In a world without overrated SUVs, one must endure getting around suburban culture through the compromise of improved gas mileage, better handling, and lower cost of maintenance. And all without sacrificing space, comfort, and joy. Wow, that sounds like a difficult proposition — let me tailgate somebody in the left lane and think about it.
Wagons were once a staple of automotive Americana. Older generations will recall Ford Country Squires and nine-seat Chevrolet wagons that they used to roll around unsafely with lap belts. But right at the turn of safety innovation, Americans decided they wanted bigger, heavier, more expensive, and frankly, worse vehicles.
Lately, though, wagons have seen something of a renaissance in the United States. Replacing the American land barges are petite European estate cars (as they're known in the United Kingdom) that leave a sophisticated impression on us Yanks — with offerings from Volvo, Audi, and even Porsche. So in no particular order, let's count down wagons we wish would come stateside.
10 Mazda6 Tourer
We're starting with the prettiest car on the list. Mazda's not a big car company by modern standards but they've thrived on being able to do more with less — a formula that has enabled the Mazda MX-5 Miata to succeed. A recipe for success starts with a tantalizing design that will get people into showrooms.
The next step is to fuse that curvaceous body with zoom-zoom fun-damentals that have come to define Mazda today. Although it consists of an extensive lineup of sedans, hatches, and crossover SUVs, we're missing out on what remains the prettiest Mazda model ever to walk the face of the Earth.
9 Toyota Corolla Touring Sports
We wouldn't blame you for mistaking this for something other than a Toyota (such as say, Mazda). The Corolla has tried hard recently to be a fun car for the growing family on a smaller budget. Sadly, this double-paned long-roof remains only eye candy for Americans to gawk at.
Globally, it's sold alongside the Corolla sedan and hatchback that we get in the United States. The Corolla Sports Tourer, in most forms, is sold as a hybrid that is positioned as not boring by attaching multi-spoke wheels and various pieces of trim to give off a sleeker impression. We can declare it works and should come here.
8 Subaru Levorg
As a name, Levorg may be underwhelming, inspired by Subaru taking various letters from the words of "LEgacy, reVOlution, and touRinG." But it could work better as a verb. For instance, "Subaru levorged a WRX face from an amateur rally car-for-the-road and stuck it onto a chiseled wagon design to create yet another car to refuse to Americans."
Wherever the name inspiration is derived from, it's clear that the Levorg is a success big enough for Subaru to produce a second-generation model that was just released. Maybe if we scream loud as a democracy, Subaru may take a chance to send the next-gen WRX with a wagon variant along with a sedan.
7 Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake
Before the XF Sportbrake finally made a brief appearance in the US, Jaguar decided to deny us the best one. This very blue Brit was once the XFR-S, a 550-horsepower supercharged send-off to mark the end of the first generation of XF production.
Power came from a five-liter V-8 that had been supercharged and used in other Jaguars at the time, including the XFR-S sedan that did make it to the land of the free. Although it was a tiny bit slower to sixty miles per hour, the XFR-S Sportbrake was capable of doing 186 mph, making this one hot long-roofed hatch. It wasn't sold in large numbers, so Jaguar should've sent it here anyway.
6 Volkswagen Golf R Sportwagen
Okay, this one hurts because it was actually available to Americans as two separate ingredients. We got the SportWagen and the Golf R — both with a manual transmission —yet they never fused together as one for sale in the United States. Once again, we were left out from the rest of the world.
This means we were left out from turbocharged goodness that didn't compromise with the amount of space one could use in the back of a wagon. Although it wasn't officially sold here in stock form, the means are more than possible for someone to weld together Golf R parts to a Golf wagon body in order to create a working replica. Surely, somebody out there with mechanical know-how is working on it right now if it hasn't happened yet.
5 Audi RS4 Avant B7
This one hurts even more to a similar logic but to a greater extent. While we were lucky enough to get sedan and convertible flavors, it would have been nice to complete the set. The B7 generation of the RS4 is regarded as one of the best Audis of all time, usually the runner-up to the first-generation Audi R8 of the 2000s.
Most of this comes down to the 4.2-liter V-8 that found its way into the mid-engine application of the R8. That engine produced 414 horsepower and was mated to a six-speed manual transmission, with no automatic on offer to take away from the driving engagement. RS4s remain popular in the United States, and surely the wagon would have been too.
4 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate
Now it gets personal — as if the cars above didn't stir up enough emotion to leave us enough of a wanting desire to import them and put their practical space to use. The prettiest wagon, second to the Mazda6, is the latest C-Class Estate, a literal representation of an S-Class wagon that will never exist in our lifetime.
For what it's worth, the C-Class was available in the US as an estate car, to sound posh. But it was pulled out of the American market in 2005 due to, you guessed it, poor sales. Maybe if Mercedes market this shade of blue and apply it to an unbadged vehicle, we may be able to gather enough support for them to consider selling it again?!
3 BMW 5 Series Touring
The height of European sophistication isn't when you jump into the cheapest possible BMW your lease can allow. It's when you pay cash on a lavishly equipped M Sport 5 Series model without risking your credit. In layman's terms, you're putting your money where your mouth is and succeeding.
Don't be fooled by American highway backdrop mindfully edited to give off vibes of a long road trip. The 5 Series Touring hasn't been sold in the US since 2010 despite the marketing impression. If BMW wants to impress us, they can start building cars in the Spartanburg, South Carolina plant that produce the global supply of SUVs and conform Americans to what is a better vehicle in every possible way.
2 BMW 3 Series Touring
The BMW 3 Series Touring is the latest wagon to nosedive into oblivion surrounded by accountants without a soul for cars. After leaving the United States market after 2018, we've decided, however, after very short deliberations, that the compact touring car should make a comeback. Although we're aware of the cost it takes to own a 3 Series, it's worth it for the wagon.
Especially if elsewhere, citizens of the world are able to get their hands on an M340i variant that includes a long-roof. A rocket-sled with room in the back for brown rocket pants in case you need to change. That's the excitement BMW refuses to sell in the United States. Yes, you can get an M340i as a sedan here, but it's not the same.
1 That Superb Option
What else to say except it's all in the name? Okay, this is a bit of a cheat, but the thing is, Škoda was never sold in the United States, and if it were, the Superb would have real potential to succeed on its own merit, especially as a wagon. This one is for you, traveling Boomers!
The Superb is highly regarded overseas. It's received numerous accolades and remains a bestseller even if it isn't as good-looking as the one in the pictures. Should you ever find yourself moving to Europe, the model to go for was built between 2008 and 2015 if you want to save cash for castle touring. In all, your experience abroad should remain...superb.