5 Cylinder Engines , 5 Things To Know

Author

Javaughn Barrow

Inline 5 cylinder engines are one of the best-sounding and powerful engine setups out there. But with this odd number of pistons, it not only brings some great benefits but also some drawbacks. Is an inline 5 an upgrade from an Inline 4 ? Or is it a downgrade from a 6-cylinder? Let’s discuss…

What you will learn:

Are there any 5 cylinder engines ?

There are of course 5 cylinder engines out there in the car market. Manufacturers like Audi, Volkswagen, Acura, Mercedes, Landrover, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, GMC,Hummer H3, Fiat, Ford and even Mazda at some point Used the 5 Cylinder Engine layout to power certain models in their vehicle lineup. However , it is a rare engine layout that manufacturers steer away from, considering certain complications and costs attached. Although it’s rare for those reasons, it’s special for other reasons, considering its output and capabilities when packaged for the high performance car category. I personally think 5 cylinder engines are too good for the answer to this question to be a no.

Are 5 cylinder engines any good ?

For example, an inline 5 cylinder engine offers smoother power delivery than an inline 4 cylinder engine. This is so, while still being smaller than an inline 6 cylinder engine. The size allows it to be mounted transversely in an engine bay, which means manufacturers can use it in smaller cars in their vehicle line up. The inline 5 engine is smoother, because in an Inline 4 engine each piston takes 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation to complete a power cycle. Think of the crankshaft as drawing a circle and everytime 2 circles are drawn, a piston moves up and down through a cylinder 4 times to complete a power cycle. Up down is 1 & 2 and another up down is 3 & 4. Those 4 strokes are S.S.B.B, Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow.

The Power stroke is the Bang! In an Inline 4 there are 4 pistons, all moving up and down 4 times completing their cycles and starting over again. That being said, in an inline 4 there is always a piston performing a power stroke every half a circle, which is “Bang” filling all the gaps of power in any holes. Now in the inline 5, it has an additional piston joining the party bringing an extra powerstroke for the celebration. Even if the gaps are filled in an Inline 4 engine, the inline 5’s power delivery is going to be a lot smoother because of that extra piston. You can think of power delivery as drawing a line and with an inline 4 it’s a nice smooth line. With an inline 5 that line got darker in shade making the line more pronounced.

Why do 5 cylinder engines sound so good ?

Although 5 Cylinders are increasingly rare for certain complications, it makes it special for other reasons. One of those reasons is the exhaust sound it produces. Despite the fact it has half the cylinders as a V10, it manages to sound very similar. Many refer to it as a baby V10, which is a fitting name considering certain characteristics. The amazing sound you hear in a 5 cylinder, is due to the extra piston it has vs a 4 cylinder. Having that additional piston, adds to the power strokes of an engine cycle. This ultimately adds to its frequency of exhaust sound, giving it that unique exhaust note, because of its unique firing order (power strokes).

What cars had 5 cylinder engines ?

In this modern era, Audi stands by the inline 5 cylinder as a great engine for the sports car category. They currently have the Audi TT RS, Audi RS3 and Audi RS Q3 in their sports vehicle line up. The Audi RS Q3 is not available in the US of course. However, the other two are serious performers.

The Audi TT RS is one of the legendary sports cars because of its legendary 5 cylinder turbo engine. The 2022 TT RS stunts a 2.5L 5 cylinder turbo, pushing 394 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated with a seven speed dual-clutch transmission, that shifts so fast it feels like telepathy. The TT RS Also has Audi’s quattro AWD system, sending 50 % of the torque to the rear wheels. This means, it can effortlessly put the 5 cylinder engine power down to the road. Speaking of putting power down to the road, the TT RS is a joy to drive on the backroads. It easily carves up any twist and turns, with power delivered to all 4 wheels, it feels like a rocket on the exit of a turn.

The 2023 Audi RS3 is also a huge competitor in the sports car category, thanks to its 5 cylinder motor. This engine pushes out 401 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. For a small car this thing is blisteringly fast; it does 0-60 in 3.6 seconds and keeps climbing to 100 mph in under 10 seconds. Despite all that performance you would think this car is hungry for gas, not really. This car can cruise at 75 mph under 2,000 rpm, delivering over 30 miles per gallon. With such a good balance between power and efficiency, you can’t go wrong here. The RS3 is also a brilliant well tuned car, with very fun to drive dynamics that will keep you smiling from ear to ear. It also has a drift mode, for you to have some fun powersliding in an all wheel drive car!

What are disadvantages of 5 cylinder engines ?

The downside of an inline 5 cylinder, is the way all five pistons move when completing a 4 stroke power cycle. The pistons move at different positions, causing an imbalance torque wise. The engine wants to rock back and forth. This issue is solved with a balancing shaft, keeping everything steady. However, that makes the engine design more complex which most manufacturers steer away from and why the i4 engines are preferred. This is why it is rare on the car market today.

Conclusion

Although i4 engines are the industry standard, because of its simplicity and cost effectiveness, I think I5 engines are an obvious sweet spot, before hopping over from a 4 cylinder to a 6 cylinder. There aren’t many modern options available today which sucks, however, it makes you appreciate it more when you get to experience one. As the car market gets electrified, the i5 engine in particular may become a collectors item because of its rarity today. The 5 cylinder engine is a big part of automotive engine history.

Javaughn Barrow

Hello! My name is Javaughn Barrow, a young car enthusiast who writes all the articles for Karcandy.com. I’ve written over 50 articles about automobiles. With each article, I deepen my understanding and expertise in writing and the automotive world. Ever since childhood, I’ve always had a strong passion for cars. All types shapes and sizes were interesting to me. I’d spend most of my time after school researching cars and the more I found out about them the more exciting it was. In my teens, I created a fan page about corvettes posting content at least ten times a day! Yes, I was crazy about it. The page ended up garnering over 40k followers! After a while, I wanted more than a fan page. I wanted to express my passion differently. I wanted to create more helpful content, higher-quality content. My first car was a 2013 VW CC Sport. Learned very quickly car ownership wasn’t as expected. I spent a lot of time replacing control arms, cam position sensors, brake rotors, brake pads, etc. Walking away with more information than I knew before. As I was growing in my automotive journey I was learning about writing. Starting by writing a detailed outline about 300 words long then I would pay a professional to write a full 1000-word article and learn from them getting familiar with the process of writing. The moment I realized I could use my writing skills to express my passion for cars and help people simultaneously, I started Karcandy.com. I realized with my unique perspective coupled with my hard work discipline and work ethic I can create a space online to help bridge the gap between the complicated and simple in the automotive world. I’m motivated by the challenges and work it will take to create such a space. My work ethic is something I choose to refine and make better each day. I think it’s important to push myself and stay committed to my evolution as a human and this website is only one of the results of that.

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