The best coupes - driven, rated, ranked

Best for: Long commutes

In the annuls of Mercedes-Benz coupé history, tracing the lineage from one generation of slinky two-doors to another can be confusing, particularly when some are Classes of one variety or another and others are CL this or that. Take this CLE Coupé as a prime example.  

in practice, in its understated prioritisation of luxurious dynamic qualities over sporting ones, as well as with its decent four-seat usability, desirability and kerbside appeal, it feels like a particularly traditional kind of Mercedes has come along at a time when there may be considerable appetite for one.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

The CLE Coupé replaced not only the previous-generation C-Class Coupé but also, due to dwindling sales, the larger E-Class Coupé.

Straddling the C and E model lines, its exterior styling is reminiscent of the E-Class while inside it's pure C-Class.

A wide range of engines, including mild- and plug-in hybrids and an AMG bruiser, ensure plenty of performance. However, this is primarily a stylish cruiser tuned for comfort and long drives, which sets it apart nicely from its BMW rival. 

Best for: Daily driving

Is the perfect Porsche the 718 Cayman? It’s not a bad call. It takes the 718 Boxster’s mid-engined layout and encloses it within a pretty fastback hardtop form that’s both practical and more rigid than the roadster.

The 718 Cayman S is by some distance the most complete sports coupé on sale and easily talented enough in the handling department to overcome slight misgivings about the way the crank is now turned.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Handling that's exquisitely balanced yet more forgiving at the limit than you might expect from a rear-engined car makes the Cayman a popular track-day choice as well as a safe, enjoyable daily driver. 

With the 718 Cayman, the classic flat-six engine was replaced in the less costly echelons of the range by a theoretically cheaper to run and more reliable turbocharged flat four.

Unfortunately, this engine falls short aurally when it comes to giving you goosebumps and at idle it provides a rattly, harsh shock to the system.

Thankfully, the rest of this coupé is more accomplished than ever, sublimely intuitive and crushingly competent. You will be too busy having fun to hear the engine idling for long. 

Best for: Handling

In 2017, Renault rebooted its long-defunct sports car division with a bespoke, mid-engined coupé that reimagined the original Alpine A110’s shape as well as the concept of using conventional family-car running gear in a lightweight shell to great effect. 

Rarely does a car come along so devoted to driver involvement, and so singularly effective at it, even among sports cars.

Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

Unlike in the 1960s original, there are no token rear seats. That’s because, unlike that car, this A110 is mid-engined, with obvious benefits for accessible, safe fun over the original’s rear-engined design. 

Despite the humble engine and gearbox, it feels special, with bespoke aluminium construction and just a few familiar Renault switches and controls in the otherwise minimalist, classic-GT-feeling interior. 

You can choose S and R models for more focused performance, but the simpler versions are better bets for everyday use.

Well-damped and agile, the A110 can be enjoyed on a neglected British A- or B-road without undue stress. 

Best for: Styling

Make no mistake: the Aston Martin Vantage is a monumental sports coupe. 

For one thing, the Aston’s entry level has clearly moved up a step dynamically. It has more poise and predictability than before, meaning the excitement it delivers always comes on the terms of the driver.

Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

It's technically the brand's entry-level model, but with 656bhp, 590lb ft and a 202mph top speed, it's probably its most important car after the DBX super-SUV. 

More poised and enthusiastic than ever before, the Vantage is as engaging as it is exciting, offering more composure and speed potential not seen in any road-going Aston Martin previously. 

Its talents also extend to its long-distance capabilities, which is increasingly important for many coupe drivers. It's comfortable for the most part, but it also possesses a decently practical interior, with a modern interior and up-to-date technology. 

Best for: All-round ability

Careful management of the distinctive profile, styling and performance credentials have kept the Porsche 911 at the forefront of car buyers’ dreams since the 1960s. It’s a legend during its own production run – and, just like a living legend, experience and the world around it have shaped its evolution.  

Having tried numerous variants of the new 911, it’s the one carrying the fewest kilos – the Carrera T with the manual gearbox – that is the most likeable.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Devastatingly quick, with all-wheel-drive grip in most models to contain the manners that a rear-engined layout bestow on a performance car, the 911 coupé's 2+2 layout is more suitable for extra luggage than passengers but can be used by children or adults if the journeys are short or you simply don’t like them.

Actually, the latest 911s don’t have rear seats at all; it’s a no-cost option to spec them in. 

It’s easy to understand the attraction of the upper reaches of the performance and price hierarchy, but the sweetest of spots in the 911 range is usually at the opposite end. 

Best for: Raw power

There’s something odd occurring when Ford has reintroduced the Capri badge yet the car to which it's attached isn’t featured in this list.

But the Mustang is now able to compete with them on ride and handling, and Ford has paid attention to exactly what its customers want in giving them something that mixes technological advances with traditional appeal.

Jonathan Bryce, Social Media Executive

In a model range that reflects the existential crisis of the world’s oldest mass-producer of cars, you can’t buy a Fiesta any more and the Capri is a Volkswagen-based electric SUV, but you can drop £55,000 on 446bhp of V8 Americana in the guise of the Ford Mustang Fastback. 

Surprisingly, given market trends, the Mustang V8 still has a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the 10-speed automatic is an extra-cost option.

To get the sharpest chassis, you have to pony-up (sorry) for the Dark Horse edition. 

The Mustang offers a similar scale of body and performance to the BMW 8 Series Coupé for far fewer dollars, and you can feel where corners have been cut – but you won’t be dreading corners along your route in the same way as you would in a classic ‘Stang, thanks to all-independent suspension.  

Haulin’ ass and suckin’ gas in the electric age, eh? God bless ‘Murica. 

Best for: Compact proportions

So that there’s no ambiguity, we’re definitely talking about the rear-wheel-drive, two-door BMW 2 Series Coupé here and not the front-wheel-drive, four-door 2 Series Gran Coupé.

The 2 Series is an everyday coupé that offers more style than the usual saloon or hatchback, with more driving engagement than the front-wheel-drive opposition.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

What a delight this 2er is: a compact, economical and fun driver’s car that delivers 62mph in 7.5sec and traditionally sharp rear-wheel-drive BMW handling in entry-level 220i M Sport guise.

Okay, £40,000 isn't exactly cheap, but you can easily pay more for a humdrum plug-in SUV that will do little to sate your driving enthusiasm.  

If you crave even more performance, the 2 Series further delivers, with the six-pot M240i xDrive being an attractive choice in its own right, rather than being the flagship M2's poorer relation.

If you enjoyed BMWs of yesteryear, today’s 2 Series Coupé is the one that feels closest to those core values. 

Best for: Luxury

Underlining the hedonism of two-doors, a big engine and long-distance comfort to match the performance that made post-war coupés aspirational, it’s telling that the Bentley Continental GT is one of the last of its type still on sale. 

Bentley’s new hybrid combination of turbo V8 and powerful electric motor means this GT now has more power than any previous model, including all the top-spec W12s.

Steve Cropley, Editor-in-chief

And what a coupé it is, titivated and electrified in 2024 with the introduction of a plug-in hybrid system to accompany the warbling V8 power – efficiency in town and efficacy on the open road. Even the electric motor in the gearbox produces more power than a BMW 220i enjoys in total.  

It’s mind-melting to get your head around how this super-luxury heavyweight can thunder to 62mph from a standstill in 3.2sec yet realistically best 40mpg on a long schlep (providing it had been plugged in).

Pushing £250,000 before options, it’s reassuring to know that if your company is picking up the tab, the Continental attracts only 8% benefit-in-kind tax. See, you didn’t even miss the W12 now it’s gone after all...