Best coupe cars in 2025

There was a time when the BMW 2 Series was seen as little more than a 1 Series hatchback with a slightly slinkier shape. Not that this was a bad thing, because both cars were sensationally good to drive. The latest 2 Series, though, is a lot further removed from the contemporary 1 Series: while the latest hatchback has moved to a front-wheel drive arrangement, the 2 Series retains its rear-drive status.

In truth, that's just one of many things that make the latest 2 Series brilliant to drive. There's also the strong grip, tight body control, effortless balance and super-sharp steering that's generous on feedback. The latest 2 feels really sporty in its attitude - more so than ever before.

It's still a great car to live with day-to-day, too, with a plushly trimmed cabin, decent passenger space, a reasonable boot and lots of onboard tech. There's a range of punchy engines to choose from, and there isn't a bad one among them. Just choose one to suit your budget. 

Here's one you'll need to track down a used example for. You could get into something fairly fresh, though, as the Audi A5 Coupe was on sale until 2024. 

Confusingly, there is an A5 on sale now, but it has nothing to do with the old one. It's a replacement for the A4, as part of Audi's new naming convention which was supposed to involve EVs using even numbers, and petrol/diesel-powered machines going for odd numbers. A strategy which has already been abandoned.

Anyway, there's no current equivalent of the old A5 Coupe, which seems like a shame, as it was one of the best new coupes around. They're worth seeking out on the used market, with a wide range of great engines from frugal diesels to the raucous twin-turbo V6 in the S6, good practicality thanks to a roomy (for a coupe) second row and a decent-sized boot, and utterly classy looks. We'd have ours with the 3.0-litre V6 diesel and in S Line trim. 

The Bentley Continental GT is a gloriously sumptuous coupe, with a cabin that'll never fail to distract you from whatever's going on in the outside world.

Of course, being a Bentley, the Continental GT is as much about performance as it is luxury. In earlier cars there are two engines to pick from: a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 550PS and 770Nm (our motor of choice, the consumer champions we are), or a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 with 635PS and 900Nm. 

All come with four-wheel drive and a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox (you don't spend this kinda money to change gears yourself). Later, the W12 was dropped and only a plug-in hybrid version of the V8 putting out a mighty 782PS was available. 

Talking of money, you'll spend upwards of £240,000 for a Bentley Continental GT, and that's before you go to town on the extensive options list. It's been around long enough that used examples can be bought for a fraction of that figure, though.

Given that it's a brand that spends so much effort insulating passengers from any noise from outside the cabin, engine included, an electric car from Rolls-Royce makes perfect sense. The first EV effort from the famed luxury carmaker is the Spectre, and as you might have gathered from its inclusion in this list, it's a coupe.

Don't go thinking that means it's cramped in the back, though - the rear seats are extremely accommodating, and easy to access thanks to some absolutely massive electrically assisted doors. Occupants can expect to get to their destinations quickly thanks to a twin-motor power train providing 585PS. It needs all that power, though, as this is a car that weighs nearly three tonnes.

A 102kWh battery pack gives a range of up to 329 miles according to the WLTP figure, which should suit most scenarios. Its rapid charging capability of 195kW is impressive, but there are much cheaper cars out there (think the Hyundai Ioniq 5) which can manage more. The sort of people who buy Rolls-Royces will likely have other vehicles to use on any trips long enough to warrant a stop at a public charger, though, so perhaps it's a moot point.

As for the price, that's hard to say. Yes, the starting point is £330,000, but with the level of customisation available at Rolls-Royce, many will likely cost beyond £400,000. 

Once upon a time, you could get many different Mercedes-Benz coupes. There were two-door versions of the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class, but these days (ignoring the AMG GT, which is arguably more of a supercar), there's only one - the CLE. It serves as a replacement for both the C and E-Class coupes, and is somewhere between in terms of sizing. 

It's the most luxurious-feeling car on this list after the Bentley and the Rolls, and exudes a sense of effortless classiness. You're spoiled for choice in terms of engines, too. Should you want to be sensible, there's a CLE 220d diesel engine, and a CLE 300 e plug-in hybrid.

At the other end of the scale is the AMG CLE 53 with a powerful twin-turbo inline-six, but it's less exciting than you might imagine. Keen drivers will want the CLE 63, which is set to get a V8. Yay.

We had to wait years for a replacement for the Maserati Gran Turismo, and after all that time, we've ended up with something that looks... much like the old one. 

It's very different under the skin, though, and there's even the option of an all-electric Gran Turismo in the form of the Folgore, which puts out a whopping 760PS from its twin-motor powertrain.

Should you prefer an engine, there's a twin-turbo V6 option related to the engine found in the MC20 supercar. It's not as pokey as the EV, but still isn't wanting for power, putting out 550PS. It doesn't sing quite like the V8 in the old one, though, and with a starting price of £125,000, it's not exactly cheap. 

If you're not fussed about a premium badge, Ford's fab Mustang pony car is a real 'event' to drive, especially now as it's available only with a V8. The 2.3-litre EcoBoost version is no long available in the UK, and that's just fine by us. The only 'proper' way to enjoy this car is with eight cylinders under the hood.

The Mustang's interior might not be as cosseting as an Audi A5 Coupe's, but the big Ford is guaranteed to turn more heads. More importantly, it'll make you smile all the time, whether it's when you've put your foot down, or when you've turned back to look at the thing after parking up.

You can save a whole heap of money by looking at the used market at the previous-generation version, which actually shares a lot in common with the new car. A budget of around £25,000 will get you a choice of pre-owned V8-engined models.

Just like Mercedes and BMW, you can pick up an Audi in just about any size and shape you could possibly want. As its name suggests, the Audi A7 sits between the A6 and A8, with coupe-like looks but saloon car practicality. It was recently discontinued, but there are still plenty of little used examples out there to pick from.

It's a quietly classy choice, in typical Audi fashion, with an interior that isn't matched by anything this side of a Bentley Continental GT.

Thanks to its huge dimensions, it's not as sporty to drive as you might expect, but if you spend a lot of your time on the motorway, you could certainly do a lot worse than an A7 Sportback. There's also the deliciously quick and slightly bonkers RS7 Sportback Performance if you're in a real hurry.

Would you like your BMW coupe to be small (2 Series), medium (4 Series) or large (8 Series)? The BMW 8 Series replaced the old 6 Series, with the new name signifying its shuffle upwards in the brand's line-up.

While it's not quite as luxurious as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, it is more of a driver's car and close enough to a Porsche 911 for your consideration. Despite that, we reckon the six-cylinder diesel (badged the 840d) is actually the one to go for, although you'll have to look to the used car market for one of these as this engine been discontinued by BMW. Regardless, leave the V8 petrol engines to those with shares in oil companies.

While the standard 8 Series Coupe is relatively spacious, BMW also offers a four-door Gran Coupe version, which loses little of the 8's appeal. And, for those rare sunny days we get in Britain, there's also the 8 Series Convertible.

The BMW 4 Series Coupe is the archetypal desirable coupe that so many drivers aspire to. It's easy to see why when it is so good on every type of road, whether you want to cruise over long distances or have some back road fun.

The looks of this latest 4 Series Coupe divided opinions to begin with, but they haven't stopped it from finding plenty of eager buyers. A classy cabin packed with luxury and safety kit add to the appeal, and this is a two-door coupe that can carry four plus luggage with ease.

There's a good spread of engines that are more frugal than you'd expect, while prices from a touch over £44,000 are on a par with its key rivals. Look to the used market and the previous generation 4 Series, which is also a very fine coupe, and you'll pay around £10,000 for an eight-year old 420i with average miles.