Five-cylinder cars have always been the “redhaired stepchild” of car engines. They’re in an odd place, between the standard four-cylinder and the larger six-cylinder offerings, and it can be tricky making that configuration work right. It wasn’t until the 1970s that regular production cars with five-cylinder engines were put on the roads, but they mostly stick to European companies like Audi or Volvo. They lend themselves more to SUVs or wagons which can handle the configuration better.
As such, most five-cylinder cars, even modern offerings, tend to have slow speeds and while handling well, aren’t known for their acceleration. It only makes sense they can’t match the speeds of larger engines, yet somehow, some succeed. Incredible as it may seem, some five-cylinder cars can have zero-to-60 times that put a few V6 offerings to shame, and these ten are amazing to prove five cylinders can get some serious speeds.
10 2010 Ford Focus RS500 (0-60 Mph In 5.4 seconds)
A five-cylinder car from Ford seems odd, but the Focus RS500 shows the company could have done more with such offerings. The name comes from just 500 models being built, all for Europe, a surprisingly strong seller. The final version had a great 350 hp performance and 339 lb-ft of torque for some strong acceleration.
The matte black paint job made it stand out from the pack as the great engine aided it, and it’s a shame Ford didn’t focus a bit more on five-cylinder offerings.
9 2012 Audi Q3 2.5L Turbo (0-60 Mph In 5.2 seconds)
While most versions of the 2012 Q3 were four-cylinder, the company did put out a unique five-cylinder turbo option. It boosted the good performance to 300 hp with some fine-tuning managing to boost it more.
It offered a terrific ride with smooth handling, and the compact crossover had an appealing design too. It suffers a bit from putting a five-cylinder in a car meant for four, yet it’s still a fast performance showing how well they can do.
8 1995 Audi RS2 Avant (0-60 Mph In 4.7 seconds)
Finding a car from a quarter-century ago that can still be an amazing ride is tricky. Having it be a five-cylinder is even harder. But somehow, the 1995 Audi RS2 Avant pulls it off.
This collaboration of Audi and Porsche featured a 2.2l with 311 hp and under five seconds zero to 60 time, which was impressive for the time and still holds up along with a great design. This may have been the last of the classic Audi five-cylinders, but it went out in style.
7 1984 Audi Sport Quattro Sedan (0-60 Mph In 4.7 seconds)
No, that year is not a misprint. Amazing as it sounds, a mid-80s five-cylinder sedan offers a faster ride than a lot of modern offerings. Building on the rally cars of the time, the 1984 Sport Quattro Sedan had a reduced wheelbase to look more like a hatchback which aided the speed.
That meant that while having 300 bhp, the light weight meant amazingly fast speeds that could beat some of the V8 cars of the time. It was also the first Audi engine to use four valves per cylinder and is still a great ride today.
6 2009 Audi TT RS (0-60 Mph In 4.5 seconds)
The 2009 Audi TT RS proves some revivals really can work. Going for a five-cylinder seemed crazy at the time, but it worked wonderfully with a massive 335bhp between 5400 and 6500rpm and 332lb-ft of torque between 1600 and 5300rpm.
Sharing the same drivetrain as a regular TT RS, this had an excellent chassis to aid the power-to-weight ratio and let it flow well on the road. This set the stage for other great Audi offerings of the 2010s and how a five-cylinder could still offer a great modern ride.
5 2020 Audi Q3 RS Sportback (0-60 Mph In 4.3 seconds)
It may seem odd that Audi’s latest five-cylinder offerings don’t have the same high speeds as older models. Yet the 2020 RS Q3 Sportback still boasts some impressive stats. It can get 155 mph, although the Dynamic Plus package can gain up to 175 mph.
The idea of an SUV with 394 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque seems crazy, but Audi makes it work. Sadly, it’s not available in the United States, but those in Europe can enjoy an amazingly fast ride that makes an SUV a must-have.
4 2011 Audi RS3 Sportback (0-60 Mph In 4.1 seconds)
One of the first attempts at the RS3 Sportback was one of Audi’s better offerings in the 2010s. It doubled a regular TT offering with 340 hp and 332 lb-ft available from 1600 to 5300 pm. The dual-clutch automatic runs power to all four wheels, and it may even get more than the governed 155 mph with a little tuning.
The one flaw is the spotty programming for the seven-speed automatic transmission and some handling issues. But this set the bar for a much better offering and still fast five-cylinder ride.
3 2015 Audi RS3 Sportback (0-60 Mph In 3.9 seconds)
The 2015 Sportback was all the promise the 2011 version had. It was aided by a new chassis that improved its performance, amping up the already turbocharged solid 20-valve for 367 hp, 343 lb-ft of torque from 1625 to 5550 rpm, and able to handle the shifts at any speed.
While there’s no manual transmission, the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic handles well and much-improved corner taking. Those trimmer updates make this version of the Sportback one of the best created.
2 2012 Audi TT RS (0-60 Mph In 3.6 seconds)
It was seen as a cheaper version of a regular Audi, but the 2012 TT RS was actually a terrific ride. It was much closer to a Porsche 911 at a fraction of the cost but nearly the full performance. Its software tuning was the reason for the 355 hp with 332 lb-ft of torque and put into a spiffy package to boot.
True, it was a bit rough to handle at some speeds yet the amazingly fast time proved this five-cylinder ride could tackle any fancy Italian offering with ease.
1 2018 Audi TT RS Roadster (0-60 Mph In 3.5 seconds)
As good as previous TT RS versions were, the 2018 Roadster stands as the best of the bunch. Design changes included larger air intakes, a honeycomb front grille, aluminum-colored accents on the mirrors and splitter, and aerodynamically shaped side sills.
It also had an engine 57 pounds lighter than its predecessor with 400 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. It’s amazing how fast this is and proving how Audi can make a five-cylinder car that puts some V8 offerings to shame.