Why station wagons

Review, Pricing, and Specs. The Mercedes-Benz E-class station wagon's key attributes are there for all to see: it's practical, great-looking, luxurious, and rare. That's enough to make this lovely long-roof model a Car and Driver favorite. This year, the E-class wagon is updated with a new, more masculine look by borrowing styling elements from the Mercedes SUV lineup and wearing an adjustable air suspension to improve off-road capability.

There's still plenty of luxury to be found inside, though, and the E-class's richly dressed cabin, robust features list, and numerous driver-assistance systems make it one of the better-equipped luxury station wagons available. Looking for something with a more on-road attitude? It's much easier to list what the Mercedes-AMG E63 S wagon can't do than what it can, which is why this machine is so special.

The cans make for a very impressive list. Although it's based on the regular Mercedes-Benz E-class wagon , the AMG version is modified to maniacal levels of performance.

The most notable upgrade is its hp twin-turbo V-8, which sounds like it runs on pure testosterone and hurls the E63 forward like one of Zeus's lightning bolts. It's also much more than a drag-race king; it has racetrack-ready hardware that gives it unnatural agility and surprising driver satisfaction.

The fact that this long roof model can haul a whole family and their luggage in a positively palatial cabin is further evidence that the E63 S wagon would be our ideal everyday vehicle if only its price tag didn't contain six figures.

Practicality and luxury go hand-in-hand in the Volvo V60 station wagon , which is based on the Swedish automaker's S60 sedan.

Offered both in regular and lifted Cross Country guise, the V60 is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive.

A high-performance plug-in hybrid variant is also offered and brings big thrills to this grocery-getter— along with up to 22 miles of electric-only driving. Looking for something to break out of the cookie-cutter SUV mold but still need space for family and cargo? We suggest the Volvo V90 : It's beautiful, practical, fuel efficient, and luxurious—it really is the whole package.

Buyers can choose either a hp turbocharged four-cylinder with front-wheel drive or a hp turbo- and supercharged four-cylinder with all-wheel drive. Are driver-assistance features interesting to you? The V90 has them all, and what's more, they're standard across the lineup.

If the idea of bailing on an SUV is still too much, consider the lifted and ruggedized V90 Cross Country reviewed separately.

Volvo is a brand that's well known for its wagons, and the Swedish firm's latest long-roof models—including this V90 Cross Country —are moving this body style upmarket.

Based on the normal V90 wagon , the V90 Cross Country adds a lifted suspension and standard all-wheel drive for improved capability in inclement weather. Like the smaller V60 Cross Country , the V90 Cross Country comes with more rugged styling cues to match its go-anywhere persona. Inside, real wood trim, sculpted seats, and a large cargo area balance practicality with luxury to good effect. Driver-assistance features abound, including standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection and a semi-autonomous driving mode.

Audi's A4 is a handsome, sweet-driving sedan, but what we really love is the A4 Avant wagon — which the German automaker reserves for Europe and other global markets.

Instead, we get the rugged-looking, lifted A4 Allroad , which is almost as cool. Its extra ground clearance isn't enough for it to undertake legitimate off-roading alongside Jeeps and Toyota 4Runners. But it gives the A4 Allroad the same kind of advantage as the Subaru Outback or the Volvo V60 Cross Country when it comes to tackling rutted dirt roads and snowy byways. There are narrower roads and more expensive fuel there, so the smaller, more fuel-efficient cars make sense.

But station wagons are also just more fun to drive. Its engine purrs. Mercedes-Benz has watched sales of its E-Class wagon fall Volvo , perhaps best known for its sturdy station wagons, has seen sales of its XC70 wagon decline The truth is that hardly any car these days fits squarely—or rounded-ly, as the case may be—into one category.

The Outback is more SUV than wagon. The Mazda5—a favorite of mine for its family-friendliness, versatility and total lack of any pretention it is so not cool —is a minivan and wagon meld. Vehicles like the Hyundai Elantra Touring or the Toyota Matrix are technically hatchbacks and economy cars, but they also pass as mini wagons. How can we bring back the wagon?

By providing your email, you agree to the Quartz Privacy Policy. Skip to navigation Skip to content. Discover Membership. Editions Quartz. More from Quartz About Quartz. Follow Quartz. These are some of our most ambitious editorial projects. From our Series. By Lisa Selin Davis. Published September 9, This article is more than 2 years old. Sign me up. So, to sum it up, the station wagons are no longer an eye-catcher for Americans.

On the other hand, Europeans are not going to give up on station wagons any time soon. The results can be problematic to the automakers for various reasons and can bring us to the possibility of the extinction of station wagons very soon. August 9, Volvo V You may also like. The Fastest Supercars and Hypercars in the World August 17, August 11, July 19,