Most Affordable Coupe SUV: Top 10

First there were the four-door coupes, then came the onslaught of coupe SUVs.

There may be no term in the automotive world that has been used with as much creative freedom as coupe has been in recent times. Historically, the term coupe referred to ‘a four-wheeled enclosed carriage for two passengers and a driver’. But with the popularity of the automobile over the past 100+ years, that definition was altered to ‘a car with a fixed roof, two doors, and a sloping rear‘.

Lately it appears that a new revision is being made, omitting the middle part of that definition, as many now refer to anything with a fixed roof and sloping rear as a coupe. Even big SUVs are being labelled as coupes as long as the rear passenger and cargo compartments features a steeply raked roofline. Whether you agree with this term being used to classify them or not, there’s no denying the coupe SUV’s popularity. Currently there are more than a dozen of these models on sale, with more arriving every year.

As it stands, coupe SUVs are the domain of luxury automakers, which means a premium needs to be paid to acquire one of these stylish utility vehicles. But not all are inherently expensive. There are five coupe SUVs that start under the $53,000 mark, or less than a Ford Explorer King Ranch. To highlight the top 10 most affordable Coupe SUVs currently on sale, we have them listed in order below.

Starting our list is a mid-size SUV from Mercedes-Benz that has been paired down to a single trim recently. Now only available as an AMG, the GLE 53 Coupe comes standard with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine combined with a mild hybrid system. This is all good to produce 429 hp and achieve a 0 to 60 mph time of 5.3 seconds. This may not be the fastest coupe SUV, or the most affordable, but it does offer a good combination of performance, style, and luxurious value in a larger vehicle.

Canadian Pricing – $89,200 (GLE 450 4MATIC Coupe)

While on the topic of larger Coupe SUVs, there is the Audi Q8. Not nearly as sloped in the rear roofline, some do not consider this a Coupe SUV, but we do. The large five seater is powered turbocharged 3.0 liter six-cylinder engine that makes 335 hp. It’s good enough to get the big Audi from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, but more impressively, the all-wheel drive Q8 is rated to tow 7,700 lbs. when properly equipped. If more serious performance is required, there are the SQ8 and RS Q8 models, but both require an increased premium in price.

Canadian Pricing – $85,700

Sticking with Audi, the brand’s all electric e-tron crossover can be had with a coupe-like body as the e-tron Sportback. Powered by a pair of electric motors, total system output can reach 402 hp when power boost is engaged. That will take this rakish EV SUV from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. When not attempting to drain the battery in acceleration runs, the e-tron Sportback is rated to travel up to 218 miles on a single charge. It can also tow upwards of 4,000 lbs., but this too will obvious reduce driving range.

Canadian Pricing – $89,400

The first BMW to appear on this list, the mid-size X6 is a coupe-like variant of the popular X5 SUV. The X6 is one of the pioneers of the Coupe SUV sub-segment, having been on sale since 2008. The most affordable X6 is the xDrive40i which features all-wheel drive and 335 hp 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine. Zero to sixty mph comes in just 5.3 seconds and the decent sized-SUV can still achieve 23 mpg on the combined cycle. Like the Audi Q8, there are more powerful versions of the X6 including the 600 hp X6 M.

Canadian Pricing – $85,100

Volvo is in the process of converting the manufacturer’s fleet to all electric power. The second vehicle to receive the full electric treatment is the C40 Recharge, a coupe-like crossover based on the all electric XC 40 Recharge. Power comes from a pair of electric motors, one front and one rear, that power all four wheels with a total system output of 402 hp. Range is targeted at the 225 mile mark on a single charge. With similar power and range to the larger Audi e-tron Sportback, the smaller and lighter C40 Recharge is capable of reaching 60 mph from a standstill in just 4.7 seconds.

Canadian Pricing – $72,600

Audi does a have a vehicle that directly competes with the Volvo C40 Recharge though, and it’s called the Q4 Sportback e-tron. But unlike its larger e-tron sibling, or the Volvo C40, the all-electric Q4 Sportback e-tron utilizes just a single electric motor located in the rear of the vehicle, good for 295 hp. The Q4 is still all-wheel drive though, and with a range of 241 miles on a single charge, it can travel further than the more powerful C40 Recharge. 0-60 mph happens in 5.8 second for Audi’s all electric Q4 coupe SUV.

Canadian Pricing – $67,600

Mercedes-Benz smaller coupe SUV is the compact GLC. Available in two trim levels, the most affordable option is the GLC 300 4MATIC Coupe which begins under $53,000. As the name implies, it comes standard with all-wheel drive as well as a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 255 hp. This has become a very competitive subsegment with entries from BMW, Audi, and Infiniti all competing against the GLC. For an extra $14,000 there is also the AMG GLC 43 Coupe with a 385 hp engine on tap.

Canadian Pricing – $57,600

The BMW X4 xDrive30i lines up perfectly with the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC Coupe. Pricing is separated by just $700 and the BMW also uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, making 248 hp in this application, paired to all-wheel drive. Unlike the GLC, there are two more high-performance entires for the X4, including the 382 hp X4 M40i as well as the 473 hp X4 M. The later does raise the X4’s price significantly to a starting MSRP of $73,600, but that does net you a coupe SUV capable of reaching 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.9 seconds.

Canadian Pricing – $56,500

The most affordable German coupe SUV is the Audi Q5 Sportback. Like its rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the Audi comes equipped with all-wheel drive standard and a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Not only does the Q5 Sportback undercut the competition in terms of price, but it comes with a bit more power as well; 261 hp to be exact. And like its main competitors, there is a more powerful edition of the Audi coupe SUV, the 349 hp SQ5 Sportback, which is also the price leader for the class, starting at under $60,000.

Canadian Pricing – $56,950

Not only is Infiniti the only Japanese manufacturer currently building a coupe SUV, it’s also the most affordable vehicle by a good margin. Starting at $46,500, the QX55 is $3,600 cheaper than the next most affordable coupe SUV, the Audi Q5. Based on the compact QX50, the QX55 follows the German formula of including all-wheel drive as standard equipment along with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine – churning out 268 hp in this application. But unlike its German counterparts, Infiniti doesn’t not offer a higher perfromance version of the QX55.

Canadian Pricing – $51,995