The Audi BMW Wagon War Every ‘Cool Dad’ Wants In On

I’ll admit it upfront: I’m biased. I own an Audi RS4. So yes, I’m one of those guys who swears by the cult of the fast wagon.

But even with that bias, I’ll also admit the BMW M3 Touring in Machaite Green is one of the most formidable things you can buy right now. It’s sleek, it’s mean, and it drives like a dream.

Still, BMW can’t catch Audi when it comes to wagons. No matter how hard they try, they just can’t match the hype, history, and sheer cool factor of the RS4 and RS6.

Audi has been doing this for decades. It all started with the RS2 Avant in 1994, a Frankenstein creation built in partnership with Porsche. It looked like a regular family hauler, but under the skin it was supercar-quick.

That car lit the fuse.

By 1999, Audi had sharpened the recipe with the B5 RS4 Avant. It was powerful, practical, and almost understated in the way only a German wagon can be.

It set the tone for everything that followed: wagons that could carry the dog, the groceries, and still blitz Porsches on the autobahn. A car that worked for the school run but could also leave supercars embarrassed on the weekend.

It was dad-spec with bite.

The RS6 took things even further. It became the ultimate symbol of stealth wealth, a machine that looked like a commuter car until you noticed the swollen arches and heard the thunder of a twin-turbo V8.

The RS6 is the dad dream realised — a family wagon that could tow the boat in the morning and destroy an AMG in the afternoon.

BMW, to its credit, has had flashes of brilliance in the wagon game. The M5 Touring has always been a fascinating side project, particularly the wild E61 with its naturally aspirated V10.

That car was a true cult classic — if you were brave enough to own one.

But these were blips on the radar, not the long-running dynasty Audi was building.

The M3 Touring is different. It’s the car BMW fans have been demanding for years, and now it finally exists.

It’s a worthy rival to the RS4 Avant, and in Machaite Green it looks absolutely sensational. There’s a sharpness to the way it drives that will keep diehard BMW loyalists happy.

And I’ll happily admit, as an RS4 owner, I have a soft spot for it.

But here’s the difference. Audi’s wagons have generational pull.

The RS4 and RS6 are cars people grow up dreaming about. They’ve been on bedroom walls and desktop screensavers since the late ’90s. They’re embedded in car culture in a way the M3 Touring just isn’t.

BMW has only just joined the fight, and while they’ve built a brilliant car, they’re still playing catch-up.

Audi has also mastered the vibe. RS wagons aren’t just fast cars with big boots; they’ve become a lifestyle choice.

They’re the anti-SUV flex, the underdog choice for dads who want something powerful but not pretentious. They’re subtle enough to blend in, yet menacing enough to turn heads in the right circles.

That’s the magic BMW can’t buy, no matter how good the M3 Touring is.

Of course, the story isn’t over. BMW’s M5 Touring, which we’ll be driving in September, promises to change the conversation again.

But even if it delivers everything promised, BMW is still the challenger in a race Audi has dominated for thirty years.

For now, does the cult of the RS4 and RS6 remains untouchable? Or is it an even playing field?

And as someone who drives one every day, I can say with absolute certainty: this is the dad dream that never dies.