what's the best 'modern' wagon

All they need is some wood to be the next Country Squire.
How about it, Ford. America is ready for wood panelling again!

I think you can do better than this, though........

 

Classic as a daily driver?

Chevy Fans: I'm entertaining the idea of buying another classic wagon to have as my daily driver. By "classic" I mean anything newer than 1970, but still old enough to NOT have computers on board...and of course, it's gotta be a Chevy. One challenge I have is that by being in CA, I have to smog-check anything 1976 or newer and I've been thinking about an '83-'89 Estate wagon or perhaps (don't shoot me for this) a 2-door Caprice.

Any suggestions? All opinions welcomed!

 

IMHO a station wagon isn't a station wagon unless there is a closely related sedan... wagons are sedans with an extended area that supplants the trunk. Controversial, yes, but true??

I recently searched the market for a luxury wagon with a decent sized rear end, and zeroed in on the Volvo V70; the Volvo V50 also qualifies but doesn't quite have the booty I needed. I couldn't find a suitable V70 2009 (factory sponsored $6K off list), so decided to graduate to a 2009 Mercedes E350 (factory sponsored $12K off list).

One helluva wagon. I've had it a week and it has surpassed my expectations. However, I have to give props to the Volvo, too, it was very impressive.

 

i would love a ford flex!

 

Mine..............HA!

 

the all time bestest ever stationwagon !!!

The question "who's the best James Bond ever?" was debated by Siskel and Ebert once.They came to the conclusion,that it was a personal choice and depended on which Bond movie you saw first...Their conclusion was flawed.I saw Connery play Bond first,but I was a little kid at the time.Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig are the ones I like most,as I identify with them more than the others(Roger Moore is my least favorite Bond,eventhough many of Bond's better stunts happened then)...I would have to say,the bestest ever in the whole wide world stationwagon is;the one you got parked in your driveway...

 

T,
you make a good point....its kinda like the argument that engulfed the catholic church around the time of martin luther. how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

 

Depends if they ate too much. Or if they're standing on top of the Seattle Space Needle.

 

I side with the 'Depends on what you need' camp. Especially on areas such as looks/quality.

I do like my Mazda, but as with most recent Ford-related vehicles, interior materials are not the greatest. That being said the 220hp does fairly well. I've done springs, shocks,and sway bars to get the handling (mostly) how I like. TONS of room and true lay-flat floor when seats are down. Built-in dog net is slick, and handy. With Blizzaks and traction control I get around very nicely in winter. And, it was built in the US by UAW workers.

Mazda does not build a 2009 & up Mazda6 wagon for the US market. There is one for the Europe and Asia markets. Then again, the new Mazda6 has a very goofy front-end and I'd not want it.

Cadillac CTS might be nice- has the fundamentals. But looks come into play with things such as tail lights.

Audi A4 or A6 could be nice.... S4/RS4 or S6/RS6 would be even better.

The Jaguar wagon in the US is the X-type, which is really a Taurus-shared platform underneath.

All BMWs have gone -in my opinion- odd looking under Chris Bangle and I'd not like a current 3- or 5- series wagon.

A Mercedes C63 Estate would be wicked as can be. You'd be haulin' more than kids to soccer camp....

If I was in Europe, I'd have to look at an Alfa 159 Sprtwagon, or a Vauxhall VXR8.

GM showed a prototype G8 wagon that would have been great.

VW's new turbo diesel Passat is pretty slick.

 

Modern Wagon

I am sorry to say, In my opinion, the only true wagon on the market now, is a not an american made car. If I have done my homework, it is a Volvo.

 

How about my Mercedes E350 station wagon? I bought a 2009 last week (see Introduce Yourself thread for photo) It is a bit tough to find but a true station wagon, but it is exactly that... it even has a fold-up compact third rear-facing seat for two! (but only big enough for my grandkids). The 2010 Mercedes wagon is due out next spring, the front end and headlight shapes are changed (like the sedan), but according to the European photos it remains a wagon.

I agree, however, the Volvo V70 and V50 are great wagons; I tested and tried to score an '09 V70 leftover but struck out. The Mercedes is a helluva consolation prize.

I did a my research when looking for a replacement for my SUV. We should also include the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagon (not just a hatchback) as well as the Audi A4 and A6 Avant models (drool), the BMW 5 sports wagon, the Saab 9-3 wagon is on the books for 2010; the Saab 9-3 and 9-5 station wagons were out in 2009, too. While the new Cadillac SRX isn't one, the 2009 and earlier still qualified as true wagons IMHO.

 

I guess I'll be the first to say that you need to qualify your statement. I can see how a Malibu Maxx is not a wagon, but in addition to the cars that BassAle mentions, there are the foreign-market wagons such as I mentioned; Alfa, Vauxhall, etc.

And if the Volvos, which are FWD, sub-frame cars count, then so do the much of what has been listed. No, the HHR isn't, the PT isn't, the Toyota Venza isn't, etc., but the Audi 4 and 6 are; the BMW 3 and 5 are; Mazda6 is; etc. All feature primary passenger compartments and then distinct, separate cargo areas covered by an extended roofline and accessed via a hatch. Not sure how that isn't a wagon....

I'll agree with Webster's:

• Main Entry: station wagon
• Function: noun
• Date: 1904

: an automobile that has a passenger compartment which extends to the back of the vehicle, that has no trunk, that has one or more rear seats which can be folded down to make space for light cargo, and that has a tailgate or liftgate