The 10 best fast estate cars to buy in 2024

BMW M5 Touring

We were slightly ambivalent when we drove the new BMW M5 saloon, a car whose outrageous power and pure-electric ability is tempered by a hefty 2,510kg kerb weight and a drivetrain that can, at times, feel a little too clever for its own good. But as a Swiss Army Knife Touring – a practically booted car that can roll its sleeves up for family duties while still being loads of fun when the family's not around – it's a far better match.

Like choosing a top-of-the-range penknife, adding hybrid power to the M5 simply adds another string to its (already well-strung) bow; its 40-mile electric range will be enough to get most to work on cheap battery power alone. But, sparking the M5's 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 727PS (535kW) and 1,000Nm (737lb ft) of torque into life brings all the fun, – getting the M5 from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 189mph. BMW has done a surprisingly good job of disguising its super estate's weight, though it's definitely not a lightweight sports car.

Mercedes-AMG E53 Estate  

With the once V8 C63 reduced to a quick but joyless hybridised four-cylinder (with a tiny boot) and, as yet, no E63 version of the new E-Class available, Merc's fast-estate-car duties fall to the new AMG E53 Estate. Now, we'll get this out in the open straight away: the E53 is not a pure AMG product, and it doesn't feel like one, its chassis lacks the adjustability of the breed, and while its six-cylinder engine is more tuneful than the C63's 'four', it's not a patch on old E63's 4.0-litre V8.

But, as a very plush, very practical wagon – which is also very fast – the E53 is hard to argue with. In fact, with 612PS (450kW), it is just as powerful as the old E63 S, getting it from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. Cornering performance isn't quite as impressive as the estate model does without the saloon's four-wheel steering, but this is easier to forgive in a car that's not supposed to be a full-fat AMG.

Mercedes-CLA CLA45 Shooting Brake

While the rest of the Mercedes-AMG range might be going a bit soft (in the character department, if not their on-paper figures), the CLA45 Shooting Brake is a welcome reminder that Mercedes hasn't lost the art for building savage estate cars. We'd bet the house that a CLA45 Shooting Brakes combination of relatively small dimensions and modest weight would be too much to handle even for AMG royalty like the old C63 and E63 on the twists and turns of British A and B roads. That probably should be a surprise. 

The A45's 2.0-litre produces a staggering 420PS (309kW), enough to launch this small estate from 0-62mph in 4 seconds and will keep going until it hits 168mph. Unlike the old A45, the new model's four-wheel drive chassis can switch from mild-mannered and predictable, to surprisingly lairy with a few button presses of the car's drive select, adding a depth of character that was missing before. 

Peugeot 508SW Sports Engineered

The German giants aren't the only ones slowly hybridising their performance estates; Peugeot is in on the action, too, with the 508 SW Sports Engineered. It combines a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors to give us a 360PS (265kW) four-wheel drive estate car that can get from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds and is limited to 155mph. The Peugeot puts in a decent shift in corners, too. At 1,895kg, it's not overly heavy for a hybrid, and you can adjust its amplitude in corners thanks to the rear electric motor. 

When you're just trundling from A-to-B, the 508's real-world 20-mile electric range can translate to significant savings on petrol if you have a short commute, and its estate car body is practical enough for family duties. Sharp looks on the outside carry through to the cabin, although the interior feels cheap in places, and the infotainment system isn't one of the best. 

BMW M3 Touring

The BMW M3 Touring is one of the most rounded performance cars you can buy, just so long as you can get along with its goffer-tooth looks.  The world (or at least we) worried that the new M3 would be a tank of a car with a four-wheel drive system that squeezed out all the fun. But we were wrong.

The M3 does a fantastic job of hiding its heft, with a four-wheel drive that permits drifting and a turbocharged straight-six that can keep far less practical cars honest on the straights. Driven sensibly, though, the M3 has oodles of grip, is quiet and comfortable and has a plush cabin; another which fits the description of as Swiss Army Knife of the performance car world.  

Audi RS6 Avant GT

Even in the hyper-fast estate world (not known for being shy and retiring), the Audi RS6 Avant is an outrageous-looking thing that could easily have come from a tuning house, not directly from Ingolstadt. Audi's answer to the old BMW M5 CS is even more lairy looking than its Bavarian counterpart thanks to a body kit with stretched wheel arches and a vast, two-element rear spoiler.

The bonnet, wings and skirts are made from lightweight carbon fibre, while the standard model's cushy air suspension has been swapped for three-stage, manually adjustable coilovers. One thing that hasn't changed is the engine, and with 630PS (463kW) and 850Nm (627lb ft) of torque, we can probably agree that it didn't need to. It's good for 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds, with a limited top speed of 189 mph. 

The result is a car that feels sharper going into corners and more fun powering out of them, with body control and steering feel that the fantastic standard car hasn't got a patch on. Understandably, people will baulk at the car's £180,000 price tag, but Audi knows what it's doing, and all 60 cars brought to the UK have already sold.  

Volkswagen Golf R Estate

The Volkswagen Golf has cultivated a reputation for being a jack of all trades, and the Golf R estate simply adds to this repertoire with more boot space, four-wheel drive grip and all the performance you could possibly need. That equates to 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed limited to 155mph, unless you specify the optional Performance Pack that pulls top speed up to 168mph and adds the enticingly titled Drift mode to the car's drive select.

Not much will keep up with a Golf R, but because it has a seven-speed automatic gearbox and adjustable dampers you can soften as you wish. It's also very good at taking the pain out of the everyday. The car's midlife facelift only refines these qualities. Along with sharper looks, the Mk8.5 Golf R gets improved infotainment, better interior quality and a slight 10PS (7kW) power boost for 330PS (243kW) total. It remains one of the best all-around performance cars you can buy. 

Audi RS4 Avant Anniversary Edition

The Audi RS4 Avant has always been an excellent way to catapult the family and the dogs towards the horizon at speeds, frankly, none of the above will thank you for, but it has sometimes been found lacking in the character department. Enter the RS4 Avant Anniversary Edition that aims to inject the character back in while paying tribute to the RS badge that's been with us for 25 years, starting with the Porsche-fettled RS2. 

Audi's done a comprehensive job sharpening the edge of its small performance estate, starting by increasing the power by 20PS (15kW) to 470PS (346kW) total for 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds, 0.4 seconds quicker than before, onto an unlimited 186mph top speed. Audi worked on the chassis, too, lowering the suspension by 20mm, adding two degrees of negative camber to the front wheels and throwing in the standard car's optional Sport Differential for good measure. The result is a car that dynamically gets within spitting distance of a BMW M3 Touring and, with the optional Imola Yellow paint, the Audi is (unlike the BMW) eye-catching for all the right reasons.

BMW M340i xDrive

However, if you want a BMW M3 Touring without the gawky looks, your only option isn't just the Audi RS4 Avant Anniversary Edition; you could also consider the BMW M340i xDrive – the only standard 3 Series still available with a six-cylinder engine. The M340i xDrive feels like an expert example of right-sizing in terms of price and performance (as well as actual dimensions). With 380PS (280kW), the M340i xDrive has all the performance you'll ever need – it gets from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds and could easily exceed its 155mph limited to speed, yet it can also return 35mpg fuel economy.

Unlike 340s from the past, this car had also had input from the boffins at BMW's M division, who fettled everything from the car's e-diff to its springs, dampers, steering and exhaust. M even changed the car's suspension link and repositioned the pivot point of the brake actuator for an improved feel. Much like the Golf R, the result is all the car you'll ever need, only the BMW adds six-cylinder exotica and a significantly more premium feel. 

Alpina B3

While Mercedes AMG, Audi RS and BMW M have scooped up the majority of fast estate car sales since 1965, Alpina has been offering (often better) alternatives to the mainstream. And the current B3 is one of its best offerings yet. Like every Alpina, the B3 is designed for fast road work, so its M3-derived, twin-turbocharged 468PS (344kW) S58 engine is torque-rich – it develops 701Nm (516lb ft) versus the M3's 603 (443lb ft) – for effortless overtakes in the mid-range.

Alpina then turns its attention to the suspension, setting it up to provide a buttery-smooth ride that belies the car's rubber-band tyre profiles. Factor in a subtle body kit that'll pass under most people's radar and a speed limiter delete that means the B3 is good for a 188mph top speed, and Alpina's estate must be one of the coolest cars on this list.