10 Most Important Cars With Five-Cylinder Engines (2024)

In the intricate world of automotive engineering, one of the most prominent arguments has to do with engine configuration. Between people arguing over inline, flat, or V-shaped set-ups and how many cylinders get the job done best, this debate has raged on seemingly indefinitely. When we think of modern engines, however, the one thing that seems unanimous is that an even number of cylinders is best, with small three-cylinder city cars being the exception.

However, there are a few cars throughout history that broke this rule and ended up being some of the most influential pieces of automotive engineering in their times. Sitting outside the norm, these vehicles utilized five cylinders in their incredible powertrains. These innovative cars pushed boundaries and developed with a blend of power, efficiency, and character. The five-cylinder found its niche by offering some of the purest auditory enjoyment that a car can offer while also running so smoothly that it stands out in the realms of powertrain manufacturing.

We take a dive into the ten most important and influential cars to ever feature this unique powertrain and the mark they made on the automotive landscape.

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10 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300D Turbodiesel

Top Speed: 106 MPH

The Mercedes-Benz W123 was a range of executive cars with a number of different body types and powertrain options. The W123 was the most popular Mercedes, selling 2.4 million units in its lifetime. The 300TD Turbodiesel marks a historic event as the world’s first turbocharged diesel engine in a passenger vehicle.

Performance

While originally the W123 was offered in both petrol and diesel variants, from 1981 to 1985 Mercedes was forced to only sell Diesel powertrains due to federal regulations on fuel economy. The 300D Turbodiesel was the North American offering of the turbocharged diesel. They were well known for their reliability.

9 1977 Audi 100/200/5000

Top Speed: 113 MPH

The 1977 Audi 100 was an incredibly special car for the German manufacturer. It was the second generation of the car. The Audi 200 was the highest trim level of the car and both models were sometimes referred to as the Audi 5000 in North America. It was the first car produced by Audi to ever reach 1,000,000 production units due to its popularity.

Performance

There were a number of powertrain options for the Audi 100 and 200 but in America, only five-cylinders were made available. The most impressive engine was the turbocharged inline-five, which was sadly much less powerful in the States compared to its European twin.

8 1992 Acura Vigor

Top Speed: 130 MPH

The Acura Vigor is a premium sedan that was brought about in 1991. It was built on a similar platform but distinguished itself with its unique styling and its inline five-cylinder engine. The Vigor helped people accept Honda as a brand that could deliver higher-end luxury cars and solidified Acura’s standing in the United States as their luxury division.

Performance

The Vigor sought to be a sportier, more luxurious version of the Accord, setting the stage for the Acura TL as a luxury offering and the third-generation Integra as the sportier option and 60 mph came up in the low-eight-second range. Whilst Acura/Honda didn’t continue the use of the five-cylinder, its performance in the Vigor was enough to convince the public of the Japanese brand’s capabilities.

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7 2005 Volkswagen Golf

Top Speed: 139 MPH

The MK4 is one of the most iconic Volkswagen hatchbacks of all time, with the R32 being an incredible hot hatch that set new standards. There were a ton of powertrain options available for the Golf, including the iconic VR6, which is essentially an inline-six with a slight offset to the cylinders. What few people know is that there was also a five-cylinder version.

Performance

The VR5 Golf wasn’t sold in the U.S. It managed to be just as smooth as the VR6, with its design making it compact yet still allowing it to pack a punch. That was the 1997 model. In 2005, Volkswagen upped the displacement and gave the world a proper inline-five engine that performed like a dream.

6 1981 Audi Quattro

Top Speed: 154 MPH

Perhaps one of the most impressive and iconic rally cars of all time, the Audi Quattro is one of the most significant cars to ever house a five-cylinder engine. Its name, meaning four, referred to the fact that it sent power to all four wheels, the first of its kind in terms of rally racing at the time of its introduction.

Performance

The Audi Quattro was the first to feature a front-engine, all-wheel drive layout that was mated to a turbocharged engine. Its powertrain was incredibly impressive for the time, making tons of power and torque, delivering one of the most beautiful noises under rev. The Quattro is one of the finest examples of the performance that a five-cylinder can produce.

5 1996 Volvo 850 R

Top Speed: 155 MPH

Swedish automaker Volvo was a pioneer in the world of performance estate cars. Not only that but they have created some of the most impressive five-cylinder engines in the world. The Volvo 850 R is the culmination of years of engineering prowess.

Performance

In 1995 Volvo produced a limited-run model of their 850 wagon called the 850 T-5R. The demand for more was so large that the Swedish company was forced to develop the R as a permanent replacement. It featured an aero kit and a newly designed engine and transmission that made it incredibly quick for its size.

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4 1998 Fiat Coupé

Top Speed: 158 MPH

The Fiat Coupé was originally introduced in 1993 and was built on the Tipo platform. Designs for the exterior were put forward by both Centro Stile, Fiat’s in-house design team, and the legendary Pininfarina. Surprisingly, the design by the in-house team won, although Pininfarina’s still designed the interior.

Performance

The original Fiat Coupé ran the same engine as the iconic rally champ, the Lancia Delta Integrale. It also featured a brilliantly designed limited-slip differential that countered the understeer synonymous with high-powered front-wheel drive cars. Its most iconic powertrain feature in the Turbo Plus model is an incredible five-cylinder; the model came with an option kit that made it similar to the special LE model, famously owned by Michael Schumacher.

3 1994 Audi RS 2 Avant

Top Speed: 163 MPH

The Audi RS 2 Avant was a limited-run car that represented the start of Audi’s high-performance RS badge. The Avant in its name was Audi’s market for cars with an estate/wagon body style, making the RS 2 fairly unique. The sporty wagon was a joint venture between Audi and Porsche and laid the groundwork for all of Audi’s high-performance cars to date.

Performance

This incredible estate car housed Audi’s most powerful five-cylinder engine at the time, making tons of power and accelerating at speeds that seemed impossible because of its size. Even up against some modern sports cars, its acceleration seems absurd. Matched with a plethora of other Porsche and Audi-developed performance parts, it's no wonder that this car is such a cult classic among enthusiasts.

2 2009 Ford Focus RS

Top Speed: 163 MPH

There are some massive players in the world of hot hatchbacks, the Honda Civic Type R, the Megane RS, and the Golf R. The Ford Focus was introduced in 2002 and became a serious competitor in the segment. In 2009 the second generation debuted with a much more serious body kit and a hugely upgraded five-cylinder engine, which was actually sourced from Volvo.

Performance

The second-generation Focus RS has some incredible handling potential given its small size and massive power output. What’s truly impressive is that Ford kept the little Focus RS hatch front-wheel drive, yet it doesn’t feel like you lose control from behind the steering wheel. This is one of the most impressive, most powerful front-wheel drive cars ever made.

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1 2010 Audi TT RS

Top Speed: 179 MPH

With its debut in 2000, the Audi TT quickly became one of the most revered small sports cars. In 2009, well into its second generation, Audi debuted the TT RS, a much more powerful, agile, and all-round impressive version. Still going strong today, the TT RS has set new standards for small coupes and roadsters.

Performance

The original Audi TT RS featured a completely new powertrain from the automaker, an incredibly efficient five-cylinder that produced mind-boggling power for its size. It also needed to be fitted with an entirely new seven-speed automatic that could keep up with the torque output as the six-speed on the TTS could not.