Best coupé SUVs 2024 – tried, tested and rated
The best coupé SUVs are sleek yet practical, comfortable and enjoyable to drive. Here we count down the best - and the worst...
Like conventional coupés, these larger, more bulky coupé SUVs still tend to be bought for their sleek looks. However, the big difference here is that the style shouldn't come at the expense of too much practicality.
A well-equipped, well-finished interior that offers an elevated driving position is also important – as is a driving experience that strikes a good balance between comfort and agility.
But which model delivers all this best of all? After hundreds of miles behind the wheel of our winner, and every one of its rivals, our expert reviewers say the BMW X6 is the best coupé SUV on sale.
It’s not the only talented model out there, though, and below you’ll find the other models that should be vying for a place on your shortlist. Not only that, our listings of the best coupé SUV deals show you the price that you should be paying. Alternatively check out our rundown of the best SUVs of any type.
Strengths
- Plush interior that features class-leading infotainment
- Impressive handling
- Well-equipped
Weaknesses
- Some rivals are more spacious
- Firm edge to ride
- Some options are pricey
Without the BMW X6, it’s doubtful this class would even exist. However, it isn’t our number one choice for its history, but because the latest version is a brilliant all-rounder. It’s agile and entertaining to drive, yet you don't pay for this composure with a punishing ride. Meanwhile, the interior is as easy to use as it is beautifully built, and you even get generous rear space. Performance is stunning no matter which engine you choose, but we’re particularly keen on the smooth and impressively frugal 30d diesel.
Read our BMW X6 review
Our pick: 2.0 D200 MHEV S 5dr Auto
Strengths
- Very comfy with smaller wheels or air suspension
- Cheaper versions are temptingly priced
- Huge boot
Weaknesses
- Rivals are more agile
- Fiddly climate controls
- Disappointing reliability record
The Range Rover Velar is a stylish, refined and seriously appealing coupé SUV, plus it's very comfortable if you resist the temptation to upgrade to big wheels. Our favoured S trim keeps the price sensible and still provides plenty of standard kit.
Read our Range Rover Velar review
Our pick: S 5dr Tiptronic S
Strengths
- Powerful engines
- Fantastic handling for a big SUV
- Classy interior
Weaknesses
- Expensive to run
- Stingy kit list
- Brilliant air suspension isn't standard
As with the regular Porsche Cayenne, the biggest strengths of the Coupé are its handling and performance. In fact, the GTS, which is the sweet-spot in the range, offers about as much fun as you can have with a car that's this tall and heavy. Practicality is also pretty good, so it's only the high price and stingy standard kit that stop the Cayenne Coupé finishing even higher here.
Read our Porsche Panamera Coupé review
Our pick: 300kW 55 Quattro 114kWh Sport 5dr Auto
Strengths
- Confidence-inspiring handling
- Very smooth and quiet
- Luxurious interior
Weaknesses
- Distracting climate controls
- Some rivals are more fun
- Vorsprung trim is pricey
As a fully electric coupé SUV, the Audi Q8 E-tron Sportback is about as on-trend as it’s possible to be right now, but it’s far more than just a fashion accessory. Few cars are as quiet at speed, it does a great job of soaking up bumps, and the interior is lavish. Just bear in mind that the range between charges is nothing special by modern standards.
Read our Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron review
Our pick: 300kW 55 Quattro 114kWh Sport 5dr Auto
Strengths
- Spacious interior
- Fantastic build quality
- Strong range of engines
Weaknesses
- Pricey to buy
- Lack of physical buttons for infotainment system
- Iffy reliability and average warranty
If electric power isn't for you, you're after a coupé-SUV look and are shopping with a hefty budget, then the classy, spacious and refined Q8 is seriously worth considering. That said, we wish the infotainment system was more user friendly. Both the petrol and diesel engines are strong, though.
Read our Audi Q8 review
Strengths
- Comfortable ride
- Little wind or road noise
- Well priced
Weaknesses
- Body lean in bends
- Boot is on the small side
- No alarm on entry-level model
Most coupé SUVs wear premium badges that bring premium price tags. However, the Citroën C4 makes the same blend of swoopy looks and elevated seating much more affordable. Refinement and comfort also impress, but you do pay for the C4's cushiness with roly-poly handling.
Read our Citroën C4 review
Our pick: xDrive20d MHT M Sport 5dr Step Auto
Strengths
- Sharp handling
- Smooth diesel engine in 20d
- User-friendly infotainment system
Weaknesses
- Pricey to buy
- Limited rear head room
- Some blindspots
Keen drivers will appreciate the BMW X4's strong engines and top-notch handling, but the news isn't so good for six-footers confined to the rear seats, because the plunging roofline forces them to slouch. BMW's iDrive infotainment system is the best around.
Read our BMW X4 review
Strengths
- Strong engines
- Tidy, if not exactly fun, handling
- Clever rear seats
Weaknesses
- Tight rear head room
- Firm ride
- Expensive high-spec models
The Audi Q3 Sportback is more than roomy enough for most families, plus it offers composed handling and accurate steering. Just bear in mind that the ride can be a little firm, and some of the bigger-selling engines sound rough.
Read our Audi Q3 Sportback review
Strengths
- Striking interior
- Strong performance
- Generous equipment
Weaknesses
- Compromised practicality
- Average ride and handling
- Expensive compared to rivals
Like the pricier GLE Coupé, the Mercedes GLC Coupé isn't as spacious as direct rivals, and is okay rather than great to drive. However, the engines are strong, it's very well equipped and the interior has serious wow factor.
Read our Mercedes GLC Coupé review
Strengths
- Low CO2 emissions on plug-in
- Plenty of standard kit
- Big boot on non-plug-ins
Weaknesses
- Unsettled ride
- Not particularly fun to drive
- Limited rear head room
There are coupé SUVs that are more practical and better to drive, but the Mercedes GLE Coupé has a dazzling interior and, on air suspension, is a comfortable cruiser. Go for the 400d and you also get one of the best diesel engines around; it blends effortless performance with good fuel economy, and is both smooth and quiet, even under hard acceleration.
Read our Mercedes GLE Coupé review
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
How we choose the best coupé SUVs
We’ve tested every coupé SUV on the market and through our rigorous testing and continual reassessment, this is the definitive list of the top 10 coupé SUVs you can buy.
While coupé SUVs are often bought for their driving prowess, there are countless other areas of consideration. We consider them all, but using data from the 20,000-plus car owners who respond to our annual reader survey, we’re able to focus our attention on the areas of most importance to buyers of coupé SUVs. These are:
We use a dedicated test track to put every coupé SUV through its paces, checking the 0-62mph time, top speed and in-gear speeds to make sure they match the figures their maker claims. We also assess what the engine feels like, how noisy it is, and how it works with the car’s gearbox.
We test every coupé SUVs that comes our way on a handling circuit, assessing how much grip they have, how they handle on dry and wet roads and how easy they are to control. We compare each coupe SUV with its rivals to see which one offers the most eager and pleasing all-round handling.
Coupé SUVs sell on the strength of their looks, so the interior also needs to look and feel smart. We look at the quality and mix of materials, and assess how they feel to the touch – especially areas you’ll most commonly touch. But while we test for that perceived quality, we also check that everything feels built to last and will mark down any models with flimsy-feeling features or scratchy hard plastics; soft-touch alternatives and leather, whether genuine or artificial, are almost always preferable.
Of course, our testing doesn’t end there. In fact, it covers hundreds of assessments in dozens of different areas. You can read more about this in our how we test cars feature.
FAQs
Coupé SUVs aim to mix the practicality and go-anywhere ability of an SUV with the sleek lines of a coupé. They are characterised by having a more swept-back design than regular SUVs, with a tapering roofline towards the rear and, therefore, slightly less head room for rear passengers than a regular SUV. Typical examples of the class include the BMW X6, which arguably set the formula for coupé SUVs, as well as the Porsche Cayenne Coupé and Range Rover Velar.
No modern coupé SUV is sold with two doors rather than the standard four, because while this might look better to some – and would more be in fitting with the sleek lines of a coupé – coupé SUVs need to balance looks with practicality. Most cars in this market, therefore, retain the standard four-door layout which you'd expect to find on a typical SUV, since this makes getting in and out easier.
Helpfully, Mercedes adds the coupé suffix to the SUVs it makes in this market, which makes categorising them very easy. The smallest model Mercedes makes is the GLC Coupé which, as you might guess, is based on the regular Mercedes GLC SUV. Then there's the GLE Coupé, which is based on the Mercedes GLE SUV. There's currently no coupé SUV based on Mercedes' largest SUV, the GLS, but the GLC Coupé and GLE Coupé both carry ratings of three stars.
Like most car makers, Audi has been busy launching SUVs to suit every taste, style and budget, and that includes coupé SUVs. The Audi Q3 Sportback is the brand's smallest coupé SUV model, and above that sits the Audi Q5 Sportback. The largest coupé SUV Audi makes is the the Q8, which is the only such model from Audi to be offered with both combustion engines and as a fully electric SUV.
