Should I give up on station wagons for good? As most car manufacturers seem to have done? Should I give in to the SUV/CUV pressure? I can't, but probably will.
However, before I give in to the sheer madness of it all, allow me to reminisce about some of the coolest wagons I've ever seen:
2006 Volvo VOX Amazon Concept
1968 Pontiac LeMans GTO Station Wagon
2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8
2008 Mercedes C63 AMG wagon
1976 Cadillac Castilian Fleetwood Estate Wagon
1990 BMW 325iT wagon
I dare you to tell me these cars don't stir an inkling of emotion or thought. If they don't, you should sign up for an EKG.
Now, back to the problem at hand.
Unfortunately, SUVs and CUVs have done, and can do, everything that wagons can plus they supply that all-important commanding driving position. They also command hefty sums of money, but then again so do most wagons – except perhaps for a Mercury Colony Park. A good used one from the late '80s can be had for less than two grand.
The more I considered this dilemma, the more a single, prominent thought kept popping into my head: There is an alternative.
What might that be?
I concede that I've lost. CUVs/SUVs have taken the cake but they don't get any icing. Why? Because I've come to the following conclusion: pickup truck.
Bet you didn't see that one coming.
That's right! Today's pickups are so comfortable, well-built and kitted-out that for many manufacturers they've met and even surpassed some of their own cars in fit, finish and overall refinement. They're roomy in 4-door configuration and, depending on the powertrain and your driving habits, as good or nearly as good on gas as some full-size CUVs/SUVs. Get yourself a tonneau cover and you've got yourself a huge trunk to boot. And how about that driving position? What more can you ask for?
And if you want my pickup suggestion, I say go for a Ford F-150 with EcoBoost.
Have I gone completely mad?
However, before I give in to the sheer madness of it all, allow me to reminisce about some of the coolest wagons I've ever seen:
2006 Volvo VOX Amazon Concept
 |
1968 Pontiac LeMans GTO Station Wagon
 |
2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8
 |
2008 Mercedes C63 AMG wagon
 |
1976 Cadillac Castilian Fleetwood Estate Wagon
 |
1990 BMW 325iT wagon
 |
I dare you to tell me these cars don't stir an inkling of emotion or thought. If they don't, you should sign up for an EKG.
Now, back to the problem at hand.
Unfortunately, SUVs and CUVs have done, and can do, everything that wagons can plus they supply that all-important commanding driving position. They also command hefty sums of money, but then again so do most wagons – except perhaps for a Mercury Colony Park. A good used one from the late '80s can be had for less than two grand.
The more I considered this dilemma, the more a single, prominent thought kept popping into my head: There is an alternative.
What might that be?
I concede that I've lost. CUVs/SUVs have taken the cake but they don't get any icing. Why? Because I've come to the following conclusion: pickup truck.
Bet you didn't see that one coming.
That's right! Today's pickups are so comfortable, well-built and kitted-out that for many manufacturers they've met and even surpassed some of their own cars in fit, finish and overall refinement. They're roomy in 4-door configuration and, depending on the powertrain and your driving habits, as good or nearly as good on gas as some full-size CUVs/SUVs. Get yourself a tonneau cover and you've got yourself a huge trunk to boot. And how about that driving position? What more can you ask for?
And if you want my pickup suggestion, I say go for a Ford F-150 with EcoBoost.
Have I gone completely mad?