The station wagon is a staple vehicle for families. They typically come equipped with a lot of storage space, plenty of seating, and the sturdiness to go from one side of the country to the other.
Often pictured loaded with way too much luggage and passengers, the station wagon is often seen in family movies as the mode of transportation as the average all-American family heads out on a road trip or moves across the country. This iconic style of car has been produced by nearly all car manufacturers and they all have added their own flair to the vehicle. Here are some of the best station wagons to consider in 2019.
10 Fiat 500L
This station wagon might not be the best pick if your looking for the large family-hauling vehicles from the movies, but if you want some luxury and style, this will be a good choice. It has a smaller engine that gives you a slow, gentle increase in speed as you press the gas pedal. It is roomy for its small, unassuming appearance and comes with all of the technological connections you’d expect nowadays to Apple and Android.
Unfortunately, the only thing sizeable about this wagon is its large windshield and a large touchscreen interface. Still, the visibility the windshield offers and the ease of the interface are nice to have.
9 Mini Cooper Clubman
Here is another sporty station wagon that's probably not quite the best for a large family that needs the largest wagon to cart themselves around. It’s really more of a hatchback car than a family hauler. Still, it has style, drives well, and the prestigious Mini Cooper brand guarantees quality. The trunk has about eighteen cubic feet but when you put the rear row of seating down, that space more than doubles.
Its little four-cylinder engine puts out a respectable 134-horsepower but can be upgraded to 189-horsepower. In addition, the company offers many cosmetic customizations for the vehicle including paint jobs and decorative decals.
8 Buick Regal TourX
The Buick Regal TourX has ample room in the back with 33-cubic feet of storage that doubles when you put the rear seat down. It looks sleek and aerodynamic but surprisingly it only gets about 22-miles per gallon. It sports an all-wheel drive, powered by a 4-cylinder engine that puts out an impressive 250-horsepower.
Some critics dislike the interior of the TourX, saying the dashboard and carpets look too cheap for the slightly upper crust brand that Buick represents. However, it will get you where you’re going and if you want something that feels a little better than a more common car, the Buick Regal TourX is for you.
7 Subaru Outback
This station wagon is perfect for the family that loves to travel to faraway places. It gets great gas mileage for its classification at 28-miles per gallon to carry you wherever your travels take you. The terrain on the way there shouldn’t be a problem either as the Outback has great ground clearance to avoid large rocks and bumps and an all-wheel-drive to power through rocks, sand, and mud.
The 6-cylinder engine puts out 256-horsepower and while that might seem like quite a lot of power to tame, fear not. The Subaru Outback has some of the best safety ratings on the market.
6 BMW 3-Series Wagon
BMW has a long standing history of making quality luxury cars for their clients and the BMW 3-series Wagon is no different. The aesthetic of the exterior and interior is admittedly dated, but the performance is relevant and strong. All of the models come with all-wheel drive and what normally would be a modest 4-cylinder engine, puts out a not-so-modest 248-horsepower.
It has 8-speed automatic transmission and a huge cargo area to boot. So, if carrying capacity, power and style is what you’re looking for, then the BMW 3-series Wagon is what you’d want in the garage ready to go.
5 Jaguar XF Sportbrake
The Jaguar XF Sportbrake brings the fast, alluring feel of a Jaguar sports cars to the more family-oriented station wagon. The XF Sportbrake boasts the renowned Jaguar speed. Its V-6 engine puts out a whopping 380-horsepower and can get from zero to sixty in five seconds flat.
It looks great and the all-wheel-drive helps the person in the driver seat keep perfect control of the vehicle. It has plenty of carrying capacity as well with reviews stating it can hold as many as nine large suitcases in the back and that's not counting the space when the rear seats are put down.
4 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
Much like the Jaguar XF Sportbrake, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo looks to merge the needs of a family to the tastes of the wealthy. The Porsche company is famous for being luxurious and fast. The Sport Turismo is no different with several options for high-powered engines.
In addition, if you want to be a little green while tearing through town, these engines also come in hybrid forms as well. The storage space is decent and it drives just as well as you’d expect from a Porsche car. So if you have the budget for it, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo might just be the vehicle for your well-off family.
3 Audi A4 Allroad Quattro
Unlike some of the other luxury brands on this list, the Audi A4 Allroad Quattro decided to focus on functionality instead of simply making a bigger sports car. The Allroad Quattro still gets a great 248-horsepower along with a strong automatic transmission and all-wheel drive to keep it all in check.
The A4’s interior and exterior is nice but practical; still quite spacious and comfortable but nothing too over the top. The vehicle is also slightly higher off the ground so if you decided to take a drive on the wild side, it should still be a smooth, enjoyable ride.
2 Volvo V90 Cross Country
The Volvo V90 Cross Country has quite the fitting name as it is well equipped to do some comfortable long-distance travel. It’s raised over eight inches off the ground and has all-wheel drive to handle bumpy roads less traveled. It has two versions of a 4-cylinder engine; one puts out 250-horsepower and the other gives a robust 316-horsepower with the additional option of a supercharger.
It will certainly keep you safe on a cross country trip with semi-autonomous driving, sophisticated cruise control, and other great safety features. There’ll be plenty of room for all of your luggage in the back as well, with reviewers managing to squeeze 21 suitcases in the back.
1 Mercedes-Benz E-class Wagon
Last but not least there is the Mercedes-Benz E-class Wagon. Mercedes-Benz is another company that wanted to achieve the perfect blend of family-oriented and luxury travel. By all accounts from reviewers, it would seem they have succeeded. Reviewers stacked an incredible 24 carry-on suitcases into the back, more than any other vehicle on this list. With the comfy and cavernous interior, the entire family can take that stereotypical vacation loaded up with everything you need and more in atypical luxury.
The powerful engine gets you over the toughest roads while the quality suspension makes it feel like the wheels aren’t even on the ground.