[drphoto]

Ok, call me weird, but I like station wagons. I'm sick of SUV's, I like my T&C van for the most part.....but it's boring to drive and gets nearly as bad milage as my previous Trooper.

I love the quirky looks of the Saab 9-5, but they're known to be crap, so I'd set my sights on a 2001/2002 Volvo V70, but then a little research shows they had serious tranny issues. Any owners of these here who know differently?

I really like the Mazda 3s hatch, but it's pretty small.

What's left? The Subie Outback?

I'm ONLY looking at used (max price $10K) which rules out the new VW Jetta. (be sweet w/ that new diesel)

[thunderbrick]

I've always had wagons since my '59 Opel.  Drive a '96 RoadMonster* that I love, but that's probably older than you want.  Had several Saabs, liked 'em but VERY pricey if things went wrong, and it was always stupid stuff that went haywire.

BobinStLouis has been a Saab service writer for years.  Why not talk to him about it?

*hauls 4x8 plywood with ease, 4x12 drywall when I really want to push it.

[pjchappy]

What size?  I think there are some older BMW 5 series wagons in the US.  Not nearly as popular here as they are in Europe.


Paul

[mcgsxr]

Do they sell the Mazda 6 wagon in the US?

I love wagons too, though we have a Hyundai Entourage van, my wife drives.

[roscoeiii]

I drive a '97 Honda Accord wagon, which I have been super pleased with. And it ought to be well below your price range. '97 is the last year that the Accord wagon was sold in the U.S. and the wagons aren't too easy to find, but parts for them are due to the huge numbers of those sedans. No problems at all except from normal wear and tear (timing belt, etc). Runs and drives fantastic. Looks still feel quite contemporary, if on the somewhat uninspiring side. Been a huge fan.

The Mazda3s are on the small side, but they tend to get good reviews. I've got my eye on a MazdaSpeed3 wagon when I am able to purchase my next car, but that would be out of your price range. That or the new Accord Wagon, though less space in the back than I'd ideally like to have. But that is the future and out of your price range....

[mfsoa]

Last year we bought a 2000 BMW 323iT wagon for around 8K, and my indie shop mechanic thinks I overpaid.

And it's great car - Sport package, 5 speed manual.

So for 10K you could find yourself in a sweet 3-series wagon.

Love wagons and hatchbacks - weird I guess

-Mike

[Jonathon Janusz]

Ford Focus wagon?  I've driven foci for the last few years and my current '06 has got 130K on it; nothing but routine maintenance items except for the struts that hold the hatch open because I open/close it a lot (for work).

'05-'07 has more room in the driver compartment than the '04 and below, and is the vintage that started using the (imho) better mazda-esque engines.  If I had my pick, I would try for a lower mileage '05 if you can find it as I think (gut feeling) that the '06 and '07 started to get "contented down" as they were winding down the body style in prep for the new/current version of the car in the US.

[drphoto]

Oh man, I love the Mazda 6, wagon, but they're super hard to find. A reputable specialist dealer in Cincy had one w/ a manual tranny and all options, but it was $15K.

There is the Mazda5. More van like, but a fun vehicle (I drove one) But it's too new to fit my price range.

St Louis Bob and I have had long talks over the Saab. I almost pulled the trigger on an 2000 9-5 wagon in this beautiful silvery green color. I could have picked it up for $4K, but I just chickened out. I figured it would cost me dearly in the long run. But man, was it cool. (IMHO)

PS: I'm not afraid of pretty high miles if a good vehicle, as I probably drive only 5K miles a year.

I think I may look at the Bimmer, as I love their cars. Any thoughts on the Audi A4 or A6? Volvo V40?

I'm not a snob though, I'd even consider a Taurus. Someone mentioned the Focus, if I were going for small, I'd love to find a Focus SVT. C&D reviewers wet their pants over that one.

Mike, we're not weird....just quirky. 

[jackman]

BMW's: I like the BMW wagons (5's and 3's) but these cars are expensive to maintain and to fix unless you are mechanically inclined.  They are cool looking and fun to drive!  I have a 2003 325i and it runs as good as the day I brought it home (new).  The car has never had a problem but every time I go to the dealer to get service I overhear the service guys giving the "bad news" to an unsuspecting BMW owner.  Every time!  It freaks me out because they always have the shell-shocked look. 

Saab:  Saab's are also very cool looking and fun in a quirky way, but do some research and talk to an expert (my old friend BFSL has lots of experience in this area).  I have a friend with an old Saab that had over 200K miles on the odometer.  He calls the car Jason because it will not die.  Another friend hated his early 2000's  9-3 (major electrical problems) and will never own another Saab.  Expensive to fix and who knows what will happen under the new ownership. 

Honda: I never cared for the looks of the Accord wagon but they are reliable (if you stay on top of the timing belt changes).  A friend of mine has an early CRV, not a wagon but small SUV.  I would take that over a wagon if you can find one.

Ford:  +1 on the Focus wagon.  A friend of mine has a bare bones version and it's been very reilable.  It took a while but I'm used to the looks and the version after '04 is supposed to be a good car.  Avoid years prior to 2004.  I have an Escape and like the size and mileage.  Small enough to park in tight spots in the city and the rear seats fold down for lots of room.  Not a bad choice. Mine is new so I can't comment on reliability.

Toyota: I think they made Camry wagons up until 2002 or so.  Even though I like to have fun with some of the guys in the Pub, these are reliable and have lots of room.  You should be able to find one in your range.  Not BMW or Saab sexy but reliable and less likely to give you a heartattack when the red dash light comes on.


This isn't a bad time to be buying a car.  Just make sure you have it checked out by a mechanic and do a carfax check to make sure it wasn't salvaged after a flood or fire. 

Cheers,

J

[roscoeiii]

Gotta disagree with Jackman on the CRV over a (harder-to-find) wagon. The wagon will handle and perform much better, has a nicer, more refined trim and feature package, and an Accord, bomb-proof and battle-tested, with many, many engine parts available used if needed cheap.

[Lyndon]

Hard to find those Mazda 6 Wagons, Accord Wagons, etc. used around my neck of the woods.
I've wanted a Subaru Legacy or Outback Wagon, but the ones out here in Utah have just been hammered
in the mountains and desert, and people are still asking higher than blue book for them.
Has forced me to consider looking south (Phoenix) and elsewhere for my used wagon.
For me, it has to be able to handle all my bikes and camping gear, so I also considered something like Jackman's
Ford Escape, but I like the long distance comfort of the wagon for Yellowstone, Glacier, and Moab.
Lyndon

[Doublej]

Since you mentioned VW, how about a used Passat wagon or Jetta wagon?

I'd be very hesitant to buy an Audi. I had one friend with a first year A4 that needed the rear axle or something like that replaced every 40K. They said it was maintenance.

Another friend had an A6 or A8 and it needed some significant work on the AWD mechanism at 80K. His mechanic told him to sell it as it was expensive to do and the car would not be the same after the repair.

[DaveC113]

'06 Subie WRX, but maybe too much $$$. The '05 and earlier were ok, but have a 2.0 instead of a 2.5 L motor, and the 2.0 needs some RPMs. Fun car to drive though... I got a 2010 WRX and am very happy so far.

Audis suck, too complicated and too much $ to maintain. Same with Saab.

Mazda 3 is ok, my parents have one. Fuel economy isn't great for a small car, it gets about the same as my WRX but without awd or turbo.

An accord wagon would be good, but not a crv, unless you'd like a lesser performing car with worse fuel economy.

VW Jettas feature very poor reliability. My parents had an '06 TDI, but didn't want to keep it without a bumper to bumper warranty, and I think that was the right call.

Subaru Impreza's performace per dollar is quite good, but it is a simple car without many features. The exterior durability is also quite poor, the metal dings easily and the paint scratches easily. It also is not the tops in NVH, they are kinda loud at highway speeds. In '06 I test drove a lot of cars in the $20k range and the Impreza was the best value and best handling car of any I drove, so I bought an '06 Impreza Outback Sport Wagon, which I liked a lot. I like the WRX a lot better, but it retails for another $6k.

[Lyndon]

Dave,
Did you drive the Saabaru?  I was very tempted to buy that rebadged Subaru WRX, right?
I see those once in a blue moon.
Lyndon

[DaveC113]

Dave,
Did you drive the Saabaru?  I was very tempted to buy that rebadged Subaru WRX, right?
I see those once in a blue moon.
Lyndon

Yes, those were a good deal, and I think they might have had a better warranty than the Subaru too. Not sure about resale, but here in CO the Imprezas do really well. My total cost of ownership on my '06 Outback Sport, purchased new and sold a little over 3 years later with 50k miles was $200/month, not counting insurance, gas or new tires.

[eclein]

I just got a 2006 Scion XB, which is kind of a mini wagon, for 13K and it gets great mileage-33ish mpg. I found it through Auto-trader.com
which regardless of what your looking for is a great app. I just plugged in my price points and how far around I wanted to look and boom got like hundreds of choices. Made the task so-so much easier by far!!!

[drphoto]

Oh yeah, that Saab 9-2x. I love those. A little Saab style w/ Subie reliability. I was on a photo shoot in LA, doing about 80 on the 101 and one went blowing by me like I was parked.

WRX wagons are hard to find. Most of them are sedans, but it's on my list.

Still a bit small, though, I'd much prefer something the size of a Volvo.

Is the V70 a gamble? (I really like the looks of the V50, but it's too new and expensive)

Lyndon pretty much nailed it. I've got crap to haul, but I want to do it in something fun to drive, is comfortable, and gets decent milage. I'm not sure why so many people thought SUV's were a better solution. I had them for 15 years and won't go back. The minivan is a much better solution. More room, more creature comforts. But dull. I don't care about the 'soccer mom' thing. I'm not trying to impress anyone else. I got excited by the afore mentioned Saab, because it appealed to MY taste.

[viggen]

How about an A4 Avant?

I was going to suggest either the bimmer 3 series or the Saabaru too.

[doug s.]

here's a second wote for the gen-1 scion xb.  but $13k?  you can find nice ones for <$10k easy.  i have had my '04 for a year, put ~22k miles on it, and it's been a joy to own & drive.  (i paid $8k for it from a dealer; it had 58k miles on it, and was absolutely mint, w/alloy wheels and a front-strut-tower support bar.)  manual tranny is a must, imo; performance is adequate w/it.  tho not as much power as the alfa v6's i have been driving, the handling is comparable, and that's saying a lot.  i have considered upgrading the intake and exhaust for a bit more power, but i honestly do not think it's required, and i like to drive fast...




doug s.

[drphoto]

Scion, now on the list! I like quirky and it fits that bill! (not a fan of the 'retro' look PT Cruiser, or HHT, seems like they're trying too hard to be cool) Plus, the PT is supposed to be a total snoozer on performance.

Volvo feedback......? Gotta be a few owners here.