Is the C5 Audi RS6 Avant a Great Cheap Transit Van Alternative?

Buying an old cheap performance wagon is a great way to get a ton of speed and space on a budget. They’re also far more fun than driving something like a Ford Transit Van (nothing against Transit Vans, they’re great for what they are but aren’t particularly fun). In this old episode of Fifth Gear, we get to take a look at which old wagon is best — the C5-generation Audi RS6 Avant, Volvo 850R, or Subaru Legacy Spec B.

The C5 Audi RS6 Avant was a very cool car. It was not only the first RS6 Avant ever made but it was one of the first wagons to ever properly challenge supercars. Its 4.2 liter twin-turbo V8 made 450 horsepower made it supercar-fast but it was also a rather complicated machine. So while you can find C5 RS6 Avants for relatively cheap, their repair bills might set you back.

Among the three cars, the Audi RS6 Avant is likely the most fun to drive and the fastest but it’s also the most expensive to buy and own. However, despite that high cost, it will also provide a fantastic experience and likely go up in value over the years, as it’s the first RS6 ever made.

Obviously, this episode poses a bit of a tongue-in-cheek question, as no one is going to cross-shop a Ford Transit Van and a C5-gen Audi RS6 Avant (or a Volvo 850R and a Subaru Legacy Spec B, for that matter). It’s just a fun way to say that, instead of a van, you can buy a cheap, used, fast wagon for far less money, have more fun, and still have a practical vehicle. Will it ever be as practical as a Transit Van? Of course not but it will be a lot more fun, even if it’s a bit financially unwise.