Hey guys...

With the cost of gas and all the unwanted comments about SUVs, what do you guys think of wagons such as the Subis and Audis? Do they still have that uncool factor about them?

Curious to hear what you guys have to say...R

 

Well there not to bad looking looking but its like anything else just put some nice wheels on it and lower it a bit and your all set

 

I happen to think a lot of the wagons look great! Bimmer wagons are always nice, the Saab aero's look amazing. There's quite a few. I think It's a wonderful alternative to a largeer SUV that may not get great gas mileage.


Check this thread to see just how good a Bimmer wagon can look!

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=176797

 

I love Audi and Volvo wagons. The new A6 Avant wagon looks absolutely beautiful. I always liked the Volvo V70 wagon. Hate the XC70 though. My pick is the V70R. What a sleeper that wagon is.

 

As you suggest........you really can't go wrong with almost any of the Subarus. ( just got an Outback wagon myself ) They are well-built, have excellent fit-and-finish and interiors for the price (especially the Legacy and Outback) , and have the best AWD systems in the industry in the under-$30,000 class. Consumer Reports now ranks Subaru as the most reliable nameplate overall.....slightly ahead of Lexus. The only fly in the ointment is the Subaru A/C systems are not as powerful on a hot day as Lexus ones.....and they annoyingly vary up-and-down in temperature cycles as you drive (even the manually operated ones). The air temp at the vents constantly varies from ice-cold to lukewarm and then back again every 15-20 seconds or so. It does the job....just odd, that's all.
The Audi wagons? Audi is getting a reputation more and more each year as a drivers' car, and a number of publications now prefer them to BMW's....especially the Chris Bangle BMW's. Audi, like Subaru, has a proven Quattro AWD system, and some models now use the ultra-efficient CVT's (Continuously Variable Transmission) and DSG's (Direct-Shift Gearbox). Also like the Subaru Legacy / Outback, Audi wagons generally have classy interiors with high-quality materials. The main Audi problems ( in the German tradition) are unreliability in electronics, poor dealer service, and snobby and sometimes arrogant company reps.

 

Don't worry about what is "cool " and " UN-cool ". That is a bunch of nonsense. Buy and drive the vehicle that YOU like and best suits your needs....and the need of your family, if you have one.

 

Bimmer and Benz wagons ROCK!!!!

 

The E class wagon looks awful , a stark contrast to the nice looking sedan version . . .

 

I'm not a big fan of Daimler or BMW estates, but the Audis and virtually all of the Japanese options get my vote. The bottom line is that wagons have come a long way since those beached whales designed by blind men that the American 80s spit out. Don't worry about what's "cool" to the general population. In my opinion, and I don't think I'm alone here, a street legal, stock car that can still hold it's own on the track is pretty darn cool. All that most "cross-over" SUVs are is raised FWD station wagons. At least the modern estates actually have *****. In my opinion that makes them infinitely cooler than SUVs.

 

Wagons are just brilliant & are making a huge comeback.......they will even more so considering the price of gas.....the full size SUV will go the way of the Dodo I'm afraid all in due time.

I'm getting the wife a 2003 or 2004 Subaru Forester XS (considered an SUV, but meets ALL passenger car safety standards with 5 star safety rating across the board!)....can get the XT turbo model in the Forester as well.....sharp looking car & decent on fuel. The Subi folks call the Forester the very first 'Crossover' vehicle FYI.


As for myself, I'm giving some serious consideration to eventually trading in the Lexus for a 2005 or newer Subaru Outback 3.0 VDC wagon! Awesome looking machine!

Are they cool? You betcha! Something else to consider if you can live withour AWD is the Mazda 6 Wagon. Good Luck, ya can't go wrong with a Wagon.

Check out the Subaru website!

 

I talked my wife into getting the Saab 92-X aero and we are LOVING it. I'm sure you all know that it is basically the WRX impreza wagon. Anyway, yeah wagons are coming back and it's a good thing. Not only are they sporty but you can haul stuff, too.

 

Hmm now this is something I may consider trading the LX for I totally forgot about these guys. Do they still have the rear facing seats in the cargo area?

 

Nothing wrong with that..I just got a new Outback myself. Great machine except for adequate but quirky A/C.
The 3.0, of course, will run smoother than the 2.5 or 2.5 Turbo. The 3.0 also has a steel timing chain instead of a rubber belt, and has had more reliable head gaskets ( newer 2.5's have better head gaskets too...and other engine improvements were made for 2006 ). But the 3.0 costs several grand more than the non-turbo 2.5's, gets worse mileage, and, like the turbo 2.5, runs on expensive 93-octane. A lower-cost 3.0 Wagon with cloth seats is available this year for the first time.
If you prefer 2-tones, lean toward the 2005's.......the 2006's did away with several of the two-tone combos. The only ones left now are the popular two-tone silver / gray and the also popular two-tone Willow Green / Moss Green. The two-silver has the dark interior with brushed-metal trim and the two-tone green has the beige interior with brushed-metal and GOOD fake wood....this one IMO is awesome-looking.

 

Wow thanks for all the replies...I've driven SUVs for a while and I no longer have the need for any real offroad vehicle except maybe the occasional drive to the lake, camp ground, trail heads or ski lodge. However, I still need the cargo room for my 2 labs

I might need to take a close look at the Subis and Audi AllRoad this weekend.

Thanks..R

 

The All-Road will cost more than the Subies ( 40K-plus) but have a more solid chassis, an impeccable interior ( the Subie's is almost as good ), the famous German steering feel, but......unfortunately........unreliable electronics.

Volvo also makes an AWD raised-wagon....the XC-70 Cross-Country. It is several thousand dollars less than an All-Road.
http://www.volvocars.us/Showroom/XC70/

If you are seriously interested in an All-Road, move quickly.....I can't verify it, but rumor has it that it may soon be dropped in the Amerrican market because of poor sales.
http://www.audiusa.com/model_home/0,...allroadquattro