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

I've been driving wagons off and on since I was 19 and had a kid. 

My favorites:

Malibu

Olds Custom Cruiser

And of course the Buick Roadmaster estate with the Vista Roof. 

And, my bad, lowered X1. Looked good enough that I stopped to take a photo. I was up in Jacksonville to see T.S.O.L. and the Circle Jerks. 

I see one of these on my commute periodically and 1) I forgot they existed and 2) they do look really good...  

In reply to David S. Wallens :

The Circle Jerks; whenever they come up I instantly think of the movie Repo Man.

As for TSOL............I seem to recall one of the group members telling the story of how he paid for an entry into a club by giving the doorman a pipe bomb. I think the story was in the movie The History of Punk Rock.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

As for TSOL............I seem to recall one of the group members telling the story of how he paid for an entry into a club by giving the doorman a pipe bomb. I think the story was in the movie The History of Punk Rock.

 

I could see that. 

I can dream, right?  I like this in a strange way.  Or, there is always the "Harold & Maude" Jag...

Is this a wagon, really?  I love the looks of the Ferrari and think they are even better in person.

I owned a Chrysler minivan with stow 'n go seats that folded flat into the floor - it was very useful for moving stuff around.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

If I remember the story correctly he had two; the Doorman wanted proof they actually worked. So he went down the street, to an abandoned garage or some such and lit one of them. After it exploded the guy took the other one and let him in.

Now that all hatchbacks are 4-doors (with maybe the Mini being an exception), how do hatchbacks and station wagons differ? Haven't heard the term station wagon (even in GRM) for many years.

elise1x said:

Now that all hatchbacks are 4-doors (with maybe the Mini being an exception), how do hatchbacks and station wagons differ? Haven't heard the term station wagon (even in GRM) for many years.

Does it have a fat C pillar or a C and D pillar with a window in between?

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Followed closely by the Clamshells of the 70s.

I like them too, but the clamshell tailgate was prone to failure.  My college roommate had a Chevy, and the tailgate got stuck half open in the middle of a subzero Minnesota winter.

elise1x said:

 how do hatchbacks and station wagons differ? 

In my mind the difference is behind the rear wheels

Hatch

Wagon

A hatchback is truncated while a wagon is sedan length

I've loved my wagons. Both manual transmissions, and would happily own either again if it made sense. Unfortunately I needed more vertical height inside for some of what I do, and needed off road and significant towing capability, so I have the Suburban now.

Honorable mention goes to the Tahoe Limited, it was lowered enough to be kind of a tall wagon. Unfortunately I got it stuck several times, which reinforced the off road need. 

I owned a 1981 Civic wagon for a about a year. The car itself was OK but I loathed the standard set up on the CVCC carb.

With that said having a wagon that got 40mpg was handy.

We enjoy our thoroughly enjoy our 2005 Dodge Magnum Hemi AWD wagon that we bought new and still drive daily. 177,000 miles and still runs strong. With the power of the Hemi in combination the AWD it drives great on the autox or road course.

In reply to Racingsnake :

Didn't know that Plymouth was allowed to cadge the Suburban nameplate!

I've owned a few wagons, and miss them dearly.  A 1994 Acoord EX that I converted to manual, that was a pretty fun car.  I definitely learned a lot about Hondas on that car, but ultimately sold it to prioritize family finances.

Down the line I bought a 2005 Legacy GT non-limited, also with stick, and subtle upgrades.  300horsepower was amazing, and WRX owners gave me the right of way.  The subtle hood scoop was perfect, along with STi BBS wheels.

MPG wasn't the world's best, so I swapped over to a Toffee Brown Jetta TDI sportwagen, also manual.  A Kerma tune yielded 170horsepower and 340lb-ft of torque, while I averaged 43MPG.  Koni yellows and Neuspeed springs, along with ADVAN RS wheels and GTI front fogs looked the part.  Alas, the panoramic roof was leaking water and the car's electronics ultimately got fried.  
So much use, so much better than an SUV, and you know you're the minority who "knows it."  On my lookout for my next station wagon.

In reply to ttcheung97 :

I've been riding in, or driving station wagons, since my dad picked me up from the hospital in his brand new 1963 Fairlane Wagon! Was on the hunt for a 64 Falcon Sedan Delivery, for my first car in '79,(didn't find one, but owned one in 94) when a wagon was considered the uncoolest thing a teen could be seen in! Closest thing to a 5dr hatch at the time, was a chevette! And the mini van/suv, had not been invented yet!

Most recent wagon was the Audi Allroad... and, like you said, no one, in the know, would confuse it for a 5dr hatch, a mini van, or a "crossover" suv!

Couldn't find an affordable wagon for a road car this winter/spring, so I "settled" for a 06 Mazda 3, 5 dr hatch, with the manual trans! 
Close enough, considering the mpg. 
For now!

My parents had a celebrity wagon when I was young so maybe that had some influence, when the chance came to pick up an e46 manual wagon I jumped on it.  Even converted my wife into a wagon lover when we hauled a chest in it. She now drives an e91

The slammed suv is interesting & I am starting to see more but the taller profile makes them look a little off, though the high belt line of modern cars means the lower roof wagons are hard to see out of.

The Germans are giving us a golden age of performance wagons right now, bmw m5, Mercedes e63 amg, audi rs6 avant, porche sport turismo.  But the more affordable options are missing from the US lineup 

My little brother had a 4wd Nissan Sentra wagon for a short period of time. It was quite the novelty.

I once pulled an S10 out of 3 ft deep snow filled ditch when it slid off a snow covered road. It was comical that little Sentra managed to get the S10 back on the road.

All 4 wheels were spinning as it skittered from side to side as it pulled the strap tethering it to the S10.

PT_SHO said:

In reply to Racingsnake :

Didn't know that Plymouth was allowed to cadge the Suburban nameplate!

They used it for a while - at least from the early 50s to mid 70s

In reply to Bigben :

I feel like there was a whole generation of four-wheel/all-wheel-drive Japanese wagons that seem to have been forgotten about. I bet that Sentra was a hoot to drive in the snow.

gearheadE30 said:

 

 

This E34 touring is exactly what I have been searching for for a few years now. Good Grief what a stunner. 

Is the ford flex a wagon? Sits a little tall but does wagon things well

How about this for a rarity: A friend in college had a Datsun 710 wagon. Red with a stick. The clutch engaged right off the floor.