Best MPG Coupes

In the past, if you’ve wanted an all-electric Mercedes-Benz sedan, you had your choice of the EQE or EQS. Not only are both these cars on the larger side, the design language is an acquired taste. Not ugly by any stretch of the imagination, but still not the prettiest in the bunch. Oh, and they’re pricey to boot.

But for the 2026 model year, Mercedes is launching the third generation of the compact CLA-Class with an electric powertrain. Officially called the Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology, this entry-level fastback sedan (to be joined by a gas-powered version at a later date) offers impressive range and all the tech you’ve ever wanted in a compact luxury car.

Verdict: The new Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is an exciting next step in the development of Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles. The base model is not the quickest car in the stable, but it provides comfortable, easy transportation.

Mercedes’ handsome compact SUV continues into the 2025 model year with a few revisions and a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant. With just two powertrain options and a simplified array of trims, the GLC shows us that a simple-yet-measured approach makes it a strong candidate up against compact luxury SUVs from Audi, BMW, Genesis, Lexus, Porsche, and Volvo.

Verdict: The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC-class is a handsome and compelling new car fit for most duties.

Mercedes introduced the ML-Class in the late 1990s—a blobby-looking luxury SUV focused on on-road comfort. Almost 30 years later, the GLE—the ML’s replacement—follows that model’s founding formula but with modern powertrains and technology. The 2026 GLE-Class is available in standard and “coupe” body styles equipped with four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. For the 2026 model year, the six-cylinder GLE 450 features a standard AMG Line exterior design and there's a new Manufaktur Edition.

Verdict: The midsize Mercedes GLE is the second most popular model the company sells in the U.S. (behind the smaller GLC crossover SUV). That’s easy to understand, given consumer preferences for SUVs and the GLE’s overall appeal. Still, it is time for Mercedes to redesign this model.

A signature Honda model from the late 1970s to the early 2000s, the Prelude coupe returns for the 2026 model year in a completely new form. Its spirited performance should please a wide swathe of shoppers, while its efficient hybrid powertrain gives it a definite advantage in both environmental impact and fuel savings.

Verdict: With head-turning style and a near-luxury interior, the all-new 2026 Honda Prelude is a standout among the few other sporty coupes on the market.

The redesigned 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe adds a bit more power and technology. While it may be the least expensive BMW model, it makes only a few sacrifices on the sharp end of performance to get there. For most drivers, this entry-level sedan will be a great appetizer to the rest of the lineup.

Verdict: The all-new 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is a relative bargain among compact luxury cars, leading shoppers to the brand’s pricier and more athletic models. However, if your preferences favor performance over practicality, you might want to consider spending just a bit more for the two-door 2 Series coupe.

Subaru performance has traditionally boiled down to three letters: WRX. But for almost a decade, Subaru fans have gotten familiar with another three-letter code: BRZ.

The Subaru BRZ is unlike anything else in the automaker’s lineup. Subaru is known for building practical cars with all-wheel drive (AWD) and turbocharged engines, but the BRZ throws all of that away. It’s a willfully impractical two-door coupe with rear-wheel drive (RWD) and a naturally aspirated engine, aimed at providing the most satisfying driving experience.

The first-generation BRZ was introduced as a 2013 model, so the sports car was due for a redesign. The 2022 Subaru BRZ gets a restyled exterior and a more powerful engine, as well as more tech features than its predecessor. As before, the BRZ is twinned with a Toyota product. Its previous counterpart was the Scion FR-S; it's now the Toyota 86, which was renamed GR 86 as part of its redesign (and is covered in a separate review). Subaru is taking orders for the new BRZ now, but deliveries aren’t expected to begin until late October or early November.

Subaru keeps the 2022 BRZ lineup simple, with just Premium and Limited trim levels to choose from. We spent a day with the higher-tier BRZ Limited, driving it on winding Connecticut roads as well as the race circuit and autocross course at Lime Rock Park.

If you’re looking for a car company that sells pretty much everything, look no further than Mercedes-Benz. Sedans, coupes, plug-in hybrids, EVs, heck… the German manufacturer even offers a wagon. If Mercedes doesn’t have it, you don’t want it. The fact that each vehicle is dripping with excellent design, solid performance and oodles of tech just make the brand even better.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class is a bit of an in-betweener. Introduced in 2024 as a replacement for both the C- and E-Class coupes and convertibles (or cabriolets, in Mercedes parlance), it offers four seats and three distinct trims. It might not be the most popular model Mercedes offers, but with great acceleration, stylish looks and luxury features that don’t quit, the CLE-Class definitely deserves a test drive.

Verdict: The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class isn’t the perfect car for everyone, but for those who want an open-top weekend cruiser with all the bells and whistles, its convertible trims are tough to beat.

The Ford Mustang returns for a final tour as its primary rivals head to retirement. This seventh-generation pony car is based on its predecessor but receives numerous upgrades that significantly improve its interior and technology. For fun on a budget, it's difficult to beat a Mustang, and this newest version continues the tradition with a healthy dose of nostalgia.

There aren’t too many inexpensive sports cars available these days. Sure, you can always head to the Porsche dealership and spend six figures to get a car with so much power it really belongs on a race track, but who has that kind of money? For the rest of us, there is the 2025 Toyota GR86. This affordable sports car offers up plenty of thrills without breaking the bank and it’s just as comfortable on a twisty mountain road as it is running weekend errands.

Now in its second generation, the 2025 GR86 gets a few performance upgrades as well as a limited-production Hakone Edition, playing homage to the Hakone Turnpike in Japan, a road popular with driving enthusiasts. While the Hakone Edition served as our tester for this review, there is still plenty of fun to be had with the base and Premium trims.

Verdict: The 2025 Toyota GR86 is a nimble little sports car, perfect for those who want cheap thrills, good looks and a manual transmission option.

This model year marks the end of the line for the BMW-sourced Toyota GR Supra. While it was an entertaining sports coupe to drive, it was held back by odd styling, old tech, and a price tag that scared off some shoppers. As a result, we think you'd be better served by some of its rivals, including some of the BMW coupes this Toyota shares components with.

Verdict: With plenty of sports car competition, the GR Supra hasn’t made enough of an impression to justify its continued presence in the market.

It doesn’t have a V8, but the 2026 Dodge Charger does have 550 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque from a turbocharged SIXPACK High Output inline-six engine. All-wheel drive is also standard, and additional drive modes mean smoky burnouts, drifting and donuts remain Charger specialties. It’s offered in two- and four-door styles, and there’s plenty of interior room for adult passengers, making it a uniquely powerful and potentially practical American muscle car for the right buyer.

Verdict: Who needs a Hemi? It’s not likely to have broad appeal as a family car, but the 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack stands out as a truly modern muscle car.

The BMW 8 Series is the third element of BMW’s flagship trinity. Just as the 7 Series is the top sedan in BMW’s lineup, and the X7 is the top SUV, the 8 Series lords over lesser coupes and convertibles in the BMW hierarchy.

The 8 Series nameplate dates back to 1990, when BMW launched the first generation in the form of a wedge-shaped coupe with pop-up headlights. After that version—known as the E31—went out of production, the 8 Series took a long hiatus, returning in its current G15 form for the 2019 model year.

The 2023 BMW 8 Series gets some small updates for the new model year, including exterior styling tweaks and an enlarged touchscreen. More paint color and wheel design options round out what’s new.

The lineup remains unchanged, however, consisting of 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, and high-performance M8 Competition variants in coupe, convertible, and four-door Gran Coupe body styles. An Alpina B8 version of the Gran Coupe (launched for the 2021 model year) also returns. We tested an 840i Gran Coupe for this review.

Updated and mostly upgraded, the redesigned Audi S5 is a multi-talented sportback with performance, comfort, utility, and the latest technology. Based on the redesigned Audi A5, it features a stealthy design, thrilling dynamics, and just enough room for a family of four. The new Audi Digital Stage technology impresses, but the driving assistance systems do not. The S5 could also use sharper styling with more prominent fender blisters and additional sound deadening for a quieter highway ride.

Verdict: Drive a new 2025 Audi S5 like a typical luxury sedan, and you’ll miss the point. We didn’t fall in love with it until we took it for a rousing run on a favorite back road. If that’s not your thing, consider the new A5 or the larger A6, which is getting redesigned for the 2026 model year.

Zora Arkus-Duntov. That name is to Corvette enthusiasts, what John Bonham is to Led Zeppelin aficionados. As far back as the late 1950s, he suggested to General Motors that the Corvette should be a mid-engine sports car. But that decision would have been costly and GM was just fine keeping the ‘Vette profitable. There was a rumor that the C7 Corvette was supposed to have a mid-engine layout, but the recession of the 2000s shut the plan down. Almost 25 years after his death, Arkus-Duntov’s dream came to fruition in the form of the 2020 C8 Corvette.

In moving the engine to behind the driver, the Corvette got an instant boost in performance. It was faster and more dynamic, but there was more to it. The mid-engine placement made the new Corvette less like a step up from the Camaro and more like a world-class exotic car—think Porsche 911 or even a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

But elevating reputation also elevates expectations. Does the mid-engine 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray live up to its newfound supercar reputation? Read on to find out.

The 2025 model year marks the beginning of the refreshed 992.2-generation Porsche 911. It brings a handful of subtle changes throughout, particularly when it comes to the face, interior, and power output. While it’s dimensionally much larger than 911s or yore, that characteristic rear-engine shape is still there as well.

Verdict: Between its thrilling performance, excellent ride, great usability, and handsome looks, it’s hard to fault the latest-generation Porsche 911 Carrera.

Revived in 2023, the Nissan Z is essentially an update of the sixth-generation model, sold from 2009 to 2020. It remains a two-seat coupe with a liftback design, a six-cylinder engine, and rear-wheel drive (RWD)—a recipe that dates back to the first-generation 1970 Datsun 240Z. Of course, the 2026 Z is much more powerful and technologically advanced than its forebears, and slots into a segment of the market with no direct competition.

Verdict: Being based on the previous-generation 370Z can make it seem out-of-date, but we like the 2026 Nissan Z. That’s especially true of the new Heritage Edition, which wears a compelling paint color, bronze wheels, and retro graphics and badges. Nevertheless, the car needs a tech update and better steering ASAP.