Station Wagon options 2016

Searched the archives for a similar post. Could not find one.

I have been through a bunch of station wagons in my driving career. better gas mileage than SUV. More comfortable to drive, In some cases more cargo space. Previously I have had 2 subaru legacy's, Volvo 850, Volvo V70 and now I am looking to replace my DD E46 330ci with another wagon. The problem is availability. I am looking for the larger sizes.

Criteria: Preferably in the 5-7 year old. Certainly less than 10YO. Preferably less than $15K. Its a daily driver. Want comfort over speed. Have an old 911 to play with when needed. Must have some decent rear leg room for that growing boy in the back seat. I am 6'3" and he is catching up despite being only 10.

Here is what I have found (and not found).

Here are a few I have considered and crossed off the list.

VW Jetta - too small for my liking. I find the seats uncomfortable in my friends. Unclear if TDI can be registered next year. Subaru Impreza/including WRX - Too small. Don't like the seating position. Subaru Forrester - Too upright for me.
Subaru Outback - Not a fan of the crossover/pseudo 4x4 look. Mazda 6 wagon - Can't seem to find one that doesn't need tons of work.

Here are some other options that would be possible.

Cadillac CTS wagon - V version out of budget. Have not driven one. Concerned about rear visibility. Not sold on styling.
VW Passat wagon - not available in US. BMW wagon. Maintenance costs are high here. Have same issue with E46.
Acura TSX - Have not driven one. Styling unimpressive to me. Not sure how much room. Subaru Legacy (05-07) (And GT). Probably my favorite on the list. Would consider. Stopped US delivery in 2007 - Most have high mileage and need work. Volvo V60 - Loved my last ones... They are smaller than my 850. 04 V70 had major transmission issues that makes me leary of owning another one.
Mercedes C class wagon. Not bad looking. High cost of ownership.

Have I missed any on the list? I am still shopping and just don't know what direction to head. If you list a make/model please list some comment about what you like and don't like about it.

Dodge Magnum?

The Saab 9-3 sportcombi is fair sized. Mine has been mostly trouble free. They are CHEAP too.

I also like most of the legacy wagon variants. I had a 2000 outback wagon with a stick. Great car.

does Volvo still have a wagon?

In reply to singleslammer:

The 9-5 Sportcombi too, might be a better size for the OP's wishes.

In reply to mad_machine:

The V50 was around until '12, so it meets the OP's less than 10 years old criteria, but is pretty small. The V60 is larger, and more wagony than SUVy, but I believe it self identifies as a wagon. There'll be a V90 available next year.

In reply to jpnovak:

I'm in a similar search for a Jetta Sportwagen replacement after the TDI buy back. I've looked at a lot of options, all be it in a slightly lower price range.

On our short list:

9-3 Sportcombi, but like I said earlier, the 9-5 might be a better option size wise.

BMW e91 328i wagon, I've seen it called 328iT, and 328i Sport Wagon. I'm a BMW novice, I'm not sure what the proper nomenclature is?

Other considerations: BMW 530i, 535i | Audi A4 Avant, A6 Avant | Mercedes E350, R320/350/500 (kind of minivan looking) | Jaguar X-Type Estate | Lincoln MKT | Infinity EX35 (kind of blurs the lines between SUV & wagon) | Mazda6 Wagon

VW Passat was here until 2010, this could be your best bet. The Saab 9-5 is barely bigger than a 9-3, get a 9-3 instead with 2.0l and no XWD. Made until 2011.

The Impreza has a bigger hatch than a 328, maybe less rear leg room. A 535i is expensive and not so reliable, but a great wagon otherwise.

A 10 year old E350 might be an option in your budget. Seats 7 too.

Infiniti ex35? Don't know much about them yet. I'm also digging the Acura ZDX more and more.

fwiw.. friend of mine who is a german national and something of a MB snob just sold his last E series wagon and will never buy another. Compared to his wife's E320 sedan, his 320 wagon was a constant money pit of wagon related failures. The rear air shocks were an almost constant failure point

BMW changed wagon letters all the time. E91 And F31 are all 328i with or without X-Drive. E46 were 325i or 325iX, and E36 were 325i or 325xi, all were called Tourings but the "T" wasn't an actual badge. Of course I may have confused some of this.

Yeah, I compared the 9-3 sportcombi to an e39 wagon and the BMW was only a TINY bit bigger in the back. It did have a slightly bigger back seat.

paranoid_android74 wrote: Infiniti ex35? Don't know much about them yet. I'm also digging the Acura ZDX more and more.

If looking at ZDX then maybe consider the originator of that class the Infiniti FX35 with V6 or FX45 with V8.

Big depreciation

Hyundai Elantra Touring:Can get with a stick shift, stopped production in 12, might be on the smaller side.

Toyota Prius V: Very appliance like and no stick shift. Great gas mileage. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a wagon?

Mazda 5 would be the easy solution here. Plenty of rear leg room even with the front seat all the way back. Third row (if on the smaller side) if you need it. Available in stick shift. Plenty of room with all seats down or just third row down (I fit two adirondack chairs and a bag full of trash in mine no problem with the third row down). Handles pretty well and good on the highway (I commute 60 miles a day). 30 mpg isn't hard. I average 28-29 consistently.

Ford flex, or is that too big and thirsty?

In reply to jpnovak:

I am thinking about a Dodge Magnum R/T with a Hemi. Anyone know how they are holding up?

thing about the magnum... my mom almost bought one new (Wthout the hemi) and she absolutely hated the lack of view out there rear. best to take one for a real drive and try to back them up a few times to see how you feel about them

Is300 sportcross

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/project-supra-cross/98740/page1/

The Prius V is bigger on the inside than any of the wagons mentioned above. Questionable aesthetics aside, it's the best option out there. Mechanically reliable, comfortable, capacious, and MPGs for days.

thing about the magnum... my mom almost bought one new (Wthout the hemi) and she absolutely hated the lack of view out there rear.

I find a huge correlation between people who get nervous about such things, and people who should NOT be driving aggressively in the first place. In other words, actual driving enthusiasts tend to be more aware of their surroundings with less blaming the hardware, so no telling if an enthusiast would care about that. Certainly supercar owners seem to get over it.

Well, i guess there's not NO telling since i'm a driving enthusiast and owned a Magnum and the view out the back never bothered me. In fact, it kinda seemed like you were looking out of a pillbox bunker in every direction. Not to the same extent as a 5th gen Camaro and those seemed to sell well too.

...man I wish this thread had pics...

In reply to procker:

Thanks for all the suggestions. Certainly a few that I had not considered. Do they import the jag-wag?

I had a Rental Magnum once for work. Felt roomy with the visibility of an actual tank. I agree with being situationally aware while driving but there are better options for visibility. I see lots with 22s and airbags around here.

Someone mentioned the Audi Avant (4 and 6). Had a friend with an Audi. It was always in the shop.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: In reply to procker:

Idk if its the wagon part or the bbs or maybe both but im REALLY drawn to that car. Assuming no american offerings because i don't remember ever seeing a wagon jag

Vigo wrote:

thing about the magnum... my mom almost bought one new (Wthout the hemi) and she absolutely hated the lack of view out there rear.

I find a huge correlation between people who get nervous about such things, and people who should NOT be driving aggressively in the first place. In other words, actual driving enthusiasts tend to be more aware of their surroundings with less blaming the hardware, so no telling if an enthusiast would care about that. Certainly supercar owners seem to get over it. Well, i guess there's not NO telling since i'm a driving enthusiast and owned a Magnum and the view out the back never bothered me. In fact, it kinda seemed like you were looking out of a pillbox bunker in every direction. Not to the same extent as a 5th gen Camaro and those seemed to sell well too.

some people do not like the pillbox look.. personally I like my sightlines pretty clear. It's one of the reasons I have almost always owned roadsters and euro hatchbacks (with a couple of Hyundais thrown in for good measure)

In reply to jpnovak & chiodos:

There are 8 X-Type Estates in all of the US for sale on Cars.com all are '05 or '06 models.

Used 2005 Jaguar X-Type 3.0