There are many factors to consider when buying a car. For a daily car, things like space and comfort are often more important than driving pleasure, which in turn plays a greater role when purchasing a sports car. Fortunately, these factors are generally easy to combine. We have listed five fast station wagons for under € 20,000.
Fast station wagons can be interesting for several reasons. They combine practicality with a good portion of speed and driving pleasure, which is useful if you do not want to have two different cars in the driveway for those two purposes. Apart from that, it is often nicer to drive with a larger engine under the hood. Admittedly, you are more often at the pump, but you get a lot of speed and flexibility in return. The ‘fast station wagon’ comes in all shapes and sizes. For example, for under 20 grand you can already purchase an Audi RS6. However, it fits better in last week’s article in terms of its running costs. That is why we have limited our search to a category that is a bit milder on your wallet in that respect: current stations from the D-segment with an output of around 300 hp. We found these five copies.
1. Volvo V60 T6 AWD (2011) – € 18,900
This Volvo V60 could also have gone for a diesel with R Design package, but looks can be deceiving. Under the hood of this T6 is a 3.0 six-in-line with mechanical compressor, good for 304 hp and 440 Nm of torque. This allows the Swede to accelerate to 100 km / h in 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 250 km / h. The Volvo is not a razor-sharp driving iron. In a V60 it is especially good to relax on longer stretches thanks to the comfortable chassis and the comfortable seats. The V60 of this generation is known as relatively reliable. Many complaints are reported about the plug-in hybrids in particular, but the T6 does not suffer from that. An important point of attention is the machine. It needs new oil every three years, so check carefully whether this is also the case. This copy is for sale at Volvo dealer Harrie Arendsen in Zevenaar. The composition is fairly businesslike, but it is good in the options and still looks neat on the eye. The mileage is also nicely within limits at 163,146 km.
2. Audi S4 Avant B8 (2009) – € 19,950
The terms ‘Audi’ and ‘fast station’ are inextricably linked. For under 20 grand you could get in an RS model, but given the high maintenance and operating costs, you should have a decent war chest in that case. The S4 is a more affordable alternative. Moreover, the B8 still looks relatively modern today, even though it is already 11 years old. The S4 has a 3.0 V6 with supercharger, good for 335 hp and 440 Nm of torque. In terms of power, the Audi is quite similar to the Volvo. However, the S4 is quite a bit faster: the sprint to 100 km / h is done in 5.2 seconds, one second faster than the Swede. The S4 is known as relatively reliable. This copy is from an earlier year of construction, which means that problems with the water pump, the thermostat and the sunroof can occur. Furthermore, it is of course always important for these types of cars that maintenance is carried out correctly and punctually.
3. BMW 335i Touring E91 LCI (2008) – € 18,950
Don’t feel like four-wheel drive and do you need more sportiness than with both the Audi and the Volvo? Then this BMW 335i Touring with rear-wheel drive and M package might be something for you. The LCI (Life Cycle Impulse, facelift ed.) Has a 3.0 six-in-line with twin scroll turbo under the hood, which releases 306 hp and 400 Nm of torque on the crankshaft. A very pleasant block, which unfortunately has a somewhat larger list of possible defects. The fuel pump in particular is a vulnerable point. Regarding the driving characteristics, the 335i is the sportiest choice in this list. The copy that we have found is from 2008 and has 139,105 km on the clock. This 3 is also good in the options. Items such as seat heating, navigation, leather upholstery and a panoramic sliding roof are available.
4. Mercedes-Benz C 350 CGI Estate (2013) – € 19,950
To complete the ‘German Three’, Mercedes-Benz also offers a fast station that fits our criteria. The C 350 is the only car in this list that does not have a turbo or compressor, but has an atmospheric 3.5-liter V6. In terms of power, it is not inferior to the rest with 306 hp and 370 Nm. It is obvious that the torque of an atmospheric block is lower than that of a blown power source, but in this case the difference is not terribly large. The Benz keeps up with the rest in acceleration to 100 km / h with 5.9 seconds. This C-class is from 2013 and is the facelift of the S204. This model is known as reliable and because this concerns the facelift, the teething problems are generally also resolved. It has the AMG package, which makes it look just a bit tougher than the standard version. Furthermore, this copy has beautiful cognac-colored leather and options such as Comand Online, a blind spot assistant seat heating and a panoramic roof. It has been imported, so make sure that the maintenance history matches the stated mileage.
5. Opel Insignia 2.8 T OPC 4×4 (2009) – € 18,949
The three German station wagons in particular are quite obvious if you start searching with our criteria. The Opel Insignia OPC is a less obvious option, but no less fun! Under the hood is a 2.8 liter blown V6 spooned that is good for 325 hp and 435 Nm. Unprecedented numbers for an Opel! This copy is unique in this list for another reason, because it is equipped with a manual gearbox. When you shift perfectly, the Insignia accelerates to 100 km / h in 6.3 seconds and only stops at 250 km / h. The OPC of the facelift even runs 270 km / h. From the outside, the OPC can be recognized by the two exhaust chutes and the large wheels with ditto brake discs. Bucket seats have been fitted in the interior, but the dashboard does look a bit gray and dull. The Insignia is a pretty reliable choice, especially in the motor area you don’t have to fear much with the OPC. This copy from 2009 has 138,742 km behind and looks pretty neat.