Lets face it, two-doors cars are more fun and better looking than sedans. But you don’t have to break the bank to drive around in a stylish coupe.
We have a list of the top 10 most affordable two-doors, starting at just under $26,000. We had to draw the line and not include any hatchbacks, like the Scion tC or Fiat 500. Still, you’ll find plenty of big and small coupes in this list, each providing great looks or driving dynamics.
With a low starting price, the Subaru BRZ offers lots of handling, but little power. Starting at at $25,495, and edging out the Dodge Challenger for the number 10 spot on this list, it features 200-hp from a flat-four boxer engine. The BRZ also has less weight to carry, making it just as potent on the road, and on the track. With its rear-wheel drive layout, the BRZ is all about balance, although who can argue with its great looks? In its base form, the BRZ is great value, but doesn’t have much to offer over the FR-S, except for HID headlights, a touch-screen radio with navigation, and LED daytime running lights.
Click here for complete 2013 Subaru BRZ specs and info, and we have a full review of the 2013 Subaru BRZ as well as a comparison with the 2012 Honda Civic Si HFP.
The identical twin to the Subaru BRZ is just a few hundred dollars cheaper and has fewer features. It’s the perfect match for the driver looking for a fun-to-drive coupe over anything else. The Scion FR-S also has a tweaked suspension set up which makes it a bit more tail-happy than the Subaru, meaning there’s more than just the price to make it more attractive than its sister.
Learn more about the 2013 Scion FR-S at our new car shopping page. Check out our full road-test of the Scion FR-S as well.
Priced just a bit less than the Scion FR-S is the easily forgotten Nissan Altima Coupe. Nissan still sells the vehicle, although little has changed since the 2012 model. For $25,230 buyers get a 2.5L four-cylinder engine, which packs 175-hp. Thanks to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT system, the Altima Coupe isn’t a thirsty coupe, managing to get 23 mpg in the city and and 32 on the highway. Not bad for a car that’s desperately in need of an update. Rumor has it that Nissan will discontinue the Altima Coupe, not a huge surprise considering its low sales numbers.
Those looking for rear-wheel drive fun like that offered in the Subaru BRZ or Scion FR-S, and who want more power without paying more, look to the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Not only is cheaper than the Scion FR-S, but it also packs in 74 more horsepower than its rival. Base Genesis coupes don’t have a limited slip differential, which means it might lose some handling prowess to the Toyobaru twins, but in a straight line, the Genesis can really get going.
Click here for complete 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T specs and info. We also have a full review of the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and a comparison between the Genesis Coupe and the Scion FR-S.
For 23,350 you can ditch the RWD stuff, and get a fuel-friendly Honda Accord Coupe, packing a 185-hp 2.4L four-cylinder engine. Using a FWD layout, the Accord Coupe is rated to get at least 28 mpg in combined driving situations. Additionally, for a coupe, the Accord is quite accommodating, and since there’s no drive-shaft passing through to the rear-wheels, rear-passenger space is plentiful.
Want more info and specs on the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe? Read more at our New Car Shopping page.
For five dollars less than the Accord coupe, you can find yourself in the 323-hp Chevrolet Camaro. With its limited slip differential the Camaro is a sporty, fun to drive coupe, if a little heavy and overshadowed by its more powerful stablemates like the Camaro SS and ZL1. Still, thanks to fighting robots on the big-screen, the Camaro is instantly recognizable to kids as Bumblebee. Oh and it’s pretty memorable to older folks, at least thanks to its long-lived nameplate.
Click here for complete 2013 Chevrolet Camaro specs and information.
The last muscle car on our list is the V6 equipped Ford Mustang, which sends 305-ponies to the coupe’s live-rear-axle. If you can get over the lack of independent rear suspension, the Mustang is a surprisingly fun car to drive, and at $22,200, excellent value too. While other mustangs on the road pack a V8 or superchargers, its easy to feel content driving an iconic American vehicle that doesn’t break the bank.
Click here for complete Mustang specs and info. We also compared the V6 Mustang and a Genesis Coupe V6, so check out that comparison article too.
While our list has its fair share of exciting rear-wheel-drive muscle-cars and sports cars, our last three coupes aren’t nearly as performance-oriented. At number three we have the Honda Civic, which starts at $17,965. With a 1.8L engine, the compact coupe packs 140-hp and 128 lbs-ft of torque. Those numbers might not sound impressive, but the Honda does get impressive fuel numbers at 28/39 mpg city/highway. The new Civic coupe also get the same upgrades as the 2013 sedans, meaning there’s better interior quality, sound deadening and a nice list of standard features, including a rear-view camera and Bluetooth.
Click here for complete Honda Civic Coupe specs and info
Recently introduced, the Elantra Coupe is a contender in the compact coupe space which was dominated by Honda for years. Essentially an Elantra with two-less doors, the Coupe model is far more attractive thanks to a more fitting, and flowing exterior design. Of course Hyundai’s 1.8L, 148-hp engine isn’t too shabby either, helping the Elantra coupe get 28/38 mpg city highway. Front fog lights are also included as part of the Elantra Coupe’s $17,595 base price.
Click here for complete Hyundai Elantra Coupe specs and info.
The number one most affordable coupe is the two-door version of the Kia Forte. At almost $200 cheaper than the Hyundai Elantra Coupe the Forte sports similar Korean engineering, in a more aggressive looking package. Those looking for an affordable coupe should act fast, since a new Forte Koup is already on the way. Unveiled at the 2013 New York Auto Show, the new model isn’t confirmed to have the same low price, and thanks to a brand new engine, and more standard features like LED headlights and the UVO infotainment system, we can expect to see an increase in price.
Looking for more information on the Kia Forte Koup? Check out our new car buying pages for full specs and pricing.