In the US, there is a shortage of good old fashioned station wagons. Maybe this is because people find them to be out of date and uncool. Europe loves them though, and with good reason.

However, in most cases, they are pretty boring, but not without a few exceptions. These exceptions are actually cars in which you really wouldn’t mind being seen, trust us. So here’s a wakeup call:

Audi RS6 Avant

Arguably the most badass Wagon on any market, the RS6 turns the family guy into an instant celebrity on the road in the eyes of other drivers. And how could it not? It packs a twin-turbocharged 560 PS (412kW) 4.0 litre V8, also good for 700Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, that’ll get you from a stand still to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds. And all this time you’re in a car that weighs over 2 tones and looks more manly than a pool table in Bruce Wayne’s man cave. Um, batcave.

Audi RS4 Avant

As far as baby brothers go, this thing isn’t half bad. If you can’t afford the bigger RS6, but the RS4 Avant is within your price range, you’ll still get a car that will put a smile on your face on a daily basis, while enjoying the practicality and boot space that only a station wagon can provide. Under the hood, this thing is old school. No turbocharger, no gimmicks, just a 4.2 litre V8 producing 450 PS and 430Nm (317 lb-ft) of torque. Those sort of numbers will get you to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds and because the RS4 Avant weighs less than it’s larger sibling, it’s a much more agile car around a track or a canyon road.

Alpina B5 BITURBO Touring


Since BMW still refuses to build us a F11 M5 Touring, the good people of Alpina GmbH come to the rescue with the next best thing. The B5 BITURBO Touring is a very special type of family car. It’s not at all mainstream, so at least you’ll get points for that if you end up owning one. And also for it being rear-wheel driven.

Something else you’ll get is a 0 to 62 time of just 4.3 seconds from that massive twin-turbo 4.4 litre V8 and its 540 PS. The engine also puts out 730 Nm (538 lb-ft) of torque, which is even more than you get in the RS6 Avant. And unlike it’s Audi rivals, the Alipa B5 BITURBO isn’t electronically limited to 250km/h. This will go all the way up to 318 km/h.

Alpina B3 BITURBO Touring

While this doesn’t quite max out as good as the B5, going just 2km/h above 300, it packs more of a punch off the line thanks to its lower weight and optional xDrive all-wheel drive system. The B3 Touring is basically a direct alternative to the F31 M3 Touring that BMW won’t build, and considering the fact that it’s just as fast as an M3 Sedan, maybe we shouldn’t really care. The B3 BITURBO’s 6 cylinder in line engine is good for 410 PS and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft of torque) and it’ll get you to 62 mph in just 4.1 seconds.

Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake


This gorgeous dad-mobile is build by Jag and it will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up whenever you rev that supercharged 5.0 litre V8 along with its 550 PS. While this wouldn’t be as exclusive as owning an Estate car from Alpina, it will still be something different from all the Audis and Mercs (we’ll get to them in a second) out there. The XFR-S is loud and we love that. It’s also rear-wheel drive, which helps keep the weight down (relatively). Its 0 to 62 mph time is 4.8 seconds, while its maximum speed hovers around 300km/h.

By the way, if you’re ever en route to a Jaguar dealership wanting to order yourself one of these, make sure you get it in French Racing Blue.

Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG-S Estate 4MATIC

Just like with that old “When in Rome…” saying, when buying an E 63 AMG Estate, just go all out for the top of the range version, the all-wheel drive 4MATIC AMG-S model. Its turbocharged 5.5 litre V8 packs 585 PS (instead of the E 63’s 557) and it will get you to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds. And don’t get me started on the 800Nm (589 lb-ft) of torque. That’s faster than a Porsche Panamera Turbo S and as fast as the old Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Heck, it’s just as fast as the current Ferrari FF! And let’s be honest about another thing. The Mercedes’ AMG lineup looks really bad ass, which means you really can’t go wrong here.

Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG-S Shooting Brake


Probably the second coolest station wagon in Merc’s AMG family is the CLS 63 AMG-S Shooting Brake. It has the same engine as the E 63 we just talked about, which means it packs exactly the same punch. Surprisingly, it will get to 62 in 3.7 seconds as well, and it also has all-wheel drive.

But what sets it apart from the E 63 is the fact that the CLS is a little more luxurious. It sits a class above the “E”. So why are we saying that it’s the second coolest Merc wagon? Precisely because it is more luxurious and because it’s styling isn’t for everybody.

Mercedes-AMG C 63 S T-Modell


No longer called the Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Estate, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 is much quicker than it’s previous generation. Especially the “S” version we’re talking about here. It has a 4.0 litre turbocharged V8 with up to 510 PS, 700Nm (516 lb-ft)  which makes sure that you get to 62 mph in just 4.1 seconds.

Now, some would say that it’s a little bit too pretty with all its elegant lines and what not, but what does make it hardcore is its performance and the fact that it’s rear wheel drive. This thing will powerslide easier than the way in which the Spurs won last years’ NBA Finals. Which is saying something.

Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake

Last and least, to be honest, is the brand new CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake – a car that relies more on all wheel drive and low weight to get it to 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds. It has a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder 360 PS turbocharged engine and while it doesn’t sound that impressive, the overall result definitely is. It sprints off the line just as fast as an Audi RS4 and faster than the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake, however it won’t deliver the same type of performance mid-range and it is quite small for some so in that sense it does kind of defeat the purpose of what we’re talking about here. Still, it is a station wagon and it sure is fast.

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