The AutoTrader Awards gather over 20 of Canada's top automotive journalists to vote on the best cars across numerous categories each year. They vote for standout vehicles they believe raise the bar and would be confident recommending to family and friends.
Frankly, there are no losers in the wagon segment. In fact, the segment has grown slightly over the past few years thanks to German automakers such as Porsche and BMW. The latter has just released the M5 Touring, and though it may be impressive in all regards, not even it could sway our jury from voting for the ultimate long-roof model: the 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant and its less spicy but still sweet sibling, the A6 Allroad.
The RS 6 Avant is the original Audi Sport vehicle, tracing its roots back to the legendary RS 2 Avant built with the help of Porsche in the 1990s. The RS 6's lineage is that of practicality, speed, and luxury. For all these reasons, it handily dethroned last year's winner, the Volvo V60 and V60 Cross Country. Don't get us wrong: We still love the Volvo, but it's not an RS 6 Avant…
For the 2024 model year, Audi introduced the performance iteration as the sole way to order the super-wagon – no one complained. This means that the "base" $150,000+ car's twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8 engine (with 48-volt mild-hybrid system) produces 621 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. Via the eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission and adjoining all-wheel-drive system, the hefty 5,000-lb wagon reaches 100 km/h from a standstill in only 3.4 seconds. Although the new M5 Touring is blessed with a colossal 717 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, it needs 0.2 seconds more to hit 100 km/h, or about a week in boasting terms.
It's not just about outright speed, either. The 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant also does what its arch-nemesis, the Mercedes-AMG E-Class wagon, can't (and not just because it’s been discontinued). As part of its credo, Audi Sport designs cars that are not only blisteringly fast but also especially easy to live with. The RS 6 Avant features a standard RS-tuned adaptive air suspension that provides the car with the ability to deal with bombed-out downtown roads and your favourite track with ease. For those outings, the wagon calls upon powerful and massive 10-piston front calipers to slow the car before aiming for an apex. And then, there are options to make it do more such as the optional Dynamic ride control suspension and ceramic brakes.
And we're just getting started. The 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant visually punches you in the gut with its uber-wide front flares and haunches, huge single-frame front grille, and standard 21-inch wheels. The car's cabin is beautifully presented with all the desired technologies, with room for five along with a big cargo hold for all your stuff. The RS 6 can be further personalized from here with Audi exclusive customized paint finishes, numerous wheel designs, and interior RS Design packages.
Truly, the 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant is a car like no other. While BMW, Porsche, and Volvo offer remarkable wagons, none tug at our heartstrings like the Audi. Its exclusive nature, civilized on-road manners, power, and drop-dead good looks make it our favourite in this wonderful category. And if a performance wagon isn’t your style, the more easy-going and rugged A6 Allroad offers all the same luxury, practicality, and refinement but with more capability off the beaten path.