Review Flashback! The Premium Coupes of 1988

It saddens us to say it, but the luxury coupe is all but dead. While BMW and Mercedes-Benz still sell a few midsize and large 2-door cars, Cadillac and Lincoln do not. Lexus does sell the impressive LC, but that car is expensive, and it’s really more of a sports car than a luxury coupe in the sense we’re discussing here.

But back in 1988—the year the Buick Reatta came online—luxury-brand shoppers looking for a ritzy, comfortable coupe had a number of options. Enough options, in fact, that Consumer Guide chose to compare six such cars, and even pick a Best Buy in the class.

1988 Consumer Guide Best Buys — The editors of Consumer Guide chose the Acura Legend and Lincoln Mark VII LSC as their 1988 Premium Coupe Best Buys.

Before you ask, we have no idea why the Cadillac Allanté appeared in this comparison and not the Eldorado. Not only is the Allanté not a coupe—it’s a convertible—it is very expensive relative to the other cars in this comparison, save for the Mercedes.

We suggest you take some time and pore over the prices—we find they provide all sorts of insights into what cars were like in 1988. Remember California emissions? And about that Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe… $53,000? It’s easy to forget that there was a time when Mercedes could seemingly charge whatever it wanted for a car.

The reviews below were published in the Consumer Guide: 1988 Car Comparisons magazine, which went on sale in the summer of ’88 and sold for $3.50. Remember spending time with any of these high-ticket 2-doors? If so, tell us about it. The place to leave comments is down below.

Compared below are the: