From the fast to the flamboyant, we list the best used coupes you should treat yourself to.
Coupes are often dream machines – they’re designed to tug at the heartstrings and make your eyes pop out in delight. And, obvious practicality compromises aside, many coupes can appeal to the head as well – you can use them day-to-day and don’t always have to keep a big pot of money aside for running costs.
It’s hard for a coupe not to look sporty. Many of the cars on this list are full-blooded sports cars that’ll delight keen drivers with racetrack-honed dynamics. But others are for drivers who’d prefer to take it easy in something stylish and comfortable – you’ll find a mix of both on our list, which is ordered alphabetically.
Browse our full selection of used coupes here, all with big savings compared to a brand-new equivalent.
Best coupes
1. Alpine A110
In recent times, the Alpine name has been watered down to a range-topping trim level for its parent Renault brand, but the sports car that gave the badge this clout isn’t going to be forgotten in a hurry. The Alpine A110 has styling that riffs off its 1960s forebear, a zippy turbo petrol engine and suspension tuning by the team behind various superb Renaultsport cars. Lightness is the order of the day – the A110 is a featherweight 1,100kg – which helps performance, efficiency, handling and ride comfort. If you can live with basically zero regards to practicality, the Alpine should be one of the top cars on your list.
2. Audi TT
Slip into the slinky Audi TT and you’ll probably think ‘where’s the touchscreen?’. It’s a rarity not to see a slab of screen on the dashboard of a modern car, but the TT lets you control all the major infotainment functions through the digital driver’s display. With that and the air-con controls integrated into the air vent knobs, the TT has one of the tidiest interiors of any car on sale. There are few distractions, so you can focus on the driving experience and the road ahead. And the TT is definitely a car that you’ll want to drive as much as possible, with deft handling and powerful engines.
Shop used Audi TT cars for sale or read our Audi TT review
3. Bentley Continental GT
Coupes don’t get much more luxurious than the Bentley Continental GT. Its interior is truly stunning, with sumptuous materials and oodles of tech. Designed to give a relaxing and serene driving experience, the Continental GT feels like it makes your life easier and less stressful. Exotic V8 and W12 engines offer intoxicating, endless performance, with even the ‘lesser’ V8 dispatching a 0-62mph sprint in under four seconds.
4. BMW 2 Series
The smallest BMW coupe is by no means a poor relation – the 2 Series is nimble, powerful and often more affordable than the 4 Series and 8 Series. Its light weight makes the driving experience a little sweeter than the 4 Series, especially if you go for the M-badged range-toppers. If your budget only stretches to the more modest engines, you’ll still get direct handling and enough performance for the daily commute. While the other 2 Series models are front-wheel drive, the 2 Series Coupe has stuck to rear-wheel drive – which enthusiastic drivers typically prefer. The range-topping M2 is a sheer joy (as long as someone else is paying for the fuel).
Shop used BMW 2 Series cars for sale or read our BMW 2 Series review
5. BMW 4 Series Coupe
There are two generations of BMW 4 Series coupe available at Motorpoint – one with pretty styling and a newer car with a more aggressive, purposeful look. Which you prefer might come down to personal preference or budget, but both have underpinnings and an interior borrowed from the more straight-laced 3 Series. That means you get rear-wheel drive, playful handling and powerful engines. In other words, you'll have fun behind the wheel of either 4 Series – but it’ll happily sit on a motorway all day long as well.
Shop used BMW 4 Series cars for sale or read our BMW 4 Series review
6. Ford Mustang
If German precision isn’t quite what you’re looking for from a coupe, how about some good ol’ American brawn? The Ford Mustang is an iconic sports car with a thundering soundtrack and an old-school oversized engine with no turbo assistance. It’s known for its straight-line pace, but the latest Mustangs deliver through the bends as well. Make sure you have a healthy budget for fuel (and tyres, if you let the power get the better of you), but the high running costs of a ‘Stang won’t matter much when you hear Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 at full chat.
7. Jaguar F-Type
Okay, so you want a big engine and lots of noise, but a bit more sophistication and maybe something British? Picky, aren’t you? Sounds like the Jaguar F-Type is what you’re looking for. That classic styling would still be appealing if it had a dull diesel under the bonnet, but the swoopy Jag comes with a choice of a 300hp 2.0-litre petrol or a supercharged 5.0-litre V8. Both are pretty good, it’s just that the bigger engine is positively spine-tingling.
Like the TT, production of the F-Type has now ended, so you’ll soon have to cherry-pick your perfect F-Type from the used market.
8. Mercedes CLE
Replacing both the C-Class Coupe and E-Class Coupe, the new Mercedes CLE has to be all things to all… people who specifically want a luxurious, wafty German coupe. Whereas the BMW 4 Series offers sporty driving, the CLE probably finds that a bit uncouth, instead preferring to cruise in refined splendour.
Despite its slinky shape, Mercedes knows that the posh CLE will appeal to long-distance and company-car drivers, so there’s a full engine range on offer. Even a plug-in hybrid, making the CLE the only plug-in coupe on the mainstream market.
9. Porsche 911
The definitive sports coupe, the Porsche 911 is the car that every other sports car and supercar maker tries to beat. Even the basic 911 now approaches supercar prices, but it should be on the lottery win wishlist for any keen driver. If you want more from your 911, the race-bred Turbo and GT3 models can mix it with the world’s fastest cars around a circuit.
Don’t forget the smaller Porsche Cayman, too. Its mid-engined layout makes the car pivot around you, and twirling the steering wheel through corners is like telepathic wizardry. By no means is it a poor man’s 911 – the two cars have different performance characteristics.
10. Toyota GR Supra
At a push, you could call the Toyota GR Supra a cut-price Lexus LC. Both have Japanese comic-book styling, powerful engines and rear-wheel drive, after all. This Supra is more BMW than Toyota, however, as one look inside will tell you – the infotainment system, centre console and even the steering wheel are shared with the BMW Z4. The Supra only comes as a coupe whereas the Z4 is solely a drop-top. It’s poised and powerful like a sports car should be, and is worth considering if you’re hovering around the Audi TT and Porsche Cayman.
Below the Supra is the Toyota GR86, a junior sports car that’s fun and affordable – if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one, as very few have come to the UK.
Best four-door coupes
- Audi A7 Sportback
- BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
- BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe
- Mercedes CLA
- Mercedes CLS
- Volkswagen Arteon
