As hatchbacks go, the Honda Fit has rather impressive cargo space with the rear seat folded down: 52.7 cu. ft. for the current model, 57.3 for the second-generation. They traded a bit of cargo space for even more rear legroom (and to bring back the more-versatile seating arrangement that the first-gen version had). But the second-gen model had plenty of legroom to begin with…
Subaru Outback, about 75 cubic feet.
2 Likes
E63 is an impressive machine. It’s also the rarest car MB makes. So… Yeah. Hard to find.
Not a lot of fast wagons for sale in the states these days.
BMW 535 wagon would be pretty ok with some minor modifications.
1 Like
I owned a 940 turbo wagon, which is the predecessor to the v90. RWD, and bonkers turning radius. Also: wonderful wary 90’s turbo lag! Such a fantastic car.
2 Likes
I’d still quite like an 850 T-5.
1 Like
I’ve driven both of these this past year as rentals (the Fit for several weeks). The Prius doesn’t have much hatch space at all. The Fit is surprisingly good, around the same cargo space as our SAAB though not laid out as well: we can pop 8’ 2x4s in the SAAB and still carry 2 passengers no problem, I couldn’t make this work in the Fit. Also, the cargo “headroom” in the SAAB is better. Still, the Fit is probably what I would buy if I bought a replacement today, even though I’ve previously hated every Honda I’ve ever driven (even before I blew up the Civic I owned in England in the 80s).
I thought they discontinued it?
That there’s an SUV.
I was about to nitpick this but then I took a look at the redesign for this year. They call it a crossover, which is really just a taller wagon. Quite a bit taller, even accounting for the lower viewing angle:
Yeesh.
4 Likes
It is a foot taller than my SAAB, with less headroom inside. Also, no manual transmission.
I used to love Subarus; when I lived in Wisconsin several decades back I had a very useful friend who fitted a snowplow to the front of his. Really cool.
2 Likes
Was the Subaru WRX Sportswagon available in the US?
There was an Impreza wagon maybe 8-9 years ago, but I don’t think it had the sporty engine. The Venn diagram of “people who want a wagon” and “people who want a street racer” has very small intersection in the US.
Now they call it the “Golf Sportwagon” No idea why…
[quote=“d_r, post:74, topic:81394, full:true”] The Venn diagram of “people who want a wagon” and “people who want a street racer” has very small intersection in the US.
[/quote]
This must be true since if the market was there, the manufactures would sell them, but it is weird because A) I hear tons of people bitching about it, and B) americans seem to love overpowered SUV “rollover machines”, it seems like a reasonable chunk of that audience should be persuadable that what they really want is a sport wagon. Just call it a “lowered SUV”…
1 Like
The WRX and STI were available, and not uncommon here in Colorado back then. It’s always been a Subaru heavy state. Currently available models are all pretty lousy.
I don’t get why Audi, for instance, won’t let US drivers order and do Euro delivery for an Avant - pick your flavor.
It’s the same car, different boot.
BMW brought back the 3 series wagon, and it’s ok. I like the looks of the sedan currently (and the 4 series coupe) but the wagon looks a little off now. The E46 wagon was the best looking from that line.
Americans seem to only like fast vehicles if they’re incapable of fast cornering. Muscle cars, cruiser-style bikes, SUVs…
2 Likes
My wife had a new WRX when I met her in 2005, and yeah, hers was a wagon identical to the one you posted, but silver rather than blue. They’re not rare in L.A. I kinda hated the fact that hers was an automatic. The turbo lag really killed it for me, though once you actually were moving it was delightfully fast. We sold it shortly after our daughter was born, since rear-facing child seats didn’t fit very well in its back seat.
I’d still kind of like a WRX, but since Subaru no longer make the saloon/sedan version they’ve lost their appeal a bit. If I got one it’d still be because I want to play at being Colin McRae with my chavtastic blue car with gold wheels (while sitting in a traffic jam on the viaduct in Seattle…)
3 Likes
Manual is the only way to go with those. (I’m assuming you’re talking about boost threshold, i.e.the RPM where the turbo kicks in, and not turbo lag i.e. how long it takes for the turbo to react to a change in exhaust flow.) You can keep it near the boost threshold with a manual if you want.
1 Like
I’d totally recommend one, just make sure to get a stick shift. WRX with an automatic is like a Ducati crotch rocket with training wheels. Utterly defeats the purpose.
4 Likes
Actually both seem sluggish in the WRX. I mean, it’s not exactly designed for off-the-line drag racing, and you’re not gonna get a whole lot of torque out of those 2 liters, but yeah, with a stick at least you can keep the RPMs up so the turbo will do you some good. But even at freeway speeds, the turbo lag was noticeable to me, although i don’t have much to compare it to since it’s the only turbocharged car I’ve owned. (I drove a 911 turbo a couple times, but not enough to get a feel for it.) It just didn’t seem like the throttle response was as crisp as, say, my first wife’s 95 Firebird. But maybe every turbo has to be like that, since it’s reacting to exhaust pressures downstream.
