Jump to content
Create New...
  • Anthony Fongaro
    Anthony Fongaro

    Niche Time: Four-Door Coupes

      They’re less practical than sedans, but does that matter?

    Thanks, Mercedes-Benz. You created a car that literally no one asked for. What did they do? Well, in the early 2000s, they went to their E-Class, removed the hideous body, and replaced it with a different body. The new body looked like a coupe, but it had…four doors. With this, Mercedes-Benz created the “four-door coupe.” Let’s be honest—this vehicle, called the CLS, was beautiful. AMG created powerful versions that made the CLS even more appealing. Mercedes-Benz created a segment that nobody really asked for, but it worked. Granted, it cost more than the E-Class and was less practical. Both cars have been redesigned within the last few years, but these vehicles pose a question: Is a four-door coupe worth it?


    Audi, BMW, and Porsche saw that people liked the CLS and decided to create their own four-door coupes. Some of them are labeled as “coupes.” some are labeled as “fastbacks.” Once again, most of these vehicles minus Porsche’s Panamera are based on normal sedans that first turned into regular coupes and then into four-door coupes. Once again, these are less practical than the regular vehicles off which they are based. Except for BMW, manufacturers Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz all have or will have wagon versions in the United States that are more practical and cost less. Some come standard or have optional two seats in the rear compared to three. But other than for less space, why buy them? It’s all about style!


    Audi’s A7 lineup started in 2010. It was a beautiful and sleek alternative to the A6. At the time, there weren’t any high-performance version of an A6 wagon, but there was the RS7. Fantastic car! It had the interior and build quality of Audi along with a great-looking body. The A7 lineup has been redesigned and the interior is completely different than the rest of Audi’s vehicles. No wait, it’s exactly the same interior of the A6. As of right now, the brand new RS7 has arrived to compete with the Germans. It is more of a “fastback” with a large opening in the trunk, and the rear seats do have some compromise with the sloping rear end but that is a flaw that all of these vehicles have. Would I have the RS7 over the RS6 wagon when it comes out? Hard to tell but for now, the RS7 is a fantastic car.

    BMW used to have something called the 6 Series Gran Coupe. This was based on the 6 Series coupe, which was based on the 5 Series sedan. Seeing a trend? As with Audi, the interior was the same as the 6-series coupe and the 5-series sedan. At the time, the 6 Series Gran Coupe was also a great-looking vehicle. Did it have its compromises? Absolutely. There was an M6 Gran Coupe that competed with Audi and Porsche and could be a grand touring vehicle. The 6 Series is gone, and we have the 8 Series. Soon, there will be the 8 Series Gran Coupe and I suspect it will be a bigger version of the 6 Series Gran Coupe. 

    Porsche’s Panamera is the only vehicle here that isn’t based on a humdrum sedan. The first-generation Panamera was…ugly. My goodness was it ugly. Did it have good tech and fantastic engines and semi-act like a Porsche? Yes. Did others buy it mainly for the badge and ignore it for how it looked? Yes. The second generation rectified the styling of the Panamera and Porsche created a high-performance version plug-in hybrid with over 650 HP. The interior is like the Cayenne SUV and Porsche’s own wagon, the Sport Turismo. It’s become one of the best-selling Porsches behind the SUVs, which isn’t surprising. 

    What has Mercedes-Benz been up to? Oh, they now have two four-door coupes. One is an updated CLS, and the other is a fire-breathing vehicle called the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe. Mercedes didn’t want people to get confused about what that AMG GT 4-door is. At first, you ask “why have two when they’re about the same size and do share one engine?” The CLS is more of a lower and less performance-oriented version of the AMG GT 4-door Coupe. It has less powerful engines and is less expensive. Its sister car is all about performance and is seen as the four-door version of the regular AMG GT vehicles, although it isn’t just a stretched AMG GT. There is one engine that both cars have and they have the “Mercedes-AMG 53” designation with a 3.0-liter turbocharged incline-6 producing 429 HP. Between the two, I would save the $20,000 and get myself the $79,000 CLS. Or, spend $159,000 for the 4.0L V8 Biturbo, which has 630 HP.

    My thoughts on these vehicles: I love most of them. There are 4-door coupes such as the Volkswagen Arteon, which was the CC, but I haven’t driven one so I can’t give too much information. Out of all the vehicles I listed, my favorite ones are the Audi A7/RS7 and the Mercedes-AMG too long of a name or the AMG 4-door Coupe. Both have incredible style, technology, and performance. As I said, I like four-door coupes. That said, there is a niche within a niche that I must talk about. SUV-coupes. 

    What do you think? Do you like, own, or are interested in four-door coupes? Do you think they spoil the name “coupe” and are not real coupes? Comment below and make sure to follow us on social media. 
     

    Edited by Anthony Fongaro


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Glad car lovers have the option, but right now the death of cars is I believe due to the gentrification of the cars. Coupe everything, blah jelly bean style, just a piss poor focus on building anything of desire in the car segment IMHO.

    I know some really loved the CLS, but to me MB style of the coupe had never been anything more than Blah style and it seems to have taken the whole car segment down this path of ugly blah uninteresting design.

    I hope the Coupe thing mostly goes away and we get back to having different style looks of our 4 door sedans.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I get the term was coined with the introduction of the CLS but the four door coupe started in the 90's and it started in the U.S.

     

    Aside from that fact, the whole sedan market has been homogenized for about 50 years now, give or take. 

     

    5857790001_large.jpg

    85380291.jpg

    • Agree 3
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I am holding out for the Honda Odyssey 4-door coupe with a fastback roofline.  4-door could all things!

    I would be tempted by a Gen 2 CLS, the gen 3 is ugly.  E53 all day over the current CLS.  But I don’t need a car, so we’ll see in a few years.

    • Haha 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I love the profile for the first gen CLS, but prefer the front end of the 2nd gen.   I like the interiors of both generations also. 

    Another dimension to 'coupes' is coupe CUVs/SUVs...

    With the rise of coupe CUVs and SUVs (VW is sort-of getting in that game now w/ an Atlas variant), I'm hoping Jeep does one....maybe the next gen GC will be offered in a coupe version with a sleek roofline ala the GLE.   I'd buy that. 

    Edited by Robert Hall
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

    I am holding out for the Honda Odyssey 4-door coupe with a fastback roofline.  4-door could all things! 

    Well, Renault did do a 2dr coupe hardtop minivan years ago with the uber-cool Avantime. The minivan coupe is a niche that definitely needs explored.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    9 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

    I get the term was coined with the introduction of the CLS but the four door coupe started in the 90's and it started in the U.S.

     

    Aside from that fact, the whole sedan market has been homogenized for about 50 years now, give or take. 

     

    5857790001_large.jpg

    85380291.jpg

    50 years?  I can accept 30 years or so, but sedans were easier to differentiate in the 70s than the 80s and easier in the 80s than the 90s and so on and so on.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    14 hours ago, riviera74 said:

    50 years?  I can accept 30 years or so, but sedans were easier to differentiate in the 70s than the 80s and easier in the 80s than the 90s and so on and so on.

    They really weren’t though if you start lining some of them up side by side. The last truly distinctive lineups died in the 60s IMO. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    On 10/15/2019 at 9:47 AM, smk4565 said:

    I am holding out for the Honda Odyssey 4-door coupe with a fastback roofline.  4-door could all things!

    I would be tempted by a Gen 2 CLS, the gen 3 is ugly.  E53 all day over the current CLS.  But I don’t need a car, so we’ll see in a few years.

    Mercedes already covered the coupe van market more than a decade ago. Couldn’t even get the van doors right though. 

     

    2A52BA2A-3D3C-4F97-BA61-52285968AA92.jpeg

    • Haha 3
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    37 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

    ^ Yeah, that looks like crap. 

    To think this will be priced similarly to the CT4 and more people will buy that than the CT4... 

    cosmo kramer mind blown GIF

    God it will be so cramped. The 340i I just drove was about as snug as I like it. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    25 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

    God it will be so cramped. The 340i I just drove was about as snug as I like it. 

    It wouldn't surprise me if the 2 Gran Coupe has more rear seat room than the 3 series, though since it's a FWD/transverse platform.  Generic layouts usually have more cabin space than RWD.

    Edited by Robert Hall
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



  • Community Hive Community Hive

    Community Hive allows you to follow your favorite communities all in one place.

    Follow on Community Hive
  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Posts

    • Those use cases will necessitate the purchase of something with a long range, like 300+. But even still, two hours at 11.5kW would put 50 - 70 miles of range back in the car. You might need to make one 10-minute DCFC stop if you had a really busy day, but otherwise, you could make it.
    • I can understand this, but then this is part of my daily life. With two kids with their own families and grandkids it is not uncommon for us to be out and about for the day, come home for a bit before heading out to help with the grandkids and their afterschool activities. Plus, with family that is living from both sides north and south of us, it would not be uncommon to drive 75 miles down south to deal with my wife's side of the family, see the nieces/nephews and then up north to my side to see folks and with both our parents in senior years with health issues, also moving back in forth. Course this is why Sun puts on about 15,000 miles a year on the SS. We all have different use cases.
    • That's all I'm worried about. I'm not going to spend a sht ton more money having a 19.2kW charger installed for the 1 day every 3 years I empty the battery, get home for 2 hours, and have to again drive enough that I couldn't make it back home...  
    • I could see settling on three charger rates, but definitely not one. A Bolt or Kia EV4 type vehicle simply does not need 19kW home charging.  It would be an excessive cost to retrofit a house and the number of buyers who actually use that rate would be pretty close to zero.  That would be like insisting that the Corolla has to have a 6.2 liter. It's excessive and doesn't fit the use case. Now, if we settled into 7.5kW, 11.5kW, and 19.4kW as a standard, that would probably achieve what you are proposing while still giving cost flexibility.  It would allow for entry-level EVs to get the lower cost / lower speed charger while allowing the larger vehicles or premium vehicles to have faster home charging.  For example, the EV6 could have a lower cost 7.5kW charger while the Genesis GV60 on the same platform could get the 11.5kW charger because it is a premium brand and higher cost vehicle.  Then any large EV with or near a 200kW battery could have the 19.4kW charger, but even then, unless it is a newly built house or a commercial fleet, it will still probably charge only at 11.5kW, as that's about the max that the vast majority of homes are wired to do.  Unless you're driving an EV with a 200kW battery to 10% every day, an 11.5kW charger can "fill" an EV to 80% overnight with room to spare, so most people (including me), won't want the extra expense of spending extra money just to say my EV charged faster while I slept.  Either way, it will be ready for me when I need to leave at 7 am.
    • @ccap41 @Drew Dowdell Thank you both, this is the kind of dialogue I feel the Auto buyers need to be made aware of and the various use cases in understanding as I feel most DO NOT really understand this and give into the FEAR Mongering of News Stories. While I still feel that everyone should have the same charging rate capabilities, I also understand both your points. I do feel that this will change electrical across the WORLD over time due to the need of charging.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings