What's wrong with "station wagons"?

[mattski]

I remember "wagons" as being the big old estate wagons my parents had with too much power to the rear wheels and little in the way of handling or sex appeal (unless you were going to take adate to the drive-in!). Newer wagons emphasize handling and utility (and even a bit of style! :-) With all my home improvements and our family trips, I could not imaging going back to a sedan!

[tirolerpeter]

Originally posted by tirolerpeter
Who cares what anybody else thinks? I like my 2.5i OBW with the 5spd MT. It gets me up the mountain to ski regardless of weather, it handles just fine on both the mountain road and the interstates (I did a rear swaybar upgrade.) It gets excellent all-around gas milage (Anywhere from 25.4 local to 28.4 on the interstates at "brisk" speeds, and it holds a lot of stuff for skiing, travel, or just hauling. What matters is that I like it. BTW, my wife doesn't like the "wagon image" but finds it very comfortable for long distance runs. We are looking forward to a 5K trip around the country this summer to visit friends, family, and attend some quilt expositions (My wife's passion is quilt design and making.) along the way.

I forgot to mention: Whenever my wife has the need to transport more then one additional person she forsakes her beloved Civic EX Coupe (2dr of course) and borrows my "wagon." It doesn't seem to matter to her that it doesn't fit her image.

[Abaddon1]

I am not even sure the term station wagon is really relevant to today's cars.

Sure, there's still massive 'pickups' and Hummers out there (all of which look totally out of place, impractical, ugly and stupid on everyday roads) - and we aussies have our own, much friendlier, utes.
But the wagons of today - Subaru being the pioneer - are a different breed.

I'm bush bashing and mounting hills in the outback one week, helping a friend move house (even strapping a mattress to the roof) the next!
I can carry many people and most things, mount curbs and get out of tight spots, drive off into no man's land and go to sleep in the back when I'm done! (I'm 6 foot 3, btw)

I'm totally obsessed with my Outback

[beanmachine]

most of the cars I have owned have been the most impractical u could buy 69 firebird ,97 saleen mustang cont,71 429 mach 1 89 shelby daytona ,06 wrangler sport,ect this obw is so far the best choice for my current position in life 2 kids,house ,odd jobs every weekend my trailer is hooked up all weekend towing tracktors, brush, beds , moving houses ect.I even pulled a tree down with it yestarday one person cut while i pulled this car is really great with its capabilities and performance i can say i really love this thing .Yes I do have another car but its in fla I need to get it and yes it is by far the most impractical car on the planet,83 trans am that runs in the 9's lol

[Greg R]

I love wagons and have been driving them exclusively for 30 years. To my eye, wagons frequently look better than the sedans they were based on. I'm picking up a new 2009 Outback from the dealer tomorrow--purchased after having done much of my research here.

A few of my favorites--Aston Martin shooting brake conversions by ROOS Engineering of Switzerland:

[thefuryinside]

Edmunds lumps all those vehicles together to help people find what they're looking for. Kelly Blue Book and NADA kind of do the same thing. Hatchbacks could be considered a small wagon to some people. Same way the Venza and Outback could be considered a hatchback, crossover or even an SUV. It's all in how you define the category. Some people just see it that way. I think the EPA classifies Outbacks a light truck or something weird like that. The automotive world is getting more and more blended and it's getting harder and harder to put some vehicles in just one category. The Outback has straddled mutliple classes since inception.

I like Volvo wagons. But I love clean European styling. They're pretty sharp. In fact, I kinda like the styling a little better than Outback wagons. Audi/VW wagons are pretty nice too! I liked that BMW wagon. :-) But Subaru just makes a better car and they look just about as good. It's a no brainer.

The Mazda6 wagon is a very nice wagon. And I've always been partial to my Ford Focus station wagon. Wish they were AWD! I bet a wagon version of the new Ford Fusion Sport would look pretty slick... Why not? :-)

Subarus aren't usually known for their popular styling. I'll admit, there are some slightly weird styling elements on my '08. But overall, it's both classy and rugged. I think the '05 - '09 Outback is probably the best looking Subaru to date. The previous generation was pretty nice too. But most of their other products aren't all that nice to look at. Seriously, just admit it. Thankfully, their performance more than makes up for the lack of beauty.

Nothing beats the overall Outback package. Styling, Driving Dynamics, Legendary Reliability, Ground Clearance, Symetrical AWD, Limited Slip, Heated Everything, great utility and great engines. No wonder they're so popular!!

[HawkWagon]

question from rockhopjohn: I would like to know where the "station" comes from in Station wagon. That has always been a mystery to me.

response by SubieNubie: From back in the old days, when people took the train everywhere. If you were going to vacation at a resort somewhere, people from the hotel would pick you and your luggage up at the train station & take you there. Also known as a "Depot Hack"


I'll offer an alternative theory, although Wikipedia backs SubieNubie: In Australia, a ranch is known as a "station". Significantly (perhaps), Aussies and New Zealanders use the term "station wagon" whereas Brits call the same vehicles "estate cars". So the terminology could reflect where the car is used: on your (English countryside) estate or on your station (Down Under).

Just an idea to kick around...

[Abaddon1]

Originally posted by HawkWagon
question from rockhopjohn: I would like to know where the "station" comes from in Station wagon. That has always been a mystery to me.

response by SubieNubie: From back in the old days, when people took the train everywhere. If you were going to vacation at a resort somewhere, people from the hotel would pick you and your luggage up at the train station & take you there. Also known as a "Depot Hack"


I'll offer an alternative theory, although Wikipedia backs SubieNubie: In Australia, a ranch is known as a "station". Significantly (perhaps), Aussies and New Zealanders use the term "station wagon" whereas Brits call the same vehicles "estate cars". So the terminology could reflect where the car is used: on your (English countryside) estate or on your station (Down Under).

Just an idea to kick around...

I'm an aussie, and can vouch for the latter explanation. But the former also has merit.

[Subatoi]

I have yet to receive a negative comment about my Outback being a wagon. I have received a lot of questions from friends and family who are interested in replacing sedans and SUVs with something more practical. So far, they have all liked the styling. One of my aunts has wanted to replace her current car with an Outback for some time, but my racist uncle made up absurd lies about them to keep her from buying a Japanese car. I let her drive mine, and she is now shopping for one of her own.

My overwhelmingly positive experience may be unusual, as Outbacks are rather common where I live. If you see a younger person driving an Outback, you assume that they ski in the winter, and probably cycle in the summer. On days like this last Sunday, with two-feet of snow in 24-hours, Outbacks were among the few vehicles going UP the hill where I live. Most of the vehicular vitriol here seems to be directed at mini-vans. One of the interesting things I have noticed since purchasing my Subaru is that the employee-parking at the nearby hospital is filled with Subarus, comprising almost half the cars, with most of those being Outbacks. That seems to be a telling visual.

However, even if they were not popular where I live, the Outback is too good of a vehicle for the stylistic opinions of others to have swayed my decision. I have liked each of my previous vehicles, but none as much as my station wagon.

[Keighbear]

always had wagons or HB's, and until I met the Subaru "Outback", was resonably happy with Volvo wagons, had a940, a 240 turbo, and a V70. First bought a Subaru in 1979 to replace a Saab 9000 (note - this Subby was only front wheel drive) Other than Subarus ran Saabs incuding a 9000 turbo, which would show many "sports" cars its heels.Then VW golfs. Then ended up with both my wife and I owning Volvo' her a 2004 V40 and myself a 2005 S80 (my first sedan -ugg!)Now we have a2011 Outback, and apart from having to get my wife to realize what the CVT is, like it very much, and will like it even more when we get rid of the "rattle' which is somewhere by the passengers door/sunroof