While station wagons aren't as cool as everybody wants to make them look, there are few types of cars that have had such an impact as the station wagon. Car buyers, especially family people, have always been searching for cars as practical as they want. And wagons are the best family vehicles. And while these vehicles are slowly becoming extinct, station wagons will always be a part of life—just like mobile phones and television sets.

Updated June 2022: Much like minivans, station wagons have vastly been underappreciated. In reality, there's so much that any real gearhead, family man, or road trip lover will appreciate about these long roofs. While new station wagons like the Audi A4 Allroad and Subaru Outback are rocking the streets with excellent futuristic features, this segment has existed from as early as the 1940s and before. First published in 2018, we've updated this article with some of the best station wagons.

Related: 10 Fast And Affordable Station Wagons Most Gearheads Don't Consider

Station wagons are the best vehicles for road trips. They have enough space for the family and enough cargo space for the weekend. Think of a trip to the lake, an interstate road trip, a family retreat to the beach, or a family getaway at the rural cabin. No vehicle would make these long drives as exciting as a station wagon. And with that in mind, here are a few of the best station wagons ever made.

18 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

via bestcarmag.com

If there's a discontinued American vehicle, any serious gearhead would want to be brought back is the CTS-V Wagon. The Cadillac CTS-V Wagon has a wicked combination of serious performance, great looks, low production numbers, and a big novelty factor—it's a factory-made hot rod luxury station wagon. Who doesn't want a Corvette-powered station wagon? Even today, this would definitely be the coolest family car on the road.

The Wagon was built for only four years, between 2011 and 2014. On top of such a short production period, models with manual transmissions are rather rare. Only 515 units were built. The CTS-V Wagon came equipped with a potent supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 backed by either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission to produce 556 horsepower. A serious wagon right there.

17 Willys Jeep Wagon

Via TruckTrend.com

Immediately following all the conflict in the 1940s, Willys was in financial trouble. Despite being responsible for building most of the Jeeps used in the war, they had trouble building cars for civilians. So when they set out to create a more civilian vehicle, the body was made out of sheet metal, so it was cheaper, easier to make, and held up better than many cars of the time.

Despite the compromises, the Willys Jeep Wagon became one of the most iconic classics that probably saved their makers. It was powered by Jeep's spunky little four-cylinder engine. The Wagon was arguably one of the first SUVs and is now one of the most sought-after classic Jeeps.

16 Dodge Magnum SRT8

via autoblog.com

Next to the Chrysler 300 SRT8 and the Dodge Charger SRT8, the Dodge Magnum was the station wagon most petrol heads dreamt of. Powered by a 5.7 liter V8, the Dodge could beat any performance and muscle car on the road.

Related: 10 Best-Looking Wagons Ever Made

It's said that the star that burns twice as bright burns out twice as fast. This was definitely the case for the Magnum. It was produced for just four years, from 2004 to 2008. There are still plenty of excellent examples of this incredible Wagon out there.

15 Chevrolet HHR SS

Via CarAndDriver.com

The Chevrolet HHR was an odd little car built by pre-bailout General Motors. Despite the bizarre styling and subpar build quality, the HHR was pretty good. Powered by choices of 2.2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines, the wagonette produced 155 hp and 172 horsepower and was fitted with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission.

In 2008, Chevrolet added a cutesy wagon to the lineup, the HHR SS. This Wagon came equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine coughing out 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Despite its design that looks more like an SUV than a station wagon, this vehicle's performance stats are enough to shut up any uninformed naysayer.

14 Chevrolet Chevelle Wagon

via wikimedia.org

The Chevrolet Chevelle is one of the most iconic muscle cars ever built. It wasn't concerned with looks or finishes like its little brother, the Camaro. It was the blue-collar, rough and tough, no-nonsense car that every American yearned for. The wagon variant of the Chevelle kept up this same kind of persona.

It kept some of Chevelle's features like the kick-up back end and the chaired front end. The Chevelle wagon was only produced for a few years, making any remaining examples left in the world rarer reminders of the automotive past.

13 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

via bringatrailer.com

Anybody who is a fan of the television show That 70s Show will understand how great the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser is. The Vista Cruiser is one of many family-oriented station wagons that made up an extensive General Motors lineup. They dotted school parking lots and hauled the entire family to everything from Sunday service to summer vacations in Yellowstone.

Related: 10 German Station Wagons That Can Keep Up With Supercars

The wagon was built and sold through three generations between 1964 and 1977. Powering the vehicle was a 5,408 cc Rocket V8 paired with choices of a two-speed automatic, three-speed automatic, four-speed manual, and three-speed manual transmission. The Vista Cruiser accelerated from 0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds.

12 Buick Roadmaster

Via ConnersMotorCars.com

The Buick Roadmaster was the last car built in an era of huge V8-powered land barges. At some point in the 1990s, large wagons like the Roadmaster had zero demand. Buyers were switching to the more economical and modern SUVs. Cars like the Buick Roadmaster have an occult following in today's world.

They are excellent project vehicles. Such vehicles can be customized with bigger, more powerful, efficient engines and big drag-racing tires. And while personalized wagons are perfect attention-magnets, there is something unique about driving a big, powerful American station wagon as it left the factory.

11 Studebaker Wagonaire

via hagerty.com

Studebaker was one of the United States' smaller automakers. Because of this, they didn't have the vast amounts of cash to spend on research and development that other automakers like General Motors and Ford had. This forced them to come up with some pretty quirky features to help sell their vehicles and help set them apart from the competition from the Big Three.

The Studebaker Wagonaire was powered by GM-sourced V8 engines, which gave it more than enough power to haul the whole family out and around the city. And while the power was a selling point for this Wagon, the most exciting area of this vehicle was its retractable roof over the cargo area. This near little parlor trick gave the Studebaker the ability to haul items that otherwise would be far too tall to carry.

10 Ford Country Squire

via hemmings.com

Initially released in 1979, the Ford Country Squire was one of the first cars built on the legendary Ford Panther platform. It was a rugged yet comfortable, body-on-frame vehicle used by nearly every police force in the United States.

The Ford Country Squire was the civilian wagon variant of the platform. The Ford Country Squire was powered by options of a 5.0-liter and a 5.8-liter V8 engines. And despite the huge motor choices, the Country Squire was one of the last station wagons to be downsized in the late 1970s to increase fuel economy. The Country Squire was placed as the top-level Wagon of the Ford division and was distinguished from the rest by its unique woodgrain bodyside trim.

9 Chevrolet Lakewood

Via CurbsideClassics.com

The Chevrolet Lakewood was the four-door wagon variant of the infamous Chevrolet Corvair. It was powered by General Motors' 80-horsepower four-cylinder engine, mounted in the rear of the car, much like the original Volkswagen Beetle.

Despite being slow, the Chevrolet Lakewood was an excellent alternative for a family that didn't want a higher station wagon but didn't want to drive a German-built Volkswagen Beetle either. The Lakewood was a great family car for those on a budget until Ralph Nader derailed the Corvair with his book Unsafe At Any Speed.

8 Buick Estate Woody

Via Mecam.com

The Buick Estate Woody was a perfect shining example of Buick design in the 1950s. Each part of General Motors was still responsible for building unique engines, bodies, and components for their cars. This means that each brand was different, unlike the modern General Motors.

The big toothy grill and the beautiful wooden body panels made this car special. There are very few examples left. Wood panels don't hold up well after nearly seventy years of being treated to driving elements, making any remaining examples practically artwork.

7 Mercury Commuter

via wikipedia.org

The Mercury Commuter was unique because it was a coupe wagon. It was one of the first Mercury cars built using a platter, more streamlined design rather than a more bubbly 1950s esque style. This also marked a point where Mercury began to differentiate itself from Lincoln in its car designs.

Though the Mercury still used a Lincoln-developed V8 engine, the Commuter was less expensive than the Lincoln. While still giving its passengers many of the comfort features that they'd come to expect. The coupe was built for just a few model years before being replaced by the four-door version.

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5 Pontiac Bonneville Safari

Via RM.com

The Pontiac Bonneville was part of General Motors B Class body style, which turned out to be one of the most popular body styles. It's the fourth best-selling car platform ever produced. Safari was the term General Motors used to name the Pontiac wagon variants. Being naughty a popular model, the Bonneville Safari was available in many configurations with engines ranging from a 6.4-liter V8 to a 7.0-liter V8.

The Grand Safari utilized the grille and interior of the standard Bonneville and the Grand Ville passenger car series. Most Bonneville Safaris were trimmed with woodgrain paneling on the sides and tailgate.

4 Plymouth Suburban

Via Hemmings.com

The Plymouth Suburban was downright revolutionary in the world of station wagons. It was the first all-steel station wagon built for the mainstream market. Not only that, but it was affordable, and it came with great features like a turn-key ignition.

Though it was only a two-door car, it comfortably seated six people and could haul a massive cargo, especially with the rear seats folded. The Plymouth Suburban was powered by a 98-horsepower Chrysler engine, which made it slower than a lot of the competition but made it far more fuel-efficient.

3 Ford Flex

via caranddriver.com

The Ford Flex is a full-size SUV or Wagon manufactured in only one generation from 2009 to 1019. It's called SUV or Wagon because it can seamlessly fit in both segments. Being born into a world where curvy cars and big SUVs ruled the market, the Ford Flex was deemed the black sheep of the automotive world. With its low sleet yet boxy, the Flex was a stylish family car the world didn't know it needed.

It had three rows and seated eight people in certain configurations. Even better, Ford had the good sense to throw their powerful EcoBoost V6 into the Flex. This made it not only stylish but fast. The EcoBoost V6 had up to 365 horsepower and could even tow up to 4500 pounds in the Flex. Though the Ford Flex never sold well, there were enough people with good taste and common sense to keep it in production for a decade.

2 Chrysler Town and Country Wagon

Via AutoEvolution.com

Before it was an eyesore of a minivan, the Chrysler Town and Country was one of Chrysler's most iconic station wagons. Produced for several decades, the Chrysler Town and Country station wagon was available with many different options. It was considered a luxury car.

Fitted with features like chrome trim and carpeted cargo areas, this Wagon competed against cars like the Buick Estate and the AMC Ambassador. Like most large American cars, the Chrysler Town and Country was considered a full-size car until the late 1970s, when it was downsized to help increase fuel economy.

1 Ford Taurus Wagon

via autoevolution.com

The Ford Taurus was one of Ford's very last conventional station wagons built off an existing sedan. Until that point, most wagons had a sedan and sometimes a coupe variant that shared the same name. The Ford Taurus wagon shared nearly every component with the sedan.

It even included a "way back" seat, a rear-facing third-row notorious for making most of its passengers a little sick. Needless to say, since the sedan was pretty good, the Wagon was a great car too. It didn't have a lot of thrill or frills; it just did its job well.