Best coupés 2021
Tempted by the idea of a stylish coupé? Then check out our comprehensive rundown of the best models on the market – and find out which one we'd avoid...
Picture a coupé and you'll probably come up with something sleek that doesn't have room for a lot of shopping but definitely stands out in the supermarket car park. But while style is an important factor, the best modern coupés offer a lot more besides.
They blend sharp performance and handling with good ride comfort and enough practicality to make them easy to live with And while some are expensive, that doesn't necessarily mean they don't offer good value.
Which models are worth considering, though? Well, here we name our current top 10 – and reveal the coupé that's best avoided.
If you want to find out more about any of the cars on the list or see how much we can save you thanks to our New Car Buying service, just click on the relevant link.
Audi A7 Sportback
What Car? Target Price from
£44,199
RRP from £48,090 to £87,660
This five-door coupé is a beautifully made and comfortable cruiser with a surprising amount of space inside. It’s competent rather than particularly fun to drive, though, and its infotainment system is too complex.
Pros
- Strong engines
- High-quality interior
- Generous standard equipment
Cons
- Sluggish automatic gearboxes
- Fiddly infotainment system
- Dependable handling but hardly exciting
Bentley Continental GT
What Car? Target Price from
£168,500
RRP from £168,500 to £217,880
The Continental GT conjures up rose-tinted images of what driving used to be like, when the super-rich would blast across Europe to get to their second home on the Riviera. And yet it's a thoroughly modern car that makes progress effortless, thanks to a 6.0-litre W12 engine that drives all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The Continental GT is hugely expensive to buy and run, though.
Pros
- Luxurious interior
- Huge performance
- Enjoyable to drive
Cons
- Expensive
- Not quite as involving as a DB11
- Missing some safety kit
Mercedes E-Class Coupé
What Car? Target Price from
£42,824
RRP from £46,515 to £70,590
While it's not the sharpest car in its class to drive, the E-Class Coupé is supremely quiet and comfortable. It can be had with a wide range of engines, too, including the popular 220d diesel, which is smooth, quiet and frugal, so an excellent fit for the E-Class.
Pros
- Fantastic interior
- Quiet on the move
- Comfortable ride
Cons
- Vague steering
- Awkward boot
- Expensive infotainment
BMW 8 Series Coupé
What Car? Target Price from
£59,865
RRP from £72,615 to £123,105
The 8 Series strikes a great balance between sportiness and comfort. What's more, it has a beautifully built interior that features BMW's intuitive iDrive infotainment system. The 8 Series is more expensive than direct rivals, though.
Pros
- Awesome performance
- Class-leading infotainment
- Well priced
Cons
- Cramped in the back
- There are sportier rivals...
- ...and more comfortable ones
Aston Martin DB11
What Car? Target Price from
£152,865
RRP from £152,865 to £180,795
As luxury brands go, Aston Martin is as emotive as it gets. But that naturally brings sky-high expectations, so it says a lot that the DB11 offers everything you'd hope for from a big, modern Aston. Not only is it a sublime grand tourer, but it’s now usefully more communicative, while the interior matches modern tech and infotainment with classic craftsmanship.
Pros
- Massive performance
- Beautifully crafted interior
- More fun to drive than most of its GT rivals
Cons
- V12’s spiky to drive in the wet
- Limited rear-seat and boot space
- There are softer-riding alternatives
Audi A5 Coupé
What Car? Target Price from
£35,669
RRP from £38,385 to £65,920
The A5 coupé is based on a former What Car? Car of the Year, the A4 saloon, so the fact that it features in this top 10 should come as no surprise. Standout qualities include a plush interior and strong engines, plus it's surprisingly practical for a two-door coupé, with good rear space and a usefully large boot.
Pros
- Plush interior
- Strong and smooth engines
- Practical by coupe standards
Cons
- Steering could be more feelsome
- You’ll want to add a few options
- Very expensive Vorsprung trim
Mercedes CLA
What Car? Target Price from
£29,430
RRP from £31,695 to £39,950
Climb into the CLA, and you'll be impressed at how lavish it feels, both in terms of pizazz and technology. Meanwhile, the 221bhp turbo petrol engine in the 250 version delivers stonking performance, and the keen pricing and rock-solid resale values ensure it even appeals to your sensible side.
Pros
- Flash interior
- Strong on safety
- Lots of kit and power for your money
Cons
- Tight rear head room
- Small boot aperture
- Not as fun as the best coupés
Volkswagen Arteon
What Car? Target Price from
£27,049
RRP from £32,525 to £42,660
Even with five doors, coupés are often compromised, but that's not the case with the Arteon. The tallest of passengers will find they have space to sprawl in comfort, while the boot is huge, with a wide-opening hatchback that makes loading a buggy easy. More than that, the Arteon is a confidence-inspiring, comfortable and satisfying drive, and has loads of equipment as standard.
Pros
- Strong engines including a plug-in hybrid option
- Generous standard equipment
- Huge interior space and boot
Cons
- Automatic gearbox is a little jerky at low speeds
- Poor resale values against premium rivals
- A BMW 3 or 4 Series is more fun to drive
Audi TT Coupé
What Car? Target Price from
£31,462
RRP from £33,220 to £67,805
If you're after a coupé that’s easy and affordable to live with, yet enjoyable to drive and filled with premium lustre, the TT strikes the perfect balance. Even the entry-level 40 TFSI version has serious gusto and delivers masses of handling poise.
Pros
- Great to drive
- Fabulous interior design and quality
- Surprisingly practical boot – for a coupe
Cons
- Rear seats are seriously cramped
- Misses crucial safety kit
- You'll want to add options
BMW 4 Series Coupé
What Car? Target Price from
£38,006
RRP from £40,465 to £54,670
Compared with the 3 Series saloon, the 4 Series gets a wider rear end, stiffer structure and lower centre of gravity, helping to make it far more rewarding to drive than similarly-priced rivals. Yet if you go for the M Sport Pro Package, it's also a comfortable choice. In fact, it’s a perfectly balanced take on the dual nature that makes for a world-class coupé.
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Pros
- Range-topping M440i is seriously rapid
- More fun to drive than direct rivals
- More room in the back than you might imagine
Cons
- Divisive looks
- Rival coupés have bigger boots
- Some wind and tyre noise
And the Coupé to avoid...
The Vanquish has stunning looks and a sonorous engine, but in most other respects it feels its age: there's too much body float, its seriously cramped and the infotainment system is terrible. Read our review
