We all have a rough idea about what an SUV, a hatchback or a sports car is, but what about a coupe?
You can count the number of doors for a start. Traditionally, coupes are two-doors whereas saloons (or 'sedans', if you prefer the American term) are four-doors.
Case closed, right?
Well, not quite. There's some other things that go into a coupe car as well.
First, a quick history lesson for you . . .
Why 'Coupe'?
Like some other fancy out-of-date phrases which we still use hundreds of years later, the word 'coupe' (pronounced "Koo-Pay", although Americans might say "Koop") is French and was first used to refer to horse-drawn carriages with two passengers and no rear seats.
Surprise surprise, that meaning then evolved overtime to apply to cars instead of carriages.
As we said at the start, a traditional coupe always had two doors. However, that's not so much the case these days. It's now very possible for you to come across a four-door coupe (and, equally, a saloon car with two doors).
Don't get us wrong, coupes often still come as two doors. But that doesn't mean all two-door cars are coupes. If the top roof folds down and there's no back seat, you've got yourself a nice little convertible or a roadster instead.
Still, that's where the term comes from, so now you know. Happy days!
So What Defines a Coupe Car?
As we said, nowadays there's less of an emphasis on the door numbers. Instead, you're probably looking at defining a coupe car by its good looks, its sloping roof and its limited interior space.
We're hardly saying that the Society of Automotive Engineers are the absolute gods when it comes to motoring definitions, but they're pretty much spot on in classing a coupe car as a vehicle with an interior space of less than 33 cubic feet. Anything above that is technically a saloon.
What's the Difference Between a Coupe and a Saloon?
A saloon lacks the sloping roof of a coupe, and we've already touched upon the door numbers (traditionally, a coupe has two and a saloon has four, but that's less so these days).
Coupes are closely related to saloons, without being quite the same thing. A saloon is near enough to a saloon except . . . sportier. Sometimes they're even classed as sports or luxury cars.
The coupe body style aims to be as aerodynamic as possible and with a lower frame than a saloon, helping you achieve better overall fuel economy. Just imagine a saloon but one that's slightly smaller and has a smaller boot (which was never that big to begin with). Oh, and don't forget the sloping roof! Very important.
As we said, the main appeal of a coupe is to look good, not take the family on a two-week trip to Cornwall. The design of a saloon is slightly more accommodating for families and large groups of people. There's the same three sections of the car (engine, passenger space, cargo), but it's the less sloping body shape and interior space that really sets it apart from a coupe. Coupe cars tend to be a shade shorter in length than saloons and feature a boot with a small opening that's separated from the rest of the car.
The one downside to the sloping, swooping roof is that the interior headline is often limited as a result, particularly for those unlucky sods in the back seats – which is another thing that lends itself to the impracticality of coupes.
Is a Coupe a Sports Car?
Kind of.
Just as a coupe is like a slightly more impractical version of a saloon, a coupe is also a slightly more practical version of a sports car. A sports car might be fast, but it's not the most reliable set of wheels, is it? As they say, it's something that you buy 100% with your heart and 0% with your head.
A coupe car is sort of like that, but there's a bit more thought behind it. It's something that you buy 80% with your heart and 20% with your head – so partway between a sports car and a more traditional saloon or hatchback. And some coupes (like the Ford Mustang) are more sporty than others.
Like a sports car, it's difficult to argue with a coupe's elegant design. But, also like sports cars, they're not the most practical of vehicles. Yet that also gives them a certain appeal to many. A big people carrier is never going to turn heads out on the road, but a coupe might well do, which is why some people buy them. And if you don't have luggage or big family commitments or commutes, why wouldn't you?
Like a lot of good things in life, that stylishness does come at a price though, as coupes are usually more expensive than the likes of your saloons and hatchbacks. At the end of the day, a coupe is something that's meant to make you look good.
Types of Coupes
To further blur the line between coupes and other car classes, some car manufacturers have now introduced coupes that integrate SUV or hatchback-like elements such as more doors and higher driving positions. That's because automotive design is evolving so you're now starting to see body styles and car classes combining even more. SUVs especially.
That makes even more sense when you consider that manufacturers are looking to increase the appeal of a coupe beyond what has at times been a particularly limited and exclusive market. You now get hatchback coupes and SUV coupes and, as such, it can sometimes take a discerning customer a few moments to figure out just what it is they are looking at.
Yet there's bound to be some purists out there who only accept the traditional two-door model for a coupe, so you've got to take your hat off to them as well!
Coupe Pros
- You've probably already gotten to grips with both the good and bad sides of coupe cars, but here they are again in plain English just to keep things simple for you.
- Like a sports car, but more accessible
- Slick appearance
- Most now have rear seats
- Good fuel economy
- Powerful engines
Coupe Cons
- Like a saloon car, but more impractical
- More expensive than simpler car classes
- Cramped seating
- Not much boot space
- Restricted driving view
Coupe Car Examples
To help give you a general idea of the coupe car market, here's a few examples of some prime models.
Glancing over some of the brand names, you can see why coupes tend to be on the more expensive side of things!
- Audi TT Coupe
- Toyota Supra Coupe
- Bentley Continental GT
- Porsche Cayenne Coupe
- BMW 4 Series
- Subaru BRZ
- Volkswagen Scirocco
- Toyota GR86
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