In the early 2000s, almost every manufacturer had a coupe car in their line-up. We’re not talking about rakishly rooved SUVs such as the BMW X6 or five-door ‘coupes’ like the Audi A7, either. These were proper two-door coupes that sacrificed practicality at the altar of style.
Naturally, these cars were hugely compromised. You had to make to with tiny (or non-existent) rear seats and boots that were barely big enough for a weekend’s luggage. But they were fantastic for posing around town in and great at making you feel special.
Now, coupes come in a wide range of shapes and sizes – and they offer varying amounts of performance and practicality. To help you sort the wheat from the chaff, we told our team of road testers to put their heads together and hash out a top 10 list of the best coupes on sale in 2024. It’s also worth noting that, for the purposes of this article, we’ve focused on traditional two-door coupes rather than the multitude of coupe crossovers.
Scroll down to read our road tester’s thoughts – and, if you spot a car that grabs your attention, head over to the leasing section of Parkers to find out whether you can afford to put it on your driveway. Alternatively, most of the coupes below are also available as used cars at knock-down prices.
The best coupes to buy in 2024
The best two-door sports car money can buy
It’s also immensely agile thanks to its lightweight aluminium construction and lithe suspension setup. There are few cars better suited to a British B-road. Top tip – don’t bother with the hardcore R model. Its harsher suspension sullies the car’s fluidity and makes it less usable every day. The original car is perfect.
To find out more, read our full Alpine A110 review
Pros
- Wonderful to drive
- Supple suspension
- Eager engine
Cons
- Poor infotainment
- Automatic only
| Starting price | £54,490 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £663.30 |
| MPG | 40.4 |
| Insurance group | 47 |
| Boot space | 196 litres |
| Performance | 252hp, 4.4 sec |
A spectacularly good small coupe
Most 2 Series models feature petrol engines and rear-wheel drive, to the delight of keen drivers, but diesels and four-wheel drive are also available if you want economy or all-weather security. The 374hp M240i plays second fiddle to the even hotter M2.
To find out more, read our full BMW 2 Series review
Pros
- Fantastic engine range
- Brilliant cabin technology
- Great fun to drive
Cons
- It's quite large now
- Slightly lumpy ride
| Starting price | £37,830 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £344.68 |
| MPG | 42.2 |
| Insurance group | 28 |
| Boot space | 390 litres |
| Performance | 184hp, 7.5 secs (220i) |
Mercedes CLE
Comfortable and good to drive – what’s not to like?
Mercedes defied convention with the CLE’s driving experience, too. Unlike most of the cars in this list, it’s rebelliously comfortable and surprisingly economical – you can tell it was designed for drivers who want to cover huge miles easily. That’s not to say it’s slow, though. Opt for the range-topping 450 model and you’ll have 381hp under your right foot. And if that’s not enough, you can have the 443hp AMG CLE 53.
To find out more, read our full Mercedes CLE review
Pros
- Lots of model choice
- Practical rear seats
- Six-cylinder petrol
Cons
- Not very exciting
- Interior build quality
| Starting price | £46,620 |
| MPG | 44.1 |
| Insurance group | 35 |
| Boot space | 420 litres |
| Performance | 204hp, 7.4 sec |
Better than a 911? The GTS might be…
The Cayman’s interior is very comfortable, too, offering plenty of room for tall drivers. Plus, you get two boots and fuel economy figures in the mid-30mpg range, which means you can easily use the car every day. And you’d be lucky to do so. Lower-level four-cylinder Caymans are good, but we recommend the six-cylinder GTS 4.0 or GT4 for the full aural experience.
To find out more, read our full Porsche 718 Cayman review
Pros
- Sublime handling
- Remarkably practical
- Great build quality
Cons
- Expensive options
- Dull four-cylinder engine
| Starting price | £51,800 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £711.59 |
| MPG | 29.1 |
| Insurance group | 42 |
| Boot space | 272 litres |
| Performance | 300hp, 5.1 sec |
Look past that snout and you’ll find a great coupe
We’ll be honest, the entry-level 420i variant feels a little slow. However, if you’re crave real performance, you can step up to one of BMW’s faster, six-cylinder-powered M-badged models. The M440i serves up 374hp, while the fire-breathing M4 Coupe kicks a massive 510hp at the rear wheels. Plus, you get a big boot, practical rear seats and all of BMW’s latest infotainment and safety technology.
To find out more, read our full BMW 4-Series review
Pros
- Fantastic handling
- Refined and comfortable
- Excellent interior
Cons
- 420i feels underpowered
- Very sharp steering
| Starting price | £44,195 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £443.99 |
| MPG | 42.2 |
| Insurance group | 30 |
| Boot space | 440 litres |
| Performance | 184hp, 7.5 sec (420i) |
It’s aging, but it’s still a riot (especially with a V8)
Jag ditched the cars rather underwhelming V6 engine, leaving just the four-pot and a choice of two supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engines – one with 450hp and one with a simply enormous 575hp. As you’d expect, both are hilariously quick and both sound like the God of Thunder himself gargling hot gravel. If you want a coupe that’ll give you a visceral driving experience, look no further.
To find out more, read our full Jaguar F-Type review
Pros
- Old-school experience
- Enormously powerful
- Sensational styling
Cons
- Surprisingly heavy
- Frighteningly thirsty
| Starting price | £67,355 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £694.97 |
| MPG | 30.3 |
| Insurance group | 41 |
| Boot space | 310 litres |
| Performance | 300hp, 5.7 sec (P300) |
Maserati GranTurismo
It’s no longer an ‘also ran’ – it’s a proper contender
It’s not perfect, though. The interior finish and switchgear quality aren’t quite good enough for the car’s steep price tag. That price and its exclusivity (Maserati sells fewer cars in the UK than Ferrari, don’t you know) also puts it out of reach of all but the top one percent of motorists. Still, we doubt they’ll be unhappy with their purchase.
To find out more, read our full Maserati GranTurismo review
Pros
- Exceptionally comfy
- Characterful V6 engine
- Beautiful handling
Cons
- Feels heavy
- Interior quality
| Starting price | £133,120 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | N/A |
| MPG | 27.8 |
| Insurance group | N/A |
| Boot space | 310 litres |
| Performance | 490hp, 3.9 sec |
Ford Mustang
It’s not the bargain it was, but God it’s quick
However, European buyers have been short-changed compared to those in Ford’s home market. Our tighter emissions regulations forced Ford to detune the Mustang and fit it with a petrol particulate filter, shaving as much as 50hp off the car’s peak power figure – a shame considering the top model now costs around £68,000. Happily, it channels just enough of the original car’s spirit to feel authentic. And it’s still great fun.
To find out more, read the full Ford Mustang review on our sister site CAR magazine
Pros
- Nimbler than before
- Entertaining V8 engine
- It sounds great
Cons
- UK cars get less power
- Expensive for a Ford
| Starting price | £55,725 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | N/A |
| MPG | 13.7 |
| Insurance group | N/A |
| Boot space | 376 litres |
| Performance | 453hp, 5.2 sec |
Bentley Continental GT
Unparalleled luxury at a steep price
Plus, you can make yours even more special with a near-limitless array of customisation options that includes a full technicolour of paint and fabric choices, along with a pandora’s box of optional technology. In summary, the Continental GT drives well, it has unbeatable road presence and it makes you feel like a millionaire – which, if you can afford one, you probably are.
To find out more, read our full Bentley Continental GT review
Pros
- Exceptional performance
- Unmatched interior
- It's oh-so comfortable
Cons
- High fuel costs
- Cramped rear seats
| Starting price | £186,300 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | N/A |
| MPG | 23.3 |
| Insurance group | N/A |
| Boot space | 358 litres |
| Performance | 550hp, 3.9 sec |
Lotus Emira
The final encore for the petrol-powered Lotus
But the Emira also upsets us because it’s the last hurrah. Lotus will never build another car like this again. From here on, all the company’s cars will be heavier and powered by electricity – and we fear Lotus will never be able to recreate the buzzy, darty, eager nature of this brilliant little car once it goes all-electric. If you want a Lotus, our advice is to get in now before the brand becomes another facsimilie.
To find out more, read our full Lotus Emira review
Pros
- Sensational performance
- Pin-sharp handling
- Junior supercar looks
Cons
- Interior quality
- The last of its kind
| Starting price | £84,300 |
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £1,201.66 |
| MPG | 25.0 |
| Insurance group | N/A |
| Boot space | 151 litres |
| Performance | 360hp, 4.3 sec |
What is a coupe?
The word ‘coupe’ is derived from the French verb ‘to cut’ and was first applied to horse-drawn carriages with smaller passenger compartments than the norm. When self-propelled cars took over from equine-based methods of transportation, many of the terms previously applied to carriages were adopted by the automotive industry, coupe being used ever since.
Nowadays, the word ‘coupe’ has adopted a very broad definition within the car world. It’s plastered onto all manner of vehicles, from SUVs to rakish four-door hatchbacks, becoming as much of a marketing buzzword as it is a descriptor. The purest definition is a two-door car with a low (or cut-down) roofline and a design that typically prioritises style over practicality. For that reason, coupes also may or may not have rear seats.
Often (but not always – see the Bentley Continental GT and Maserati GranTurismo for textbook examples of exceptions to the rule), coupes also have firm suspension and sharp handling. That makes the best sports coupes an absolute joy to drive.
Coupes always have fixed rooves, but some manufacturers also make closely related convertible versions of the same car. You can have a fixed head and drop head version of the BMW 4 Series, for example. If getting the wind in your hair is a priority, check out our list of the best convertibles on sale.
What is a four-door coupe?
Pitch that question to an engineer, and they’ll tell you there’s no such thing. However, four-door coupes have penetrated the market thanks to the work of clever marketeers.
Four-door coupes were designed to solve a problem that the traditional two-door coupe created. So, buyers want the style of a coupe, but they’re completely unwilling to opt for something as sensible as a saloon or estate car despite how desperate their need for that additional practicality may be.
Four-door coupes can be very good cars. For example, we rather like the Audi RS7 Sportback and the BMW i4 Gran Coupe, even though they’re both basically more shapely saloon cars. Still, they stretch the definition of ‘coupe’ too far for us.
More recently, manufacturers have started sticking ‘coupe’ badge on their more rakish SUV models. These so-called coupe-SUVs typically have a slinkier back end and sharply sloping roofline compared to the regular SUVs they’re based on. Check out our review of the Skoda Enyaq Coupe for a classic example of the breed.
Luke Wilkinson is Deputy Editor of Parkers. He has worked as a car journalist for five years, and spends his time writing news, reviews, features and advice pieces for both Parkers and its sister site CAR magazine.
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