American Reacts to Why Station Wagons Sell in Europe But NOT America..

[@ZachComa]

I'm an American. I bought my parent's Volvo 850 wagon, soon after it saved us in a huge crash. With insurance money I got another used Volvo, but upgraded to a V70 T5 wagon. That car ruled and like its predecessor, was indestructible. I drove it almost to 300K miles before I sold it.

[@Matt09pearce]

V70 T5 sounds tasty! I have a diesel V50 here in spain.

[@ZachComa]

This was around 2004. I looked all over for a stick like my last one, but there were none to be found. There were 0 for sale in the US unless I wanted to go to Canada. Most V70s I test drove were absolute trash and not taken care of. The one I finally got was about three hours away in Northern Wisconsin, but totally worth it. It was a '98, so it had the old body style I was already used to. I bought it with 107K miles on it. Most people would say that's crazy, but most people don't buy Volvos. I took great care of it and did most of my own maintenance. I put almost another 200K on it.

[@BergenDev]

Volvo make great cars. civilian tanks without being a Hummer.

[@discostoo]

You're an American with great taste in motors. T5 is a beast!

[@ZachComa]

I also had a '01 C70 as well, with the same T5 engine. That was an even more insane car that I got quite a few speeding tickets in. I got rid of that one with 175K as a package deal with the V70. After that I got a '13 Civic Si new that I'm still driving. I was finally able to get a proper manual again like my old 850. The Si is still kicking at 168K, in fact, I just put new plugs in it last night and cleaned the MAF sensor.

[@politrzysta]

Audi RS6 is a fun thing. Most people don't expect being at the traffic lights along a wagon that has nearly 600 bph under the hood.

[@PointNemo9]

Bonnet*

[@davidboydarnott417]

A ken, it's like a herd of buffalo under the hood.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Mercedes do a 500bhp Touring Estate 👍 That parks itself at the touch of a button and can reverse the last 5 mins from memory (incase you get stuck down a tiny lane in Nice and can't open the doors)😂😂

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

Mercedes used to do a police version of their E63 AMG wagon with the electronic limiter removed for Autobahn police. It's top speed was around 206mph. Just remember that when you think you can outrun them in your Ferrari or Lamborghini.

[@MKitchen75]

would love to have Audi RS6 without badges and have fun at trafficlights XD and later pay huge amount of fines hahaha

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

@@MKitchen75 Deletion of badges is by far the most popular 'extra' ordered for new cars in Germany.

[@petrophaga8523]

wasn't it tax related? If i remember correctly, there was a program of the US government to make farm trucks cheaper in tax. So there was the choice between a small car or a big truck for the same tax burden. That's why Americans stop buying station wagons or bigger cars: If you need more space than a car just buy the cheaper truck. Also there is this weird believing in US that cars cannot haul trailers

[@GoldenCroc]

Well it all boils down to protectionism and marketing... The "chicken tax" more lax emissions/CAFE standards and similar being the former, and the "weird belief" that car cannot haul being the latter. the latter is not weird, in as much as with good marketing, you can make people believe literally anything. Just another one of those successful campaigns.

[@villeeronen8263]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4Knlpp5ps6JpLc this expains the true backgroud of the US love of huge cars Not tax but the US emission regulation has a blind spot for trucks. Then the US automotive industry used this lobbed law to create the SUV (based on trucks) and started to market them. They succeeded and people are bying. Also the way too cheap gas prizes there help, because sane EU consumer buys such cars with horrible economy.

[@aphextwin5712]

The chicken tax only applies to (light) trucks but not to SUVs. It includes vans like a Ford transit or Mercedes Sprinter.

[@AVDB95]

I don't think it's purely tax related. Pick ups were roadtax free for years in Belgium, only recently did that change to only free if conected to a buisness (I don't know the situation for the rest off europe) yet they aren't common. Vans are verry common as they are almost always more practical and also roadtax free even for personal use. Small hatchbacks and SUV's are probably the most common vehicles over here. Wagons aren't super common anymore but greatly outnumber sedans. As noted we do haul trailers with our normal cars, every car has a max number on it's paper that needs to be respected. My D segment sedan is allowed to pull 1700kg, which is more than enough for normal use. Also the total weight on a normal driving lisence is limited to 3500 kg (vehicle + trailer) anyway so unless you get a special license you can't use the extra allowed pulling weight off a big truck.

[@aphextwin5712]

@@AVDB95 There two regulatory aspects that helped to make pickups (often referred to as trucks in this context) more popular in the U.S.. One is the ‘chicken tax’, a U.S. import duty of 25% on pickups and vans. It sheltered American manufacturers from competition for that segment and thus probably motivated them to focus on that market. A second one is less stringent fuel consumption regulations for trucks compared to cars. In regard to towing capabilities, the U.S. (compared to Europe) requires a higher tongue weight (as percentage of the trailer weight) which naturally than requires a beefier suspension on the vehicle pulling the trailer (which generally means a larger and heavier vehicle). There are also differences in the braking systems of trailers that have the same effect. I once looked up examples for the towing capacity of the same car model in the U.S. and Europe: - Mercedes GLC 300 is rated in the U.S. for 3500 lbs or 1588 kg. The same model (2 l engine, 255 hp, vehicle weight ~1900 kg) is allowed to tow 2400 kg in Germany. - VW Tiguan is rated in the U.S. for 2200 lbs or 998 kg. In Germany the same model (2 l engine, 184 hp, vehicle weight ~1700 kg) can tow up to 2500 kg. - VW Golf (2 l engine, 184 hp, vehicle weight ~1400 kg) can tow between 1600 and 1800 kg (12% or 8% slope) in Germany while VW USA states that it is not recommended for towing.

[@LunarisArts]

I will always be a Volvo girlie. As a child our cars were 1980's Volvo v70's. We even had a Volvo sports, that actually saved my parets lives during a fatal head on colision. Think it was the 480, and seeing that car after the crash, I was in awe that mum and dad were still alive. Car was un recognizable. Front smashed in 1,5meters at least. Yet the design saved them. Some seatbelt and steering wheel bruises, some airbag concussions. But they lived.

[@paddypleiner5518]

Volvo Boy here, my first car was the 245 like shown at 1:52 ... You just feel safe in these... Other driver overran a red light, hit me right at the driver's door, I walked away with no scratch nd just needed a new door for optics

[@Tiisiphone]

I live in Belgium, we had a Volvo V70 station wagon in the years 2000 when our kids were small. You cannot believe how much stuff it's possible to put in this car. In addition to the 2 kids and a rather large dog, we transported outdoors material (with a tent), suitcases and even wine bought in France or Italy. Now that the kids are grown ups, we drive a Volvo V40 which is smaller, but you can still transport a lot of stuff with it. Besides, Volvos are built to last almost forever, and their high performance motors kick a$$!

[@ThorDyrden]

it's a little sad, that Volvo is only building 4-zylinder engines these days... I loved their 5-zylinder and they had up to an Yamaha enginered 8-zylinder once. This small engines use a lot of tricks from multiple turbos to hybrid, to everything combined... but that makes them complex and imho missing some "soul".

[@marioferreira6899]

@@ThorDyrden I agree with you but on the other hand, due to fuel costs and the way car taxes are calculated (for example in Portugal) makes it almost impossible to be a owner of such engines! (Displacement/Co2 emissions/year of registration)

[@tims.4891]

Yes u are correct, but at the moment in Belgium i don't matter what u drive, 40% of the time u are in a trafficjam, i have to go everyday over the Antwerpse ring, bikes are the way to go ;-)

[@khaelamensha3624]

Well the important thing is to still be able to put wine in it 😉 Regards from France and Happy new year!

[@Tiisiphone]

@@khaelamensha3624 ah ça ! Les vacances avec mes parents en Bourgogne, Provence et Alsace on ramenait déjà du vin, et c'était déjà en Volvo! Bonne année à vous aussi !

[@b100pech]

I stumbled upon one of your videos about 20 months ago, and about 25 times since.... Your friendly character and voice made me watch the first one, your honest and open opinions made me watch the other 24 times.... But i like to compliment you that the quality, story and presenting skills got so much better! Thank you! And keep up the cool videos :)

[@IWrocker]

That means a lot, thank You. 🙏 😎🎉 always looking to improve and much more to learn

[@Starkiller935]

A lot of European families still only have one car so a station wagon is a popular choice because it's kind of an all-rounder. Like you mentioned, it's not that huge so you have better fuel mileage and handling while also having ample cargo and passenger space. SUVs and crossovers especially often look big from the outside but when you open the trunk it only has as much space as a Golf.

[@fireblow44]

this is my biggest grief with modern cars. their engines become more efficient each year and the cars get bigger too. yet, they also become heavier and more loaded with tech making them eat through lot's of fuel and shrinking the space inside. also besides that the old cars just look better

[@arranchace1306]

My Citroen C5 stationwagon is the most pragmatic car i ever owned, pneumatic air suspension, 3 meter loading floor, that can double as a camper if needed, 2 persons with can sleep in full lenght in the back, i shoved a few weeks ago a whole couch in the back, so i even use it a a movingtruck. But it still a 5 meter long car, can take 6 passengers with me (ok officially 4, but its big enough to hold 6) nice 3.5 litre v6 with 250 Bhp, and it drives like a rolls royce due its suspension. Why i would want anything else..

[@sandersson2813]

@@fireblow44 Like what ? What old, mass produced car that isn't something like a classic Jag or Merc looks better?

[@sandersson2813]

@@arranchace1306 Because it's old and pretty dull, but I get your sentiment.

[@fireblow44]

@@sandersson2813 most stuff from 1980-2010. volvo station wagons, renault clio, peugot, the vw golf r32, audi, the old subarus. Old american muscle cars from the 50's-70's. There is so much cool stuff. But from your other comment I gather that you're likely a supporter of EV's and possibly Apple so I'm not surprised that you lack taste.

[@znail4675]

I think the main issue is that US keeps gas prices artificially low and that lets people ignore fuel consumption somewhat when picking car type. It's ironic how hostile people in general is in US to any gas price increases while still picking fuel guzzling cars instead of more fuel efficient ones.

[@readyforlol]

Trucks and SUV themselves are maintained artificially cheap on the US market thanks to the light truck exception letting manufacturers get away with selling heavier, less efficient and more dangerous vehicules. They’re incentivized extra hard to abuse that exception because of tarifs levied on foreign "light trucks" making them artificially expensive compared to US trucks, skewing competition in their advantage unfairly in that segment. US car manufacturers have been lobbying for the better part of a century to reach that sorry state of affairs.

[@acfiv1421]

@@readyforlol Exactly - CAFE standards applied to trucks mean that, starting in the 80s, you could buy a big Suburban, for just a little more money (or even the same money) as a smaller station wagon. Looked at objectively, the station wagon can carry about as many people and as much cargo as an SUV, and is much more fuel-efficient because of its lower profile. The only thing the SUV is better at is ground clearance for offroad use, but 99% of SUVs never go offroad. Station wagons should be the preferred option, but stupid government policy and bureaucrats pushed the public towards SUVs. Good job, guys! 🙄 You wanted us to use less gasoline, and your policies pushed us to gas guzzlers. 50 years CAFE has been in place, and they can't even admit that it was a mistake and repeal it and replace it with a simple fuel tax, which would force people to really think before buying an SUV. And people want the same people to be in charge of our schools, healthcare?

[@christiang5209]

​@@acfiv1421Another advantage and disadvantage of suv is safety, they make the crash worse for one outside the suv but inside you are safer. And people are egos ... Usually cars are designed that they share the impact, 9 guess many people saw a little car with few damage and absevere damaged luxury limosine. .. Heavier/bigger cars usually transform easier, but this just work if the hit each other at the same hight. (hopefully you could understand) Also higher cars are worst with pedestiran crash, because especially kids end under the car and not on top of it.

[@Stuntman175]

@@christiang5209 Crashes that involve cars and SUVs tend to have more fatalities than crashes involving only cars, but not in the way that you think. SUV's are easier to roll due to their high center of gravity and their roofs end up crushing the passengers because SUV's are heavy and the roof structure is impacted repeatedly. To put things in perspective, if you place your hands above your head and I put a 20 kg (44 lbs) object on your hands, you can probably handle it. But now, if instead of standing, you're doing a handstand and I place the same weight on your feet, your arms will crumble almost immediately. Most SUV's sold nowadays can barely pass the moose test without significant electronic aids assisting the test driver, because you just can't beat physics.

[@christiang5209]

@@Stuntman175 It does make sense, even when i struggled a bit with your hand stand example ;) Cause i am expected an example for stability of the rotating point, which is imho the less intuitiv concept ... and not about the stability of the roof woth biomechnics which is not that much comparable. I guess a hint about the 'cages' race cars have to avoid it, would show the necessarity better. Overall i didnt understand why so many new cars a suv, i believe the trends towards then started around 2000 here in germany. We still have quite a lot station cars, but fewer minivans.

[@petebeatminister]

I remeber when Volvo showed up in the 1993 BTCC season with the 850 Estate as a race car. Everybody was giggling about then. That soon stopped after they proved to be very competitive, also thanks to good drivers like Richard Rydell and Jan Lammers.

[@UncleNewy1]

When the UK police started outrunning everyone in the Volvo T5 estate.....I think all the chav boy racers decided they had to have one of those.....and then It seamed estate cars could be cool after that.

[@glynnwright1699]

..and the usual Tom Walkinshaw strategy of 'challenging' the regulations. There is a video on what they did to make them competitive, which included modifying the cylinder head in a manner that beggared belief.

[@AlxRacing]

@@glynnwright1699…cylinder head gasket if I may 😁

[@glynnwright1699]

@@AlxRacing They shaved one side of the head to straighten the inlet port airflow. The head sat on the block at a significant angle. Walkinshaw did something similar to the XJ220s when I went to Le Mans - and got disqualified as a result.

[@philiprowney]

I have an 850 TS Wagon in Emerald Green, so fast and handle great as standard ;-)

[@musicofnote1]

We live in Switzerland. MY daughter is an MD with 2 kids. She has a Skoda Octavia wagon that is like an extended luxury car with her trim package. With a 2.o turbo diesel, it's got plenty of power for mountains and emergency situations plus with two small kids, pletny of carog space for suitcases, bikes etc. We had the Skoda Yeti, a small SUV, but in 2021 traded it in for a dealer's demo 2020 Kia E-Niro (EV). Have no idea what that is. A Crossover, small station wagon? Large trunk, large enough for our large dog, a Galgo Español.

[@OriginalPuro]

In Europe it's about practicality, in the US it's about what other's can see. Bigger cars in Europe are looked down upon, in cities that is, while in the US big cars are praised. There are many American produced SUV's where you can't even see a child walk in front of it, crossing the road, that simply wouldn't be legal in Europe.

[@onkelkonkel86]

Of course it is legal to drive any car model you want 🙂🤙🇸🇪

[@MiguelBorgesphotography]

No​@@onkelkonkel86

[@jennyh4025]

@@onkelkonkel86it may be legal to drive every model, but not every model would be allowed to be registered in the EU, or maybe only with certain safety alterations.

[@ingvartorma9789]

@@onkelkonkel86 Well, you are wrong, in some European countries these are not legal.

[@marcromain64]

I have a just slightly different impression: most (male) Europeans like stylish and powerful cars, but try to find a compromise for themselves between dreams, status and absolutely practical-rational considerations. And because car manufacturers have to accommodate this, there are usually enough options.

[@gundalfthelost1624]

I've owned 9 cars since my first, 8 out of those have been wagons. As a Swede, I cannot for any reason see myself buy a sedan or SUV when wagons exist. The only car I owned that wasn't a wagon, was my '68 Dodge Dart. But fuel prices and long winters eventually made me sell that car and now I am back with a wagon. Pretty much the same goes for everyone I know. Wagon is just the way of life here.

[@Sakhmeov]

Just tax reasons. And US emission standard regulations which the manufacturers can skirt around just enough with pickups and SUVs - which are basically the same thing 'cause they're built on the same platforms. The "popular opinion" is the same as with modern politics; It's just the down-the-line combination of marketing, selective surveying and market cultivation, and set incentives from already invested development, driven on by the companies themselves. It's not organic whatsoever. Min senaste vart en BMW 530XD kombi. Jävla elpul med bra komponenter men dålig elektrisk layout, och jag hatar alla dessa förbannade onödiga pryttlar. Men den vart så bra i övrigt, och den drivlinan vart bara underbar. 0.63 milen i en slugger på nästan 2 ton med fyrhjulsdrift och 350hp/810Nm? Ehm... Ja, jag körde en Dodge Laramie ett tag där med jobbet, och den vart också ett litet underverk; Jänkarna har då fanimej kommit sig upp i världen kvalitetsmässigt. Men Bayern vinner ändå alla dagar ur praktisk synpunkt... Currently trying to get hold of an Alfa 159 with the 2,4 diesel I5. Also a station, of course.

[@sophietarafiona]

Same for me, Opel, Volvo, Skoda, VW - but all were/are stationwagons. I made some test drives in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Landcruiser and a Skoda Kodiaq for funsies, to impress my kids a bit, but for the live of me I could not justify seriously getting one instead of a stationwagon.

[@darrylweathers6764]

Estate cars we call them here in the UK, the Audi RS6 and RS4 have been popular the last 20 years. Definitely look into the performance versions, the 2008-2010 Audi RS6 and the 2007-2010 BMW M5 wagons both had V10 engines

[@Macz83]

Same here in The Netherlands. Also 63 Amg's and RS3's are really popular.

[@JP-xd6fm]

The RS6 and RS4 *are* the performance versions... For a normal family without a ton of money to spend in gasoline, the RS versions are too much.

[@melluzi]

You can get brand new M3 estate while in the US it's ofc not available. Price wise it's not that bad, starts at 75k. Audi RS4 estate starts at 87,5k which is way too much for a middle class IMHO.

[@WoodenViking]

⁠​⁠@@JP-xd6fmThere are also standard A6 and A4 wagons or if Audis are too expensive, there are also tons of alternative brands so no worries there

[@peterpue7088]

In Austria and Germany we call station wagons "Kombis". I had to google, but i couldnt stop thinking about the car from "that 70ies show" - Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser - awesome thing too. Greetings from Austria! :)

[@altblechasyl_cs2093]

Nope, we call them Tourings... 😂

[@miki1510]

I had the pleasure to be a passenger in an Audi RS6 Avant. That car is a freaking missile!!! You don't expect a car of that size to go that quick! And it looks sick too!

[@seelenwinter6662]

then youu never lived in europe.... there are a lot of that cars available in europe.... mercedes, bmw, porsche, vw... even ford, skoda, opel or skoda... or french cars too... of course volvo also... if you want power, everyone of this brands got cars for you... we are not so boring in europe like in the usa.... there everybody drives that boring ford truck or an boring subaru... and i bet all i have, that trump voters are most of that buyers.... because their brain is so little, they only can chose between 2 cars and 10 or more different cars are much to much for them... ^^

[@lbergen001]

Yeah, such a car makes me drool.🤤

[@whiskeysk]

RS6 Avant is THE ideal family vehicle!

[@siriuspyramid7441]

Yes Audi RS6 is a monster with 4 WD a youtuber from Monaco (GMK) had one with over 750 HP 🤯. It wasn't a family car anymore, it was a family rocket 🤣 !

[@siriuspyramid7441]

He (GMK) also tried The Audi RS6 MTM edition with 1001 HP 😨😂! Awesome "car"!

[@littleDutchie92]

@4:24 hell yeah the Şkoda Octavia wagon. When i still had a company car i drove one of these and it was the greatest cars i ever had!! Great value for money and a ton of space in the back! I now bought a car of my own and again purchased a station wagon. Just small enough to drive and park in small european roads but lots of space in the back.

[@lalilulelo1989]

Here in Sweden almost all police cars are wagons. My family rented a Chevy suburban when we were on vacation in the US like 8 years back. We were hauling all over Florida in that thing and stayed at different hotels. Im pretty sure it was nice to drive but as a passenger it was probably the least comfortable car I've ever been in honestly. And then you get into a volvo where you sit as good in the back as you do in the front 😁 In the end though, I think people just tend to buy what everyone else is buying.

[@nik-roshansirak3398]

yeah, but people also are limited to buy, what is available and car manufacturers are companies after all, that mostly want to maximise profits and as these stupid large SUVs and Pick-Ups have a larger margin, they simply quit building station wagons in the US. For the same reason Mercedes stoped producing taxis or cabs, because their cars are getting more expensive every year to a point where they weren`t a good deal for taxi drivers anymore.

[@Slaphappy1975]

I'm British and growing up my parents had a 1995 Volvo 850 T5-R. It was a bonkers estate (as station wagons are called in the UK) car; 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and 150+ mph electronically limited top speed. Loved that thing and the reason I love estates to this day.

[@ussessu]

It's strange that they are not popular in the USA, where there are very long distances and good roads. These cars provide great comfort for driver and passengers.

[@Blackadder75]

Americans are brainwashed by advertisements and the SUV / Truck ads sell a higher seating and viewing position 'for safety' I would feel much safer in a Volvo, Benz, BMW or Toyota wagon, but that's just me

[@Kacpa2]

@@Blackadder75 It's mix of marketting brainwashing coasting of very stupid attitudes to wagons born out of horrible american wagons of late 1970s and 1980s. It was big push from 1990s, and it catered heavily to women who are also main people in their families driving their spouses to choose SUV, because women want to sit up high and feel secure and "kill and not be killed" in an accident. Which just spun up that arms race of size and height more and more, while minivans and in extend wagons were negatively marketted as "soccer mum" vehicles. Then artificial increase of pricing of wagons that was caused by idiotic legislation, both on import fees aswell as CAFE standards being incredibly harsh on cars, but lenient of SUVS and Trucks, making it cheaper to just make SUVs and Trucks. Which on its own is just incredibly moronic and counterproductive on side of who ever pushed for this legislation, it should be other way around. Needlessly big vehicles should be penilized or atleast equally penilized. Then prices would make sense. As its not more expensive to make a wagon than an SUV. Its Just as cheap as a hatchback or sedan save for a tiny bit of R&D and materials, but its still less than SUV. Prices should reflect that if not for the law and fees. It's just a dosen idiotic factors that are actively against wagons for no good reason and it boils down to money in a dumbest way possible. It could be reversed, if someone with a functioning brain would fix the automotive regulations(make CAFE standards more lenient on cars and stop being lenient on trucks and SUVs for a start) and revoke stupid chicken tax fees and so on, or 25 year rule.(as an european i can easily import newest american cars here if i wanted to but you cant do the same due to stupid law once again...)

[@Blackadder75]

@@Kacpa2 I guess they have too many powerful lobbyists that bribed their politicians into making those anti car pro truck laws

[@blakespower]

@@Blackadder75 not americans we have to take what they give us! I have always bought American cars but now there are few cars lefts Ford doesnt make any but a Mustang and Chevy only has the Malibu I think this is its last year too! I PREFER a low car they get better gas mileage. I want to buy the new camry but its a long waiting list I can wait though I guess

[@Blackadder75]

@@blakespower why not buy a decent used car, a few years old?

[@gordonfreeman1839]

As far as here in Italy is concerned, I can say that Station Wagons, after the arrival of models, particularly German ones which also have a sporty character, have broadened the range of users. From a classic car for large families, to be used during the week and at the weekend, to a car used by businessmen, home representatives of products that need to be tested in the home, also very useful for those who have a business that deals with home work, therefore maintenance or repairs which involve the use of small tools and the use of materials of limited dimensions!

[@E.D.998]

Americans: use pickup for taking a coffe in a flat city. Italian with a Panda: can go through a mountain pass during a snowstorm. Been in California, you can cros the american dirt roads with a ferrari without hitting the bottom of the car, not joking, Italian tarmac has more potholes than american offroads.

[@debbee0867]

I'm UK, my ex had a black V60 Polestar from Volvo, an older model to the one they showed in this video, with a blue polestar badge. Boy was that car fast! I remember being sat at a petrol station waiting for him to pay and this guy was eyeing up the car. He saw the alloys and large break discs, walked to the front of the car (which was very angry looking, the car that is), bless him, he looked so confused when he saw it was a Volvo. So much that he went back round to look at the wheels again and returned to the front to make sure he got the make right 😅 I was trying to keep a straight face inside the car 😂 Everyone thought we were the police, the amount of people who slowed down when they saw us coming was amazing.

[@vomiri87]

Most German Police cars are also station waggons because they have to carry a whole lot of equipment. I will always wonder what American officers carry in their sedans as there isn't much space in the trunk.

[@robertopics]

Lol have you seen what is used in America as police cars. Up until a few years ago the crown Victoria was the most popular police car it had a large truck that could fit a 180lbs man.

[@ChristianSander1969]

I used to have a VW Passat 1.9TDi vaggon, that thing ran 50 miles to the gallon, and at 300.000 miles the engine was still purring as a cat.. Had room for 5 people + 2 dogs and groceries. One time I drove from northern Denmark to Amsterdam to pick up a friend and his family, on the way home the car was loaded from floor to roof with their luggage etc., and still did 45 miles to the gallon on the German autobahn doing 75mph..

[@vophatechnicus]

Still using my 2019 Passat B8 Variant with it´s 2.0 TDI, 190hp and DSG... 45 to 50 mpg are common. But if you´re "in a hurry" .. yeah those 190hp will drop the efficiency to about 30mpg ... At first i thought to by the 240 PS BiTurbo Version, but the maintenance cost of that engine is much higher... So the 150hp and 190 hp are absolutely economic choices.

[@corm7538]

I'm from Missouri and I'm with the people across the pond in Europe Wagons are AWESOME! I love the wagons that Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Škoda (I wish you could get their cars here), and Volvo make. I had a friend that had a 1990s model Volvo wagan back in the mid 2000s it was so cool and that is where my love of wagons really took off, I liked wagons before that and had owned a Pontiac station wagon from the early 1980s but it was just a thing to get me to where I needed to be.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The parking space of a sedan, but more storage. Bring the family, bring luggage, bring the groceries, go to IKEA (fold the back seats down), everything in one. Most people who buy an SUV or truck don't need them. They don't go offroad, they don't need to climb mountains, they drive to walmart and pick up the kids from school. Obviously there are people who do stuff that benefits from using an SUV or pickup, but most don't.

[@MichaelEricMenk]

Had a Volvo station wagon, we were moving and was able to fit one dishwasher and washing machine with place to spare. The room inside a well made station wagon is huge, more than many SUVs...

[@fernandonagle]

I'm brazilian and presently living in Portugal. My sister-in-law's husband is German and we use to visit them frequently. The 2 best cars I've rented in Europe were SW. A Renault Talisman in 2016 and a Seat Leon in 2022. My sister-in-law's husband drives an Audi A6 SW and it's fantastic, specially on the Autobahn where there's no speed limit. The Seat SW made around 40,5 mpg on gasoline. Although SUV stands for Sport Utility Vehicle, SW are way more sporty than SUVs.

[@ingvartorma9789]

In Sweden, dogs that are to be taken in a car must be transported in a cage, for the dog's safety and then you must have a combi (as we say in Sweden), as the cage must be permanently installed in the car. Since a combi or station wagon as you say, everything is safe in the car, even against rain, snow and wind. Then you can actually sleep in the car by folding down the back seat of the car. Then as I said, a station wagon has better fuel consumption, is more stable on the road, can drive fast with them and yet they are stable. Then these big American pick-ups are not so safe to travel in, worse, stability, take a lot of fuel. the cargo you carry with you in these trucks is not transported safely in itself, not against rain, snow or wind. Then these trucks are not particularly practical and hell to own, the size makes them difficult to park as they are bigger than in a parking pocket, then you can forget about parking these in underground parking garages, as these are too high. These American picj-uppers are big clumbidus..

[@BenjaminVestergaard]

I think you can get away with a dog seat belt in DK, but the majority of our police K9 units use station wagons with fixed cages. They're nimble/sporty and they can provide a safe space for the dogs.

[@antoniof9756]

@@BenjaminVestergaard In PT a dog can be transported in the back seat of a car by using a proper seatbelt as well.

[@waldemar5611]

So we in Germany are not the only ones who call them Kombi. 😊 I agree about what you said about fuel consumption and road stability.

[@furzekoenigin]

German here. Pick ups and station wagons really serve a similar purpose. You get to haul a lot of stuff plus five people. If you look at traffic in Germany and simply replace all station wagons with trucks in your mind, the overall mix isn't that dissimilar.

[@damoin77]

Ja , seh ich auch so. Hier ist Nasser und das transportierte muß mehr vor Witterung geschützt werden. Und das bißchen mehr Gewicht auf der Hinterachse ist auch für Anhänger praktischer. Wird auch der Grund sein das im Nord -Osten mehr davon gefahrn werden als in Texas wie er sagte. Ich mein hier wird nix offen gefahren ausser Bauschutt, und wenns was größeres ist muß halt n Sprinter ran oder Laster.

[@lszlpesti]

Hi, first of all, Happy New Year from Hungary. My late father had a 1987 Wartburg 353 Tourist station wagon. It had a 993 ccm, 3-cylinder, two-stroke engine, I have good memories of that car. :)

[@fabutchy]

OPEL was the GM brand for Europe and they sold it few years back to the French motor group Renault / Nissan / Mitsubishi.

[@CycloTourist]

For many years, until its discontinuation, the Volkswagen Passat in the USA was very different from the Volkswagen Passat in Europe. The American-built Passat was larger on the outside, but there were fewer engine choices and the interior was simpler. In addition, the Passat was only available as a sedan in the USA, while the Passat is still available as a station wagon in Europe. The European sedan was discontinued years ago.

[@pascalolivier4458]

And the current Passat Wagon is so beautiful. I wish we could have it on North America.

[@vophatechnicus]

@@pascalolivier4458 I hope you dont refer to the upcoming Passat B9 .. 'cause this is really the ugliest Passat ever built ;)

[@seijika46]

Much of my childhood was dominated by estate cars - Tercel, Corolla, Passat: good for hauling people and stuff inside while having plenty of power for towing and being narrow enough for British country roads.

[@stanislavczebinski994]

Here in Germany, SUVs are very popular, too. Not so much the super-big ones - but mid-size and small ones. Today, resistance starts to form amongst city residents. As SUVs are bigger, heavier and offer worse view to the driver they are hazardous to pedestrians - children in particular. Same goes for bicyclists - especially as bike riding is seen as ideal kind of individual transportation in many European countries. No pollution, no noise - and very little neccessary parking space. I'm quite sure anual car taxes will rise here soon significantly above a certain weight limit. As soon as that happens SUVs will go as fast as they came.

[@duke6321]

However, a vehicle tax based on weight is also a slap in the face for electric cars, because they are also significantly heavier than the types with a combustion engine. The electric cars are in a weight class of just under 2 tons to well over 2.5 tons of vehicle mass. The weight of an SUV is not necessarily higher than that of a sedan or station wagon. Even convertibles are sometimes quite heavy, I can see that in my convertible of the so-called middle class with sufficiently strong biturbo and all-wheel drive. Even this weighs a lot with a curb weight of 1925kg.

[@maxii2975]

I would say weight and size must accounted ^^` @@duke6321

[@erigabu]

@@duke6321 lots of countries in eu, the electric cars battery is "not part", to the car net weight, what is used for count the tax (or the tax is performance related instead of weight)

[@josephbloggs7555]

I'm from the UK and own a 5 year old V90 cross country polestar, fully equipped the price was £66,000. For an estate\wagon it goes like stink, high enough clearance for off road and excellent storage space. I am over 6ft tall and I can comfortably lie in the back with one of the rear seats down.For me the perfect compromise vehicle.

[@jur4x]

There's a small company in the UK that offers Tesla Model S conversion into estate (station wagon). And during development of their project they worked with Tesla close enough that you wouldn't even loose warranty (at least the drivetrain part of it) if you bring your Model S for conversion

[@southstream6714]

I bought the v90 wagon about a year ago i love it! Find myself looking over the shoulder to peek at it every time i park

[@josteingravvik2381]

Hi Ian !! Happy New Year !!! I guess I'm a typical Scandinavian then, as I have 2 wagons. Both Audis. Oldest one is an 1993 S4/S6 with a 4.2 liter V8 petrol ( They were called S4 up to -95 and S6 from -95 till today. The 2nd one is my daily driver, an 2011 A4 Allroad 2.0 liter Diesel. Both Quattro 4WD. I love wagons. 😁

[@JP-xd6fm]

Nice ones, but nothing beats the perfect looks of a Volvo V60, I've seen so many in Denmark and those look sick 🤤🤤

[@josteingravvik2381]

@@JP-xd6fm 🙂 Yes, those are nice too !! I choose Audis because of the Quattro 4WD system. Up here in snowy Norway this is a safe bet !! 🙂

[@chrisperyagh]

In the UK, estate cars have largely been discontinued by most makers as have larger cars in favour of SUVs. Honda discontinued the Accord in the UK after the 8th generation in favour of the CR-V and HR-V. I've had a Volvo 940 Classic estate which was one of the last of the largest estates sold in the UK, then I got a V70 which was a much smaller estate by comparison as it's built on the Ford Mondeo floorpan. I only realised how small that car was in comparison to the older RWD Volvos (145/165, 245/265, 745/765 and 940/960/RWD V90 estates) as I had a full size concert harp (Salvi Arianna) which wouldn't fit in the V70 unless I removed the rear seats when it went into the 940 estate no problem and with plenty of room to spare. I know someone that had an XC90 and my bari sax wouldn't fit in the back of it as it did with my 940 and V70 estates. Gone are the days of long estate cars in favour of shorter, fatter and taller SUVs. I currently have a 2006 (European 7th generation) Honda Accord Tourer which would be the equivalent of an Acura TSX Tourer if such a car ever existed in the US and my bari sax case fits in the back of it sideways as there's room behind the rear wheel arches. I can't do that on a Merc or even a Jaguar estate even though both are larger cars, they don't have the width. A couple of estates which you ought to have a look at are Citroen DS Safari which was a 7 seater, the CX Safari and the 8 seater Familiale which were both huge estates (Duran Duran used to use two CX Safaris to lug their gear around). The XM estate is a big car which was made for Citroen by Heuliez as was the BX estate and was clearly a saloon car with an estate conversion done to it. Although Citroen may have started the estate car thing back in the late 1930s with their 5 door, 9 seater Traction Avant Familiale which (along with the Commerciale) was one of the earliest hatchbacks.

[@BillytheCat84]

Greetings from Germany and a Happy New Year. You see so many station wagons (or what we call "Kombi") on our streets. They are just so versatile. Im looking at buying one in the next few months. If you haven't already take a look at Seat Leon or better the Cupra Leon Sportstourer. Starts at around 35.000 Euros for an affordable alternative. Would love your opinion on it.

[@r2dad282]

Yeah, we don't get any of those. The only real wagon left is the benz E class which starts at $71K. I'm still trying to replace my old 328d xdrive wagon and the best I can do is the last year manufacturers made diesels for the US market which was 2018.

[@JPPVESA]

If I'm not mistaken, we Finns refer to the crossover as a City-four-wheel, which is more in the area of having a laugh at them. That said, my father passed on to me a 2016 Suzuki Vitara allgrip and it rolls like a real 4x4. Locks and all.... ..I do a lot of hunting and this fall-winter wasn't an obstacle driving the outbacks and lumber roads.... ..my wife bought a Volvo XC70 .. it's an AWD Cross-country variant/wagon

[@PedroConejo1939]

My preference is always an estate car, and about half of the cars I've owned have been estates. I'm on my second Citroën C5 estate, but will struggle to replace it - the C5X is part estate. I've moved house a considerable distance with a C5 and trailer. The car is a Tardis.

[@adrianmclean9195]

The Citroen DS Safari and CX Break, were massive with optional seats.

[@user1812]

Hello from Croatia. My family loves diesel wagons. My dad drives VW Passat wagon, brother drives Škoda Octavia wagon and I have VW Golf wagon. All 3 are diesels...

[@top40researcher31]

For 60 years, Australians were in love with station wagons. Back in the day, they accounted for nearly half of all Holden Commodore sales, continuing a trend that really exploded with the FE Station Sedan of 1956.

[@tibomoltini2851]

poor holden, the brand is dead now, a part of australian history for museums now..

[@top40researcher31]

@@tibomoltini2851 yes the one at gippsland in victoria a must to visit

[@-Yurkey]

I live in Croatia , we have a 2012 Ford Mondeo Wagon and a 2006 Honda Civic hatchback (and a 2023 VW Caddy van for work)...I'd sooner give up the other two before giving up the wagon...just the other week we went to Switzerland for New Years with the old Wagon and it preformed flawlessly, it ate up the highway (that's about 2000km there and back),didn't even need the roof mount, everything fit in the old trunk ...btw if you are ever going to drive in Switzerland, be aware that the Swiss are a little bit stricter than most...we got so many stinkeyes while we were waiting for my cousin who lives there. When I asked him why, he said "Because you didn't turn off the engine, btw that's also a fine if a cop sees you" ...and I told him "But we were cold" and he replied "Nobody gives a shit, you need to turn off the engine while waiting" ...Now I believe that the "start-stop" system began its life in Switzerland 😂

[@PieterWigboldus]

I have a station, and i love it. It is powerful (240hp/400nm on 98 octane), and it can drive also around 5L/100km on 100km/h. (47mpg) And it made in 2010. It has enough space for my family, and can tow a caravan (max 1600kg tow weight) And it looks nice, but that is an opinion.

[@Dr.Spatula]

240hp is pretty standard

[@PieterWigboldus]

@@Dr.Spatula its not powerful like a Audi rs, but more powerful than most European cars build in 2010. I have the same power as van VW Golf R from the same year, or a Audi S3. (These has just 350nm torque) More than enough to be have a quick family car. Don't forget it has also 400nm torque. It is just a car from 2010 without electrification. No Hybrid, just old school gasoline power. And no it is not the most powerful you will find, but more powerful than most cars in my neighborhood. (The Netherlands)

[@Dr.Spatula]

@PieterWigboldus I said standard. 200-250hp is very standard for any 2.0l turbo. No shit it's not the same as a 500hp rs. The 2010 s3 and r are also 260-270hp because they are just slightly tuned from the base model. Let's also ignore the s4, which could be had with 330hp

[@PieterWigboldus]

@@Dr.Spatula Yes these have a little more hp, but less torque, I think it is comparable. 200-250 is standard for a 2.0L turbo indeed. But most cars here in the Netherlands from that age are around 100-150 hp. many has smaller engines and from that year also a lot without turbo. E.g. the BMW (2011?) from my brother has a 2L engine without turbo, and is < 200hp, and I have almost double torque. And just the Toyota, Peugeot, Renault, Opel, Ford, Kia, etc. don't have 200+hp. Yes there are big German cars with 200+ from 2010, but also not that common here in the Netherlands. (maybe in other countries?)

[@TheSMonkhouse]

Brit here! I love my Estates (Wagons)! Currently got a 2023 Volvo V60 T6, 360hp, 0-60 in a smidge over 5 seconds, comfy, loads of room, big boot and great mpg!! Volvo has now withdrawn from selling 'cars' in the UK and you can now only buy SUVs!

[@jimbokilo]

Best wagons were Aussie Holden Commodores. I own a VF SV6, one of the last ones made. Practical, good fuel economy, powerful enough as a daily, but also fun and pretty to look at. Skoda do make cool ones.

[@MikeBenko]

You drive a truck or SUV when you want to look like you carry stuff around, you drive a van or a station wagon when actually have to carry stuff around.

[@JoriDiculous]

Wagons are awesome. So practical and just as comfy as the sedan versions (sometime more due to more space). Fun Fact: Station Wagon is literally what they are called in Norway too (Stasjons vogn). Was about to say it was strange Norway only had 13% SW, but SUV's are really popular here. The AWD / 4x4 and higher clearance makes them (almost) perfect for winter roads. SUV's have really taken over for a lot of the wagons. (Most Crossovers are called SUV and some are still called Station Wagons, like the Subaru Outback)

[@borza88]

@IWrocker From my point of view the wagon's are popular in Europe because some of them also have 4x4. and can bring a good option if you go with a wagon with your family and can also go on off roads. In Europe right now SUV's are much popular, bigger and smaller ones. And there is also the price of SUV's might be lower then normal car(sedan or kombi*). I prefer to buy a wagon or kombi how we call them in Europe, becase of the big space inside of the car and also has a better millage capability then a sedan or SUV's,over 1000km autonomy. As an examples of wagons look into kia proceed, Hyundai i30 wagon,Pegeout 308 sw, there might be also german manufacturers but i do not see them in a good light because of the price these cars have and how big the engines are on them(3-4 liter engines on some of them).

[@FlixTraveler]

It is difficult to compare. In Europe, the roads are much narrower. With a wide truck, you may attract attention, but it's not practical. The roads are not designed for it. We make use of the phenomenon of trailers when we want to transport larger items. In Europe, we tend to think more modularly due to practical considerations, like using a trailer. On one hand, I find the vastness and size of America appealing. On the other hand, I also appreciate the coziness of our European environment.

[@HalveMann]

The police cars on highway are volvo wagons here in Belgium

[@Siplexus]

In germany a lot of those Wagon or as we call them here “Kombi“ are sold to Companies fun fact, a lot of Offices and Companies give them out to their employees as their work car so if you are on the Autobahn and see an A4/A6, C/E Class Wagon or a 3/5 Series Wagon its highly likely its a Company Car

[@robert4you]

Hello from Sweden. I live in a residential area (villas) with 43 houses on our street, and out of these 40 households 22 have station wagons, 19 SUV:s and only 2 sedans... Station wagons (and SUV:s) are crazy popular here in Scandinavia. Volvo, VW, Audi, Skoda, Ford (Mondeo and Focus), Peugeot, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota (Auris or Corolla and Avensis), Ford among the most common where I live.

[@Arhey]

Sadly companies offer less and less station wagons, especially with electrification. Probably the marketshare is also that low, cause almost no one offers them in the US. Something like BMW M3 Touring or the Audi RS6 are very nice station wagons. In Germany wagons have major advantage over SUVs, they have higher VMAX :D

[@131313de]

Fortuneatly BMW is bringing the i5 Touring (5 series EV) in a few months probably with up to around 600 HP. Audi A6 Avant will follow end of 2024/early 2025 they say.

[@Martial-Industries]

I thought the non-sedan Škoda Octavias were Hatchbacks. Now that i look at them closely though, yes, we Czechs make a lot of station wagons.

I own the Škoda Superb 3 wagon with 2L disel engine with 190hp and 4x4 and I'm have like 36MPG and I absolutely live this car. Also my company car is Škoda Octavia wagon with 1.6L diesel engine and I belive like 110hp and the consumption is around 47MPG. And 8 of 10 sold Škoda Octavia in eu is wagon :-)

[@zwerker]

Finnish wagon lover here. I've owned three wagons, two Citroën C5 and a Citroën Xantia. They load a ton and with the hydropneumatic suspension they keep level at all times. Wouldn't get caught dead behind the wheel of a truck, SUV or crossover (yecccch!)

[@indus3270]

One reason you don't find as many US sized cars in Europe is because there are old narrow city streets that the average american car would get stuck in. And for the record, I'm the happy owner of a white 2016 Skoda Octavia Combi with tinted windows, because it's great to have practicality look this damn sleek!

[@partymanau]

So a Truckster would not be good?

[@alexgrimm354]

​@@partymanauwhen would it be good?

[@annehoog]

@@partymanau absolutely not. There are now two American style truck owners trying to park in my neighbourhood regularly. In the US they would probably be considers small for a truck, here they take up two parking bays and when parked parellel a third of the road surface. Also navigating this city with the cyclists, pedestrian and all kids kids out while sitting in that huge thing with all the blind spots all around is downright dangerous.

[@LarryHatch]

They sold Chrysler 300 Hemi-powered "estate wagons" in Europe but not in he US! They had Dodge Magnum bodies but a 300 grill and tons of power.

[@helloweener2007]

SUV = Senioren Und Versehrte (seniors and invalids)

[@haveaseatplease]

Don't forget soccer mums.

[@mberggren9768]

I’ve had two station wagons. Volvo V40 T4 and the 850 T5. Both where crazy quick, and wonderful to own.

[@Hatkeinhals]

the RS6 series is sick. These things have 600 hp

[@blindguardian1979]

I have the V60 Polestar wagon and love it! not only is it practical with cargo, but can drive it in pure electric mode while dropping kids off at school but can also drive with gas/electric mode (455hp) if you want to rip it up a bit

[@Crushonius]

you really need to check out the history of the audi allroad line of vehicles they were essentially the first wagons that featured off road capabilities with the push of a button it was basically an air ride from the factory that gave you the best of both worlds way WAY ahead of its time . nowadays you get the air suspension with similar capabilities in a lot of audi models

[@ulfdanielsen6009]

My wife and I are the proud owners of two Volvo V70 Mk.Is from the late 90s,- that means we are driving cars that are more than 25 years old. One automatic, one manual,- both with turbos. Best highway and freeway tractors in existence. In Sweden these cars traditionally are called Estate cars,- to go with the " Esquire living in the rural countryside" image thought they originally were built around. They´re wide, low, sleek, 4wd, the interior is comfortable enough to make you feel like you´re sitting in the cabin of your own bombardier 350 jet, the folding rear seats gives you double the cargo space of that of even a Chevy Tahoe and thanks to the insane Swedes ( I´m Danish,- I´m supposed to think like that) ( the same Swedes who, when getting the idea of tuning Volvos, prove themselves to have have impeccable taste) you can order ANY aftermarket part you´d desire to tune, recomp, customize and style your car to your hearts desire including mechanical tuning with tower struts, sports shocks and springs, widebody front-, rear- and side skirts, sports interior styling and stage one to three ECU chipping that´ll lift the power from the usual 200-250 bhp to somewhere around the 315-320 bhp mark complete with Simons sports exhaust (outside of Polestar the only officially approved brand by Volvo themselves for aftermarket exhausts,- any other brand is simply incorrect and would be considered an offense to any proper Volvo aficinado in the know,- and in very poor taste added to that!) to give you proper sports performance characteristics in what is essentially a familiy wagon. For a 25 years old car! We´ve been talking about by now upgrading them to something more modern,- but why? For an infotainment system that informs you that you´re turning whenever you are....? If and when we do it will undoubtably be to something similar to what we already have,- only in a newer package. An AWD Volvo V90 2.0 ltr. with supercharger and turbo giving it some 320 bhp,- in a fully modern hybrid electric/ gasoline package,- looking like a sleek machine from a science fiction film perhaps? A Volvo it´s gonna be. Volvo FTW.

[@OriginalPuro]

Wait wait wait wait wait. "In some Scandinavian countries like Finland and Sweden" Finland is NOT a part of Scandinavia. Scandinavia is Norway, Sweden and Denmark only. The Nordic countries consist of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

[@mikkomalinen2641]

I'm here just to check if this was corrected.

[@TheXshot]

NA education 😅

[@MercenaryPen]

unfortunately there's some history of the nordic countries being taught as being Scandinavia- in particular I was taught that way in the UK, though I have accepted the correction since

[@dirreeN]

Tbf Finland was apart of Sweden for 800 years, so it's really no big deal

[@mikkomalinen2641]

Scandinavians have different history, language and genetics than us and are located on Scandinavian peninsula. It's not a big deal, but still nice to be correct. @@MercenaryPen

[@mariuscheek]

Re Subaru, we had an old Subaru Legacy (here in the UK). It was pretty ordinary, but with full time 4wd and a high/low ratio, it could drive on almost any surface (ice/snow/mud) with ease and a bit of care. The only limitation was ground clearance, but nobody was ever going to be taking it rock climbing!

[@stefanthoma2934]

Just as an example: As a German family we have two of those station wagons (in German called “Kombi“). I have a Mercedes-Benz E-Class T-Model (T-Model is the Mercedes term for “Kombi”) from 2016 and my wife a Skoda Octavia from 2019. Both have a Diesel engine and are used for many km in a year. At the Autobahn with a normal traveling speed the fuel consumption is about 4.5 liter/100 km for the Skoda and about 5.3 liter/100 km for the Mercedes. But at the same time these cars have a high loading volume: The Mercedes has about 540 liter and the Skoda 520 liter in the trunk, plus massive space for five passengers. Both cars are designed for comfortable an efficient driving. These cars are not supposed to be sports cars, but quick enough. My Mercedes gets to the 240 km/h (150 mph), but I rarely using it. The fuel consumption would increase to 10.8 liter/100 km and more. And the Mercedes is driving like a tank on snow, what is important in our region. It is no problem to go by 80 km/h (50 mph) and more on snow without any sliding or noticeable breaking deceleration. Before the Mercedes I had a VW Passat Variant (Variant is the VW term for “Kombi”). This car was in our family for 21 years without any serious problems. And also after selling it, the women who bought it had an heavy accident two weeks after with two trucks at the Autobahn, but survived it relatively unharmed, because of so many steel around her. And we are not alone with our two station wagons in our neighborhood. The family to our left side has two station wagons (Ford Mondeo and Ford Focus) and the woman to our right has a Mercedes-Benz C-Class T-Model. The older couple across the street has a VW Touran - something between a station wagon and a van. In Germany it is very common in rural communities to own a station wagon. You just don’t want it in a city, where you’re going to get problems with finding parking spaces. And also my colleagues driving station wagons, too. If you’re standing next to our parking area at work, you will see more than a third of the cars are station wagons: Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW and Volvo. The price of a station wagon is comparable to the price of a sedan (in Europe called “Limousine”) plus a bit. Often it is about 2000-5000 € more than the basic model, but about often also 10000 € less than a comparable SUV. The station wagons are incredible cars in many ways. They are like high efficiency family trucks for an everyday use - but a bit smaller. Some of these might look a little unspectacular or boring, but never say this to an Audi A6, BMW 5 Series or my Mercedes-Benz E-Class in their “Kombi”-Model. These are really great looking cars.

[@038Dude]

I owned a V50 D5 for two years, been my first and only wagon. I liked it a lot, very smooth and quiet car. I now own one of my dreamcars, the Mazdaspeed6.

[@wykydytron]

Fun fact, most Volvos are made in USA right now, even ones for EU market. I recently bought S60 here in Poland and yup its made in USA. Volvo is going all out in NA, hope they succeed.

[@sandersson2813]

Most Volvo are NOT made in USA, Volvo primarily for sale in US are made there, Volvo for other markets are made elsewhere.

[@Lagano93]

Regards from Europe, drive Golf R wagon (USA don't have wagon), car is good for family, shopping, road trip and for speeding as well 🙂 with little magic you have 400hp wagon 😅

[@Spitx]

I bought one some years ago powerful enough and it was the best choice for 1000 more than an hatchback... versatility, sportiness, efficiency... works for the family, sportive for solo driving, practical in cities, for sportwear...

[@jacklevesque]

Wagons or " Long Roofs", are awesome. I own a SAAB 9-3 Aero wagon and love it. Drive it every day. Also went to Ireland in October and wagons were everywhere.

[@EnochPowellsLibrarian]

I think it's all down to fuel prices and road size. Fuel has always been very expensive in Europe, normally double or more what it costs in the US . I would have a 5.0 v8 truck as a daily if i could, if fuel was cheaper here in the UK , but its rip off prices as standard here. I think road tax here for a v8 truck would be around £600 per year too, plus insurance plus fuel lol. The US has more land to play with compared to europe so has bigger roads too . And didn't trucks used to be low tax or something in the US ? That's why Americans bought a lot of them back in the day ?

[@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB]

a 5.0 v8 in Italy would cost you 2000-2500 euros / year just in taxes (we have the "Super Bollo", an extra tax for vehicles over 250 HP) + insurance and fuel of course

[@EnochPowellsLibrarian]

@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB Exactly , it's the cost of everything, it's not the fact we wouldn't drive big engines in Europe. The USA doesn't even have any road tax at all, just a registration fee that like 100 dollars. Plus their fuel is cheap compared to ours. That's why they can drive gas guzzlers.

[@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB]

@@EnochPowellsLibrarian yeah, I tried daily driving a Lexus RX300, a 3.0L v6 SUV with all wheels drive, but the running costs were unbearable for my income even if the car itself was quite cheap in the used market. Amazing vehicle though, absolutely smooth and comfortable, I could drive it for the whole day without any fatigue! Anyway, now I am back to my cheap Yaris hybrid :D

[@redflagy8]

As someone living in Germany, the brand best known for wagons is clearly Audi here. 1st place with huge difference to the rest

[@richardhunt1384]

Volvo has said that they will stop selling Wagon/ Estate/ Touring (what you call this segment) in the UK and they will only be selling to Emergency Services (Police/ Ambulance (Paramedic) from then on. Funnily enough Volvo have now taken over where BMW left with their removing themselves from the Emergency Service (mainly Police vehicles) due to them having major issue with their Diesel engines failing catastrophically when on high speed runs. Private owner cars aren't affected with the issue but BMW moving out of the Emergency sector has reopened the door for Volvo, Skoda to throw their hats into the ring with their wagon models.

[@debbee0867]

I watch Police Interceptors, l come from a Volvo owning family, and I love to see them on there. I'm not surprised they are stopping the estates over here though, my ex's V60 Polestar used to get confused as a police car. Everyone used to slow for us 😅

[@IIShana-chan]

Visited my aunt in NC last year. And yeah, I have to say that the pure size difference in cars made my jaw drop. Back here in Germany we thought we had a "rather big" car (Renault Grand Scenic) but damn, that car is dwarfed by the RAM 2500 the husband of my aunt owns.

[@ThePapaja1996]

Volvo the goat of wagons

[@datwistyman]

Lol kind of 😜 I've got a Subaru outback station wagon and an S80

[@pikminologueraisin2139]

chinese brand tho

[@mikaelsjoberg5024]

@@pikminologueraisin2139so? Almost Everything is chinese nowadays

[@pikminologueraisin2139]

@@mikaelsjoberg5024 nah bro we should fight it

[@Onimalap]

In Denmark families have rarely more than 1 car so it needs to serve all purposes and wagons do it well. I think people choose SUVs due to perception of safety, commanding view and status symbol perception but in reality they are top heavy and very bad in terms of aerodynamics not to mention that they are mostly 2 wheel drive looking like 4x4.

[@1hensing895]

RS6 is king

[@faubourglincoln]

V90 Cross Country all the way. RS6 has the stigma of being associated with thugs and rappers now in Europe.

[@guigocn2]

The problem is nowadays we only have niche wagons with the exception of the Outback. If we had reliable and affordable wagons, the market would be very different. Even the graph showed in the news piece doesn't make sense, because it shows wagons sales decline without correlating with the amount offered. Give us something like a Corolla Wagon or a Camry Wagon and I can guarantee it will sell like hot cake. Would sell even better if we get rid of those stupid CAFE law.

[@jalbertseabra2283]

An Audi Wagon 1.9 or 2.0 Liter Turbo Diesel 6 Manual gear box is sporty, great acelaration, great suspention, a fantastic gas mileage. High way driving, we get 6 Liters/ 100 Kms, or 1,5 Gallons/62 US Miles. A SUV is just taller than an Audi ou BMW. Carries the same people and features about the same cargo capacity. Park a SUV beside a common Mercedes, Audi or Bimmer. I used t have a Jeep Cherokee and an Audi 5000 . Know what? Same lenght and the Audi was roommier. Furthermore, Wagon made by Mercedes, Audi , Alfa-Romeo or BMW are gorgeous. "Ain't " saying the same about SUVs!

[@DrNoxin]

Never really was a fan of station wagons, but the Chrysler 300c Station looks like a beast. Fell in love with it the moment I saw it.

[@itsnevo8757]

What sucks is there are lots of awesome station wagons out there but unfortunately when European companies sell them in the US, they tend to bring over the worse models. Audi used to sell just the Allroad models in the early 2000’s that had a very problematic air suspension system, the base model A4 and the A6 Avants, but it wasn’t until recently that they offered the one model everyone in the US really wanted which was the RS6 Avant. People in the US want the performance models like the RS6 and RS4, not a base model that still costs $65,000 or more to buy in the US. Unfortunately it seems like there are more SUV options than station wagons so I think people tend to just buy SUV’s instead more because a lack of hood station wagon options

[@joakimyliruusi]

This was really interesting to watch as a European from Finland rocking a Subaru Outback. As the statistic shows, we have tons of wagons here, also SUVs are really popular. It was really surprising to see that the Outback really dominates the wagon market in the US. For workers the car of choice has for long been a van. But now there is a trend that workers buy American style trucks instead, like Ford Rangers and so! Then they have to equip them with all kinds of boxes or bed covers so that all the rain and snow is kept out.

[@adminadminson3147]

its a tax loophole. in the netherlands at least, a pickup truck is taxed as a personal car not a business car. basically it's the stupid tax laws totally backfiring.

[@Mechharry]

I can totally recommened learning more about Opel, it's a brand with a rich history (started with producing sewing machines) and since it was owned by GM you can see the influence of Detroit in the Designs but with a german touch. My last car was an Opel Omega A (from 1991) with a 2.6 litre inline 6 which was really fun to drive but also very comfortable. My current car is the Opel Insignia B Wagon as it was shown in the Video and can say with confidence that it's spacious enough. When i sit behind the driver seat that’s adjusted to me (i'm 5'7 , i hope it's correct) i can put both of my hands infront of my knees and can almost touch it. And the 2l diesel engine is powerful enough to get me from A to B with ease.

[@guano1274]

Being from Germany and moved to a place that is rather cold and still gets snow, with hills and pretty rural, I do love the idea to have 4WD, but why whould I need an SUV? There is no real reason for 95% of the people. It is just marketing. For some reason people just love bigger cars. Probabably because they themself get bigger and also because other cars (especiallys in the US) get bigger and they do not want to be the smaller vehicle in a crash or what ever. My next car will be a big station wagone (5 series, E class) with 4WD. We got mostly paved roads and there is no need to buy an SUV here, really.

[@KjellEson]

3:00 The German word Wagen A wheeled vehicle used to transport people or things and fitted with a drawbar and drawn by draft animals (especially horses). But it can also mean car. Just like in the English language "Car", Wagen has followed as a surface impression for a means of transport.

[@davidschewior3147]

In Germany we say „everybody’s last car will be a station wagon“. (hearse) 😅

[@nigelpluck3342]

9:31 As far as I remember, the Subaru Legacy Outback was originally All-Wheel-Drive when it was launched in Europe in the 90s

[@joey0988]

In Ireland we call them Estates.

[@ichbinmorsl5836]

In Germany your two cars wouldnt be called "Kombi" (Station Wagons) but rather SUV´s ^^

[@walterearp]

We bought our BMW 520d touring 136kw/177hp with manual transmission when it alrady ran 200,000km. Now the engine was running almost 400,000km and it's still running. I love it!

[@robinwatters572]

I worked for myself as a handyman in Canada and my vehicle of choice was a Subaru Station Wagon. With the seats down you can load almost as much as a pick up. And its inside! No worries of getting bags of cement wet, or anything else. I used to carry 3 tool boxes. All locked up safe at night. You can even get an 8ft 4x3 inside! try that with a truck.

[@samjoseph8845]

RS6 Audi are the kings of the wagen available around the world! I drove one when I was in Belgium... And they are incredible! And yes I am a car lover but this specific car is a monster that u can use for any kind of usage u want... Day to day work drive, family trip, making Chrono on some track, putting your new furniture into the trunk 😅 This car is amazing!!!! Cheers from Cambodia PS: the market here is similar than US... PS 2 my brother is now drive a v60 Volvo polestar in Germany ... This car is the most secured cars known today with that much horsepower

[@remcohoman1011]

6:25 you put it very well there, and it is the same with semi trucks..long snout usa ones or cab over european ones, other purpose, roads and use..

Hi Ian, Czechia here. I still use my old Skoda Forman (Favorit station wagon) as a daily drive and I'm happy with it, but also have a Renault Scenic (compact MPV) at my hand and I tend to believe it is even more practical as the wagons do have some down points: - the overall length of wagons doesnt help with parking, also the low driver seat makes it harder to guess the distances outside the car - the cargo area in compact MPV offers similar volume but easier access compared to station wagon - older (or US-sized) people often find it hard to squat into low-seated cars in general (and the average age of populaction is rising) Otherwise, here in CZ we used to love our rear-engined Skodas, which obviously just came as sedan or coupe, while other brands were practically unavailable, but it all changed with Skoda Forman, Felicia Combi and Octavia Combi. Also I'd suggest you to check out the Wartburg W353 Tourist from the DDR, these were not easily available in east-bloc countries but it was a hell of practicality in one package! Myself I was drawn towards wagons by Fiat Marea SW (I had two, 1.6 and 1.8 petrol), then for some time I tried the US-based Opel SIntra (rebadged Chevrolet Venture SWB) but the ride was awful, so I'm back to European cars since then. 😀

[@RayTX1337]

BMW E46 330d was one of the greatest cars I ever drove. Great mileage, great acceleration, sports suspension, 250km/h topspeed for the Autobahn and space in the back for a family vacation.

[@legendjbl7770]

Wagons have a lot of space and are pratical, many have a good price, good fule milage, safer for the driver and everyone else.