As I've learned more and more about my SUV, I've come to the conclusion that my SUV is really a station wagon. Our SUV is Secretly a Station Wagon As I read more and more about other "cross-over" vehicles, I'm pretty darned sure that they are station wagons, too. America's Secret Station Wagons When you look at a Toyota Venza for example, there is NO WAY that vehicle is not actually a station wagon. The "cross-over" label and many of the SUV labeled vehicles are really a false distinction so that automakers can get out of some EPA and Safety regulations.
Well.....to me....the Toyota Venza is a 4 door hatchback. As most of the cars are today that pretend to be wagons.
On a Google search using "crossover cars", I don't see anything that resembles a wagon...the Flex is about the only thing that comes close IMO My honey drives a 2011 Escape..... ain't no wagon IMO iether. The Venza.... yup, hatch back http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q....,cf.osb&fp=b6368be29079af38&biw=1365&bih=749
Is it the rake of the rear hatch on the Venza that makes it a hatch for you? I almost feel like they did that just so it wouldn't be a wagon. It's almost like they are straddling a fine line. Makes me wonder... Of course, a real wagon would have a rear facing rumble seat in the back so that kids could make funny faces at passing motorists . . .
"Crossover" is simply a sexier term for "station wagon". Crossover sounds (to the marketing pukes, anyway) like a mysterious marriage between a minivan and an SUV, therefore a "new" classification of vehicle. The Flex is definitely a wagon, and a very nice one, to boot! So is the Scion xB "box" car. There are a lot of so-called crossovers that can legitimately be called a station wagon. Suburbans, Travelalls, and Wagoneers were all classified as wagons and licensed as such in most states. A wagon on a truck frame.
For me, there is a Golden Ratio: If the distance between the back of the rear seat and the tailgate is less than the height of the cargo bay, it is a hatchback. The Venza is a hatchback sedan.
I think there is also some kind of golden ratio of height to length for a wagon, the scion xb in my opinion is not a wagon at all, more like a lowered explorer, however the suburban, however huge it may be is very long and has the look of an overweight wagon. the shorter tahoe doesnt even come close to wearing the wagon badge, to me the longer you can stretch it out and keep it low with respect to its length is the ultimate wagon definition, scrunch it all up too close and add more headroom and youve got a boring old SUV wannabe.
