Used test – business class: Audi A4 vs BMW 3 Series vs Citroen DS5 vs Mercedes C-Class

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Used test – business class: Audi A4 vs BMW 3 Series vs Citroen DS5 vs Mercedes C-Class

Buying a used Audi A4, BMW 3 Series or Mercedes C-Class might seem obvious if you want an executive car. But is the Citroën DS5 a worthy left-field alternative?...

Steve Huntingford

Published05 March 2016

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Our Verdict

Of all the cars here, the Citroën DS5 is probably the one you’d want to take home most of all, on first acquaintance. Those avantgarde looks are refreshingly different to the three-box designs of the other three cars here, and that fantastic interior only continues its desirability inside.

The problem comes once you get moving. Yes, the DS5 is as quiet as you could hope for; had it matched that solitude with comfort, it’d be a very strong package. But the ride is jarringly firm over even the slightest bump. Strangely, it also manages to feel sloppy over larger undulations. And the DS5 isn’t even much fun to drive as a payoff, thanks to its vague steering. Throw in the poor gearbox and vague clutch, and driving the DS5 becomes an experience you’d rather forget.

Lack of comfort in an executive car is unforgivable which is why the Citroën must take last place. It’s also a chink the Audi A4’s armour, because at high speeds it can feel rather firm. For all that, though, the A4 does offer a smooth engine and a fantastic interior. It also handles tidily, even if the experience is dampened somewhat by its overly light steering, and it has plenty of space, too

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But the A4’s considerably more expensive to buy than any other car here, and it has one of the worst reputations for reliability here. Combined with its firm ride, those factors contribute to its third place finish here.

However, comfort is certainly not lacking in the Mercedes. In this SE trim, it wafts along beautifully, and efficiently too, using very little fuel in the process, despite its engine being the punchiest here. It’s also the car with the best reputation for reliability here, and it’s one of the cheapest to buy; on the basis of those two facts alone, it’s worth a look.

True, you will have to live with rather a lot of engine noise, while wind and road noise aren’t exactly banished either. Elsewhere, the C-Class is competent, if unexceptional; its interior is decent enough, if rather drab, while interior space is about average.

However, if you want a car that’ll give you that little extra spark, you’ll have to choose the BMW 3 Series. It matches or betters the Mercedes in many areas, with a more interesting interior, better handling – even without the optional adaptive suspension package fitted – and a far quieter engine.

Yet the 3 Series is barely any more expensive than the Mercedes to buy, and a lot cheaper to maintain; what’s more, while its reliability isn’t quite up to that of the C-Class, it doesn’t fall to the level of the A4 or DS5. And if you can find an example with the optional suspension fitted, you’ll have by far and away the best-handling and -riding executive car you can buy for the money. And probably the best car overall, for that matter.