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I have a wagon myself - a 2001 BMW 5 series. We chose it because it was super practical without sacrificing handling, driving experience, or gas mileage. We didn't even have any kids at the time. It's been great and I don't feel any less a man for driving it. But now that we have a kid I can admit that many of the new CUVs would work better for hauling him and all of his stuff around. The seating configuration and height work well with car seats and cargo. I'd personally love to get another wagon - like a 2010 535xi, but I'm sure we'll be going the CUV route next time.
How does 1 kid require more space than a wagon provides? I don't get that.
People in my town love the old Toyota "All-Track" Tercel wagons. I know a mechanic who collects them. They're really good in snowy conditions, hence their cult following. People buy old ones with burnt-out engines for $500 and rebuild them. Others like those Toyota Camry wagons. Subaru wagons are popular, too. I didn't know the Ford Taurus had been discontinued. They're everywhere, in my town. Volvo wagons are popular, too, with the higher-end crowd. There are SUV's around, too, but public tastes vary quite widely.
Just out of curiosity, what town do you live in that's such a Mecca for wagons?
Maybe some do, but a lot don't.
How does 1 kid require more space than a wagon provides? I don't get that.
Marketing. One kid requires NO change in car. Heck, I would bring a kid up with a Porsche 911 with that tiny seat in the back. I don't think a kid would mind one bit. I know if I was a little kid, I would rather have the Porsche around than some big clunky SUV for fat people.
Marketing. One kid requires NO change in car. Heck, I would bring a kid up with a Porsche 911 with that tiny seat in the back.
Not likely. Try fitting that mandatory rear-facing car seat in the back of your 911. It won't work, unless either you or your front passenger is under 5' tall.
Car seat laws nowadays require the seats to take up a HUGE amount of space. Combine that with the room a stroller takes up (even a basic one, not to mention a jogger or something meant to hold more than one kid), and it's no shocker that families run to the bigger vehicles (minivans, SUVs, etc).
We bought a Ford Flex because of this. Granted, I'm a bit outside the bell curve at 6'7", but this was the only non-fullsize SUV vehicle we could find where the rear-facing seat would go behind me. We were also fans of its 'non-SUV' appearance. IMHO, it's about as close as you get looks-wise to the beastly giant wagons of old in a modern vehicle, and I liked that. It also sits at basically the same height as the Taurus sedan it's based on, which means it's more practical and better-handling than a 'true' SUV.
The wife REALLY wanted a wagon (so chalk us up as two more Americans who LIKE wagons), but we couldn't find anything that fit the bill. European premium-brand wagons (our favorite) are too expensive, the Jetta and the TSX wagons both had no rear legroom by the time I got the seat adjusted for me, and neither of us were digging the looks of the bigger Subarus or that God-awful monstrosity Honda Crosstour (which I GUESS would qualify as a wagon).
Mike
Last edited by whiteboyslo; 03-21-2014 at 08:30 AM..
I bought a Scion Xb to fit some of the station wagon void. Obviously, I'm not a slave to fashion.
I had a 2009 for a few years. Greatest appliance I ever owned, and I mean that in every sense of the word. OK power, lots of room (both for passengers and cargo), easy to drive, easy to park, easy to work on, etc. I found Toyota's TC a little too invasive (and annoyingly very difficult to override) and the interior never let you forget what you paid for the car, but it served its purpose well and went for 100K uneventful miles.
Some of them kind of are ugly. They're good cars though; my grandmother drove hers for years. I would've taken it when she passed away, if I hadn't already had a car.
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