Pictured: 2018 Nisan 370Z coupe
Every vehicle type has its own usefulness: trucks can haul and tow, minivans offer lots of seating, hatchbacks are fuel-efficient and versatile — the list goes on. But when it comes to coupes, what does that vehicle style offer that other types don’t? Is it just a nice-looking car that’s inferior in every other way? What practical reasons are there to drive a coupe?
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Even those who believe buying a coupe is a bad idea agree that coupes look far more stylish than practically any other vehicle type — including sedans. The omission of the second-row doors allows for more freedom in the body’s styling and curvature. For instance, the roofline slopes more gently, giving the car an elongated, less boxy shape with fewer harsh angles. Coupes are held as the ideal of what the most gorgeous vehicles looks like.
Coupes have larger front-row doors than sedans do, which give the driver and front-row passenger more space to enter and exit the vehicle. The wider door frame on a coupe makes the driver’s seat more accessible by giving you more room to step in and out. Sedans have smaller front-row door openings that can be a tight squeeze for some people.
Because the back row isn’t a priority in a coupe’s design, more of the cabin space is dedicated to occupants in the front row. So, that translates to more legroom and knee space for the driver to stretch out behind the wheel.
Pictured: 2018 Cadillac ATS Coupe
A coupe’s compact design impacts the way it handles. Its smaller dimensions, slimmer shape, and lower ride height yield a lighter weight, lower center of gravity, better braking, and overall improved balance than comparable sedans and SUVs. You’re also going to find more coupes that offer rear-wheel drive, which further improve handling and acceleration.
If you enjoy driving a stick shift, you’re better off going with a coupe. Because coupes are designed to be sportier and more driver-centric than sedans, they’re more likely to be manufactured with manual transmissions than other vehicle types are.
Because coupes aren’t as widely produced or purchased as sedans are, they’re rarer and thus wind up becoming more valuable and in higher demand years later. That doesn’t mean that a coupe will have a higher initial resale value — since a slightly used coupe probably won’t be in high demand by everyday drivers — but their scarcity makes them a hotter collector’s item (consider the demand for the two-door ’57 Chevy over the four-door version).
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The primary reason many buyers opt for a sedan over a coupe is that they need frequent, easy access to the back row, whether that’s for your children or carpooling with friends. The cramped back seat of a coupe makes installing a child seat or helping your elderly grandmother into the car very difficult. A coupe’s doors are also longer and wider, making it more likely for you to swing them into the sides of your garage or adjacent parked cars.
Still, there are many advantages to driving a coupe. So if you have access to another vehicle for seating and hauling needs, you should consider buying or leasing that two-door sports car you’ve always wanted.
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.
