Fast Wagon Poll: Which Bonkers Family-Friendly Estate Would You Buy?

The world of fast wagons tends to move at a surprisingly slow pace, especially on a global scale. It was just last month that Audi finally unveiled U.S. pricing for the 2021 RS6 Avant, once a forbidden fruit to buyers on the Stateside of the Atlantic.

Right now, there are no fewer than 11 fast (most are supercar-fast) premium wagons you can buy depending on where you live, and we’re here to see which one of them you fancy most.

Keep in mind this isn’t necessarily a popularity contest or a best-value contest. You can name your favorite based on whichever criteria you desire, or perhaps by taking into account everything from looks to price to performance – your choice.

Watch: Audi’s New RS6 Avant Fits In America Like A Glove

Since we already started off by talking about Audi’s largest and most powerful super wagon, let’s make it the first car on our list, shall we?

Audi RS6 Avant

Buying one means parting with at least $109,995, including a $995 destination charge in the States – no one said it was going to be cheap. It’s powered by a twin turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, putting down 592 HP (600 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque with the help of an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

In a straight line, it’ll do 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds, before maxing out at 155 mph (250 km/h) – or 190 mph (305 km/h) if you opt for the optional ceramic brakes (Audi will remove the 155 mph limit).

The RS6 might just be a perfect do-it-all type of family car, but if for some reason you prefer something a little less substantial, Ingolstadt has a solution for that too, and it’s up next.

Audi RS4 Avant

Since we don’t know if the facelifted RS4 Avant will join its big brother in the States, all we can do is look at the pricing for Europe in order to get a feel for it. Its 81,400 euro tag equates to roughly $89,000, and in return you get a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 unit, pushing down 444 HP (450 PS) and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque.

Its zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time is 4.1 seconds, so if you’re only counting to 60 mph (96 km/h), it’s possible you might get there in a little under 4 seconds flat. This is still a wickedly-quick car, but like the RS6, it’s also very expensive.

Volvo V60 Polestar

If you want a similarly-sized wagon to the RS4 but one that’s a little more financially-accessible (even though we wouldn’t go as far as to call it cheap), the Volvo V60 Polestar certainly fits that bill and it’s available to buy in the U.S.

It has a T8 eAWD plug-in hybrid powertrain, producing 415 HP (420 PS) and 494 lb-ft (670 Nm) of torque – enough to get you from zero to 60 mph in a more than reasonable 4.3 seconds, all for a sticker price of $67,300. However, we wouldn’t expect it to handle as well as the RS4, nor does it look as dynamic as its German rival.

Volvo V90 Recharge T8 AWD

The good news from Volvo is that they do have a larger fast wagon than the V60 Polestar and you can get it in the States. The bad news is they don’t offer the T8 over here, as the fastest one you can get is the 316hp and 295 lb-ft T6 model with standard AWD from $58,095.

Also Read: Americans Are Buying Station Wagons – As Long As They’re Disguised As SUVs

In places such as Germany though, for a base price of 75,250 euros ($82,374), you can get the more powerful T8. Now, keep in mind that this isn’t a Polestar-tuned product, but it does feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain, putting down a total of 386 HP (390 PS) and 472 lb-ft (640 Nm) of torque.

It will get to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.3 seconds, so 60 mph might come in about 5 seconds flat, which is pretty good, but a far cry from either of the two Audi wagons. Depends on what you’re looking for, really.

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

Let’s switch things up a bit and go from a Volvo to a Porsche Panamera, specifically the Sport Turismo variant, which is a performance luxury wagon.

You can get it in various specs, such as the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo, the 4S Sport Turismo, GTS Sport Turismo, 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo, Turbo Sport Turismo and the flagship Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. The latter is priced from $191,700, whereas the cheapest of the group (the 4) costs upwards of $98,000.

At its best, this is a 677 HP twin turbocharged plug-in hybrid beast, which can do 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds if you also opt for the Sport Chrono Package.

Alpina B3 Touring

Just because BMW doesn’t make an M3 wagon doesn’t mean one doesn’t technically exist. OK, it exists in spirit only, because the B3 Touring isn’t a genuine BMW M car.

However, thanks to a 3.0-liter bi-turbo straight six unit, it does offer you a healthy 455 HP (462 PS) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm), and you can buy it in Germany from 83,050 euros ($91,000). In a straight line, it can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds. It’s actually just as quick and costs just as much as the Audi RS4 Avant.

Alpina B5 Touring

Now, if it’s a bit more size you’re after, simply skip the B3 and go directly to the Audi RS6-rivalling Alpina B5 Touring, which again, is not available in the USA.

It’s based on the latest-gen BMW 5-Series Touring and it costs upwards of 115,300 euros ($126,200). That’s right, it’s more expensive than the RS6 Avant, although it has a little more power at 600 horses (608 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque – coming from its 4.4-liter bi-turbo V8.

As for how it compares to the Audi in terms of acceleration, it’s about the same, hitting 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. Actually, it might be a smidge quicker, since the Audi takes 3.5 seconds to get to 60 mph, not 62.

Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Wagon

Here come the big bad Mercs, starting with the E 63 S Wagon and its 603 HP (612 PS) 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. It also pushes down 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque, and it’ll get you to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.4 seconds.

In America, the price is $111,750, but as you can see, this is still the non-facelifted version of the E-Class, as Mercedes has yet to reveal its updated E 63 variant, which up until last month was still undergoing tests on public roads.

Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Wagon

Unlike its larger sibling, the C 63 S isn’t available in the United States as a station wagon. But you can get it in Britain for £78,000 ($97,341), and you still get a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, good for 503 HP (510 PS) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque.

That’s good enough to get you from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.1 seconds, but if that’s all you care about, then you’ll actually be better off with the Alpina B3 Touring.

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Shooting Brake

Here’s a compact alternative for you, as far as fast wagons go. The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Shooting Brake is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, producing 415 HP (421 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque.

It’s quick too, needing four seconds flat to hit 62 mph (100 km/h), all for a price of £53,495 ($66,760), because yes, you can’t buy this in the U.S. either. So overall, it’s cheaper and quicker than the Volvo V60 Polestar, but smaller and also, not a plug-in hybrid.

Jaguar XF S Sportbrake

This one might be a little bit of an honorable mention, but it still qualifies as fast, especially for most station wagon owners.

The 2020 Jaguar XF S Sportbrake is powered by a 3.0-liter 380 HP supercharged V6 engine and costs upwards of $71,800. Thanks to its AWD system, it can still rocket you from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.3 seconds, which let’s face it, is more than sufficient for your daily school run or your holiday outing.

But enough about specs and prices. It’s time to decide which one of these 11 wagons is your favorite by voting in the poll below. Make sure to also let us know how you arrived at your decision in the comments section.