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Location: In a perfect world winter does not exist
3,661 posts, read 2,948,846 times
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Jetta Wagon! Its rides much more expensive that it really is. Low center of gravity and delicious steering feel. I have one and it may be the last cheap wagon to ever be sold in the States. I try to only put 300-400 miles on a month on it, its a 2012 with 72k and I want that thing to last me to my grave.
There are still some new VW Golf Wagons in my area for under 25k with some bargaining.
A station wagon (often called Kombi in Germany) is simply a hatchback or a sedan with a longer (or taller) rear storage area and slightly longer wheelbase. It is usually a stretch version of a medium to large sized sedan or hatchback model, like VW Golf, or Passat. They don't make a Kombi of sub-compact cars like VW Polo (a smaller Golf not sold in the US). The VW affiliates Audi, Skoda & SEAT follow a similar approach. I see 7 current VW Kombi cars, not CUV or SUV.
The vast majority of people in Germany live in or near urban areas. Most people don't live in heavy snow zones or drive on roads where additional ground clearance is needed. Most people don't tow trailers aside from a little utility trailer once in awhile. This limits the need for a CUV or SUV.
When I go to more rural areas, such as the Ore Mountains just south of Chemnitz, I see a bigger percentage of SUVs, CUVs and even some 4x4 compact pickups. There is more snow in this region, steep hills, less snow removal on low traffic roads, and more people that use their vehicles for work purposes. No surprise that there are more SUV or CUV owners there.
I always thought station wagons are an American thing but somewhere, somewhat they started disappearing from American roads. Instead, Mercedes, BMW, Audi and VW stuck with it. They also happen to be their most expensive models, sometimes their flagships. Production is low but they have a loyal following. I don't see anything in the European lifestyle that needs station wagons. Small spaces, no pets, smaller families, expensive gas. Are they just for export?
Despite the media depictions we get of ‘typical’ European life, many a European family lives in medium density suburbia and appreciates the cargo space of a wagon when they need to do a run to the suburban Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, IKEA, Bauhaus ....
Despite the media depictions we get of ‘typical’ European life, many a European family lives in medium density suburbia and appreciates the cargo space of a wagon when they need to do a run to the suburban Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, IKEA, Bauhaus ....
And if you're on vacation, it gives you more cargo room for dog(s), luggage, camping gear, etc While proportions differ, a hatchback, station wagon, CUV and SUV all have that roof line carried further back, sometimes all the way to the bumper, providing lots of practical space for "stuff".
Europeans until very recently considered SUVs designed solely for off-roading and most Europeans will never off-road. SUVs are deemed too slow and cumbersome for Autobahn level driving.
Part 2: ever try to drive in an European city? It's tight in a small car!
It's not just the German companies that still build wagons though.
Swedish-Chinese companies do
French do
GM still does - the Buick Regal Tour X is an Opel made in Germany that is still sold in Europe and China.
Toyota does in the rest of the world
Hyundai does
Perhaps you mean a Nietzsche market? Engines are larger, because of the Will to Power? The same model is rebadged under different makes, because einmal ist keinmal?
The wagon I wouldn't mind being seen in was the Magnum. By all accounts it sold well. I had to go to make room for even more Jeeps.
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