Several decades ago, the station wagon was the default option for a family that needed a large vehicle to carry everyone and their gear. Those wagons were slowly pushed out of that role by the minivan, and then by the SUV. Crossovers and SUVs have seemingly stomped both the wagon and the minivan largely into the pages of history, but there are still some holdouts. But why must they be so expensive?
Today, Thomas wrote about how BMW is selling far more M5 wagons than expected. That’s great! What’s not great is how these things cost around $180,000 and up after taxes. That’s a darn shame! I’m with Nsane In The MembraNe here. Where did all of the affordable sporty wagons go?
Okay but can we get a fun wagon that doesn’t cost six figures? I don’t understand why this segment needs to be reserved for the 1%. I would go buy an M340i or S4 wagon tomorrow if they sold them in the US. And yes, Subie Gang-I know the turbo Outback exists but I don’t want a godforsaken CVT.
Unfortunately, we all know the answer, and it’s that there aren’t enough sport wagon lovers to buy them new. Sorry for making you sad.
In today’s TMD, Matt noted how Chevy Brightdrop vans are piling up as buyers appear to be going to something like the Ford E-Transit. But hold on a moment, Maymar says:
The Brightdrop is a stepvan. It’s priced competitively with stepvans, a product that exists for a reason. GM might’ve just been a little optimistic that Amazon DSPs would appreciate the better tool for the job when they could just use cheaper Transits and expect the drivers to deal with the downsides.
Username Loading…. chimes in:
I never knew my real van.
Today, Matt also wrote about how the days of terrible EV infrastructure taught him to slow down and enjoy small town America. Great lesson, Matt. Oil Leaks Means There’s Still Oil adds:
Great read, I love seeing people expand how they feel about cars into positive ways it can affect our outlooks on life. I’m glad EVs gave you an opportunity to learn to take the time to enjoy the journey, but regardless of vehicle range, we could all stand to plan to stop at small communities on our trips.
I travel the American Pacific Northwest for work by van, and I have learned I need to book my days less tight. I try to make time, even just 15 minutes a few times a day, to pull off the interstate at a viewpoint or place of interest. I always get a good picture I can show my kids, and sometimes learn something I can share with them about the location. If you have the option to stretch out road trips a bit, I highly recommend it.
If I had a way to bring license plates with me to Baltimore, I’d totally drive my Honda Life home this summer. Either way, I plan on taking a leisurely drive home. Have a great evening, everyone!
I’d be curious to try the new Trax to see how it truly drives. Every time I see one, I say to myself “that’s a wagon right there”. But I get the feeling it might feel taller and tippier behind the wheel than it looks from the outside.
It’s certainly a good value, assuming the powertrain doesn’t end up being garbage.
I test drove its cousin, the Buick Envista. I was impressed with the little engine that could. Comfortable ride. Couldn’t really test the handling, of course.
The only wagon I ever owned (07 Passat Wagon 3.6 4Motion) was also probably THE BEST vehicle I’ve ever owned. It was a rock solid road tripper, IKEA trip maker, bike hauler, apartment mover, daily driver, and it had that VR6 roar.
If only Ford would lower the Mach-E, perhaps it would be close? Every time I see one its all I can see.
Same, but with the Toyota Crown Signia
I think this is going to happen with EVs in general because of how important aerodynamics are. The Equinox is the same way.
4 yr old base rwd Mach E’s with less than 70k miles are less than $20k now. It is a decent practical car with good rwd character and instant torque. Could be the move
I have a Focus ST and my last vehicle was a Mazdaspeed3. Both are great but I’m not sure what I would replace them with. I hate SUVs. Maybe a Maverick, that could mostly replace my 1995 F-150.
I’ve owned a Mazdaspeed3 and Volvo C30 in the past. I like my EB Maverick.
I almost bought a 2017 or so manual VW Golf Sportwagen FWD in 2020 off of carvana for $12.5K They’re still the same price but with 120k miles….I probably should have done that.
requiem for my turbo Subaru wagon, automatic not cvt..
“The Subaru was the first sober respectable car we bought, to transport new baby boy who is now a medical student. Even though it looked like a station wagon, the turbo made it into my secret rocket sled. ‘Rosebud’. ”
I still miss that car..
One of the reasons I still have my 2004 VW Jetta TDI Wagon w/ 5-speed as my daily is it’s hard to find a suitable replacement wagon with a manual transmission. It’s not “sporty” but the 5-speed keeps things engaging, it handles well, is small and easy to maneuver/park in town, is quiet enough on road trips, can hold a TON of cargo in the hatch (or on the roof racks) and usually gets 38-40mpgs. It’s a go cart compared to the the LX570 and LBZ Duramax in our fleet. It’s also dead-nuts reliable even at 200k miles (unless you count the switches for power locks and windows).
I have the corpse of my manual awd V50 in the driveway because I can’t find a suitable fun replacement, would get a V60 but they are around 35k Cdn around me
Swap the AWD system into a C30!
Too small I have 2 dogs – my cousin tried this he got so far and then gave up the trick is to essentially use the S40 harness and hide bits in the car so it thinks its an S40- he lived in a smog testing area so if they plugged into the obd it would not match
I’m happy with my Buick Regal TourX. It’s not a “Sports Wagon” per se, but it’s got enough get up and go for me and handles wonderfully. And, most importantly, I feel like I’m driving an dynamic handling car and not a boxy SUV with vague steering and feel.
You can now find low mileage, fully spec’d out ones for under $30K.
I love the look of these, but I wonder about parts and service availability for this orphan.
It’s mostly Chevy Malibu under the skin. They sold a ton in Europe so if there’s a weird unique item the worst is a wait from shipping
What’s crazy is that around me, the TourX sold for mid to high 20’s brand new. And today they sell for… mid to high 20’s and significantly used.
I really wish I had pulled the trigger on one back when they were a super value, but I just wasn’t in the market at the time.
Yeah, I recently saw one listed for sale for 18K – it was 7 years old with nearly 50K miles, I thought that price was surprisingly high but going by your post, maybe it was a good deal after all.
The secret to a reasonably priced wagon is the 2015 Volvo V60 T6 R-Design. It’s a budget Polestar and is rare as hen’s teeth (I am tracking as many as I can on VinWiki). They can be found for 12-20k depending on condition. Always about 10k cheaper than a Polestar, and you don’t need to repair the Ohlins or the Brembos. The 3.0 T6 is also the most reliable engine of the US range at that time.
I have 2015 Volvo V60 T6 R-Design (w/ the Polestar tune) in white, with low miles. My kids get a kick out of the fact that they sold less than 5 in that combination. It’s my favorite car that I’ve ever owned and they’re going to have to take it from my cold dead hands.
If you are in the US, can you check VinWiki to make sure I’ve collected your Vin? Fun project I am working on. https://web.vinwiki.com/#/lists/5999f4d3-aabd-4a5b-a50f-878545cd9f07
I tried to buy a Golf Wagon, I wanted the 1.8T AWD 6MT (in red, of course)
It was a legitimate option – but Volkswagen wouldn’t built it for me – even if I waited months for it.
So I went elsewhere – and didn’t get the wagon I wanted.
Golf R estate for those of us outside the USA. However it doesn’t have an extendable sunvisor – just went out and checked…
My B5.5 Passat wagon is still one of my favorite cars I’ve ever owned. It was just a solid, extremely useful, perfectly sized, good looking, comfortable car that happened to be approaching a maintenance nightmare. If anyone made something like that in the US, I’d buy it again. My CX-50 is kind of wagon-ish, but would have loved a Mazda 6 wagon even more if it was available.
I had a B5 and a B6. Fabulous cars.
I had a ’15 Golf Sportwagen TDI that was great. Then VW bought it back. Besides the fuel economy, nothing about it was super remarkable, but it wasn’t boring and I didn’t have many complaints about it either. I’d consider another one if they were made today.
I will cosign that I drive a crossover because there aren’t really affordable wagon options. I’d absolutely have picked the gorgeous 6 wagon over my CX-5, even at the same price. As it is, the only wagon options are used and European, and if my wife doesn’t trust a Golf, the W205 wagon Canada got is an even harder sell. At best there was the Kia Forte5 which kind of saddles the hatch/wagon divide like older Mazda3’s, but you’ve got to choose from slow and CVT, or acceptably quick and the questionable DCT.
The current trade war is a terrible, stupid situation, but I’m hoping for Canada to adopt Euro standards and open up our market away from the CAFE-optimized crossovers we get.
My wagon love started with a 1989 Honda Civic wagon. When that crapped out, a 1994 Escort wagon. 4 cyl + 5 speed makes them fun and economical. Always wanted a TDI wagon but I think that ship has sailed. Still think about an old 850 or V70 but hard to find around here not all rusted out.
When the twins came along in 2010 we bought our only new car ever, a Mazda 5. Sorta wagon, sorta mini minivan but we needed something with 3 rows and wife wanted a stick. It was the only option but were happy with it. Our family of 5 plus large dog eventually outgrew it but I plan on keeping it around until it turns into a pile of rust – probably next year…
they will return in the midst of a recession. Good cheap cars always return to save the day during recessions.
Just come to a country with real freedom to choose automobiles
Think Australia.
Subaru Wrx sports wagon
Skoda octavia rs
Skoda superb 206
Genesis g70
Plus an assortment of Audi’s and BMW’s
Even an alpina.
Sure, but where’s the fun and what’s the point of having a shooting brake where you’re not allowed to shoot anybody? Wet
blankettourniquet time, if you ask me.Well not maybe any body. But guns are not that hard to own legally in au. Hell i have a couple.
Simple safety course proof you have a suitible containter to keep out of reach of kids and a check you have no criminal convictions and you are on your way.
The only one of that list that had even remote appeal is the Genesis, but I still don’t trust Hyundai/Kia’s engines, so that’s a non-starter. Possibly literally.
We have a ’23 wrx sports wagon and it’s doing well so far.
Looking at a used skoda as a daily as changing jobs and needs a cheap rig.
It exists. It’s the V60 Polestar.
And before you say “that’s not affordable,” it costs about the same as an M340 or an S4, which were the benchmarks in the comment.
Given that they’re all tens of thousands of dollars more expensive than what’s already an inflated average new car transaction price, even the V60 Polestar – hell, even the V60 Cross Country – isn’t affordable relative to most of the new car market, let alone in absolute terms. How about a revived Acura TSX wagon instead?
I see a perfect white TSX wagon in the parking deck and I am so jealous.
I almost bought the v60 last year. I found one(hard enough to do). And was hemming and hawing on the price vs the rest of Volvo’s lineup. A 10 grand premium for the Polstarr engineers was not something I ended up willing to pay. Not when the powertrain is the same, the suspension upgrade requires manual adjustments, and most of what made it “engineered” was some bodying stiffening that I didn’t feel the base platform needed unless truly tracking on a regular basis. If Tracking, I don’t want or need hundreds of lbs of luxury… To say nothing of the fact that I have been to only two track days in my lif, but have enjoyed driving an engaging vehicle hundreds of times in my life.
Put simply, Volvo of America screwed up the business proposition with the V60 only being sold as a Polestar Engineered. We did what 99% of Americans buyers have done, which is compared the $72k v60 PE to the $62k xc60 Ultra and asked why we would spend an extra $10k for basically no discernible difference day to day?
If they would have sold normal v60 with the same T8 455hp drivetrain they sell in EVERY OTHER VOLVO then I would have very happy driven a V60 home that day! This isn’t some packaging problem, Volvo Europe sells v60s with the t6 and t8 phev powertrains. They are normal cars over here and prices about €2k below the equivalent xc60. Super popular! Because you can cross shop it with the crossover and make a use case for either the wagon or crossover depending on your needs.
Instead, we bought my wife an XC60, which is a fine Crossover. But every time I drive it I wish Volvo would have sold me the car I wanted instead of trying to sell me the car they wanted to sell.
Exactly this. The V60 is just flat out a bad value compared to Volvo’s other offerings on top of being extremely difficult to find.
Huh? The V60 came in regular, “CC” (Cross Country), and Polestar flavors. Yeah, Volvo wagons were essentially special-order only the last few years (but then you can also opt to do VOSD which is apparently excellent) but they came as more than just Polestar. They’re also some of the best-looking Volvo wagons since the ’90s.
The “CC” is still available, though, according to the US website. Comes in mild-hybrid only, but that’s not so bad.
For a short time, if you wanted a non-CC V60 you needed to spring for the full-fat PE. I’ve seen exactly two of them.
My local Volvo dealer typically has only a single V60 CC in stock, which is a nice reflection of the vehicle’s popularity. I’m not really sure why Volvo bothers.
Not sure when Volvo killed the “regular” wagons, but in January 2024 Volvo of America did not list a regular v60, just the CC and Polestar Engineered. Nor where any available for sale at my local dealers or configurable online. In Europe, they sell/sold a “regular” v60 with normal gas, hybrid, phev power trains, but not in the land of the free. Which is too bad because my perfect car would have been a V60 PHEV Plus. The epitomy of the sleeper, which is really where Volvo wagons always lives, at least the popular ones.
Instead my wife drives a sleeper crossover, but it just isn’t the same.
The problem with the V60 is that it is only available in Polestar trim or CC, both of which are quite a bit more expensive than Volvo’s closest similar offerings the S60 and XC60. S60 and XC60 are available at a way lower entry point and both are actually stocked on lots. Why is there no plane jane PHEV V60 for a similar price as the PHEV S60 (~$52k) and PHEV XC60 ($58k)? It costs as much as an entry level XC90 for christ sake.
If you want to spend in the $50s, in what world would you get a V60 CC when you can get a PHEV XC60 for not much more or save a few grand and get a XC60 with the same drive train? Or, if you aren’t attached to a 2 box design, you can just flat out save a few grand and get an S60 equivalent.
Not only does Volvo not want to sell you a V60, but the dealers don’t either. I tried to by a V60 even before it was limited to Polestar trim only, it was like pulling teeth. Dealers kept pointing me to the XC stuff and would compromise with S60s. It sucked.
I believe Volvo has axed the PE option for next year, leaving an average of 0 to 1 V60 CC on your local dealer’s lot at any one time. I drove one a few years ago. Nicer and larger inside than an A4 allroad aside from an unnecessarily bulky center console. But it had a coarser drivetrain. The 330i was much more fun to drive but the smallest of the three.
Since when does an up-specced 3 series count as ‘affordable’? An M340 wagon would not be insanely priced, but it would not be affordable for the masses.
‘Affordable sports wagon’ to me means a Civic Si wagon, Golf GTI wagon, Focus ST wagon, or a Crosstrek WRX.
I still am trying to figure out why Subaru hates money and refuses to make that. They’re production volume constrained, so why not sell the $35k vehicle that barely costs more to make than the $25k vehicle?
To be frank, it doesn’t count as affordable in my opinion.
But the comment I was referencing listed m340s and S4s as “affordable” compared to the M5 wagon.
A GTI wagon would be affordable, but that’s the thing: the real reason there are no affordable wagons is that wagons are versions of cars.
And there are no more cars.
Can’t have a focus wagon without a focus. Can’t have a golf wagon without a golf.
I immediately thought of the 2014-2018 V60 Polestar and not the new versions
My first brand-new car was a 2002 Mazda Protege5. They were buzzbombs and not fast, but good cars and at the time I felt like I got a lot for my money. I was young(ish) and single but didn’t really think that I was driving a wagon.
I had a 2003 back in the day as well. Definitely anything but fast but those little cars could handle a corner pretty competently. I would consider it more of a hatchback versus a wagon but it was a little bit of a grey area I suppose.
As much as I would like to agree, what manufacturers need to do is reverse course on car-based crossovers and go back to gen-1 sized versions.
What needs to happen is: The True car-based “cute-utes” as they were called back when introduced, need to come back and, with that, sporty versions. Yes Trucks and SUVs are everywhere. But I don’t think I ever heard complaints when the First Gen Forester, The CRV, the RAV4, Sportster were coming into the market. We LOVED it when Subaru made the STI. Heck We love a good CRV with a K-swap now.
I grew up with a father who was a huge wagon fan. When I was just a kid it was an AMC Rebel (red with no woodgrain!). But more important to my dad was three pedals (AMC notwithstanding). So during the fuel crunch, he bought a 240D instead of a 300TD wagon. He got a bit of a unicorn with the Audi 5000 Turbo Quattro Wagon, but then in the mid-90s he wanted a 5 Series wagon, but they all came with automatics. He bought the sedan instead. I guess you could say he didn’t want to buy a wagon, but in reality, it was how the vehicle was packaged.
I remain a huge wagon fan. I bought an Accord once (in a nod to my father because of the 6 speed), but after trying to cram a large cooler and later a large dog crate in the back, I said never again. I’ll hang onto my Jetta Wagon as long as can
Amen! Love my 2015 Sportwagen TDI.
With the volumes wagons would sell at, they probably need to be 6-figures to make a profit. There also aren’t as many sedans to base them on at the low end because even those don’t sell like they used to and wagons died due to low volumes before they did. Even hatches are dying off. Eunuchmobiles have eaten just about every other segment and the last hope of EVs built on skateboards allowing an expansion of segments hasn’t worked out. This is the future, an inexorable march to a miserable hell.
When I went to buy a new Golf Sportwagen in 2019, there were no incentives or lease specials or anything like that on them. The payment was going to be $600 a month and they really wanted me to buy Tiguan or Jetta. I walked next door to Subaru dealership and got an Impreza hatchback for $199/month.
VW, Volvo and all of the other euro brands shot their own wagon foot. Why was a new S60 T8 $50k but a V60 T8 is $70k+?
Give me a cheap wagon!
I’m pretty sure my brother got a 4-motion Sportwagen 6-speed for about $24,000 around that time. They were offering really good deals until they were no longer being sold here at which point the gouging really started. Unfortunately (for me), these things have held their value incredibly well.
Oh the MSRPs were great, that’s why I thought the financing or leasing would be comparable to other cars at that price point. I should have shopped other VW dealers but there were external circumstances that limited my shopping window time
I’ve pointed this out repeatedly that of course the V60 didn’t sell well when it was a $20k premium for no powertrain improvements.
With the success of the M5 Touring I have the barest hope for an i5 Touring. I would buy that in any guise but preferably an M60.
That’s crazy. I got out the door with my ’19 Sportwagen for $22,300 in Sept ’19. MSRP was $27ish. I came up with $1000 in rebates, the rest was the dealer.
Just hit 60k miles. At 7k, I installed an is38 turbo (Golf R), MST intake, Unitronic tuning, TTRS clutch, koni sa struts/shocks, Golf R springs and rear bar, 18″ VW Pretoria wheels, 312mm front brakes, and an IE downpipe. It’s a great little car.
The S60 is probably made in the South Carolina factory. The V60 is imported from Europe. It also (now) only comes in the Cross Country spec, which means standard AWD and a slightly higher ride, among a few other changes. So the price gulf isn’t THAT much, closer to $2-4K-ish similarly equipped, but it’s harder to determine with the S60CC being discontinued.
Unfortunately, we all know the answer, and it’s that there aren’t enough sport wagon lovers to buy them new.
Not any that have nearly $200k to drop on a car anyway. Pretty sure more would come out the woodwork at $30k though.
Does the Chevy Trax count? Chevy can’t make those fast enough
Is that a SPORT wagon though? Or just a wagon?
It’s neither. But it seems to be a decent vehicle for the money and kudos for Chevy/Daewoo for selling a crossover that’s sensible and super-efficient.
Agreed. It may not be a sport wagon but it looks to be a decent value.
I want a wagon so bad, but when I can get a used EV6 GT for ~$30k and a 3.1 second 0-60 it just doesn’t make any sense to spend $60k on a used Cross Turismo. Yes the second is appointed much better and has better handling, but it’s very hard to justify and extra $30k unless you have a paid off house and a lot of disposable income.
I have an ageing BMW 328 wagon. It is now 13 years old (had to, as it’s the last year of the N52) approaching 170k miles. It’s 178 inches long, and a bit tight for toddler and dog, but we’re sort of stuck with it because no replacement, and sort of can’t move on because we’re deeply in love with it. My wife has essentially poached it form me, with the tacit agreement that I drive when we’re both in it, which is long trips.
The replacement should ideally be 185″ – I will go 195″ for the right wagon, but not 200+ for a minivan.
No idea what we’ll do if we hit deer and total it. (Our insurance agent says when not if).
2014-2016 E-class wagon, maybe a 640i gran turismo unicorn (price advantage to the actual 330i wagon, massive power), maybe a CX-50, maybe a used v60, or that opel wagon we got. New, I have no clue. It will sadly have to be a CUV of some sort.
Well maintained E400 wagons with high mileage pop up now and then. I just recommended one to Steve Balisteri on his article looking for a 3 row. $18k for an absolutely fully loaded 2018 with almost 300k on the clock but dealer service nearly every 10k miles. I’ve never owned one but if it’s like most German cars, if you just keep consistent with the maintenance they will run forever. It was driven from Reno to Sacramento every weekday for four years straight. It appears to have sold shortly after I found it, but there are others.
I’m not against it, but it takes significant resources to chase down something like that. You have to wait around for it and ready to pounce. Most people don’t maintain like that, European-style. Just saw a brand new X3 with the B58 and snazzy wheels in the neighborhood (whatever they call them now, but I think it was a competittion trim) with a Jiffy Lube sticker on the windshield. Felt like a sucker punch to the gut. But an E400 wagon would be amazing. So would a 2016, they already make 300 hp.
330i sport wagon is the way to go. Slightly longer (183″ and slightly wider) but still plenty of fun. Sadly, you’ll never get the steering back but B48 has more punch and noticeably better fuel economy than the N52. Go with a later model and just be sure to have the coolant pipe mounts changed (common issue).
I’ve driven the A4 allroad and V60 and both are fine and barely more spacious (FWD platforms). But the BMW is more fun to drive, even without the M-sport setup.
If you must have the B58 there’s also the 3-series GT (larger, hideous) and the 440i gran coupe (pretty, but basically a hatchback sedan).
The E-class wagon is also tempting, but those scare me much more than BMWs. The repair list on my neighbors Merc was frightening and none of it was related to the actual drivetrain.
I hear you. It would be the obvious follow up. The N52 settles into near-triple digit commuting duty in a peerless way though. I’ve had and loved turbo fours. It doesn’t feel the same once you’re past 80 mph. But I’ve never had the B48.
A4 allroads should not be FWD. I am drawn to them, but my mechanic (regionally respected Euro guy) despises them, and charges me more per hour to work on them (this is not a joke). He likes Benzes best, followed by BMWs. Without him, there is no way shape or form I could have owned the current one.Tough to diagnose, though powertrain has been fantastic.