What's Wrong with Wagons?

September 6, 2014
Story By
Albert Roxas

There’s a stigma with station wagons in the US that dates back to the 70’s – they’re “mom-mobiles”, utilitarian transport designed to carry your kids and all their stuff on long trips. We envision scenes from the The Brady Bunch and National Lampoons Vacation - they’re ugly, they have wood sidepanels and a roof rack. It’s a step away from a mini-van, that final cross over into the “I have a family” automotive statement. During a recent trip to Europe I noticed a very different reaction to wagons - they were everywhere and I didn't see a single wood sidepanel in the lot!

This one hits close to home for me, since as a new father I've started considering sedans and more “utility” type vehicles for the first time in my life. In the US, if you have a family and don't want a minivan you buy an SUV, which if you think about it is actually a “lifted” wagon! SUV’s and “Cross-overs” now makeup 36 percent of the US automotive segment, it's the first time they've surpassed sedans. Yet you rarely see wagons in the States, why is that?

In Europe, it's the exact opposite. During our entire 2 weeks of travel we saw maybe 3 SUV’s on the Autobahn. What did we see? WAGONS. Wagons are where it’s at in Europe and it’s been this way for quite some time. Admittedly, Europe gets all the cool, high-powered wagons - M’s, 63’s and RS’ - but this is probably an organic result of demand.

While I was in Europe we chose a "wagon" to drive – a BMW 318GT - which proved to be extremely useful considering the amount of driving we did and the storage we required. We drove from Cologne, to the Nurburgring – to Stuttgart, Innsbruck, Modena, Venice, back thru Salsburg and eventually back to Munich. THIS is why wagons are more popular in Europe! Most Europeans actually drive their cars - you can easily cross from country to country with your family, to vacation or visit. They need true “utility” and nothing beats a sporty wagon for the amazing roads which Europe provides. I was consistently passed at speed on the Autobahn by family debadged family haulers going north of 140MPH.

While driving the Autobahn we found out how serious Europeans take driving, which might help explain why the wagon trumps the SUV there. The lower profile of a wagon lends itself to better handling and performance than SUVs. Yet they have additional space and capacity that's useful on long trips, with luggage and goodies in tow. (We found this particularly helpful at each stop as we added to our stockpile LOL.) From a comfort standpoint, extra leg-room on long trips is a must – another advantage of wagons.

Will wagons become more popular on this side of the pond? Only time will tell. While the benchmark Audi RS6 Avant continues to elude us, Mercedes has brought over the E63 estate and BMW has expanded its “GT” offerings which is somewhat of a wagon hybrid. Since we're a nation of "bigger is better", SUV’s continue to dominate the US market (and we've even managed to get some fast ones !), but it’s apparent that wagons are starting to make a dent, slowly but surely.

Case in point, if Mercedes brought over this CLS Shooting Brake enthusiasts of all styles would rejoice.

Even tuners (Alpina in this case) are on the wagon-band-wagon. It’s not as if we’re all willing to be Mrs. Brady just yet, but when she’s outrunning a Ferrari 458 while hauling the kids and groceries in the back, there doesn’t seem to be as much wrong with wagons anymore.

What do you think? Would you rock a wagon instead of an SUV?

What's Wrong with Wagons?

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