2025 Audi RS 6

Traditionally, Audi cars with alphanumeric names starting with A were for the mainstream buyer, S cars were sportier, and RS denoted the highest output and sharpest handling. As of last year, all RS 6 models are branded "Performance" and extend the envelope, boasting 30 more horsepower and even greater agility. This year there's a new limited-edition GT trim. An homage to the brand's late-1980s IMSA race car, the RS 6 Avant GT wears an aggressive aero package and eye-catching decals but coaxes not a single extra horsepower from the twin-turbo V8.

For a moment there, the RS 6 had the performance-wagon market all to itself after the demise of the Mercedes-Benz E 63 and Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. But a particularly fierce competitor arrives this year in the form of the new BMW M5 Touring. A 717-hp plug-in hybrid, it promises similar capability, supplemented or diluted — depending on your perspective — by 25 miles or so of electric range. If a hatchback is close enough to a wagon, shoppers should also check out the (not Sport Turismo) Porsche Panamera, which is available with anywhere from 348 horsepower to 771 horsepower.