvette also received a number of positive reviews and tie for second with 4 top marks each.