Best Coupes

If sedans are the vehicular equivalent of middle-class office workers and pickup trucks symbolize blue-collar tradespeople, then coupes are the auto industry's fashion models. While sedans, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks put functionality before looks, coupes emphasize eye appeal above all their other positive attributes.

There was a time not so long ago when one would rigidly define a coupe as a two-door car. The two-door configuration enabled coupes to offer a level of style and sleekness that four-door sedans found challenging to capture. But in recent years, auto designers have incorporated the swoopy lines and voluptuous contours of coupes into vehicles that offer the convenience of four doors. So, "four-door coupe" is no longer the automotive equivalent of oxymorons like jumbo shrimp.

Today's coupes bridge the functionality gap between prosaic four-door sedans and the ultimate hedonistic vehicle type — the convertible. The best coupes offer occupants a well-designed interior featuring rich, high-value materials. While the front-seat passengers get the most desirable accommodations, rear-seat passengers traditionally haven't been so fortunate. Nowadays, however, many coupes offer those in the back plenty of room and excellent conveniences like consoles, cupholders, and USB ports.

Today's top coupe models also treat their owners to leading-edge levels of technology. Automakers equip them with impressive arrays of safety and advanced driver assistance systems. And their infotainment and connectivity capabilities equal or surpass those offered in other current automobiles. So, today's highest-rated coupes are far more than just a pretty face and a nice rear end.

If you wear your car like your designer clothing, this list of the best coupes on the market will give you a good idea of where to start your shopping expedition.