Monster Wagons Compared: E 63 AMG vs RS 6 Avant vs Taycan Cross Turismo
Two enthusiast-darling V8s go head-to-head with a visit from the future of the segment
Brian Harper: I don’t know if your kids were into dinosaurs when they were younger, Peter, but that’s what we’re driving in this comparison — dinosaurs, and the biggest, most rapacious versions of them; the automotive equivalent of the T. rex.
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The Audi RS 6 Avant and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4Matic+ are station wagons, albeit nothing like the wagons that dominated suburbia in the 1960s and ’70s when you and I were growing up — my family’s lineup included a series of Jeep Wagoneers as well as my mom’s light blue Plymouth Volare, sans woodgrain.
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The wagon was all but killed off by the minivan boom, which in turn was decimated by the sport-ute, at least here in North America. The Europeans, however, haven’t completely abandoned wagons for the crossover craze. And these two rare beasts are what the Germans like to call sportswagens , essentially sports cars — with big engines, big power and big price tags — doubling as family transport. I know I should be more enlightened, but I can’t help myself; the RS 6 Avant and the Merc-AMG 63 have me backsliding into hooligan mode. You?
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Peter Bleakney: Absolutely, Brian. I freakin’ love these things, just because they’re so fabulously ridiculous. And I am a wagon guy — my dad always bought station wagons, and presently I’m the proud owner of a 2005 Volvo V70. But while my wheezing Swedish packing crate is only packing 165 horsepower, these Teutonic terrors more than triple that apiece. Both are motivated by 4.0L “hot-vee” bi-turbo V8 engines — the AMG making 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque while RS 6 manages to liberate only 591 stallions and 590 lb-ft. Nonetheless, that’s enough firepower to pin my Golden Retriever to either rear window or send a Billy bookcase right through the glass. Both these practical domestic haulers will blast to 100 km/h in a tick over three seconds.
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But what is this? I see an interloper swooping in from the future. It’s silent and deadly and it’s called the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo . It is wagon-like — more of a shooting brake, actually — and, incredibly, possesses a turn of speed and handling that makes these gas-sucking dinosaurs appear like, well, dinosaurs. I think I’m still suffering vertigo from its 2.8-second blitz to 100 km/h. Is this thing even allowed to play here? And wow, I thought we needed deep pockets for the Audi and the Mercedes.
BH: You’re spot on about needing deep pockets. The RS 6 Avant puts a dent in your Amex Black Card to the tune of $123,200, the E 63 S a slightly higher $127,900. And that’s the base price, never mind our well-optioned testers. Yet the Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo’s starting price of $218,000 is a whole new level of conspicuous consumption.
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Still, putting aside the whole internal combustion versus EV debate for the moment, the commonality to all three of these machines is the whack of technology that not only makes them ridiculously fast, but also gets them around corners at highly imprudent speeds, and stiffens up or softens the suspension as is your wont. And, unlike the higher-end Range Rovers, G-Wagens and other Euro sport-utes that are somewhat common in and around my neighbourhood, this Teutonic trio is the very definition of the word “rare.” You’re unlikely to run into another one in the Tim Hortons drive-thru.
But what does our millennial friend Elliot, who interrupted our baby boomer wagon lovefest with the Porsche, think?
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Elliot Alder: Wagons are great, and that’s that.
When it comes to muscle, there’s really nothing quite like the RS 6 and E 63S AMG. This praise isn’t simply a response to their unchallenged presence in our market, but an honest assessment of their strength in hauling families and hauling ass alike. Cost aside, these are functional, usable all-wheel-drive vehicles with a wickedly fun side.
With that in mind, I am accepting that our time with the fossil-powered behemoths is nearing its end. Yes, I want to know how the Merc and Audi stack up — but I also want to know whether there’s hope for the future of the hobby.
To be sure, Taycans don’t necessarily have to exceed $200k. One step below this Turbo S, the still-costly $178,000 Turbo Cross Turismo registers dyno-comparable figures of 616 hp and 3.3-second acceleration; $128k gets you a 4S, good for 562 hp and 4.1 seconds. But in the spirit of the others’ flagship status, it seemed appropriate to bring in the top dog from Porsche as well.
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I thought this contrast would be a good idea, but I think I’ve just gone and ruined it.
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PB: Well, Elliot, I think you just did. What does it take to make a 3.5-second (to 100 km/h) station wagon seem slow? A 2.8-second ‘wagon’ that, when stomping the accelerator from a standstill, blurs the vision and has you crying for your mama. Okay, that was just me, but holy mother of pearl this Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo is a whole new definition of fast. But for now, let’s park the assassin from Zuffenhausen and look at the V8 wagons.
To my eyes, the Audi kinda kicks the Mercedes-AMG’s butt when it comes to visuals. The RS 6 Avant’s salaciously swollen fenders draped over those 22-inch wheels are nothing short of scandalous. If you want to advertise the fact you have a very fast wagon, the RS 6 Avant complies. Conversely, the Merc-AMG looks relatively demure with its 20-inch wheels and standard E-Class sheet metal, but I must give kudos to this fab matte grey paint. Very classy.
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Jump inside and the scenario reverses. Yes, the Audi’s cabin is very well built, but it is dark, austere and not terribly interesting. Plus, I’m not a big fan of Audi’s new infotainment system that ditches tactile buttons and knobs for more digital real estate. Ah, but the E 63’s interior is a feast for the eyes, organically swoopy and here dressed up in very nice carbon-fibre. We still get a row of analogue controls for HVAC and the two massive display screens are pin sharp with wonderful graphics. I find the AMG seats to be better than the Audi’s too — more comfortable and offering better support. It feels expensive and special in here, which goes a long way in justifying the price.
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BH: You and I seem to be in sync with our opinion of the RS 6 and E 63S, Peter, though I have a higher estimation of the Audi’s cabin materials. Yes, it sports a more aggressive exterior design and offers slightly better ride and handling dynamics, but its infotainment setup with its menus and sub-menus is finicky and fussy at times, while Mercedes’ MBUX is dead-nuts simple to operate, even without having to call out “Hey Mercedes.” The Porsche’s cabin is, in my mind, far too spartan for its price. Like the Taycan 4S I tested this past winter, the Cross Turismo’s interior offers little sense of occasion, lacking anything bordering on luxurious.
Let’s not forget one important thing, though. The reason someone buys one of these sportswagens instead of their sedan counterparts is, presumably, the need to haul goods, whether it’s luggage, adventure gear, groceries or Peter’s Billy bookcases from IKEA.
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Looking at our trio from a utilitarian point of view, the Mercedes is the clear winner, with a commodious 640 litres of room behind the rear seats, 1,820 litres when the seats are folded flat. The Audi lags but still offers a usable 565 litres behind the rear seats and 1,680 litres when the seats are folded. The Porsche clearly likes its passengers to pack lighter, with 518 litres of room behind the seats, 1,388 litres with the seats dropped.
EA: What is this backwardness? I thought I, as the young’un, was meant to like the flashy, screeny Mercedes the best, but it’s bulbous on the outside and outright obnoxious within. Screens on the wheel? Really? I get that gimmicks sell cars, but that’s just silly. On the other hand, Brian raises a fair point with the Taycan’s interior — it’s superbly assembled, with tight dash seams and the straightest stitching around, but it doesn’t excite. The middle-path Audi really seems the ticket here, taking its modernity in measure.
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I’d like to circle back, though, to the question of where these things fit. You fellows have had a good run with internal combustion, but I’m disappointed to just be catching the end of the muscle-wagon era. The Taycan is spectacular, but the mechanical purist in me still wants the inconsistencies, vibrations, and deafening drones of these petrol-sucking machines. The free-falling sensation of a Taycan launch is a novel thrill, but equally stimulating is the anticipation of the Audi’s boost buildup, running a gear high into the revs until the torque multiplies and you feel that whoosh . It seems an endangered experience, and one that I’m scrambling to absorb as much as possible while I still can.
With all of this hand-wringing in mind, it nevertheless bears acknowledging just how spectacular the Cross Turismo is. It does the AMG sensory-overload stuff — but better. It does the RS 6 civility stuff — but better. We’ve heard plenty about the spectre of electrification and the death of enthusiast cars, but this Taycan takes everything that Tesla promised us about the future and follows through. Better still, it does so without the cult-of-technocrat, and without the roof blowing off.
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Turn the Taycan into Sport Plus, and it does all of the accelerator, suspension, steering, and auditory things you expect a performance Porsche to do. I’m left with mixed emotions, but ultimately feeling that we’re in good hands. Your thoughts, o’ wise ones?
PB: Before we get to our grand conclusion, I’ll make a few observations on the dynamic capabilities of these. Despite its somewhat subdued appearance, the Mercedes-AMG E 63 feels more hardcore than the Audi. It’s faster (marginally), louder, stiffer-riding, and plenty of tire and road noise invade the lovely cabin. Plus, you can decouple the front wheels and turn this thing into a rear-drive, tire smokin’ drift machine — not that anyone would, of course.
Conversely, the Audi RS 6 Avant does a much better job of playing the luxury card when it comes to ride quality and cabin serenity — even with its dead-sexy 22-inch wheels. With both gas-powered Germans, putting them into full attack mode is easy (Audi: press the RS button on the steering wheel; AMG: turn the drive mode dial on the steering wheel). From here, exhausts get louder, suspensions firm up, shift points get more aggressive, and things generally get a whole lot more entertaining.
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The Taycan, as would be expected, is a whole other kettle of fish. You sit sportscar low in the snug cabin, and dang, this thing drives like a… Porsche. It’s balanced, communicative, and eats up twisty roads like a 911. The AMG and RS 6 are sophisticated muscle cars; the Taycan is a cut-and-thrust silent rapier with sportscar pretensions. But does it qualify as a wagon? Not in the traditional sense, and Porsche themselves avoid the W-word. The hatch opening is small — I couldn’t even put my Golden Retriever in there. So… yeah, the witheringly expensive Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo is the outlier beamed in from the future here. But does it tug at our heartstrings like the two bellicose V8-powered wagons?
BH: No, the Cross Turismo doesn’t, but that’s okay with me. Over the past 40-plus years of testing cars, I’ve burned more than my fair share of high-octane benzin, and the fact I can get the same — if not superior — hooligan jollies without directly depleting our oil reserves gladdens my heart. Yes, the Porsche lacks the visceral sturm und drang of the Merc and Audi, sounding like the turbolift from the USS Enterprise, but I could get used to it — not so much its stratospheric price. As to my choice between the two internal-combustion über -wagons, I like the Audi just a little bit more than the Merc-AMG, though if I really needed the passenger room and luggage space I’d change my allegiance without a second thought.
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EA: Though it is tremendously entertaining, the Mercedes is a little too vulgar for my tastes. The gimmicky AMG may elevate the giggles to 11, but the RS 6’s 10 remain more than enough. But as you conclude, it would be hard to go wrong either way.
Petrol ‘FOMO’ would make the RS 6 my personal victor, but setting aside that personal baggage, the Porsche Cross Turismo is just so objectively excellent that it would feel disingenuous not to crown it. Charging becomes less of a hassle every day, and excepting cargo limitations (again — ’not’ a wagon), the daily utility, refinement, get-in-and-go convenience, and performance potential make this a tremendous vehicle across the board. A $128k 4S trim would be my pick, and though that would lag a half-second behind the other two, electric torque linearity introduces a well-compensatory sensation of speed that should leave it a non-issue. I’m no EV fan, but the Taycan really is that good.
Now, If it’s a hard call for us, just think of the experienced owners of these cars. I consulted two friends who had E 63s and then bought RS 6s, one of whom keeps both cars out of a reluctance to give up the AMG experience. The Mercedes is mainly his wife’s car now, and has been serving family duties for over seven years with only one notable hiccup (a defective driveshaft). They love them for their differences, and agree that it is hard to pick a favourite child.
Joining them at an RS 6 owners’ meet, however, I heard a twice-repeated refrain as others eyed the Taycan:
“If I had the money…”