OWNING AN ESTATE CAR USED TO MEAN HAVING TO endure a dreary driving experience. That all changed in 1994 when the Porsche-engineered Audi RS2 sparked a trend for wagons that blend everyday usability with near-supercar levels of performance. Carry a family and their accoutrements one day, lap the Nürburgring the next – the super-estate’s do-it-all proposition is one we can fully get behind.
With advancements in powertrain technology bringing (relatively) economical engines with mind-boggling power figures, manufacturers have taken the genre to new heights in recent years, but a circa six-figure price tag remains a constant. Thankfully, though, depreciation doesn’t shy away from the fast estate. So, from the ultra-rare E61 BMW M5 Touring to the eccentric Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake, via Audi’s benchmark RS6 Avant and Mercedes’ distinctive CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake, we run down the best used super-estates you can currently buy.
Specification
Engine V8, 3993cc, twin-turbo Power 552bhp @5700-6600rpm Torque 516lb ft @1750-5500rpm Weight 1935kg Power-to-weight 290bhp/ton 0-62mph 3.9sec Top speed 155mph Price new £79,545 Value today From £30,000
AUDI RS6 AVANT (C7)
The quintessential all-weather fast estate car
NOT ONLY DID THE RS2 KICK-START THE SUPER estate sector, it was also the very first Audi to wear the RennSport badge. The original, V6-powered RS4 Avant continued that line in 2000, then two years later the larger RS6 arrived, initially with V8 power (the C5), then with a V10 (the C6), before returning to eight cylinders
