A renaissance for the storied station wagon
Station wagons are quietly making a comeback.
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The station wagon was once a staple of the open road. With multiple rows, great visibility, and rear seats that sometimes faced backwards, the station wagon was the ultimate vehicle for a family road trip. With a large load floor, you could haul gear home from the hardware store for weekend projects, or load up 10 bags of mulch for the garden. In short, the station wagon was the no-nonsense magic carpet of American motoring.
Somewhere along the way, the station wagon lost its luster. By the 1980s, when Chevy Chase loaded up the Griswold family for its cross-country road trip on National Lampoon’s “Family Vacation,” the old Woody was on its way out.
Wagons were replaced by minivans, which were subsequently replaced by truck-based SUVs. In more recent years, automakers have delivered the best attributes of all of these vehicles in the form of car-based, crossover SUVs.
Where does that leave the station wagon? Technically, it shares many of the capabilities of the insanely popular crossover segments, albeit without the beefed up ride height and plastic fenders. But, according to an IHS Automotive study in 2016, station wagons now account for only 1.1 percent of the new car market.
But don’t bury that rusted auto body just yet. Instead, take a look at the current crop of wagons that are hitting the road, as well as the slew up updated versions on the way.
For starters, the Subaru Outback never left ($25,645), although it grew too big for some, more nostalgic drivers. It still has an exceptionally roomy back seat, standard all-wheel-drive, and nearly the same cargo space as a Toyota RAV4: 73.3 cubic feet of space. The Subaru’s AWD is great on all kinds of road surfaces and conditions, and isn’t that one reason crossovers are so successful?
Another all-weather wagon is the Audi Allroad ($44,000). Based on the A4 Avant wagon, the Allroad features a slightly raised ride height and Quattro all-wheel-drive. This concept is carried over from the original A6-based Allroad, and both vehicles can truly go anywhere that a crossover can, and more. Other wagons that make a statement include the BMW 3 Series Wagon and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon.
Volkswagen’s Golf SportWagen is a stretched-out version of the Golf Hatchback.
Volkswagen, which owns Audi, is still very much in the wagon game, in the form of two variants of the VW Golf. The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen ($21,580) is just as the name suggests—a stretched-out version of the venerable Golf hatchback. This was one of the most sensible vehicles I’ve ever driven, and is also one of the most refined compact cars out there.
But VW wasn’t done with the Golf wagon concept. Volkswagen gave the car all-wheel-drive, more off-road-style body armor, and a raised ride height, and called it the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack ($25,850). In doing so, VW essentially created a more affordable Allroad, and one that has been considered a blast to drive.
The Volvo V90 has long, dramatic body lines.
Volvo has long been a big player in the wagon game, especially in New England. While Volvo was not impervious to the inevitable march of the crossover, it once again has turned to the wagon with the V90 ($49,950) and V90 XC ($55,300). The long, dramatic body lines of the V90 conjure images of the days when wagons were the length of pickup trucks. And, as we’ve detailed here previously, the V90 XC handles the trail as well as any SUV. Volvo offers a more affordable lineup of the V60 ($36,150) and V60 XC ($41,700), which provides the same dynamic on-road and off-road principles.
The Buick Regal TourX has 73.5 cubic feet of cargo space.
Earlier this month, Buick unveiled the Regal TourX, a long, elegant wagon version of the Regal, boasting as much as 250 horsepower and 73.5 cubic feet of cargo space. This is equal to the Subaru Outback and Toyota RAV4. The TourX will arrive as a 2018 model and cost between $32,500 and $40,000.
Buick is not alone in rolling out new wagons. In fact, brands like Jaguar and Porsche are introducing wagon versions of existing models. The Jaguar XF Sportbrake gets its name from the Shooting Brake, which typically have been two-door, sporty wagons. This new Jag wagon will have more than two doors and contain Jaguar’s terrific supercharged V6, so it is certainly going to be sporty. Expect the car to hit showrooms this summer, with a selling price of around $50,000.
The Porsche Panamera Sport Tourismo will provide performance and practicality.
Finally, there’s the Porsche Panamara Sport Turismo. From the debut of the Cayenne SUV back in 2002 to the Panamera in 2009 and finally to the Cayenne compact SUV in 2014, Porsche purists have repeatedly scoffed, harrumphed, and spit out their proverbial tea at the idea of cars that “water down the Porsche brand.” So when Porsche unveiled the Panamera Sport Turismo at the New York Auto Show, I expected mixed reviews. But this thing is gorgeous, and no matter what type of vehicle it really is, Porsche always creates a car that is an absolute blast to drive. The Sport Turismo (starting at $96,200) will provide the best of performance and practicality.
To a younger set of car enthusiasts, the wagon is a now cooler type of vehicle. At the very least, more buyers should look at the advantages offered by these wagons. Many are easier to park in cities and in crowded mall parking lots. They offer better sightlines than bulky SUVs, and many offer cargo space that’s as good as a crossover.
Some of these new wagons provide a performance-based ride, while others provide superb all-terrain capability.
In fact, don’t you think SUVs are just a little passé?
George Kennedy is a freelance automotive journalist. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GKenns101.
