http://www.dailyturismo.com/2020/02/the-third-newman-letterman-v8lvo-1995.html#more
Bought this in October. 2015.5 V60 T6 R-Design with Polestar flash. AWD, built in dog net to keep pooch in the way back. 325hp/354tq. Flys under the radar and can tow 3,900lbs.
Everyone keeps recommending a Mazda 5 but it has serious side impact safety issues and the guy wants a safe car and a non-fwd car.
CTS wagon?
In reply to Dave M :
Say what? The 5 has full side curtain airbags and tested great when it was new. I have personally walked away from getting t-boned by a new Explorer going 40 in my first 5. I have never heard of collision issues with it.
My B6 Passat VR-6 4Motion wagon will embarrass most of the cars listed. Huge interior, acceleration that embarrasses most cars, and handles well enough to raw time half the field at our talented local autocross.
VW reliability......mine has 155k miles on it and fires right up every time. Maintenance has been surprisingly light.
Dodge Magnum, isn't it the last of the rwd true wagons? If fwd is an option, there is the Volvo C30..or V50 with awd
nimblemotorsports said:Dodge Magnum, isn't it the last of the rwd true wagons? If fwd is an option, there is the Volvo C30..
iirc you can get them in awd as well.
LeonV said:captdownshift said:LS swapped Volvo 960 wagon is the answer here.
I like the way you think! I've honestly considered it. But if I couldn't pull off an S62 swap in my 540, I have even less chance of pulling off an LS swap in a 960.
I'm here to help, were, enable:
Buick Regal Tour X? (and crank the boost)
CTSV wagon would be my first choice.
Next up would be some sort of Volvo Benz or the Saab 9-3x although the obscurity of the 9-3x could be challenging over time
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a17136/2012-saab-9-3x/
What great commentary, keep 'em coming! Loving the ovlovs but I don't think I can do a car as old as the 960 at this point. They were safe back in the day but modern cars have a couple decades of development on them now. Plus the smog laws in CA will make LS swaps an even more laborious affair.
@KyAllroad, I have a coworker with the same car. We have a bit of a wagon appreciation club (cult) at work, our goal is to consistently one-up each other. I'll be admitting defeat by getting the same car as him but realize that it's a silly reason not to go for it. That VR6 with DSG is surprisingly peppy and sweet sounding.
The Mazda5 suggestions have me intrigued. It almost feels like a grown-up Honda Fit by your descriptions. My dad has an '09 Fit Sport with a manual transmission and while gutless, it's a totally utilitarian and surprisingly spacious car. FWD still gives me eye twitches but a competent powertrain and chassis may aid in the effort. I loved my old EM1.
I test drove a CTS-V wagon with the auto and didn't like it. I do however have a neighbor with a 6-speed V Wagon that I've been trying to catch for a ride. The cargo space is disappointingly small but maybe the gearbox can convince me otherwise.
I'm a bit allergic to cars with a lot of depreciation still left on the table. I'm thinking about the likes of the TourX, V90, and XF Sportbrake as options that I can try now but buy in 5 years. I do however wish I could afford a W213 E63 because 600+hp, launch control, and drift mode... ALL IN A STATION WAGON. Given GRM's glowing reviews, I take it that it's about as close to a perfect wagon as you can get.
In reply to LeonV :
...if only it wasn't a Mercedes.
What’s wrong with it being Mercedes? Costs?
I’ve been getting texts from the wife about how she’s tired of searching for a wagon and to just buy something already.
I just found a stage 3 Allroad for under challenge money.
What could possibly go wrong with that?
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:I just found a stage 3 Allroad for under challenge money.
What could possibly go wrong with that?
Uhhhhhh... :D
LeonV said:I'm a bit allergic to cars with a lot of depreciation still left on the table. I'm thinking about the likes of the TourX, V90, and XF Sportbrake as options that I can try now but buy in 5 years. I do however wish I could afford a W213 E63 because 600+hp, launch control, and drift mode... ALL IN A STATION WAGON. Given GRM's glowing reviews, I take it that it's about as close to a perfect wagon as you can get.
On depreciation, I paid just under $20K OTD on my V60, just under 5 years old with 41K miles on. The sticker price was right around $50K, I think that's pretty fair for a quick, unusual car, there were only three for sale in the country (with the Polestar flash) when I got mine.
In reply to LeonV :
Just as an aside and small history bit. The Magnum was built when Chrysler was owned by Mercedes wasn't it? Just like the 300 series at the time. So you are getting a Merc in Dodge clothing!
I vote 90's caprice/roadmaster/custom cruiser GM B-body wagon. V8, decent MPG, TONS of room. a little work and they can handle decently. Comfy on long trips, and did i mention room for days?
newer stuff....not much out there really. CTS-v is commically small as you have said. Magnum is also surprisingly small on the inside. no experience with the euro wagons however. generally steered clear due to reliability issues of them. Did consider an XC70 before i bought my current Caddy STS, but have heard the AWD can be a nightmare on them.
Old-ish AWD/RWD wagons? Finally something I slightly have interest in!
The choices:
CTS-V - Be prepared to pay a lot of money, even more for a manual. I find the appeal to really only be the drivetrain as I never cared for the looks.
2006-2010 BMW 5 series (E61) - You have two options, 06-07 for the 530xi which rarely got a stick, but was more reliable OR 08-10 for the 535xi which more likely got a stick, but less reliable due to twin turbos.
05-11 BMW 3 series (E91) - IIRC, the early E91 was the 325, later one was the 328. All years had the option of RWD or AWD and finding one with a manual is slightly easier than the 5 series counterpart.
Magnum - It's an old Dodge, but was RWD. Bright side? Interior, most exterior, and drivetrain can be swapped with a new Charger thanks to Dodge never actually updating the chassis.
Various Benz wagons - The newer ones are pretty, but expensive.
Volvo wagons - The V90 is absolutely gorgeous. V60 is also pretty decent.
Volvo/Audi - Honestly have never been a huge fan of either brand. Always looked too bubbly to me.
TSX wagon - Not AWD or RWD, but damn is it beautiful with the ever-reliable K24. Honestly have debated picking one up to replace the E61 as my DD and turn the E61 in to the project wagon. Seeing it with the Accord bits also makes it look better IMO.
Find the nicest manual Mazda 5 you can or a cpo Buick Regal Tour-X. They are roomier inside than they look!
@Adrian_Thompson sounds like a pretty good deal! How do you like the space and comfort of the V60, as opposed to your past vehicles?
@Mike924 that the platform came from MBZ doesn't matter, they put plenty of "special" Chrysler touches on it!
@FuzzWuzzy glad I have your attention!
I agree regarding the CTS-V, I'm just not sure it's worth the money given it's not great at wagoning. The powertrain is all the appeal, both exterior and interior styling don't really do it for me either plus I'd have to get rid of my E36 M3ty E39 M5 which I love very much.
I've looked at 2010 535xi with the auto recently and am aware of their maladies. The test drive revealed a surprising lack of BMW-ness, it had more of a Benz feel to it. The steering was quite slow and uncommunicative and the N54, at least paired with the auto, wasn't super inspiring to me. When I asked a BMW technician friend about how much it costs to fix "the big stuff" on those, his reply was "parts alone is worth the price of the car". Lol. I'd consider one but only if the turbos, injectors, and HPFP have been done at the least. That's not to mention trunk harness and module relo. The 6-speed manual can make it quite intriguing but pretty difficult to find as you say.
I'd probably take an E46 wagon over an E91 but the wife wants something newer. I'm considering an E91 but it's likely too small, it comes down to me wanting a big modern wagon that's not a Subaru Outback! The wife just wants to be done get another Outback and that saddens me...
Wife shot down the TSX wagon but that might just be car search fatigue settling in. She likes the idea of an XC70 but I'm struggling to find any. Ideally, I'd find an '11-up XC70 T6 but it seems people really hold onto them. It seems like it could be a nice compromise between the Germans and the Outback but I've only driven an '08 3.2 (meh).
Regarding Audi, it's tough to find an A6 Avant but I'm curious to drive one. I'm also begrudgingly coming back to looking at VW's as they have decent selection of interesting wagons. I don't see myself getting one but you never know...
Alright, what do you all know about the '09-'11 Audi A6 Avant 3.0t? I'm intrigued.
Mercedes R class? Some lunatic even got an AMG version approved for a couple years, and Mazdeuce has an intereting build thread for one of those.
Or take that '72 Malibu you wanted, add more modern seats, brakes, and 3 point seat belts. Should be easier than an M5 engine swap into a 540. 
Seriously, with the markdowns on the leftover TourXs still at dealerships you can buy new and not care about depreciation. I would at least drive one before you rule it out.
MadScientistMatt said:Mercedes R class? Some lunatic even got an AMG version approved for a couple years, and Mazdeuce has an intereting build thread for one of those.
Or take that '72 Malibu you wanted, add more modern seats, brakes, and 3 point seat belts. Should be easier than an M5 engine swap into a 540.
I can't find the time to simply rotate tires and change oil these days!
@oldopelguy you're certainly not biased... I kid! I haven't ruled the TourX out. I will say a huge peeve of mine is touch screens in cars. Pretty much most new cars have them, especially the "luxury" segment. Why oh why must everything have a touch-screen when haptic controls make so much more sense in a car!
You'll need to log in to post.
