To sedan, or to coupe? That is the question. 

"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt) 05/18/2018 at 14:15 • Filed to: None

2

28

This is going to be the first of a daily series of sorts (until June 9) in which I plague Oppo with my ramblings as part of my LSAT prep. The exam’s final section is an essay you have 35 minutes to complete. The theme is arguing a position on an issue with no “right” answer. So without further ado... here is 35 minutes of bullshit. I have to stop at 35 no matter how ridiculous or stupid the essay is. It’s also important to note that the essay is not scored AKA it doesn’t change your LSAT score, but it does go to all of the schools you apply to. It’s important that I train this skill as I graduated from college 4 years ago and haven’t done anything like this since then. So without further ado... here goes nothing:

I have owned both sedans and coupes. A 635csi, a Q45, and my current car, a modified 2009 WRX (big brake kit, intake/downpipe/exhaust + tune). Of course, I have also been in a wide variety of sedans and coupes, and even a driven a few friends’ cars. Both body styles have their advantages. But which one makes the most sense for daily driving? The answer is not black and white, of course, but the nature of this exercise mandates that I must choose one over the other and make my case.

Commuting sucks. Why not be stuck in traffic in a coupe that still feels special at 5MPH?

Lets start with a definition: what is a daily driver? Its the car you use for everything if you only have one vehicle, or if you have a few, its the workhorse that does grocery runs, hauls kids (fuck that, large dogs are so much better), and most importantly, the commute. The wide variety of tasks your DD must be competent at makes assessing this dilemma somewhat difficult. For that reason, I will be working off a few basic assumptions:

- You commute for around 1 hour per day (that’s the US average)

- You have family, friends, and colleagues you need to drive around at least two or three times per week.

- You either do not need a truck, or have one anyway for non-DD purposes.

- You don’t live in the city, so all errands must be completed in a car.

- You are a car enthusiast who loves to drive something that excites you.

With that out of the way, let’s examine the basics of the coupe. What is the point of a coupe? Well... they make a statement. The proportions are just right. You’re announcing that you don’t need that extra space either because you care more about enjoying your car than the practical aspects of driving something else, or maybe just “because you can” in a status symbol sense. In most cases, given how ridiculously small the “insurance seats” of many high performance coupes are, the coupe has to take a loss in the practicality department for two reasons.

You’re fired! ... because I weigh 250LBS and couldn’t fit in your 350Z’s rear buckets after I gave my trophy secretary shotgun.

The first problem is that not only do you have a small back seat, but also that your manager and the head of sales are going to have to decide which one of them is going to scramble into the back of your 911. Not good! “This guy...” they’re thinking as they risk tearing their pants to step over the seat. “what a showoff with this car!” Sure, you can and should say that as an auto enthusiast, buying cars based on what other people will think is just doing it wrong and should not be a consideration. However, if you are driving a coupe as your only car, you can and will encounter this problem. Furthermore, the smaller back seat also makes the “fold them down/slide a 2x4 through the trunk and into the cabin”test much more difficult. Furthermore, the proportions that result from the coupe’s emphasis on aesthetics tend to shrink the trunk as well.

Driving dynamics and overall smile factor are definitely a consideration here too, and in both of those categories, the coupe wins hands down. They’re smaller and therefore lighter than their sedan counterparts when built on the same chassis, are easier to park, and they just look fucking awesome. That moment when you look back at your ride after parking it is more likely to be truly glorious if you’re driving a Carrera S instead of a Panamera.

Yes please! This definitely isn’t your neighbor’s 528i lease.

Now, onto the sedans. This is where things get interesting. Some benefits are obvious and others, less so. First, lets cut to the chase re: the lack of aesthetic punch. A 5 series? They’re everywhere. But a 6? Now that’s special. That has presence and you definitely don’t see one every day. I think the F10 is a gorgeous car, but at the end of the day, your 550i M sport looks so close to a 4 cylinder 528i that nobody other than a BMW nerd is going to notice.

Lets dig into that further. One of the reason fast sedans are great is that the non-enthusiast’s simplistic view of cars goes like this: coupes are fast and flashy, sedans are practical family cars. Nobody has any idea that your S550 is actually extremely quick. Way faster than their friend’s V6 eclipse which you think is the best thing since sliced bread because it has two doors. This is an advantage when you’re bombing back roads, parking at the office, and convincing your significant other that your interest in accruing speeding tickets has an element of practicality to it. You can take friends out to dinner, drive your spawn around, and fill the trunk AND back seat up with groceries or plywood if you must. Dogs too! Those are important.

Do you have a dog? Do you have a car? Then you should have a car harness! Seriously.

Lets bring both sedans and coupes together now for a daily driving comparison. What do you do when you’re having an average wednesday? You commute, park in the office, commute again, and then park somewhere to pick up some garam masala for the chicken curry you’re trying to cook tonight. Good luck, that shit is a real pain in the ass. But always worth it!

So... the coupe will feel more special even when you’re sitting in traffic, and most likely, be more fun on an onramp or twisty section of your drive to work. It also looks better in the work parking lot, which makes you smile when you look out the window. The coupe will also be easier to park before you buy a back seat’s worth of paper towels because they were on sale.
 

To the average person, this looks like a slow and practical family car. And that’s not a bad thing!

But that’s when the sedan will take over. Its back seat can hold all the paper towels so there’s room for the actual shopping bags in the trunk. The sedan’s space also makes it better at transporting your fatass coworkers because they can fit in the back seat without tearing the ass of their chinos trying to scramble over the back seat. But the sedan will be discrete and attract less negative attention from non-enthusiasts who just don’t get it. You can haul ass on the way home from Stop and Shop in a slightly more discrete way.

I think it is safe to say that for a daily driver, a sedan is much better. These days, its not like driving dynamics are that much different beyond a little extra weight. Furthermore, sedans can be good looking too. Put simply, sedans are cool too and also way more practical. Sure, you don’t want your panamera on a back road, you want your 911. But the panamera would still be fun and you might not get that ticket the statie gave you for being a douche in a sports car.

Time stamp. Cut it wayyyyy to close! I’m going to shoot for 30 next time. Of course, this does not include time for adding photos or writing the first paragraph. Love this watch, its so much fun... long live the eighties!

E90M3 > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 14:21

2

Both.

lone_liberal > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 14:25

2

Coupe. I’m old and two-doors were always cooler than four-doors back in the day. Besides, being old means I don’t have to worry about toting around kids.

Chariotoflove > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 14:26

1

I am a coupe man, but I also grew up in an era when you could afford a new coupe with a big back seat.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 14:36

0

So basically you’re just asking us to do your work for you

:P

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 14:45

4

Tldr... But wagon is the correct answer

AfromanGTO > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 14:50

1

Why not both? Although my coupe was based off a sedan, and my sedan is two newer generations than my coupe.

Good luck on your LSAT!

Spanfeller is a twat > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:06

1

I think that a 340i looks a lot less shouty than a 440i, and that’s kind of the point; both cars are as fast and only one will get you dirty looks if you so much as step on the gas.

also, you’re wrong. The right answer is liftback.

However, it must be said that the new crop of coupe-ish four doors, the 4 series GC, the A5 sportback, the Kia Stinger, etc... they don’t do their job right, sure my fat ass co workers won’t break their chinos in the back of my car, but they sure as hell will not be able to sit upright!

Vicente Esteve > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:13

0

Sedan 100%, much more classy than a coupe (IMO), looks purposeful and you get more value for your money.

Textured Soy Protein > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:19

0

I drive a coupe because it looks better than the sedan version of the same car, and having a marginally useful back seat means I never have to drive when a group of people from work are going somewhere together.

Textured Soy Protein > Spanfeller is a twat 05/18/2018 at 15:20

0

All BMWs generate dirty looks regardless of body style.

Noah - Now with more boost. > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/18/2018 at 15:25

0

Let me guess... E63?

Noah - Now with more boost. > Spanfeller is a twat 05/18/2018 at 15:25

1

I do love a liftback! Just saw my first stinger, it looked great.

Noah - Now with more boost. > AfromanGTO 05/18/2018 at 15:25

1

WHOAH now that is a pair! And thank you!!

Noah - Now with more boost. > E90M3 05/18/2018 at 15:26

2

But especially the sedan. I hoped you would pop in for this exact reason haha

Noah - Now with more boost. > Textured Soy Protein 05/18/2018 at 15:26

0

Yeah that is definitely an upside, I’d rather not drive on work lunch outings.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Chariotoflove 05/18/2018 at 15:27

0

yaaaaas. These are on my list. Such a ridiculous shape.

Noah - Now with more boost. > lone_liberal 05/18/2018 at 15:28

0

Yeah its strange how little love older sedans get, especially the older american stuff.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Vicente Esteve 05/18/2018 at 15:29

1

100% with you! I’m all about fast sedans.

AfromanGTO > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:29

0

Thank you. Both were filthy, because that shot was right when we got to our new apartment. They are normally shinier. lol

Noah - Now with more boost. > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute 05/18/2018 at 15:29

1

lol I’m just plaguing you with my trash

Noah - Now with more boost. > AfromanGTO 05/18/2018 at 15:31

0

lol. absolutely no judgment here, I give up on detailing entirely from may-july, because pollen

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:33

0

That’s one of my favorite watches I’ve ever owned right there.

Coupe.

AfromanGTO > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:33

0

Pollen blows off when you get above 45. lol

It’s the damn love bugs that you need to watch out for....

Chariotoflove > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:33

0

I owned one. I called them rolling suppositories.

lone_liberal > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:35

0

If you look at older mainstream cars you can see they were designed for the two-door and the four-door was kind of an afterthought. The proportions are “off”on the four-door versions of cars like Chevelle, Fairlane, tri-five Chevy, etc. Of course back then child seats weren’t a consideration so nobody thought twice about making their kids climb into the backseat.

E90M3 > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 15:42

0

I know I DD a coupe, but if I was forced to only have one, I’d pick the sedan. I actually like the side profile of the E90 more than that of the E92.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Noah - Now with more boost. 05/18/2018 at 16:10

0

In an ideal world! But wagon is always best, AMG or not.

Poor_Sh > lone_liberal 05/18/2018 at 17:37

0

I don’t have anyone to cart around either, but also I’ve never wanted to drive anything other than coupes. 2 doors always. 02 Eclipse, 11 Mustang base, 14 Mustang GT, 14 Cayman S.