“The coolest wagon ever” is a phrase very seldom used until fairly recently. For many of us, the station wagon represented the lamest of the lame mom cars from our childhood. Although there have been many cool wagons over the years, we rarely ever cared. Lately, the wagon has been getting its propers more often from the automotive community; remember the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon from Bring a Trailer? Now, VW is coming correct with the 2022 VW Golf R Estate. It’s bigger, slower, and less three-pedal-y than the Golf R, but who cares? It’s a Golf R wagon!

The 2022 VW Golf R Estate is too cool for school

Before we get in too deep, MotorTrend reports that the Americans among us won’t have the chance to enjoy the 2022 VW Golf R Estate. That’s right. Unfortunately, the 315-hp Golf R wagon is to be jealously guarded by our European friends. 

With every passing year, we Americans feel we have done more to prove our worthiness of these hot European wagons, and year after year, we get snubbed and are sent to the automotive kid’s table. Alas!

What’s so cool about the Golf R Estate? 

Other than the fact it has “Golf R” and “Estate” in the name, only everything. The Golf R wagon is almost exactly what you’d expect based on the name; it’s a stretched Golf R. It has a 315 hp four-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive, and 60 cubic feet of storage in the back. This new VW wagon is killer from every angle. 

How does the Golf R Estate compare to the Golf R hatchback?

The Estate is obviously a bit bigger than the Golf R hatch. As a result of its newfound bulk, the Golf R Estate is also heavier and, thereby, a bit slower. The Golf R hatch can run a 0-62mph sprint in 4.7 seconds. The bigger Golf R wagon gets it done in 4.9 seconds. Considering it can hold way more cargo and tow nearly two tons, this 0.2 seconds is a very fair trade.

Aside from the size and speed trade-offs, another major difference may make the Americans feel a little better about the wagon snubbage; VW isn’t offering the wagon in manual. Our Golf R hatchback remains in the enthusiasts’ good graces by keeping the six-speed manual transmission. 

However, the 2022 VW Golf R Estate has traded in the third pedal for a set of floppy paddles linked to its seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This is a serious blow to the wagon enthusiasts. The Golf R has held out longer than most models as a bastion for three-pedal car nerds. It’s sad to see it conform to the automatic world. 

We’ll just have to dry our tears with the Golf R hatchback paperwork

While we may revel a little in the fact that the Estate won’t come in manual, we are still sad to not be getting such a cool model on this side of the pond. However, the Golf R hatchback should be able to mitigate our jealousy a bit. 

This newest Golf R hatchback will be quite the riot and is definitely one of the coolest wagons ever. We should have our hands (and feet) plenty full with the lighter, manual turbocharged 2.0-liter hatchback, which also makes 315 hp.