Automakers may have pulled the plug on wagons in America – well, to some extent – but that doesn’t mean they’re boring vehicles by any means. In fact, if you’re ready to splurge a sizeable amount, you can get some fantastic offerings like the Audi RS6 Avant.

To prove to you that wagons can be serious fun, the folks at Carwow brought three Germans on the frag strip - an Audi RS6 C6, a BMW E61 M5, and a Mercedes-AMG E55. Which wagon do you think will win?

Three Big Engines, But Completely Different From Each Other

The Audi RS6 C6 is powered by a Lamborghini-derived 5.0-liter, twin-turbo V-10 that dishes out 579 ponies and 479 pound-feet of torque. It is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox and a Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It weighs 4,464 pounds.

The BMW E61 M5 comes with the legendary 5.0-liter V-10, but is devoid of any turbochargers. It churns out 507 horses and 384 pound-feet of torque. This naturally-aspirated engine is paired to a robotized, single-clutch manual gearbox with seven speeds. All the oomph hits the ground via the rear wheels. The wagon weighs 4,145 pounds.

As for the Mercedes-AMG wagon, it features a 5.4-liter, V-8 supercharged engine under the hood. The power outputs are rated at 476 horses and 516 pound-feet of twist. Power is routed to the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic gearbox. It is 65 pounds heavier than the BMW, weighing in at 4,210 pounds.

The wagons went up against each other in three drag races and three rolling races in different settings and modes. The twin-turbo and the all-wheel-drive combination of the Audi was no match for the Mercedes and the BMW in any of the six races. The latter could’ve had a close race, but the horrible SMG ‘box proved to be the culprit every single time.

What Is The SMG?

So, the BMW E60-gen M5 came with a fantastic V-10 engine, but the whole experience was single-handedly brought down by a gearbox. The automaker offered the engine with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed, single-clutch Sequential Manual Gearbox. The latter was the predecessor to the dual-clutch gearbox that BMW makes use of. There was no problem with the shifts, per se, but go hard on the A-pedal and the gearbox would take too much time to think which gear to slot into, thus making the shifts annoyingly sloppy and jerky.

Folks who are in the market to pick a pre-worshipped E60-gen M5, make sure that you stick to the manual gearbox if you want to get the best from the engine.

Do you think the BMW wagon could’ve done better if it not for the horrible gearbox? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.