Skip advert
Advertisement

DS 5 review - French premium offering doesn't quite hit the mark - DS 5 ride and handling

Style and character in spades, but DS still has work to do if it's to dethrone the traditional premium brands

Evo rating
RRP
from £26,350
  • Unique design inside and out, comfort, refinement
  • Far from being a driver’s car, ride could be improved further

One should not step into a large, luxury-orientated car from the Citroen lineage expecting it to handle with the flair of something German and propeller-badged, nor to feel as light on its feet as a hot hatchback. Judging it by such standards is neither fair nor relevant.

Its ride quality however should be held to the standards expected of large and typically comfortable French cars, and while the DS 5 is a great deal better than its Citroen-badged DS5 predecessor, it’s a long way from delivering the sort of unruffled experience you’d want from such a car.

Advertisement - Article continues below

In general, the DS 5 is relatively comfortable. a characteristic enhanced by the squashy seats. It does still thump through potholes though, sending a judder through the structure, and on the motorway it jiggles over imperfections where you’d expect it to sail.

Grip is fairly good – our most recent drive in the DS 5 was on 18in wheels and 235/45 Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres. The steering dissuades your attempts to explore the car’s limits however, with a springy resistance to inputs, and next to no feedback. There’s a lack of accuracy around the straight-ahead too, which requires you to make corrections when driving in a straight line where others track arrow-straight.

You’re always fighting the car’s weight too – 1725kg with the diesel engine and automatic transmission. This is not a nimble car, despite a respectably quick steering rack, and any attempt at raising your pace on an entertaining road feels largely futile.

In effect, the DS 5’s behaviour coerces you into driving as you might an older Citroen, but unfortunately lacks the unflustered ride that defined those cars’ dynamics.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Used Audi RS6 Avant (C7, 2013 - 2019) review, specs and buying guide – family-friendly supercar slayer from £20k
Audi RS6 – front
In-depth reviews

Used Audi RS6 Avant (C7, 2013 - 2019) review, specs and buying guide – family-friendly supercar slayer from £20k

Audi’s C7-generation RS6 may lack ultimate involvement, but it’s still a crushingly effective and desirable super-estate
27 Mar 2025
Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses
Honda Civic Type R FN2
Features

Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses

Its lineage contains some hot hatch greats, but the late-noughties Civic wasn’t one of them
26 Mar 2025
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 – front
Reviews

Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power

A screaming 296bhp Honda VTEC engine and a full chassis upgrade package turn the NC-generation Mazda MX-5 into something altogether more thrilling
25 Mar 2025