10 Of The Fastest Station Wagons Ever Built, Ranked
Fast station wagons are a serious object of desire for many gearheads. These days, a fast wagon can run rings around most older supercars while still providing plenty of practicality and daily usability for just about anyone. For the past 30 years, fast wagons have set out to solve that tired old issue of a two-car garage consisting of a sports car and a minivan. No more arguments with your significant other — with a fast wagon, you get both.
The genesis of the modern-day fast wagon can be traced all the way back to the early 90s with the Audi RS2 Avant. The RS2 was the first proper fast wagon, using the most powerful version of Audi's iconic five-cylinder engine up to that point. Ever since the RS2 Avant, tons of other automakers realized the potential of fast wagons.
Automakers are consistently pushing the limits of station wagons, and they're getting faster and faster by the second, thanks to more powerful engines, electric power, and in some cases, an item that can be seen as the wagon's Achilles' heel: aerodynamics. All of those factors combined have resulted in some truly quick station wagons.
10. Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain - 5.3 seconds
Despite European wagons never really striking a chord with American buyers, Mercedes' E-Class wagon has been doing well in the United States and Canada for decades. Until recently, the only way you could have the E-Class wagon in North America was with the slightly more rugged All-Terrain variant. Still, thanks to the 362 horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder under the hood, the E450 All-Terrain can propel you to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds.
That's great performance, especially considering that not only is the E450 a pretty heavy station wagon, it's also not explicitly a performance model. Still, it can keep up with a lot of sports cars and even outrun some hot hatchbacks. The inline-six under the hood also features mild-hybrid tech, so even with that zero to 60 time and that power output, 28 mpg on the highway remains possible. So it's just as efficient — if not even more efficient — as some of the most popular hot hatchbacks on the market.
What's more, you get copious amounts of storage for both people and things, some of the best tech in the industry, and a good old-fashioned rear-facing third row of seats. Unless you can find some leftover stock, this E-Class is no more, but it does make for a very interesting used car proposition. As we discovered in our review of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 4MATIC All-Terrain, it's the perfect blend.
9. Dodge Magnum SRT8 - 5.1 seconds
Generally, fast wagons are something everyone left to the European car manufacturers. They invented the fast wagon, and they're the only ones who continue to offer fast wagons even to the present day. However, that's not to say that American automakers didn't give the fast wagon formula a try. One of the more well-known examples is the Dodge Magnum SRT8. Borrowing its name from a failed muscle car from the '70s, Dodge's LX-based station wagon was powered by the 6.1-liter naturally-aspirated HEMI V8 engine, which allowed it to hit 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds.
The 6.1-liter HEMI is one of the most enduring powertrains in modern American car history, and it found a home in a handful of Mopar products throughout the 2000s. The most popular of these were the Doge Charger and Dodge Challenger, which everyone is already familiar with.
However, the Magnum SRT8 wasn't just geared for straight-line speed, like its ancestors were — it could actually hold its own in the twisty stuff, too. Plus, being a wagon, it came with all the space and carrying capabilities you might expect. Sadly, the Magnum SRT8 never took off, and Dodge would never revisit the fast wagon formula after it. Nowadays, it's a $25,000 muscle wagon, albeit one that will almost certainly go up in value.
8. Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake - 4.8 seconds
How many times has the term "unicorn car" been passed around? There are countless cars worthy of that moniker, and the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake is definitely somewhere on that list. Not only is it a station wagon from Jaguar — which has never had a particularly easy time selling wagons to any market — but it's also a wagon with a supercharged V8 making 542 hp, allowing it to reach 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.
It may not seem all that fast by modern standards and modern AWD performance wagons, but for a RWD-only wagon built a decade ago, that's a seriously impressive number. That's not even touching the XFR-S Sportbrake's top speed of 186 mph, in contrast to most of its competitors which were often limited to 155 mph.
This being a wagon, of course, the XFR-S Sportbrake was also more practical than its sedan counterpart, with up to 48mm of extra headroom and an expansive max cargo volume of 59 cu ft. Jaguars have always been a hard sell, and combining that badge with a high-performance wagon — which is a low-volume type of vehicle anyway — ultimately caused the XFR-S Sportbrake to flop. It was also never officially sold in North America, which is a shame.
7. Audi RS4 Avant - 4.1 seconds
After decades of fans clamoring for it, Audi finally began selling its flagship fast wagon, the RS6 Avant, in North America. Sadly, the smaller RS4 Avant did not make the cut, so it remains forbidden fruit for American buyers. The current RS4 Avant is a very impressive performance car despite using only a 2.9-liter turbo V6. Thanks to AWD and a healthy 444 hp, the RS4 Avant can rocket to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds.
The Quattro AWD system not only ensures supreme all-weather stability and capability, but also pin-sharp handling. Sure, most of the competitors now offer AWD, too, but the RS4 Avant was the only one to offer exclusively AWD for the longest time. It also has another feature that most of the competition doesn't really offer: an understated design.
While the new BMW M3 Touring is unabashedly bold, the RS4 Avant is very understated. In fact, to the untrained eye, it just looks like any other A4 Avant you might see parked outside a high-end condo in Central Europe. That's, of course, until it beats you in a drag race.
6. Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon - 3.9 seconds
While the Dodge Magnum SRT8 didn't win the hearts of many fast wagon fans, the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon certainly did — even if most of them didn't buy it. As Cadillac was getting serious about dethroning the European manufacturers in the fast wagon fighting ring with the second generation CTS-V sedan and coupe, it also put together a Sport Wagon. The 6.2-liter supercharged V8 under the hood allowed the CTS-V Wagon to reach 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds.
Remember, that's 3.9 seconds to 60 mph in a relatively large RWD-only station wagon. The LSA V8 under the hood of the CTS-V Wagon was boosted by an Eaton TVS supercharger for a total output of 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. It also allowed the CTS-V Wagon to reach a top speed of 185 mph, whereas most of its competitors were capped at 155 mph. The CTS-V Wagon also offered a six-speed manual transmission.
Despite seeming like a dream American muscle wagon, the CTS-V Wagon simply couldn't keep up. Not because of a lack of trying, but because North America never really fell in love with the fast wagon. This was also true of the Coupe version, and as a result, Cadillac would never revisit the alternate body styles after this generation. However, all this has meant that the CTS-V Wagon's depreciation curve is basically flat.
5. BMW M3 Touring - 3.4 seconds
While BMW tried to see what would happen if they paired the E46 M3 with a wagon body, the demand simply wasn't high enough for such a vehicle to be put into production. Fast forward 20 years, and there is now finally an official M3 Touring.
Sadly, the M3 Touring will remain forbidden fruit for American buyers, as BMW has decided not to offer it in North America. Power comes from the same 3.0-liter S58 inline-six, and as the M3 Touring is only available in Competition guise, which delivers 503 hp, the M xDrive AWD system, and an automatic transmission.
For the big fans of manual BMW M cars, that might seem like a shame, but this powertrain and drivetrain combo comes with one massive benefit: speed. Officially, BMW claims that the M3 Touring can complete the sprint to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Not exactly snail's pace.
But as it turns out, given the right circumstances, the M3 Touring can get to 60 mph in a significantly quicker 3.4 seconds. That makes it one of the fastest station wagons ever made, beating out not just the E63 S, but also that other fast wagon stalwart, the Audi RS6 Avant.
4. Audi RS6 Avant performance - 3.3 seconds
After denying North Americans their ultimate fast wagons for decades, Audi finally brought over the incredible RS6 Avant for the 2021 model year. Powered by a 591 hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, the sprint to 60 mph takes just 3.5 seconds. Of course, that was true of the original RS6 Avant, but now, Audi has gone one step further. For the 2024 model year, it has introduced the RS6 Avant performance.
Don't be fooled by the all-lowercase writing — the RS6 Avant performance is very much Caps Lock yell-inducing. The V8 has been turned up to 621 hp, which has brought down the zero to 60 mph time to just 3.3 seconds, which can embarrass some supercars. Depending on the conditions, it can be even faster. Being a luxury wagon, it's also comfy, it's packed with every last bit of technology you can think of.
In our review of the RS6 Avant, we found the car to be one of the ultimate expressions of a fast station wagon, and Audi did the right thing by bringing it over to the United States. It's really a shame that it's not too long for this world, as we're heading closer and closer to the electric future we've been warned about for the longest time.
3. Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon - 3.3 seconds
Back in 2017, Mercedes-AMG released the ultimate expression of the fast wagon: the AMG E63 S Wagon. Powered by a hand-built 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, the E63 S puts out 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, which powers all four wheels.
As you'd imagine, this gave the E63 S Wagon some serious shove. Despite weighing over 4,700 lbs, the E63 S Wagon completed the sprint to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. That means that, despite having five roomy seats and the option of a basket to hold certain bottled items in the trunk, the E63 S Wagon was faster to 60 mph than a Lexus LFA.
It's a shame that it's highly unlikely we will ever see another V8-powered Mercedes wagon again, but at least we can say, with confidence, that Mercedes gave the proven AMG wagon formula a proper send-off with the E63 S.
2. Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo - 3.0 seconds
Quite a mouthful of a name, but then this is quite the handful of a car. Before the Taycan came along, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid was a powerhouse of a luxury car. Thanks to its 690 hp plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain, the heavy Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo can sprint to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds.
That's impressive performance on its own, but then you remember the other parts of this car's name, and the deal gets even sweeter. For one thing, this is the E-Hybrid, which means you can achieve some relatively decent fuel economy figures if you're careful with your right foot and use the hybrid system correctly. It's also the Sport Turismo, which means it's not only more practical and spacious, but it's also what a lot of people claim the Panamera always should have been.
Despite the Panamera Sport Turismo seeming like the ultimate wagon — especially equipped like this — no one except the most die-hard fast wagon fans really fell head over heels for it. For the new fourth-generation car that Porsche revealed recently, it's back to sedan-only.
1. Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo - 2.7 seconds
For the longest time, Porsche has promised everyone that their electric cars will be just as thrilling and as capable as their gasoline-driven counterparts. The Taycan certainly proved this to be the case.
With either a single rear or dual-motor setup, the Taycan can put out anywhere from 321 hp in its most basic RWD single-motor form all the way to a colossal 761 hp in the top-of-the-line Turbo S version. The Turbo S version is also available as a rugged wagon, the Cross Turismo, which has the same setup with two electric motors and 761 hp. That's impressive enough on its own, but then there are the acceleration figures, which are completely mind-boggling.
According to Porsche, the Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo, given the right circumstances, will accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds. That makes it easily the fastest accelerating station wagon, not just currently, but ever, easily making it the all-out winner. It's also very impressive considering that the Taycan is the first ever EV to feature a two-speed transmission, whereas basically every other electric car uses a one-speed gear reduction drive unit.