Return of the Station Wagon?

[Denis4x4]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

:-)

Yeah - there's just no retracting snobby online remarks. It is what it is.

And speaking about Mercedes - how about those old turbo diesel wagons from the 70s/80s - wouldn't those be great tow vehicles?

Really do need a good, modern station wagon on the market!

The 300TD Mercedes wagon was a great design with a 5 cylinder turbo diesel that was very undependable. In California, you could pick them up for a song and install a 350 cid Chevy engine with a turbo 400 transmission and have a car that you never had to have a smog check as it was registered as a diesel. Alas and alac, the greenies figured that scam out and California passed yet another law.

[Road Ruler]

From the ol days....

[Tomzstream]

I just delivered a MB E320 CDI sedan (Inline 6) to my daughter in CA. It passed SMOG, but all they really check is for engine codes and a few components to be in working order. It is very torquey. She wants to cut the bumper and put a hitch on, but I am dissuading her from doing it. The suspension just isn't rated for that sort of load. I currently drive a
'14 E250 Bluetec (Inline 4).

I have bought numerous Volvo wagons/SUVs over the years:
1998 V70 Classic GLT, formerly the 850 (Inline 5 with LPT)
2000 V40 (inline 4 with HPT) a graduation gift to our daughter
2001 V70 XC (LPT inline 5) technically an AWD wagon, not crossover
and a 2006 XC90 (Inine 5, with LPT)

Gotta say I miss the GLT the most. It was a rocket that we nicknamed "Lightning". So too the v40, which was name "Flash Yuergen" after the salesman we bought it from. The V70 XC was an inline 5 and not as peppy, but sure footed so we named it "Trigger". and the XC90 had the same engine (no longer available) and was extremely capable and comfortable to drive. We bought it in Sacramento, traded in our GLT on it in Reno (to avoid CA sales tax) and drove it through whiteout conditions all the way to our new home in WI. We named it "Blizzard."

I don't know that I would have towed an airstream with any of them, but they were all fun to drive and very useful hauling upwards to three large dogs.

"Station" wagons were conceived in the age of passenger trains, and served a very specific purpose. Hauling folks and luggage. In my family the love affair started with my Dad's purchase of the 57 Beauville, which we utilized to haul upwards to 5-6 kids over the years and of course two adults. Being a military brat, I got to experience a couple of cross country trips in that machine. The obligatory removable roof rack (with suction cups) was often employed. It was what got "Road Fever" and wanderlust in my blood.

What I like most about it was the real tailgate, which was split between the window and the lower panel. That is something that remains an elusive feature in all of today's SUV and hatchback oriented vehicles. Our XC90 had a mini-tailgate which I liked but it was simply too high up to be useful. BTW, the whole SUV thing came about by effective marketing of the whole off-road adventure fantasy that was sold to Male Suburbanites, AND the women liked them because the increased height made them ideal Mom-Mobiles with the ease of getting kids in and out of their seats without bending over.

We considered the E Wagon, but its tow rating was a tad low, and alas, no diesel offered as of yet. Love the styling.

THe Ford Flex is a mish mash of Volvo technology and Ford, but it fails on seat comfort and styling (when compared to comparable Volvo's). It is so plain it makes me cry when I compare it to the old 57 wagons.

So now we have our Highway cruiser that gets 45 MPG, and our TV (an Escalade EXT. with 6.2L 400HP V8) that gets 18 MPG unloaded. We are down to one small dog who does not, as of yet, ride in the Benz. He owns his own 99 Silverado Pickup with capper which he has us take him to the beach in.

Volvo is coming out with a new wagon this spring (V60) but it is a tad small in the cockpit and especially in the rear. I'd rather have a V70 wagon (non-AWD) but they discontinued them a while back. The new XC90 is debuting in the fall and the leaked images I have seen show a lower sleeker vehicle. They are also putting the focus on better fuel economy with an entry level 4.
Not sure that it will be TV material (even with the high end turbo engines), but we will reserve judgement til then.


Good hunting.

[xrvr]

This may have been explained , but what is a Beauville? Jim

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

This may have been explained , but what is a Beauville? Jim

Chevrolet Beauville - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Or possibly one model of these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Van

[xrvr]

Thanks, I should have looked it up myself, getting old. Jim

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

Thanks, I should have looked it up myself, getting old. Jim

No problem: Every time, I look something up for someone else, I learn something too.

Whether or not I remember it is another story.


Ken

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by moosetags

All this talk of station wagons brings back fond memories. The last car that my Dad bought was very a opulent (for the day) 1967 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon. It was white with the faux wood trim and a red vinyl interior. It even had air conditioning and power windows, the stuff of Cadillacs and Lincolns.

Dad is long gone and so is that Country Squire, but seeing any wood trim station wagon make me think him and that spectacular station wagon.

Brian

The car you describe is almost the one my grandparents had- instead of red interior theirs had blue interior and no power windows. I remember the vent window/wing glass opened by a smaller window crank above the regular window crank.

[Tomzstream]

Yes, the Beauville I was referring to is the Chevy 210 Beauville 9 seater (it had a third row seat). In prior years, it was offered in the Bel Air trim. Ours had the 283 V8.

[slowmover]

I've owned a few of the full-size wagons.

In terms of a sedan or hardtop versus a wagon, all that rear glass (and, on some, the three-way tailgate) added a lot of weight to the rear of the drive axle where it isn't wanted. Easier for one to spin out (oversteer). Station wagon = tail-happy. Radial tires and better suspensions (post-'76 GM) helped some, as did the late '70's downsizing, but they were still 4600-lbs with driver and a small block V8. A non-smog legal upgrade to a big block woke them up, though (todays motors are far more advanced, as are transmissions).

As to utility, the minivans since the 1980's are the way to go. The interior space is more useable and the exterior dimensions far better. I'd rather drive a HONDA Odyssey any day over a station wagon . . . and I really liked wagons.

.

[Lance M]

Maybe you should try one of these 535d Touring!

I'm sure you'd think differently about wagons.

[whitsend]

Absolutely LOVE this combination tow vehicle & gorgeous 'Stream.
Very high cool level.