What’s the Difference Between a Coupe and a Sedan?

With so many different styles of vehicles available today, it can be challenging to decide if a car is a sedan or a coupe. Sedans and coupes have similar features, yet there are still differences to tell them apart. Our team at Mercedes-Benz of Tyler, Texas, put together this informative article to help you understand the clear and more subtle differences between a coupe and a sedan.

What Type of Vehicle Do I Have?

Automakers today make a dazzling array of vehicles with distinct body styles, including sedans, coupes, roadsters, sports cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans. Many of these vehicle types have unique features. For example, a pickup truck has a distinctive cargo bed and a minivan has multiple rows of seats, while some smaller crossover SUVs with sleek lines and sloping roofs often look like modern sedans.

Sedans and coupes have similarities not found in other vehicle categories. Both a sedan and a coupe have a style called a three-box design. This includes an engine bay, interior space, and a trunk separated from each other. Meanwhile, SUVs and minivans have a cargo area in the rear of the vehicle not separated from the interior. Pickup trucks have the cargo bed in the back, often with a pass-through window for easy access.

Some sedans come with a hatchback design, but this style of car has an open cargo area, so it doesn’t fit the true definition of a three-box design. The main similarities between a sedan and a coupe are that they both have a low center of gravity, a solid fixed roof, and a three-box design.

What’s the main difference between a coupe and a sedan and how do you know which one you have? Simply put, it all comes down to size. A sedan has an interior space of more than 33 cubic feet, and a coupe has less than 33 cubic feet. When you need more interior room, choose a sedan, and when you want a more sporty-looking car, choose a coupe.

What Is a Sedan?

A sedan is a car with a three-box design that has four doors and a solid roof. Sedans can come as either a subcompact model or a large full-size vehicle with lots of passenger room and attractive features. You’ll find two rows of seats that can fit up to five people.

Passengers riding in the back of a sedan have easier access to the seats because they can open the rear doors. In addition, a sedan generally has more cargo space for holding luggage and supplies. Small families or commuters often drive a sedan as there’s plenty of room for people and luggage.

What Is a Coupe?

A coupe is a car with a three-box design and solid, fixed roof, but it comes with two doors. Most coupes have one row of seats that can fit up to two people, but some automakers blur the line and may add a small rear seat or even make a four-door coupe. Whether the coupe has two doors or four doors, it must have an interior space of less than 33 cubic feet to be defined as a coupe.

The smaller size of the coupe means less cargo space, but with its smaller wheelbase and lighter design, coupes excel in performance. People who enjoy driving a sporty car and don’t need as much passenger and cargo space enjoy the features and performance of the coupe.

Mercedes-Benz Sedans

Mercedes-Benz makes several sedans. The higher the letter, the more luxurious features each sedan has with a higher price point. In addition, Mercedes-Benz makes an electric version of two of its sedans. EQ class sedans are all electric with many of the same features found in its counterpart gas-only class sedan.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz has an ultra-luxury sedan brand called Mercedes-Benz Maybach. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Sedan is the pinnacle of elegance, art, and innovation any luxury sedan can be. You’ll have more legroom and cargo space in the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class Sedan with a futuristic design that showcases the ultimate opulence of a sedan.

Mercedes-Benz sedans include the:

• C-Class Sedan.
• E-Class Sedan.
• S-Class Sedan.
• EQE Sedan.
• EQS Sedan.
• Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Sedan.

Mercedes-Benz Coupes

Those looking for a sportier Mercedes-Benz gravitate toward the automaker’s lineup of coupes. Mercedes-Benz coupes have the key features of a coupe, with two doors, one row of seats, and an interior space of under 33 cubic feet. As with most Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the higher the letter, the more luxurious the coupe is.

The AMG® Mercedes-Benz brand makes performance-oriented cars, including the Mercedes-AMG® GT 4-door Coupe. While technically a coupe has two doors, as long as the car is under 33 cubic feet of interior space, it’s still a coupe, and the Mercedes-AMG® GT 4-door Coupe fits the criteria. This oh-so-fun-to-drive sports car has two rows of seats for the driver and two passengers.

In addition, the CLA Coupe and the CLS Coupe both have four doors with two rows of seats that can fit up to five people. The C-Class Coupe and S-Class Coupe also have two rows of seats with seating for up to four people, and it comes exclusively with two doors.

The Mercedes-Benz coupe lineup includes:

• CLA Coupe.
• C-Class Coupe.
• E-Class Coupe.
• CLS Coupe.
• Mercedes-AMG® GT 4-door Coupe.

Find Your Perfect Coupe or Sedan at Mercedes-Benz of Tyler

We invite you to stop by our dealership in Tyler, Texas, to browse through our inventory of Mercedes-Benz sedans and coupes to see the difference between these two cars. Our friendly staff will go over the details of each category of car, listen to what you’re looking for in a vehicle, and help you find the perfect make and trim to fit your lifestyle. Contact us today to schedule a test drive of one of our Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and once you find the one you’ll fall in love with, our finance team will help you get the ideal auto loan.

White Mercedes Benz Cars by Mike Bird is licensed with Pexels License