American reacts to Why Station Wagons Are More Popular In Europe Than America

[@Avatar2312]

A common misconception of SUV is storage space. A SW has more. The reason the SUV is so successful is profit margin. It is aggressively advertised on a massive scale, while SW production is kept low among most brands and focused on premium segments that are way more expensive than normal SW. The SUV (and Pick-Up for that matter) is a prime example of induced demand.

[@s.neuhaus1512]

Yes, your right. I friend of my has a VW Tiguan and I’ve a Skoda Octavia. Both based on the VW Golf platform; I’ve more space in the trunk and my car is more sportier to ride (RS is like GTI).

[@BlackSun404]

THANK YOU!!!

[@lucidcharade12]

I can fit bigger things in my Mazda6 wagon than my girlfriend's best friend can in her Ford Escape. I've had to help her move things that wouldn't fit in her vehicle but would fit in mine. Then add in the SUVs being so much higher up gives them a way worse center of gravity making them way more likely to roll and it's weird to me how many people buy SUVs instead in my area that gets a lot of snow. That said, because of the weather here, old Subaru Outback wagons are really popular too. My Mazda6 is kind of a rarity.

[@tompiper9276]

​@@lucidcharade12Curious as the Mazda 6 is a better vehicle in almost every area. I guess marketing wins.

[@lucidcharade12]

@@tompiper9276 It's mostly because of the AWD, we can get some pretty harsh winters and it can be really useful in the snow giving them more hype here. That said, I've never had an issue with any of my FWD vehicles even going up the mountain to cross country ski. Should also mention my mazda6 is an '05 so it's like 20 years old at this point.

[@w0t3rdog]

Kombis? Simple really. More space in the trunk for stuff like strollers, grocery bags, new tires without dirtying the back seat, the family dog(/s) without getting dog hair on the seats, packages, fishing gear, luggage etc etc. Think of kombis as... smaller and less fuel consuming pickup trucks with an encased and heated bed.

[@beldin2987]

Or smaller SUVs because we are not so fat and don't need these oversized monsters to get our fat arses in 😄😄

[@Alirion]

The German word für a wagon is "Kombi" (short for "Kombinationskraftwagen") - combinational car (for persons and loading).

[@dickwilliam3793]

the German word wagon is wagen.

[@AP-RSI]

@@dickwilliam3793 The Car Type "Station Wagon" is a "Kombi" in Germany!

[@Vera150607]

Now I know why VW wagon is named Kombi worldwide, even South America, it’s just the perfect name.

[@Nils.Minimalist]

In Germany a locomotive pulls a wagon (or a waggon).

[@josephcarland]

Kombi (or combi) is a type of warehouse style trolly in Ireland.

[@almitov]

Station wagons (estate cars in the UK, Kombi in Germany & some other countries) offer the driving dynamics of a sedan combined with a lot more space inside (and on top, as Ryan noted :D ). They are still small enough to easily navigate narrow twisty european roads. They are fairly economical. The trunk/boot has a large door, allowing you to load large objects with ease. Also because of this door they have a window washer in the back - something I really miss in my current sedan car. For the US I see how SUVs and pickup trucks make more sense. You have the infrastructure to support them, fuel is cheap - there are little to no drawbacks to having one. In Europe however we have lots of narrow roads that are hard (or in some cases - impossible) to navigate in such vehicles. Fuel costs over 2x as much around here and we pay more taxes on our vehicles. The latter is linked to power/engine size and quite often the insurances (mandatory in Europe) are partially linked to this. For a big powerful V8 SUV in Europe, one would have to spend as much as the vehicle costs brand new... every couple years. Meanwhile a decent station wagon will offer almost the same space and nearly the same power-to-weight with a small, economical turbo 2L engine for example. Lower fuel cost, lower vehicle cost, lower insurance cost and last but not least - lower maintenance cost. Even if we talk sportier and more expensive models (for example Audi's S and RS series) - a station wagon version gives you a great daily driver to carry your stuff around and drive your kids but can still be a brutal track beast on the weekends. And it will still cost less to own compared to most full-size SUVs in Europe.

[@carolingrimaldi]

Drive a station wagon, but never minded about the window washer. You must me German... 🤣😅🤣

[@vrenak]

Also, the ugly fake wood paneling wasn't really common in Europe, so it never had that drawback in peoples memory.

[@ogribiker8535]

They're call Break here in France 🇫🇷

[@daddyjohan911]

I'll get my new mercedes C (AMG version, yessss!!) wagon this saturday. Getting an SUV? To pay 17000€ more, to use more fuel, to have less space, to get inferior handling? No thanks.

[@Digital-_-Immigrant_Marv]

that is what i have atm@@daddyjohan911

[@robertwhite3503]

I was curous about the name "station wagon", so i looked up the etymology. It comes from horse drawn wagons. Specifically those used at railway stations. They had a door at the back so you could load them easily.

[@bencodykirk]

Well I was curious about the name "estate" which is what the British call station wagons. Apparently, the snobby rich people in the UK used to transport themselves and their guests from the train station to their country estate in a wagon with lots of room in the back for trunks and, idk, suitcases and whatnot. Incidentally, they also don't call the other main type of passenger car "sedans" - they are "saloons". Hatchbacks are hatchbacks though.

[@keith6400]

The "Estate" car sometimes called a "Shooting Brake or Break" were vehicles used on country estates during a shoot. They transported the guns and ammunition whereas the participants travelled in separate vehicle/s. A large number of men with shotguns in some sort of bus would be potentially dangerous.

[@abigailhowes5944]

Yes, that is right, they were for picking up people and their luggage at the railroad station.

[@NZKiwi87]

We call em stationwagons in New Zealand.

[@ybra]

As someone from Sweden... Yeah that is pretty much the normal car here. Hatchbacks are also very popular here, but if you got a family, the station wagon (or "kombi" as they are called here) is the perfect size for most.

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

They're practical. Peroid. Large trunk, even larger witht he rear seats down, can reach a moderate to high speed, with low center of gravity they have great handling, have good roof load, can tow trailers ... what more do you want?

[@thegreatdane3627]

exactly, it's the perfect allround family car.

[@Dianus89]

In Poland we call it combi (kombi). From Wikipedia: In Germany, the term "Kombi" is used, short for Kombinationskraftwagen ("combination motor vehicle"). "Kombi" is also the term used in Poland. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_wagon)

[@vophatechnicus]

And then Volkswagen comes along calling their Kombi`s just "Variant" ... So my Passat Kombi is sold as Passat Variant :) or Audi that calls all its Kombi just "Avant" ..

[@Graaskaegg]

Kombi in Sweden too. Excellent cars.

[@the_pbx99]

Combi in Romanian too

[@RamsesTheFourth]

Yes yes, germans, they take spaces out of the sentences and call it a "word".

[@orthodox-mp6hv]

Комби in Bulgaria as well

[@MelchiahTheObscene]

In Britain, we call them estates and they're still quite common. Unfortunately more and more people are driving hideous crossovers.

[@stevekenilworth]

ones what have no interest in driving it just a tool to get a-b

[@nickhickson8738]

Usually by diminutive females who sit with steering wheel practically in their chest.

[@dallasfrost1996]

We call these Station Wagons here in New Zealand & they're not common over here nowadays. Most passengers vehicles on our roads are pickup trucks & SUV's (of all sizes & types). Within our top 10 best-selling vehicles, 4 of them are pickup trucks & 5 of them are SUV's. The Ford Ranger has been our best-selling vehicle for the last 10 years straight (similar to how the larger Ford F Series pickup trucks are the best-selling vehicles in the U.S).

[@deadmanschest4322]

fun fact: Ford had one of the best station wagons for young families here in Europe in the 90s -> the Ford Mondeo. There was enough space in the trunk for up to 3 baby carriages (even larger ones) and there was even enough room to transport a lot of other things as well I haven't seen any SUV so far that can keep up with that!

[@klamin_original]

Yeah but the models of the later 2000s and early 2010s had a lot of engine issues, same with the Focus models. Ford fucked it up around that time

[@johnnyz.9684]

I've owned ford s-max and it was excellent "wagon" (I know it's MPV).

[@BrianLTU]

Yeah but its Not ford, its "british ford"

[@Jeni10]

Station Wagons are popular in Australia still today. There are 53 models of Station Wagons in Australia across twelve manufacturers. They were originally designed to take passengers and luggage to and from railway stations.

[@tolgahk84]

I'm in Australia too, i've been looking at a new car lately to replace my XR6 Turbo and have been looking at Camry's until i stumbled across the Mercedes Benz CLA 250 Sport Shooting Break(Station Wagon), god damn those CLA's look so good in wagon form 🤤

[@evelynwilson1566]

Dame Edna Everage used to call the US style wagons with the wood 'half timbered cars'. That always makes mevsmile. I loved Dame Edna. I would love an estate car, I think i'd rather drive that sort of car than an SUV

[@yournemesis192]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@tolgahk84Do you have BMW and Audi station wagons in Australia too? Here in Germany the station wagons are more popular than the sedans and almost all Audi A4/ S4 and A6/S6 and all of the RS versions are wagons.

[@tolgahk84]

@@yournemesis192 yeah we do have them here but I've never been much of a fan of Audi and BMW but I admit the wagons do look good, I just prefer the Merc for some reason

[@helloweener2007]

The German word is Kombi which is short for Kombinationskraftwagen, which means a combination of a car and a truck. Like, looks like a car but you can load more stuff in it. The different brands have different names for it. Variant, Combi, Caravan, Touring, Avant, T, Sportwagon.

[@westerwald78]

Basicly an early form of Crossover :)

[@LythaWausW]

The ultimate combo of car and truck - the El Camino. Ryan would call it seriously uncool. But I get really happy when I see them still on the roads. I used to ride to school tucked behind the driver's seat in an El Camino. Not the intended use for the tiny space behind the driver's seat *lol*

[@richterdonat3542]

Wagons in europe are like traditional sedans with more utility. We like them because they are practical and can be daily driven even if you don’t want to fit the whole family in the back. Small, practical, economical, easy to park with a larger boot then sedan versions.

[@jamesvandemark2086]

Lower roof height makes it easier to wash or to brush off the snow!

[@kantpredict]

I've owned four cars so far: wagon, minivan, wagon, wagon. (I'm in the UK) I bought the mini-van because I wanted more seats (it had 7), but the wagon that followed it also had 7. After that, I went back to a normal 5 seater wagon with huge cargo area. It's just so practical.

[@MrBollocks10]

Everyone in the comments is British. No need for the yank chat. Yanks ain't interested in this stuff.🥴

[@91vasi]

was the 7 seater a Zafira by any chance?

[@kantpredict]

@@91vasi good guess! replaced with a Ford S-Max, then a Vauxhall Insignia Tourer

[@SgtSteel1]

You mean Estate surely? Unless you are American in the UK. Never heard a Brit call it a wagon. EVER.

[@kantpredict]

@@SgtSteel1 dunno 🤔, I guess cos it's a video about America primarily. I always say "estate" usually cos I'm British🤷🏻‍♂️

[@juanitooctavio9023]

Being swedish and in my mid 60’s, I’ve had wagons from Sweden, Germany, USA and now Czech Republic. Just love them!

[@Bjorn_R]

Stationcars are probably some of the most practical cars around. God I love that storage space in the back.

[@MrHodoAstartes]

You can think station wagons (Kombi in German) are uncool, until you get overtaken by a Škoda Octavia at 180mk/h on the Autobahn. They are often pretty beefy in terms of motor, have good aerodynamics and are generally affordable with good loading capacity. Under European laws they can draw light loads, so you can easily rent a trailer and you can transport serious amounts of material. Washing machines, bedframes, tables. Whatever. I've worked with a theater troupe who loaded their entire stage on a trailer and carted it around with a station wagon. Wall segments, director's cabin, everything.

[@foobar8894]

Just 180km/h? There's plenty wagons for sale in Europe that will do 250km/h all day long.

[@timmytubede]

@@foobar8894 on winter tires.

[@si_vis_amari_ama]

@@foobar8894 Dunno about the petrol Octavia, but the diesels will do 230 kmh. Perhaps 180 kmh is due to the fact that the occupants had less of a death wish than at 230 km. With 110km limits in Australia, even 180 kmh seems unbelievable.

[@eliaswallin9272]

In europe we call it kombi and here in sweden very many different car brands offer wagons like BMW Mercerds Audi Volvo Ford etc And here in europe we also get more versions of wagosn like here in sweden we get a normal version of the V90 and V60 which is really popular in 2020 and 2021 The V60 wagon was the most sold car in sweden. i drive a 2020 Volvo V60 (wagon) same do my dad and i love wagons.

[@TheMickymb]

In the Czech Republic, we love our Škoda cars; we call them "kombík" (combi = combined). For exampe Škoda Octavia combi; it's a nice car, the opposite of a sedan (the trunk is lowered). Also, if it's shorter, it's a hatchback, like the Škoda Scala. (WW golf is also hatchback)

[@BalthasarHeldermut]

In Germany they also called combi😊

[@fredrikhagstrom903]

kombi in Sweden aswell

[@germanjake1288]

Yes "Kombi" in Germany and i feel like this can translate to crossover as a new "hype" word albeit i know this is here meant as a Combo of SUV and Station wagon.

[@FiliusFidelis]

yup Kombi, I like the Octavia, been considering a slightly used one but they've become hard to come by.

[@ThePunkers20]

In Poland also this types of cars are called Kombi

[@RyszardRudy]

Minivans are nice and also practical. And in Eastern Europe we call them "universal" body type cars, because of multiple use and they are still more efficient than SUV's on a highway.

[@robwhythe793]

I drive a stationwagon in Canada. A Subaru Outback - bought in 2011 and still going strong, doing everything I ask of it. Some people call it an SUV, but it isn't. Here's why: In Britain we used to have a very simple, clear way of defining car types in three categories: The saloon car had two or four doors and a separate boot (trunk). The hatchback extended this by having a much larger boot lid which included the rear window, and allowed the back seats to be folded down to trade passenger space for much larger carrying capability. The estate car (your stationwagon) usually took an existing saloon design and gave it a boxy back end with a large boot door covering the entire back end of the vehicle, with rear seats that could be folded flat to give a much larger load space. The key differences between hatchback and estate were that (1) the hatchback had a boot floor lower than the bottom of the boot lid entry, so you had to lift anything heavy over it. In the estate, the floor and bottom of the boot lid were at the same level, so heavy goods could be slid into and out of the boot space. And (2) the back seats in the estate folded flat to the same level as the boot floor giving one large flat load space, whereas the back seats in the hatchback usually did not fold flat to the same level, but may fold to a higher level or even not to fold flat at all but to a steep angle. Modern cars have blurred those divisions, and introduced terms such as Crossover or SUV, which mean nothing to me. Crossover from what to what? And mixing Sports and Utility? You end up with neither one nor the other - the easy way out is to make a utility vehicle and give it a much bigger engine than it needs and harder suspension than it should have as a utility vehicle, just to make it sporty. A complete waste of time and engineering. For me the Subaru Outback is the classic Estate car: It has the big, boxy back end, the flat load space, but comfortable seating for 5. It has a capable engine (2.5l), big enough to haul good loads and trailers, but not by any means "sporty". So it's good to see America agreeing with me that it's a good car for its niche. But please don't call it an SUV. :o)

[@carolingrimaldi]

👍👍👍

[@someoneelse7629]

They used to be drawbacks with "stationwagons", they used to be noisy and built with the same suspension as sedans and a bit heavyer, especially the old US cars, but in Europe we make sure that the station wagon is better built then the sedans. When Volvo started racing touringcars, they built the racecars on the stationwagon, because it was stiffer and more aerodynamic then the sedan. And also, we love our manual transmissions.

[@joseanl]

i don't think european Station Wagons should be called that even, as they look much better. Volvo looks fantastic. I saw an imported american station wagon once. Had what looked like sofa as seating, huge as fuck, with the wood and everything. That is so impractical in Europe it's hilarious

[@jamesbaker429]

Going back ford Sierra estate more areodynamic then the hatch and saloon , higher top speed then both but sadly not made with cosworth engines althow custom conversions were made.

[@10C45E]

'station wagons' are called Estate Cars in the UK, which sounds much more middle class I think

[@cellevangiel5973]

Ryan, if you compare "typical American" to 'typical European" car, you see many differences. That has to do with taste, but also with roads and towns. You can not drive a full size car in our narrow and winding streets. More, a lot of towns are cutting back on the car facilities in favor of public transport and pedestrians. Station wagons are not bigger than regular sedans. Fairly small ones; like the Citroen Berlingo are popular and copied by other makers, even Mercedes. So our view on cars is more practical than the American.

[@JS-kt2kx]

Well it depends on the city. For example you can drive a full size car in Berlin or Stuttgart without problems. Mostly in the more „artificial“ cities which were destroyed in the war and build up new.

[@etienne8110]

​@@JS-kt2kxgermany is a bit special because it was basically razed during the war. So it got rebuilt for cars and under american tutelage. Not the case for other european countries.

[@RickyT15]

@@etienne8110 If you can drive a lorry/truck you can drive a full size car. Unless your living out in the old country areas there is no real issue. Even then a Lot of the country lanes in the UK are narrow 1 lane 2 way roads and where primarily driven by big tractors and land rovers. So its completely possible.

[@wessexdruid7598]

@@etienne8110 VW was rebuilt by the British Army, not the US.

[@mats7492]

european cars ARE Full sized, US cars are OVERSIZED!

[@davidsissons3299]

My wife has a VW Passat Estate (station wagon) it is very comfy, all rounder and very silly in traffic. I liked the van life and have had 3 VW Caravelles over the last 33 years. Just love the space.

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

The first station wagons were so named because they were used to pick up cargo and luggage from railway, bus, and, earlier still, coach stations. In countries using British English, they are called estate cars, as they were first used to take boots, tools, dogs, etc as one visited parts of one's estate/farm. It France they're called Breaks, after the old British designation of a shooting break. Other EU countries use their local form for estate car, except Norway, which uses the Norwegian for station wagon.

[@chrisb2942]

In Germany they are called Kombi, a car that combines space and daily usage.

[@SRNT_SE]

@@chrisb2942 same in Sweden, presumably the same reasoning. Didn't know but that reasoning makes so much sense!

[@carlawiberg6282]

shooting brake, not "break"

[@BenjaminVestergaard]

Denmark couldn't decide between "station wagon" and "estate car", got confused and went for "station car" 🙂

[@MrAlkaest]

it is not from shooting brake, but from a "breaking cart", a cart use to train and " break " young horses until they accept the cart, the load, learn the sound, working with other horses etc...

[@koaschten]

We could end the video at 0:20 because Europeans once understood that you don’t need a full size suv to be a helicopter parent to shuttle your kid to school. Back then kids walked or took the bike or bus to school depending on distance. Nowadays parents have been Americanized and we have „Mama Taxi Stau“ every morning and noon at schools.

[@herrowitsmeme6623]

to be fair that is also because german (assuming you are german because of the word stau) infrastructure regarding bike lanes is very lacking. No need to ferry kids over to school when they can cycle themselves, no one is going to let their kids cycle if the safety isnt there though

[@Fortunateenough1995]

In Ireland station wagons never really picked up, yeah we have them and they are sold but not anywhere near the extent of the rest of Europe, it used to be the sedan that was more preferred here in Ireland but now in the past 10 years or so the SUV is the most preferred (small to mid-sized SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Kia Sorento and Corolla cross, RAV4 etc)

[@durriwl547]

When it comes to the war between suv and station wagons, the station wagon comes out as a winner in nearly every aspect. Cheaper, more spacious boot (most don't believe that but since station wagons are usually longer, you can fit more in it than in a suv). Lower fuel consumption, same if not better offroad performance, lighter, can fit in most parking lots and most of them look very stylish nowadays. Buying a suv has just one advantage and that is supporting the ego of suv-Andy. There are numerous studies about this that these cars offer no benefit at all andare even more dangerous to others in traffic. The car industry just tricked the people that need something to boost their ego to feel mightier, stronger and better. Suv's are trash and everyone saying otherwise is just a victim of numerous marketing campaigns.

[@meinkonto6344]

harder to fit an average size american into an wagon and especially to get the person out of it again. When the average american struggles to get up from a couch, it becomes far easier to understand why in the US the only wagons sold are lifted wagons.

[@Aethid]

You can say much the same about vans vs trucks.

[@Pawel_Mrozek]

I didn't even know that station wagons were rare until I saw this video. It turns out that I live in the land of station wagons in central Europe. Besides, I didn't even know it was called that in English. In this part of Europe they call these cars "Combi" because here the nomenclature is dictated by German industry and no one actually understands what most American names refer to.

[@fluffybadger9832]

In the UK we call them estate cars.

[@kalle5548]

Here in Sweden we call wagons older that absolut 1998 (especially Volvos like the 140, 240, 740, 940) for Herrgårdsvagn (Estate car) and all newer than that Kombi after the german word

[@mrtoobs]

In the netherlands the 'roadtax' is based on the weight of the car

[@RealConstructor]

@koyaanisqatsi316And the car sales tax is based on the amount of exhaust fumes it produces. The result is that car sales are low and we have the oldest car fleet of the Western Europe. The average age of our cars is 11,4 years. And this figure is flattered by company cars, which are renewed every four or five years. When you only count private ownership, we really have the oldest car fleet of the whole of Europa after Albania. Governments love to milk our ‘holy cow’ dry. For example, a BMW 116i model sport line costs €39,000. The car costs 25K, BTW/VAT/sales tax is €5,500, car sales tax/exhaust fume tax is €7,100 and drive ready costs (full tank, registration, number plate, cleaning) are €1,400. So taxes 12.6K make up 50% of the original car price of 25K and about 32% of the final consumer price of 39K. So cars are very expensive and renewing the national car fleet goes very slow. That’s why we have a very aging car fleet.

[@quimdejotahache2778]

FYI: the german word for wagon is "Kombi", "Touring", "Variant" or "Avant", as it is the usual nomenclature used by the main brands like BMW, Mercedes, VW or Audi.

[@hepapu]

I'm from Finland and I only have had station wagons. They are very practical cars and don't consume so much fuel. I also have tow bar so I'm very independent and can do everything with my Opel Astra.

[@herrowitsmeme6623]

Please note that with the rise of electric vehicles SUVs/crossovers are bound to gain market share. Because of the added height they have more space to store batteries (often in the floor), this is probably the biggest reason SUVs/crossovers are gaining traction.

[@cheman579]

My mum's got a 2007 Ford Focus Estate (we call station wagons 'estate' cars in the UK) and I was in her car when it ticked over 200,000 miles. It's the most reliable car we've ever had, plus she's got horses so it's perfect for towing a horse box or carrying hay/straw in the back of the car, PLUS she's a vet so it's easy to transport dogs and other animals in her car; all that and it doesn't take up too much space on the road, and it's easy to drive as I learned to drive in a mix of her car and a driving instructor car. That's why estate cars are still popular in the UK and Europe, they're a very effective and often very reliable method of transporting large loads that aren't big enough for a van, with ease. Plus, like the video explained, it's much cheaper for her to have an estate than an SUV in terms of fuel cos she'd be paying about double for fuel with an SUV, and she already pays a lot cos fuel is expensive over here in the Atlantic Ocean. Love your videos mate keep them coming init :)

[@jozefkostelansky]

Here is my explanation: 1. Cars in Europe are much more expensive than those in the USA and difference between prices of SUV/MPV and wagon is much more higher than in the USA. 2. USA have much more space - e.g. for each car in the USA there are about 7 parking places. In Europe is is less than 2 places. The parking places are not so wide in Europe. 3. wagons have lower consumption, lower weight, are more dynamic with the same motor and have better driving charasteristics. Classic sedans are popular in south Europe, USA, Russia, China or India. Sedan is a symbol of health here. 😀On the other hand in the rest of Europe people prefer practicallity combined with low costs. In live in Slovakia (in the past Czechoslovakia) and we always have used the name kombi. Even in the communist times. It means, it has combined or variable using. It has similar meaning as a word crossover. Wagon is to not a very good name. Byt the way, my current car is combi as well as my previous one. 😀 The most popular wagon used to be Skoda Fabia Combi - length 4257 mm (167,6 inches), but space for luggage is 530 litres (18,7 cubic feet). Here is one of the many videos on youtube: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Znulhox3ebikrqc

[@MikeRox83]

Estate vehicles (as they are called in the UK) are very popular in Scandinavia. As others say, they're regular cars with an elongated boot/trunk. Don't know for Asia as a whole, but Japan love the compact cars.

[@AzulinhoAzulinho]

On this side of the pond, we call this type of car _'an estate'._

[@Studyyyy-z4u]

Maybe do a video about why would you want a truck and American cars instead of our European cars?

[@PaulChillen]

Car guy here. To be fair, modern crossovers are just somewhat shorter and higher station wagons. I think of them as station wagons for old folk, for who it's easier to get into and out of a higher riding car. I've only found two relevant differences between crossovers and station wagons: first, there's no sedan or hatchback or fastback variant of a crossover. Second: to make it look more SUV-like, the cargo area is shorter, and thus they are less practical. I recently rented a Hyundai Tucson while on Holiday (I wanted a Citroen C4 Picasso, tho). The luggage compartment was TINY AF! I was appalled. Such a huge car, such a tiny booth. I think 'muricans love their SUVs, because they make them feel strong and secure. Like driving a tank. And whose who do buy crossovers, they do because they can sort of think they're driving an SUV, but more manageable. In actuality they are just driving a less practical, more expensive and worst cornering wagon.

[@HappyLoki585]

"SUV= Station wagons for old folks" - on the point! 😂👍🏼

[@erik....]

I don't see why anyone would ever want a non-wagon if there's a wagon version of the same model. I've driven multiple Audi A4 Avants now for 20 years and it fits me perfectly. Quite small but still a lot of room especially if the back seats are folded down.

[@StanCoffee123]

Fun fact: in Sweden, the word for station wagon is "kombi". And yes, they are everywhere. I drive a station wagon myself; a 2016 Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost station wagon. Super comfortable to drive and very practical, as we have a small kid.

[@Pseudomonasa]

Most European countries call them Kombi/Combi etc. I realized while reading the comments. I don't know the word origin in the other countries, here in Germany it does com from Kombinationskraftwagen (combination car, roughly translated) would love to hear the word origin in Swedish ❤

[@KP-rm8eg]

Ryan, you drive a Toyota Corolla right? In Europe you can get an estate (wagon) version of it; it looks good. Google search for the Corolla Sports Tourer. Or watch a youtube video about it. By the way, terminology: the terms "station" and "estate" exist in English speaking countries. "Break" is used in France. "Kombi" in German. And other languages and countries also use one or more variations on those words. (And then there are brand specific designations, though those aren't used in common speech.)

[@MrOrmanley]

If you lower an SUV and remove the useless ground clearance that is not utilized by 99% of its drivers (and in most modern SUVs wouldn't be able to be utilized because they aren't built for offroad anymore, throwing away all pretense), you will gain: - cheaper initial cost - cheaper insurance - cheaper servicing/repairs - cheaper in gas consumption - better for environment - lower chance of a roll-over/accidents in general - lower chance to accidentally run someone/something over because of bad visibility - easier to park - same amount of seats - probably more efficient trunk space - better aerodynamics/performance There is 0% reason to buy an SUV over a station wagon unless you need actual offroading *AND* personal transportation on a regular level, and even then it would have to be a true offroader, like the old jeeps. SUVs and Pick Up trucks being highly prevalent is the result of car lobby manipulation through adds and corrupt governments' subsidizing of these car types because they are "american" and that way the US do not have to compete with other countries within the country, plus a little "thank you" from the producers cant hurt as a little tip when you have political weight, right?

[@Marcus_Aurelius_1978]

In Germany, we call the station wagon "Kombi"! Kombi stands short for Kombination, which means you can combine a few cars in one! You can drive your kids to any sports event or you can drive for a weekend getaway with your family or you can go shopping or even go on holidays! One car = many functions!

[@Klauss_18]

Ha! In South america (at least Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil) me call combi to the VW bus. The wagons are called wagons, rurales or break in some models like the old Renault 18 (loved that little fucker) is funny hoy names can be so similar and so different at the same time

[@ofalltrades705]

I’m from Sweden and i love Volvo station wagon or Volvo combi as we call them. I love Audi station wagon /combi too.

[@sandyruitenberg2928]

In my country we call them a station. And I love our station, it gives so much space. As you said it is very practical.

[@carlosalbuquerque5672]

The correct question is why a sedan and not a station wagon? Station wagons are a lot more practical and roomy, with the same gas milage as sedans. We should compare apples with apples.

[@denniss5505]

I prefer wagons over SUV’s and live in the States. They’re smaller, handle like a car, and for me just a better option. I’ve had every era of the Volvo cross-country wagons and love them. They’re practical, roomy but not too much, like SUVs have become. They’re much easier to load bikes, kayaks, wind surfer, skis, etc. FYI, the word station(estate) wagon comes from history when they were sent to the train stations to pick up luggage etc. and used on estates (farms) Basically, SUVs are just wagons on steroids and in my opinion gotten too big. There are great models available in the US from Audi, Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, and Subaru but getting harder to find

[@Pseudomonasa]

Also SUVs have way less storage space compared to station wagons

[@paulbeneder9337]

Again I learned something new from Ryan’s videos: I own a station wagon! 😂😂😂 Of course, it’s not called a station wagon here. Btw, ANY car with a back hatch and a foldable backseat is classified as a „Kombi“: Very many cars wold be counted as „station wagons“, maybe there are more in the US than they say if you see it from that perspective? 🤔🤔😁😁

[@hanes2]

Family SUV as we call them is just a suited up station wagon, higher wheel base mostly. So don’t be confused if the suv stats going up. (Like Volvo XC60 vs V60)

[@jan4004]

The first cars with an opening rear for placing luggage and goods in the car were mainly used by hotel drivers to take guests from the train station to the hotel. These cars were called 'station wagons'.

[@Sketchupdave]

The wagon is the perfect car for me because it can haul stuff, is sporty when cornering and pretty safe at a 120mph and up. The german word for wagon is Kombi, sadly SUV´s are taking over.

[@landrover4284]

I was a young german student when I bought my first used "Kombi" Ford Taunus. Three friends and I were headed for Portugal and we needed space for luggage and ourselves. It was so practical, 2 of us could even sleep in the back of the car. After that experience I have never changed back to other car concepts. Only the brands got better, newer and more expensive.

[@thekfcboss64]

Some of the Station Wagons in Europe are actually high performance cars, the Audi RS6 Avant is a 630hp beast that has super car performance figures, BMW & Mercedes do similar specification cars, these top of the line cars are a 1 car garage, kids to school & sports clubs but can also be sent around a race track at speeds that will blow your mind.

[@gregorygant4242]

Those are the best and coolest ones !

[@eddiestevenson-kaatsch6306]

Something different in Europe to America, is public transport. Trains go everywhere, as do motor-coaches. Then you have regular local bus services running to timetables. One doesn't have to drive more than 30miles in any one day, on average. 'Road trips' are virtually unheard of. We either fly or go by train, it's so much easier, cheaper and less stressful. After all, everywhere you go has all the same things you want as where you already live. You needn't take half your possessions with you. American's lives exist around the motorcar. Ours do not. There is even a modern tendency for young people not to bother getting a driving license. It's too expensive and actually unnecessary by and large.

[@mothbreeder641]

You do realize "station wagons" can carry more stuff in like 99% of cases, right? Boots are deceptively tiny on the vast majority of SUVs.

[@wanderwurst8358]

"Station Wagons" are called "Kombi" in Germany. If I can no longer buy a kombi, then I'll ride my bicycle. 😏

[@juwen7908]

Das wird ne Umstellung 🤔😜

[@micheleirl22]

00:58 in Italy children does the same, but with "macchina gialla" (literally car yellow)

[@bartermens8219]

I got my first stationwagon a few years ago. Just got a lot more space and comfort compared to a sedan, for about the same price. My friends call it a dad car 🤣.

[@marshallc.t.2554]

I am 35 years old, no family and I love my wagon. Who cares about what others say.

[@CedesBinz]

In Germany the Station Wagon is a "Kombi" (Kombinationskraftwagen) but the Carmakers invented some other "better" Names: At Audi they call it "Avant", Mercedes name it "T-Modell", BMW name it "Touring", VW name it "Variant" ;)

[@mt5144]

Yes, they have come a long way since "National Lampoons" station wagon, Also in Europe they are called "Tourers" or Estate cars, which most people like due to the available space in the Luggage area & in my estimation they are much better than saloon cars.

[@LindaSjoeblom]

You can´t say Europe calls it Tourers just because your country does. A lot of European countries call them Kombi.

[@Tingle457]

​@@LindaSjoeblomand a lot of European countries just call them station wagons, like stasjonsvogn here in Norway.

[@DerHoschi]

My father in law bought a SUV. I asked why! There is not enough space for this kind of car in our german region... Because it's not so hard to get in and out, he said. Stop driving, old man!!!

[@Nordlicht05]

Hello, What kind of SUV? Most Audi A6 Avant e-class or BMW 5 series are larger outside. E-class t is wider and longer than a Touareg for example. There is a general problem with car sizes and roads / parking. At least he has a certain age. I heated people around 40 who said this😅

[@markus6508]

As a German viewer, I have to suggest a video that explains why we love our station wagons so much! Overtaking "sports cars" on the highway with a station wagon at over 160 mph is just fun 😜 10 Best Station Wagons in 2022 kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4ereoWBg81orMU I like your channel! Keep it up 👍

[@sooskevington6144]

In the UK we call them estate cars, although when I was a child I recall them still being referred to as 'shooting brakes' which, I believe were originally horse drawn wagons used to transport the guns (participants) in a shooting party.

[@andycooke6231]

In the UK wagons are called estate cars.

[@glennj.r.9493]

IMO Mercedes n Volvo station wagons are the best in both design n performance for the money one has ro spend on.

[@raistormrs]

i don't understand why people would decide on, how a car looks... you are sitting in it most of the time, you are the person, looking at it the least... why would you care? makes no sense to me.

[@wanderwurst8358]

Yes, I always choose my car according to seat comfort, load length and whether I can sleep in it if necessary. That's the right way to do it. 👍😉

[@Psi-Storm]

Cars stand around 23 hours of the day. So you see the car more from the outside than from the inside. People are also conscious on how they are seen. I am no car guy, but i would prefer to just go by foot than being seen driving a Fiat Multipla.

[@wanderwurst8358]

@@Psi-Storm It's also, by far, the ugliest car there is, not to mention the fact that you can't sleep in it. Compared to these, I feel like a supermodel in my Passat B8 Variant. 😅

[@praiodansmagicbox4094]

In Germany the cartype americans know as "station wagon" are known as "Kombi" (which is short for Kombinationskraftwage, roughly translated "combination car"). Although most Brands have their own name for station wagons: - Opel once called them "caravan" for a long time, now they are called "Sports Tourer", - Audi calls them "Avant" - Volkswagen "Variant" - BMW "Tourer" - Mercedes "T-Model" and many types more. I for my self love my Sports Tourer, agile, easy to maneuver, a lot of space inside and in contrast to a lot SUVs I don't need two parking spaces A CEO of one of the german car brands once said: You can sell any limousine in germany, as long as it offered as a station wagon (at least I think it was a CEO of a german brand ... don't pin me down on it ;-) )

[@MarkKoekenbakker]

In 'station wagon' the word 'wagon' refers international more to 'car' in general. The 'wagon' can be a 'sedan', a 'station', a 'hatchback' or a 'pickup'. Like German 'Volkswagen' means People's Car. In Sweden they call a car 'vagn'.

[@kvernesdotten]

Imagine rocking up with a factory tuned Audi RS6 in the US. It looks like a space ship, has more power than muscle cars, sounds like a monster... With extra space for child seats and football practice in the back. Because sometimes, you are just really late for kindergarten.

[@BlueCharly]

We germans call the stationwagon "Kombi" being a short for "Kombinationkraftwagen", normal hatchbacks are PKW (Personenkraftwagen/PKW) and Semis (Lastkraftwagen/LKW). So its a combination out of passenger transport and goods transport. I've met many americans who came here as a military member or civilian and buy or rent SW due to their space and still offering big engines.

[@QuantumHorizon373]

Hey Ryan i love your reaction videos, i kind of bingewatched your videos tbh. Clicking on this one i thought we were gonna talk about trains because here in France they're called Breaks !

[@BlauImHerzen]

*German name for Station wagon = Kombi*

[@Kingleazard]

I've Seen a lot of stickers in France "Bébé à bord" those parents are so proud^^, wa also often put stickers of thé places you've visites, Gorges du Verdon, Monaco, Vienna, München, Kracov, mont saint Michel you name it.

[@herrbonk3635]

3:25 The word car also means wagon afaik. But I agree with you, I don't understand "station wagon" either. Here in my country, they were called "herrgårdsvagn" for decades, meaning something like "mansion-wagon".

[@PurpleMayE]

That "car" is on sale at 7.97$ because it's just a postcard 😆😆😆😆😂😂😂

[@herrowitsmeme6623]

side note; but the roof rack is mostly for adding extra roofstorage space (coffin) and or to bring along a canoe or whatever. The bikes usually go at the rear of the car, on their own little carrying device.

[@kelletamas]

Easy rooftop access is what it says on the box. Means you can easily fit stuff to the top rails, be it a bike rack or roofbox to haul a lot of stuff when you go on holiday with the family.

[@Tuinierenopstrobalen]

If pick up trucks or your other standard American cars would be normal here in the Netherlands we would have to redesign our whole infrastructure as they would never fit in our historical cities. I live in the countryside myself and some of the farmers here own a pick up truck. But that's because they have enough space to park them and 4x4 is a good thing when driving the fields.

[@SgtSteel1]

In the UK they are called Estates/Estate cars. Very practical and fairly common, surprised we were not on that list.

[@karinwenzel6361]

Maybe the car manufacturers should start marketing these cars as "estate cars" in the US, too. The British English term sounds cooler and fancier than the American English "station wagon".

[@SgtSteel1]

@@karinwenzel6361 good idea I think. I have no idea why they are not more popular in the US. you get practicality of a bigger car/suv type and the performance (in some cases) of a sports car

[@fluffybadger9832]

I thought they were getting pretty rare in UK as well these days.

[@larryk731]

My 1st car (in 1984) was a 1977 Datsun station wagon "given" to me. In high school it was probably the least "cool" thing to drive (everyone I knew drove old cars but I had the only wagon. I didn't really care. When I hit college it was great - all my possessions fit easily.

[@Sileste17]

We (in Poland) call them Kombi, and as far as I know the same story is for Germany, most probably we just adapted German name :D

[@golach420]

The RS6 is one of the best looking SWs. Check out the RS6 Mat Armstrong took to CEMA.

[@hismaid5463]

In my country we do not call them wagons but Combi, very practical, lots of space, does not consume much Petroleum. I have old Skoda Fabia Combi 1.9 SDI (without turbo) and man, she is 24 years old and runs smoothly, she may be slow, she may have some imperfections but she is very VERY reliable car.

[@lethal_guitar]

In Germany, we call them "Kombi" - short for "Kombinationskraftwagen". Which essentially means "combination motor vehicle". It's called that because it combines transportation of passengers and cargo, whereas a sedan is primarily meant for passengers. Oh and we call sedans "limousines" for some reason.

[@gregorturner4753]

i have a station wagon because i can stuff an entire mountain bike in the back without having to take any wheels off, great for security as i had a little 4wheel drive with a bike holder on the back a long time ago and even locked up someone stole a 5 thousand dollar bike off it. so being able to lock it in the car gives me peace of mind. (and weather and dust protection) plus i can move furniture around when need by the family. my parents bought a 4 wheel drive and noted afterwards that even that didn't compare space wise to my lancer wagon.

[@rinkairiozuki7245]

I thin Wagons makes most sense if you want to save money on fuel and still have quality ride. They are more economical then SUV, and more comfortable then a small cars. Extra space you might think you don't need, until when you'll need it, and you will never regret buying Wagon. BTW we don't call them Wagons in Lithuania, we call them Universals

[@papaya8634]

Me having no clue about cars and watching 20 minutes of cars that all look pretty much the same to me: Still haven't figured out how to tell apart a station wagon and an SUV lol

[@Cheeseandchili]

Station wagons are awesome. Plenty of storage space, fuel efficient (more than you'd think - some even more than a smaller car, of course depending on the driver's driving style and motorization of the vehicle). My first car was a station wagon, I loved it. Current car is also one, and what can I say - super happy with it. Growing up and living in Germany, station wagons have always been a part of the vehicle selection, and despite the number of SUVs increasing, station wagons continue to be very popular. Kombi = ❤

[@DakrWingDuck]

Now that Paris has tripled the parking fees for SUVs to €18 (~18$) per hour(!) and it can be assumed that this will soon find imitators all over the world, except probably in the USA 😉, the days of SUVs, at least in Europe, may soon be numbered. 🤑

[@karl9091]

When my children were younger and going to the beach was a regular thing, we had an estate car (station wagon), it was a Dacia, cheap as you like in comparison to VW, Ford or Renault estate cars, and going to the beach with the body boards, windbreaker, bbq, wet suits etc, having a car with a massive boot (trunk) was just perfect, and didn't look anything like the 1970's box example shown at the start of the video. Keep up the reactions. Cheers.

[@SFoX-On-Air]

You said that the "Crossover" tag is what sells a car in the States? In Germany, we call this type of car "Kombi," which by itself is short for "Kombinationskraftwagen" (nobody knows the full word, believe me). Translated, the word "Kombination" would be "Combination" or "Combo". And that is pretty close to the thinking that lets you buy something that is not a knife nor an axe but a "Crossover" between two types. But due to the fact that Europe tries to become more and more climate/cost-efficient and has no need to show off, maybe it's not only the name of a car but simply the fact that it has lots of space for trunk, for kids, and luggage and is still not a killer at the gas station. :D

[@TheComputec]

The modern trend is the crossover / SUV and i've never really understood it I can see they are taller and often quite chunky, but they typically do not have any real off-road credentials and all they really offer is a higher seating position which makes them easier to get in and out and gives you higher visibility The biggest con is that they give you more space... They absolutely don't. I can fold down the rear seats in my BMW and fit a decent sized american two-door fridge They use more fuel than a stationwagon... Typically known as a tourer or estate car because they have the aerodynamics of a brick wall Estate cars/stationwagons drive like a regular car, so for sports derivatives from BMW/AUDI/Mercedes that means a high performance car that handles well, sits five comfortably and has ample room for luggage. It will give you 50 Miles per gallon and will be a breeze to park compared to a large SUV Most estate cars now typically have the same footprint of their saloon/sedan brothers Most families in Europe would be better off with a stationwagon but the fashion is for range-rover lookalikes

[@daluca029]

when i drive, i want a couple of things. Cornering speed as high as possible, this you get by a low point of gravity. a lot of leg space (1.92M tall). to be able to take 4 passengers with luggage. Moderate fuel consumption, and be able to drive over 200Km/h. This makes me happy with my skoda superb Kombi. We call them station or station car btw

[@SuperfluousIndividual]

The reason we like roof access is for bikes, skies... and cargo boxes for long, extended trips like camping, for example. Also, do you know why the wagons are losing ground? Because you can't find a reasonably priced one anymore with some performance. And those that are reasonably priced look like an inbred version of an extended SUV and a WRC car, aka, crossovers as mentioned in the video. So yeah. It's much cheaper to buy a normal car with decent trunk space and all the offroading capabilities and shenanigans than spending 1.5x, sometimes even 2x more on a wagon that has slightly more performance, more space, and looks like something that came out of nightmares. And then you have the high-end models that will never fade and look nice, because they don't accommodate questionable tastes. You're basically buying an actual racing car, except with all the comfort, luxury, space and reliability that racing cars don't have. So next time someone tells you the wagons are losing ground in Europe, remember what I said about their looks and what you're getting out of them for the price you're paying compared to a normal sized car these days.

[@mikesch0815]

Im Germany, they simply called "Kombi" - a short form of "Combination". My BMW 3 is a "Kombi", in the back is the place for my dogs.

[@johncrwarner]

In our house with five apartments here in Germany, we don't own a car, one apartment has a sedan, two have station wagons plus a hatchback, and the last apartment has a hatchback. So our building has six vehicles, three hatchbacks, two station wagons and one sedan.

[@charlottesachse]

A station wagon was once developed to be able to transport more people or more luggage space from the train station to the country estate. From there also comes the name estate car or estate car and estate car, as a station wagon is also called in English.

[@alexanderblume5377]

German here, I've been driving station wagons all my life (when my children (4) were little I drove a VW bus), it's so comfortable, vacation trips with a lot of luggage, weekend shopping, strollers or dogs you just throw everything in the back. Although I don't throw my dogs in there ^^ they jump in on their own ;.)

[@bikeboyyt932]

in the UK we call them Estate cars, no idea why but like volvo v70 estate etc