Wonderful Wagons
Despite rumours of its demise, this segment still offers great vehicles
There was a time when a family vacation wasn’t complete without a station wagon, those long trips with kids in the rear seat of a wood-panelled highway cruiser and luggage piled high in the back. But the wagon started declining in popularity when Chrysler introduced the first modern minivan in time for the 1984 model year, and the meteoric rise in SUVs has almost put the final nail into the wagon’s coffin. Almost.
The station wagon is clinging to life in Canada, and it’s largely thanks to a handful of European automakers who still doggedly believe in the segment. None of Detroit’s Big Three currently offer a long-roof model on the Canadian market. Car companies are hesitant to return to the segment, which explains why we won’t get the Opel-derived Buick Regal TourX or the second-generation Jaguar XF Sportbrake.
Some of the more optimistic observers predict a long-awaited wagon revival is just a couple of years away because consumers are getting bored of crossover and want a car that stands out. If you’re not the patient type, check out the last wagons left in Canada.
Audi A4 Allroad
The original Audi Allroad helped popularize the premium, go-anywhere station wagon when it made its debut in 1999. While the latest A6-based model isn’t sold here, Audi grants us access to a smaller wagon based on the A4. It continues down the path blazed by the original Allroad with a look that’s both upscale and rugged, a luxurious interior, and Audi’s time-tested quattro all-wheel drive system. Power for the Allroad comes from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that has plenty of pep. Don’t let the fact that it’s designed to go (lightly) off-road fool you; its on-road manners are excellent, too.
BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon
The BMW 3 Series has always been one of the best-handling sedans in its segment, so few will be surprised to find out the wagon model earns the same distinction. It’s just as sharp and engaging to drive as the sedan, but it boasts 495 L of trunk space with five adults on board. This is one of the models we’ll miss the most if wagons become extinct. The 3 wagon’s base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-L four-cylinder rated at 248 hp. And it is the only wagon in Canada to offer a turbodiesel option, where the 2.0-L unit sends 180 hp and a stout 280 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Wagon
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class Wagon is one of the few nameplates sold in Canada but not across the border in the United States, and we applaud the company’s decision to make it available here. While Mercedes originally announced we’d get a four-cylinder turbodiesel, the company back-pedalled in the wake of the Volkswagen fiasco and made plans to focus on gasoline engines and gasoline-electric plugin hybrids. Consequently, the only engine on tap is a 241-hp 2.0 L. The C300 posts a 6.1-second time in the sprint from zero to 100 km/h, and it can haul up to 1,510 L of cargo with the rear seats folded flat.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon
The newest E-Class Wagon is ready for weekend getaways with a self-levelling suspension on the rear axle and a rear-facing third-row seat that neatly folds under the trunk floor when it’s not in use. We don’t get the All-Terrain model that’s sold in Europe, so we suggest you keep it on the pavement. The base engine is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-L V-6 that makes 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. Rear-wheel drive comes standard, and 4Matic all-wheel drive is offered as an option. If it’s earth-shaking power you’re after, AMG will build you an E63 wagon with 603 screaming horses under the hood and a performance-tuned all-wheel-drive system that lets you drift all the way to the hardware store to pick up home improvement supplies.
Mini Clubman
The Mini Clubman adds British flair to the station wagon segment. It’s more conventional than its predecessor, which offered a set of funky rear-hinged doors, and it’s also considerably bigger than any Clubman to date. The rear barn doors remain, however. The Clubman shares its platform and the bulk of its BMW-designed mechanical components with the seriously fun Hardtop. It’s one of the most entertaining station wagons on the market, one that will make you come up with excuses to take it out for a spin. Although pricey, the 228-hp John Cooper Works model is the pick of the litter if smiles-per-mile are on the top of your shopping list.
Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
What are the odds Porsche would build one of the last station wagons on the market? The company began expanding outside of sports cars with the original Cayenne, followed up with the first Panamera, and it recently built up the courage to foray into the wagon segment for the first time. The Panamera Sport Turismo isn’t an ordinary wagon because its main focus isn’t pure utility. While it’s more practical than the regular Panamera, its design-led sloping roof line makes it a contender for the coveted “shooting brake” label. Powertrain options include six- and eight-cylinder engines plus a powerful plug-in hybrid drivetrain that delivers a supercar-like 680 hp.
Subaru Outback
This is one of the most popular station wagons in the country and it has managed to remain on the podium for years. Once little more than a niche model, it has become the go-to wagon for a wide demographic because it’s solid, reliable, and even more capable than its brawny design suggests. It’s equally at home at an Ikea in Toronto or on an icy road deep in Yukon. The Outback’s base engine is a 2.5-L flat-four rated at 175 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. Both of those figures are middling at best, so Subaru offers a 256-hp 3.6-L flat-six at an extra cost. It’s the only flat-six you can buy new without spending Porsche money, and our crystal ball tells us it’s not long for this world as Subaru prepares to roll out plug-in hybrid powertrains. All-wheel drive comes standard, regardless of how many cylinders are pumping under the hood.
Volkswagen Golf SportsWagen
This is the people’s wagon. Priced to encroach on crossover territory, it boasts a well built cabin and an SUV-like 605 L of trunk space with a full load of passengers on board. Its design is pure Volkswagen, which means it’s more of an evolution of its predecessor, the well regarded Jetta SportsWagen, than a mind-blowing revolution. While the SportsWagen comes standard with front-wheel drive, buyers can pay extra for Volkswagen’s excellent 4Motion allwheel-drive system. And those who need a little bit more off-road capacity can step up to the Alltrack model, which adds a lifted suspension and Outback-esque plastic body cladding.
Volvo V60
Volvo is the automaker most often associated with the station wagon. The company didn’t invent the body style, but it relentlessly spent decades making it popular on both sides of the Atlantic. The V60 takes Volvo’s vast experience in the field of station wagons and condenses it into a package that’s compact, well built, and versatile. Tick the Polestar box on the order sheet and it becomes surprisingly sporty, too. Volvo also offers a more rugged version of the V60 named Cross Country. Designed as an alternative to a traditional crossover like the XC60, the Cross Country model receives a few extra inches of ground clearance, skid plates to protect the vital mechanical components, and all-wheel drive. If you’re in the mood for a vacation you can pick up your V60 straight from the factory in Sweden and spend a few weeks meandering around Europe before shipping it home.
Volvo V90
While looks are purely subjective, we’d argue the Volvo V90 is the best-looking station wagon on the market. It proves once and for all that long-roof models don’t necessarily have to be boring, and driving one doesn’t need to feel like a timeout in a penalty box. Its design is stunning, and its chassis manages to strike an ideal balance between dynamism and comfort. As Volvo expands, so does the V90 lineup. It currently includes a sporty-looking R-Design trim and a Cross Country-badged model that receives roughly the same upgrades as the smaller V60. The S90 that it’s based on is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain capable of driving on electricity alone for short distances, but the V90 is gasoline-only for the time being.