Why buy an SUV when you could have a wagon? | My top 6 picks

$10,000-$20,000: Lexus IS 300 SportCross

Some will argue that this one's more like a hatchback version of the first-generation IS 300, but I say it deserves to be considered a wagon because how cool does a 2JZ-powered wagon sound?

Yes, it’s the naturally aspirated 2JZ, but thanks to a healthy aftermarket, there are options for adding more power and improved handling. You can also swap out the auto box for one of several different manual gearboxes.

Something you’ll only find on the SportCross? A staggered wheel setup: 7 inches wide up front, 7.5 inches out back.

• Cargo capacity: 21 cubic feet (rear seats up), 37 cubic feet (rear seats down)

$20,000-$30,000: BMW 328d xDrive Wagon

No manual was offered here in the U.S., but you could have one of these wagons in brown, and that counts for something.

Plenty of torque down low–peak torque starts at 1750 rpm–coupled with real-world mpg in the high 30s make for a well-equipped cruiser ready for trips across town or across the country.

If you look hard enough, you may even find one with the M Sport Package. This package offered customers Adaptive M Suspension, an increased top speed limit, unique 18-inch wheels and a more aggressive-looking Aerodynamic kit.

• Cargo capacity: 27 cubic feet (rear seats up), 61 cubic feet (rear seats down)

$30,000-$40,000: Volvo V60 Polestar

I’ve had a burning desire for this car ever since it came out–regardless of if there are more nimble sports wagons to be had–because it’s just an all-wheel-drive, long-roof oddball.

Built between 2014 and 2018, earlier models were powered by a (transverse-mounted) turbocharged inline-six mated to a six-speed auto, while later models were powered by a turbocharged inline-four backed by an eight-speed gearbox.

You could also have it in a very cool shade of blue, affectionately known by some as Swedish Racing Green.

• Cargo capacity: 28 cubic feet (rear seats up), 43 cubic feet (rear seats down)

$40,000-$50,000: Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

Is a used modern Porsche a wise investment? I’ll let you judge, but if I had fewer dependents in my life, I’d strongly consider taking the plunge.

Wagon-bodied Panameras, officially known as Sport Tursimos, appeared in the United States with the second generation. Most examples in this price range are the “entry level” model powered by a turbocharged V6 good for over 300 horsepower. (Open your wallet a little wider, and more powerful turbocharged V6s and V8s can be had, along with hybrid models.)

• Cargo capacity: 18 cubic feet (rear seats up), 49 cubic feet (rear seats down)

$50,000-$60,000: Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

When the CTS-V Wagon was brand-new, I recall seeing one with my father at a Cadillac dealership (the dealer was our designated service center after Saturn shut its doors). A sales associate on the lot told us, “Yeah, it’s fast. It’ll pass everything but the gas station.”

While I might have been too young to get the joke at the time, the CTS-V Wagon still stands as a special kind of hooligan, with the loud pedal mated to a supercharged, LS-based V8 rated at a monstrous 556 horsepower.

Like the V60 Polestar, it was built for only a few years (2009-’14), but unlike the V60–and every other option on this list–the CTS-V Wagon could be had with a genuine six-speed manual, even if they can be hard to track down nowadays.

• Cargo capacity: 24 cubic feet (rear seats up), 58 cubic feet (rear seats down)

$60,000 or more: Porsche Taycan Cross/Sport Turismo

Imagine being able to tell our younger self that in the future, people will be able to drive a Porsche with nearly 1000 horsepower. Exactly my point.

Add on the whisper-quiet road manners and the ability to launch from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds–in a wagon–and the desirability is easy to see (if not a little hard to hear approaching from a distance).

Most examples you’ll likely see available are the pseudo-off-road Cross Turismo models. Porsche still offers a Sport Turismo version, but only as a stupid-fast GTS.

• Cargo capacity: 14 cubic feet (rear seats up), 41 cubic feet (rear seats down)