The Wagon Isn’t Dead, It Just Got Fast

Since the rise of the SUV, station wagons and performance wagons have become a niche here in the U.S.A. We once had a plethora of station wagons for sale that were family favorites for road trips, popular with garage monkeys, and provided us with a conveniently-sized alternative to an SUV, but today, the market is dwindling.

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  Base Trim Engine

  4L V8 Hybrid

  Base Trim Transmission

  8-speed automatic

  Base Trim Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

  Base Trim Horsepower

  621 HP @6000 RPM

  Base Trim Torque

  627 lb.-ft. @ 2050 RPM

  
  

  
  

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  Base Trim Engine

  4.4L V-8 Hybrid

  Base Trim Transmission

  8-speed automatic

  Base Trim Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

  Base Trim Horsepower

  577 HP @5600 RPM

  Base Trim Torque

  553 lb.-ft. @ 1800 RPM

  Base Trim Battery Type

  Lithium ion (Li-ion)

  
  

  
  

While there aren’t many wagons for sale in the U.S.A. this year, there are a couple of performance wagons produced by two German heavyweight brands that prove that, despite their lacking numbers, they are still an epic choice for those of us looking for intense performance guts and everyday usability. Both of these German performance wagons blend the sports car market with the mainstream vehicle market and have seen sales fly up in the first half of this year.

Sales Figures Are Up For Both Of These German Wagons

Leading the pack in available performance wagons this year are the 2025 Audi RS6 Avant and the recently introduced 2025 BMW M5 Touring. Both are performance animals and versatile enough for everyday use; they encapsulate the spirit of European sports cars, and both prove that there is life in the performance wagon/station wagon market yet. We are not surprised that both Audi and BMW have reported that these epic wagons have seen a huge increase in sales this year.

BMW M5 Touring Is More Popular Than The M5 Sedan

CarBuzz|Jared Rosenholtz

While specific sales figures for this year’s BMW M5 Touring have not yet been released, Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M, has said that there is currently a higher demand for the Touring than there is for the M5 sedan. A model that always looks pretty unshakable in popularity here in the U.S.A.

The M5 Touring is the first BMW M wagon to be sold on our shores since the discontinuation of the BMW Z3-based M “Clownshoe” shooting brake wagon that was discontinued in 2002. What is more impressive, and shows that this awesome German wagon exceeds what was expected of it, is that it has a starting price of $123,900, whereas the M5 Sedan, which van Meel says is being overshadowed, has a slightly lower starting price of $121,900.

Low Sales Numbers For The Audi RS Avant, But It’s High For The Price

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This year’s Audi RS6 Avant is also seeing a huge increase in sales. According to Automobilwoche, orders for the new Avant have increased by 41 percent over orders from this time last year. To get your hands on one, the starting price is $125,800, while prices can reach up to over $200,000 with added options. This year’s iteration is based on the outgoing Audi A6 wagon (which is tipped to be losing its ICE motivation next year), but is a lot more juiced up, and the RS6 itself is near the end of its lifecycle before a refreshed model is due to hit the market next year.

The Two Powerhouse German Wagons

So what is so good about both of these performance wagons that means people are lining up in their droves to get behind the wheel of one despite their luxe pricing? When it comes to the Audi RS6, it may be down to the fact that this year’s model is the last of its generation before it turns into the 2026 RS6 Avant Performance, which will include some changes and a higher starting sticker price of $130,700, or it could be that, for fans, there is an enduring pull to an Audi wagon.

For the BMW M5 Touring, maybe drivers have seen that you can have the best of both worlds (performance and utility) outside the performance SUV market in a unique package that is seldom seen on our roads, plus we haven’t had them for that long, so maybe people are waking up to them. A simpler explanation could be down to how both models perform, though. They are both proper ‘Kraftpakete’.

2025 Audi RS Avant GT Performance Specifications

Boasting a front-mounted TFSI V8, this beast of a mill has its twin-turbo setup nestled in the ‘V’ to reduce lag times; direct fuel injection provides rapid fueling; a 48-volt mild-hybrid helps to ensure smooth and efficient firing, and everything is mated to a Tiptronic eight-speed auto box and the legendary Quattro all-wheel drive system.

In short, the RS6 Avant is more than set up to take on almost any road or loose stuff, within reason, at intense speeds and in a very athletic manner, but the M5 Touring takes things a bit further. You get a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood as well, but instead of it being mated to a mild-hybrid system, you get a plug-in hybrid system.

2025 BMW M5 Touring Performance Specifications

The V8 utilized in the M5 Touring is also a “hot-vee” and boasts twin scroll turbos, Double-VANOS on both the intake and exhaust camshafts, VALVETRONIC variable valve lift, and BMW’s fifth-gen eDrive plug-in 145-kW rig, which kicks out 206 pound feet of torque initially, and then, a pre-gearing stage increases the eDrive’s torque output to 332 pound feet alone. That means you get instant torque at slow speeds, a real boost to the turbocharged V8, and up to 25 miles of all-electric driving from a full charge.

What You Get From The RS6 Avant And The M5 Touring

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The debate is hot over whether the BMW M5 Touring or the Audi RS 6 Avant is the ultimate performance wagon on sale this year, but from where we’re sitting, both are epic. The best M Models are incredible, and the most prolific RS models are equally great, but when you stack these two German wagons up next to each other, it is very hard to crown one of them the leader of the performance wagons. It does, though, show exactly why both of these performance wagon weapons are becoming very popular here in the U.S.A.

Track-Ready Additions And…

BMW

The Audi RS Avant may look like an aggressive family car, and it is, but its true talent lies in its track and canyon carving abilities. It showcases RS-tuned adaptive air suspension, which reacts to how you are driving and the road surface below you, lightweight carbon fiber components that both keep the weight down and keep you planted on the road, and a sport rear differential that sends torque between the rear wheels and keeps you stuck to the floor.

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The RS6 Avant also comes equipped with a dynamic steering system that offers precise feedback and reacts to the Avant’s speed and road conditions, the Quattro AWD setup, and an RS Sport exhaust system that boasts twin oval tailpipes, letting everyone know that this wagon is meant for business with a very distinctive V8 rumble.

The BMW M5 Touring also comes with a lot of toys that make it worthy of the “M” badge, and includes the M xDrive AWD system, which distributes power between all four wheels to keep you planted, an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission, which offers lightning changes, optional M carbon-ceramic brakes, and Adaptive M Suspension.

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To top it all off, the M5 Touring also comes equipped with Integral Active Steering, which adjusts the steering angle of the rear wheels to give you a lot of maneuverability at slow speeds and a lot of stability at high speeds.

Everyday Usability That Is Worth The Price

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As a general rule, wagons are slightly more versatile and handy than sedans, and that’s what makes both the RS6 Avant and M5 Touring so alluring; they can both pack a huge punch and still handle the everyday stuff. Both models feature seating for up to five people, but the interior dimensions differ slightly.

Interior Dimension Specifications

There is a slight trade-off for more luggage space in the M5 Touring in the form of tighter rear seats, and rear seat RS6 passengers will have a bit more room. But, if you are looking for a very stylish and versatile sports wagon with more horsepower and oodles of space to lug things around, the M5 would be the one to check out. Both models are well set up for everyday luxury driving and the tech side of things. The RS6 comes equipped with features including:

• Dual Touchscreen MMI Touch Response System (10.1-inch upper screen and 8.6-inch lower screen)
• An RS-specific virtual cockpit (12.3-inch digital instrument cluster)
• Leather upholstery
• Microsuede accents
• Contrast stitching
• A very athletic-looking finish

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The M5 is not left behind here, and arguably, you get more for your money. Inside is the Curved iDrive 8.5 Display, which incorporates a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch central touchscreen, an M-specific steering wheel, a Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System, and M multi-function front seats.

Are Wagons Coming Back Into Fashion In The U.S.A.?

BMW

With a clear-cut blend of sporty and everyday usability, we can see why both of these performance wagons are so sought-after at the moment. We’d love to see the wagon market be as successful as it is in Europe. However, it doesn’t mean that wagons are necessarily making a massive comeback here in the U.S.A.

While there has been some movement in the last few years with increasing sales, and we could potentially see a resurgence of the long roof, SUVs and trucks are still way ahead in sales. Last year, there were a total of 216,000 wagon sales in the U.S.A.; there were 9.17 million SUV sales, and 12.9 million pickup truck sales.

While there is no denying that both the Avant and the Touring are exceptional wagons, they do both represent a bit of a niche in the performance market for people with a high budget and are happy to spend over $100,000 and potentially over $200,000 on something a little different. The RS6 Avant is coming to the end of its life cycle as we know it, and the M5 Touring is in its infancy here in the U.S.A., so both make for great collector’s buys.

Other Station Wagons You Can Buy In 2025

William Clavey | TopSpeed

If the $100,000+ sticker price is slightly out of budget for a new wagon, there are still a few more we can mercifully get in the U.S.A. They aren’t nearly as impressive as either of the two German powerhouses that we have looked at in terms of performance, but they do still offer a lot of versatility and a more convenient size than a truck or SUV.

Modern Wagon Specification Comparison

After some back-and-forth rumors, it has been confirmed that we won’t be getting the BMW M3 Touring after all, and we also won’t be getting the Audi RS4 Avant, both of which would be cheaper than the M5 Touring and the RS6 Avant, and still have a lot of performance grit behind them.