A fast station wagon is a concept that is dear to many people which is why more and more carmakers these days are offering performance station wagons or “sport wagons”. If that is something that interests you, you’ve come to the right place as we are going to list the very best sport wagons to buy in 2023.
The best sport wagon has always been the Audi RS6 which is why it tops out this list as well. The latest C8 RS6 is now finally available in the US as the previous C7 RS6 was not. The second-best station wagon you can buy is the Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon which follows a similar philosophy as the RS6 but simply isn’t as desirable or cool.
The Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid Sport Turismo and the Jaguar XFR-S are also part of this list for good reasons. If you want an electric sport wagon, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is the one to get as it is the fastest-acceleration wagon out of all cars on this list.
All in all, a fast estate/station wagon is something you can use every day. It is a car that can do all the daily commuting, grocery and school runs while also being able to demolish most cars on the street in a quarter-mile race.
1. 2023 Audi RS6 Avant
The most iconic and desirable performance wagon today is likely the Audi RS6 Avant. The first fast Audi estate was revealed back in the mid-90s and was called the Audi RS2. Audi has since continued making fast wagons tirelessly while most other brands such as Mercedes joined the game a lot later.
The 2023 RS6 features a twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 600hp and 590lb-ft of torque. Mated to a ZF transmission, the RS6 is both fast and comfortable. 0-60mph is done in around 3.5 seconds and the RS6 comes with all the state-of-the-art creature comforts and luxury features you’d ever want.
2. 2023 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG Wagon
The number one competitor to the 2023 Audi RS6 is the 2023 E63 AMG by Mercedes. The E63 AMG Wagon comes with a BiTurbo 4.0L V8 that offers 602hp and 627lb-ft of torque which makes it slightly more powerful than the RS6. 0-60mph is very much the same as in the RS6 which means that these two cars are really similar performance-wise.
The E63 AMG differs from the RS6 as it enables you to decouple the front diff and make the car completely rear-wheel-drive. If you pair that with the drift mode, you can slide the E63 around like a drift car. Besides that, it is also incredibly practical and spacious with every luxury feature there is.
3. 2023 Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid Sport Turismo
If you think that the Audi and Mercedes badge isn’t special enough, you can also opt for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid Sport Turismo. This car features the same engine found in the RS6, but with added electric motors that raise the power up to 700hp and 642lb-ft of torque which make it the most powerful car here.
3.2 seconds from 0-60mph is also a feat you’d expect from high-end 911 models, not a family station wagon. The quality of materials is better than with all other cars here, but the Panamera is the heaviest and most “old-man” type of car here.
4. 2023 Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake
If you want the craziest car you can buy, the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake is the one to get. This Jaguar is rear-wheel-driven while all cars here are four-wheel-drive. This makes the XFR-S the most fun to drive if you like cars with a loose rear end. The engine on offer is a thunderous-sound 5.0L V8 with 550hp and 502lb-ft of torque.
0-60mph takes 4.5 seconds which is a lot worse than all other cars from this list, but that is to be expected from a RWD car. The XFR-S also isn’t able to match other cars here for practicality and technology.
5. 2023 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo
If all of these sport wagons are a bit too ancient for you and you want electric power, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo is pretty much your only choice. The Taycan gets dual electric motors capable of offering up to 750hp in an over-boost mode which is enough to do a 0-60mph run in just 2.6 seconds which leaves all other cars here in the dust.
The range is about 200-227 miles depending on the model while luxury and quality of materials are second to none.
FAQ Section
Is a performance wagon better than a performance SUV?
A performance wagon is a car that retains all the practicality benefits and all the performance benefits as it is a car with a significantly lower center of gravity. This means that a sports wagon truly can be agile and handle really well while a performance SUV is always going to be an SUV.
This means a higher center of gravity which makes the car more prone to leaning into the corner which hampers agility. Moreover, performance SUVs are also heavier than performance wagons which makes them even slower.
Is a performance sedan better than a performance wagon?
Most people these days prefer sedans to wagons, especially in the performance segment as your performance wagon choices are limited to say the least. BMW is one of those brands known for making the best performance sedans on the market, but have abandoned making performance wagons for a while now.
The reality is that a performance sedan is usually better looking and more exciting while a performance wagon is more practical and family-friendly. As such, you should decide depending on what you value more.
Is the Audi RS6 available as a sedan?
The Audi RS6 used to be available as both a sedan and an estate, but the sedan version was discontinued when Audi came out with the RS7 which now serves as the pinnacle Audi Sport sedan. Audi believes that having two sports sedans with the exact same engine and transmission isn’t worth it.
