10 Cool Four-Door Cars

2019 Dodge Charger Hellcat ・ Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

What is a cool car? That’s the eternal question, isn’t it? Cool can be found in design, look, or stance. It may be in the interior, where trick engineering and technology translates into cool. Or it might be under the hood. There’s lots of room for cool in there.

My senior car buddies tell me that in the 50s and 60s, the only cool cars were two-door coupes and roadsters. Four-door cars were considered square and fuddy-duddy. But times have changed. Designers have adapted coupe styling to four-door cars, and there are some very cool four-doors out there right now. We’ve scoured the marketplace looking for coolness – and we’ve found them. Here (in alphabetical order by brand) are 10 cool four-door cars – and what makes them cool.

2019 Audi A5 Sportback

Though the Audi lineup is loaded with cool cars, the A5 and A7 stand out – and the 2019 Audi A5 Sportback (starting at $44,200) is the coolest. That’s because A5 fits into that “just right” category. Neither too big nor too small, the A5 Sportback is a good example of how designers incorporate coupe styling into a four-door package.

The fast roofline and liftback cargo access make the A5 into a sleek, attractive car that also is incredibly useful with 21.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, expandable to 35.0 cubic feet with the second row folded. Another cool thing about A5 is that it also is available in S5 (starting at $54,200) and RS5 (starting at $74,200) variants, which gives you the option of adding more performance to the already cool and useful package.

Photo by Audi

2019 Bentley Flying Spur W12 S

Do you want to feel cool? Show up at the valet stand in a 2019 Bentley Flying Spur W12 S. No matter how tony the venue, or how fancy the occasion, you’ll have the coolest sedan on the lot. That’s because a Flying Spur oozes quality and class. Unlike a showy exotic sports car, your Bentley has a timeless elegance that says something about you. You appreciate quality and style, and you love to drive.

Despite its grand scale, the Flying Spur is a great driver’s car. It handles like a dream, eating up miles with its smooth yet firm suspension and powerful engine. Auto collector and comedian Jay Leno has said that everyone should experience driving a 12-cylinder car, and the 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 in the Flying Spur fits the bill. Prices start at around $250,000 (if you have to ask, you can’t afford it).

Photo by Bentley

2019 BMW M6 Gran Coupe

BMW M vehicles are pretty much automatically cool, thanks to their superb engineering and outrageous performance. But the coolest four-door example is the 2019 BMW M6 Gran Coupe, an impossibly beautiful, long, low sedan with some of the loveliest lines of any BMW outside of the i8.

Starting at $119,900, M6 Gran Coupe’s looks also are the product of extensive wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic refinement. A carbon-fiber roof with a molded air channel adds to the cool factor. Under the hood, a 560-hp twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 M engine helps push the M6 from 0 – 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, to a top speed of 156 mph. The folks in BMW’s M performance division lay hands on all aspects of the M6, from bodywork to interior details, engine, suspension, and braking components. It’s cool knowing that your M6 is a hand-built, precision machine that’s a cut far above the ordinary sedan.

Photo by BMW

2019 Cadillac CTS-V

The idea of a track-ready Cadillac sedan might seem like an oxymoron, but the 2019 Cadillac CTS-V is out to prove that wrong. What makes this Caddy cool is how it takes the floaty, cushy Cadillac driving reputation and tightens it up into a solid, confidence-inspiring experience.

Not only is CTS-V the most powerful Cadillac ever built with its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine (featuring 640 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque), it also wears superb brakes and an active adaptive suspension system (Magnetic Ride Control). Mounted on a balanced platform, the CTS-V handles like a sports sedan should, and it is blazingly fast. Zero to 60 mph passes in 3.6 seconds on the way to a 200 mph top speed. CTS-V prices start at $86,995.

Photo by General Motors

2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Muscle is what makes the 2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat cool. A 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 with 707-hp worth of muscle and a 204-mph top speed, to be precise. While it may not be quite as cool as its two-door stablemate, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Charger is rip-snorting fast while retaining everyday drivability and comfort.

There are even LATCH connectors to safely mount child safety seats in the second row, and you can get to them thanks to the four-door layout. Imagine what a popular parent you will be when you lay a long patch in the parking lot of the daycare center after dropping off the toddlers. Charger Hellcat prices start at $67,245, if you can find one at a dealer.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2019 Jaguar XF

Is diesel cool? When it powers a 2019 Jaguar XF sedan, it is. While all of your peers are driving luxury cars with gasoline engines, you can corner the market on cool by choosing an efficient, premium four-door sedan with genuine British character. The 180-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine puts out 317 lb-ft of torque, and is rated to achieve 31 mpg city/42 mpg highway/35 mpg combined – rivaling many hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles.

Fitted into the gorgeous, understated XF, the diesel engine provides smooth, quiet operation with compelling performance. Efficiency plus luxury equals cool. Prices start at $51,465 for XF diesel with rear-wheel drive. Of course, there are 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder and 3.0-liter V6 gasoline versions available, too – still cool, but not quite as cool as the diesel version.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

2019 Mazda6

Popular midsize sedans often are dismissed as appliances. Cars like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Hyundai Sonata may inspire loyalty for their reliability and value, but they can lack the style and flair that would make them cool. Enter the 2019 Mazda6 sedan, and witness cool incarnate.

Mazda6 takes the midsize sedan formula and adds a healthy dose of fun-to-drive, along with a swoopy exterior design and near-luxury interior. Available features like a head-up display and torque vectoring make the driving experience even better. Prices start at $22,845, and a super-cool Signature trim level starts at $35,645 with a 2.5-liter turbocharged SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine.

Photo by Mazda

2019 Maserati Quattroporte

There’s something about the exhaust note of an Italian car that is instantly cool, and the 2019 Maserati Quattroporte has one of the coolest. Car people know the visceral feeling that a deep, burbling exhaust note can stir in the pit of their stomachs – and they love it. Rev the throttle of a Quattroporte, and its Ferrari-built V6 or V8 engine sings a song of possibility and adventure.

Lurking behind the big grille with a bold Maserati trident emblem, the sleek and stylish Quattroporte (the name literally means “four-door” in Italian) sedan drips in Italian style. Inside, the tailored upholstery and furniture-quality veneers impress the senses. Quattroporte starts at $107,680, and transports you in sporting luxury on every journey.

Photo by Maserati

2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan

Whether you’re behind the wheel or in the sumptuous second row of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan, you’re in a world of cool. The S-Class is stealth luxury, a deceptively potent sedan with extraordinary comfort and convenience features. You can adjust the ambient lighting in the interior with 64 color schemes. Even the odors in the S-Class can be fine-tuned with the Air Balance cabin fragrance system.

With the Executive Rear Seat Package ($3,500) and Executive Rear Seat Package Plus ($1,950), you can turn your second row into a luxurious work space, with reclining, heated massage seats, folding tables, heated and cooled rear cup holders, and more. Best of all, if you’re an executive who drives, S-Class is a dream to drive, with great performance and handling that belies its big size. Prices start at $91,250.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

2019 Tesla Model S

While Tesla makes headlines with its struggles to deliver the lower-priced Model 3, the 2019 Tesla Model S continues to bring the cool to the sedan market. The all-electric sport sedan is a marvel of technology, with an all-electric powertrain and advanced driver-assistance systems. It is blisteringly fast, with 0 – 60 mph times as low as 2.4 seconds, rivaling most supercars. It can reach a top speed of 155 mph, and has a range of up to 335 miles on a single charge.

A big tablet-like touchscreen in portrait orientation provides access to vehicle functionality, and luxury features abound throughout the cabin. Prices start at $69,750 for standard-range (270-mile) models; $73,750 for long-range (335-mile) models; and $89,750 for performance (315-mile) models. Add $15,000 to access Ludicrous mode for maximum acceleration – and maximum cool.

Photo by Tesla