What car? sleeper wagon

914Driver said:

Sleeper as in hot car in sheep's clothing or something to sleep in?

Sleeper as in deceptively fast.

In reply to EmmaLove :

Newest E61 is model year 2009. Those so seem cool. 

I hate Mercedes in general, but I actually think the highest-zoot Mercedes you can find with a decent history is your huckleberry here.  One thing Mercedes can make is monster engines.

ShawnG said:

Roadmonster wagon.

9C1 goodies fit, so does an LS and I bet an LSA fits under the hood.

Is it?  Not saying you're wrong but historically Cadillac hearses have been Cadillac Commercial Chassis from the firewall back - and almost everything is unique.

In reply to A 401 CJ :

Road master = b-body

9c1 = caprice police / taxi package.

Caprice =b-body

I don't think Buick Roadmasters were a commercial chassis but I could be mistaken 

E91 + LS swap (or N55 swap). Both swaps have been done, so there's precedent. My wife has a G8 GT and I am selling my E91 soon, so it has more than once crossed my mind to meld the two, haha. A high-miles, automatic E91 can be had just under $10k, so you could have a 400hp RWD wagon all-in for well under your budget. 

A b7 a4 2.0t and a couple grand in Golf R parts is a very very close match to what you're describing.  

Arould1974 said:

In reply to OHSCrifle :

Looking for a slick top, rear-wheel-drive sleeper wagon? Some good options might be Volvo for space or an Infiniti FX45 for height. Check out E series or Audi estate. Look for one with good service records, not known for issues. Hope this helps!

...this is some remarkable advice - sounds just like my original post. 

I love wagons but finding something that's a normal-ish price, somewhat quick, and not full of headaches is near impossible.

I immediately thought of the Jaguar as the best option, but that needs several more years of depreciation.

Everything else suggested seems like it barely has enough power to move out of it's own way and it's full of old German headaches.

CyberEric said:

Didn't Buick have a wagon recently? Was that t RWD? I don't think so...but can't remember for sure.
 

Regal Tour X. Nice wagon, but AWD and while acceptable for DD, not really "sleeper" performance.  250 HP in a fairly large car. 

The CTS-V with a 6MT would be my choice, but finding a clean one in your price range may be a challenge. 

OHSCrifle said:

Arould1974 said:

In reply to OHSCrifle :

Looking for a slick top, rear-wheel-drive sleeper wagon? Some good options might be Volvo for space or an Infiniti FX45 for height. Check out E series or Audi estate. Look for one with good service records, not known for issues. Hope this helps!

...this is some remarkable advice - sounds just like my original post. 

Pretty sure Arould1974 has discovered that the new limits on the edit button make it much harder to launch canoes via machine-rewritten posts. Only a machine could recommend Audis as 'not known for issues'.

I kept one eye on this one over the last few days. good looks. Luxury. Not a hot rod though - the AMG variety is more like 70k sadly. 
 

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rjR6OqZo/2011-mercedes-benz-e350-4matic-wagon

I kind of want a Peugeot 505 turbo wagon but I don't know if I could really recommend it with a straight face here.  I also don't know how many of them are still running in this country today.

The Audi S4 V8 isn't a great motor.  As others have pointed out, timing chains are an issue, but they also have major issues with burning oil and scoring cylinder walls.  Let's put it this way, I'm a huge Audi fan, have owned most of their models and at this point, I wouldn't buy one.  I'd go older and buy a B5 S4 with the 2.7tt motor, but those are 20 years old now and tend to drive like it. 

The best wagons are the E55/E63 AMG's, CTSV 6MT etc but I kinda doubt a good one will be found for $27k, more like double that...  Maybe look into a super SUV like a Porsche Cayenne Turbo or the like?

You might be able to find a high  mileage V60 Polestar in your budget, but they're few and far between. I've racked up nearly 25k trouble free miles on my base V60, but with 240hp it's far from a hotrod. I'd look  into importing a JDM wagon

I am waiting for a stagia (sp?) to hit the 25 year mark.  
 

Looks like they have hit the 25 year mark

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3vk0we0m/1998-nissan-stagea-260rs-autech

In reply to docwyte :

Good idea. A Macan is supposed to be good for tall people and have fantastic interior and drives nice. Thats kinda been my plan C. 

Not a sleeper but DAM.....

In reply to OHSCrifle :

Macans are nice, we get them as loaners when my wifes Cayenne goes to the dealer.  They're probably the best driving CUV out there, but they can't hold that much stuff or people.  I think the cargo area was smaller than my Golf R, just because the Golf was so much more boxy.

I have adjusted my budget downward to 18k and my analysis paralysis has me focusing on a 2017 Infiniti QX-50. 325HP 7spd auto.. an oversized G37. A lot faster than any car I ever owned and fairly strong at depreciation because Nissan and not great mpg.. but no CVT so I'm interested.

Anyone have access to recent Manheim auctions?

This is one that used to be the EX35/37. Anyone drive one? How is it? 

That sort of budget sounds almost like S211 E55 AMG money. The M113 engines are rock-solid, and although SBC is a concern, I wouldn't worry too much about it given the recent limited warranty extension.

The QX50 is an interesting idea, just keep in mind that Infiniti seemed to employ the same packaging team responsible for the fourth-generation Camaro.

Now, if a boss five-door liftback is even a remotely acceptable alternative, don't look up how hard Panameras have depreciated. Those price tags almost make the fear of bore  scoring seem like not a big deal.

In reply to G_Body_Man (Forum Supporter) :

Yeah I've been seeing a few early Panamera v8's for $20k ish lately. 

That's easy. You want a Mercedes-Benz (S124) 300TE wagon. Look for a 1990s model with 24-valve M104 inline six. The Getrag dog-leg manual gearbox from the 190E 2.3-16 is a direct swap. Multiple options for more power, if you need/want it.

With Euro headlights, a drop, and the right wheels, they look badass:

In reply to LanEvo :

Finding parts for the 24v m104 is getting hard. I have one in my 190e and a spare in my garage. Great motor when CIS-E is running right and you have spare unobtanium working EZL's lol