Top Five Sport Wagons

Back in the 60s and 70s, the station wagon ruled as the nuclear family's favorite all-purpose vehicle. Today, the station wagon is out and the super slick sport wagon is in. So, what makes a top sport wagon?

First off, it's speed. Soccer moms and dads don't want to compromise their family lifestyle for awesome acceleration plus savvy styling and superior safety.

Secondly, the all-purpose quality of a sport wagon must be taken into consideration. Is the car really big enough to haul around a few kids, sports equipment, the dog, groceries and stuff from your latest trip to Home Depot?

Here's what we found when putting five European sport wagons to the test:

Saab 9-3 Aero Sport Combi

Who would have thought that the Saab 9-3 Aero Sport Combi would make the No. 1 pick in our "Top Sport Wagon" test? We couldn't believe it either when the 9-3 turned out to be the best overall wagon for the design, price and in fuel economy.

With an MSRP of $33,000 and an estimated 17 mpg city/28 mpg highway, Saab's 9-3 Sport Combi is a good buy, especially when you consider the 3-year/36,000-mile no charge scheduled maintenance, a 10-year perforation warranty and a four-year/50,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty. (The 9-3 starts at $26,620 for the 210-hp 2.0T model.) You might also want to consider safety as Saab is the only luxury brand with two top safety pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety .

Beyond the price and safety and warranties, however, is the 9-3's roaring 2.8-liter, six-cylinder, 24-valve DOHC, high output turbo engine with 250 horses. Plus, the sport-tuned suspension and superior handling really makes you feel like you are driving a sports car rather than a family wagon. This all-new engine was recently named among the 10 best engines for 2006 by the editorial staff at Ward's Automotive .

The exterior styling on the Saab 9-3 is super cool too. The curvy lines from front to back and bootylicious rear make this wagon really stand out among all those other luxury-type wagons on the road.

The interior has one of the most interesting and ergonomic dashboards we've tested in quite some time. The metal-and-leather steering wheel with built-in audio controls fits in your hands just right, making you immediately feel like a race-car driver. The in-dash controls and multi-function computer with screen is positioned perfectly. Plus, the Saab "profiler," a computer display pleasingly built into the center dashboard, provides even more driver information right where the eye lands when driving.

Saab also got the leather seats right. We found these "leather-appointed sports seats" to be some of the most comfortable yet tested. The 60/40 folding rear seats with pass through were equally as comfortable and sumptuous. The hatchback revealed a large trunk space with more than enough room for any sport, shopping or pet needs.

Our test model was priced out at almost $40,000 after the fusion blue metallic paint (nice!), sentronic automatic transmission, front heates seats and headlamp washers and the touring package (automatic seats, power windows, moon roof, automatic dimmer, integrated garage door opener, rear park assist and rain-sensing windshield wipers). Also included in this price was a navigation system, which we found rather clumsy to use, but definitely better than no in-dash navigation system at all.

Mercedes E350

The Mercedes E350 could easily be at the top of this sport wagon category if not for the $52,300 suggested retail price. But if you can afford it, the E350 gives you the feeling that you are part of German royalty in this super smooth-riding, ultra-luxurious vehicle.

The 268 hp, 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6 engine is perhaps the most quiet and smooth drive to date. The interior is a study in luxury done right with power everything, 10-way power adjustable front seats, cruise control, dual automatic climate control, multi-function steering wheel, auto dimming side mirrors and park assist. The burl wood trim and comfy leather seating makes this ride makes you feel even more like royalty.

On a weekend getaway to Ojai, California, we found the back row seats to possibly be even more comfortable than the front bucket seats, especially when you pull up the way cool window screens and pull down the super functional armrest with built-ins for technology and cup holders.

The power tailgate (part of the value-added package) opened up to a roomy trunk space - more than enough for three adults on a weekend trip. Plus, there's split folding second row seats for added space.

At an estimated 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, the E350 gets pretty good marks for fuel efficiency from such a heavy-feeling wagon.

Here's some notes from the senior perspective:

My daughter, Sheryll Alexander invited me for a weekend trip to the super luxury Ojai Resort & Spa in Ojai, California. When she drove up in the Mercedes E350 Wagon, this senior was very impressed with its sleek style and luxurious interior.

At first glance, the E350 looks somewhat like a sedan, yet it resembles a station wagon -- a very luxurious wagon I might add. And when my daughter rode down the freeway, this senior felt like she was sitting in a comfortable rocking chair, enjoying the view from a super comfortable seat.

Since Ojai is situated in the coastal mountains, the drive up the winding mountain road in the E350 seemed effortless and I didn't notice the curves from the rear seat, which is really unusual since I'm prone to motion sickness and always want to drive the car instead of sit in a the passenger or back seat. The E350 is a great car for a senior who wants to travel in luxury with the benefits of a station wagon. - Rev. Joanne Tucker

BMW 325xi

We drove this electric red BMW 325xi wagon more than 300 miles up California's scenic Highway 101 to Carmel Valley and the Quail Lodge . All the way up, the BMW's super smooth and very fast 3.0 liter DOHC, 24-valve, V6, six-speed manul transmission made fuel efficiency even greater at an estimated 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.

The exterior was quite the head turner in this bright red color and 17-inch alloy wheels. One of our favorite features is the little lights that illuminate the ground in front of each door handle.

Inside, luxury is palpable in the handsome wood trim, race car-like gauges and button-laden dash. The big drawback to this wagon, however, is the trunk space is small compared to the above wagons. We had a hard time fitting our getaway baggage in this space, even though we pack quite light for two adults and one child.

One of the best advantages for buying BMW is the 4-year/50,000-mile full maintenance program. There's also a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and a four-year/50,000-mile roadside assistance program.

Audi A4 Avant

Audi certainly knows how to build cars for true driving enthusiasts. And, amazingly, this super fast ride is the most fuel efficient of this bunch at an estimated 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. The 2.0 liter, 200 hp, DOHC turbo charged, four cylinder, six-speed manual transmission in the A4 we tested accelerates super fast and handles like a dream.

The exterior design has a sports car appeal unlike any of the other wagons, especially the rounded, two-tone, chromed-out grille. The interior seems like it was styled for the guys rather than the ladies with black plastic and leather everywhere. At night, the interior lights up with so many red lights it reminded us of the Las Vegas strip.

If safety is a concern, the A4 received a "double best pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for side and offset frontal crash test results.

Audi must be trying hard to compete with BMW because the company also offers a four-year/50,000-mile no charge scheduled maintenance, a four-year/50,000-mile warranty and a four-year roadside assistance package.

Volvo V50

Compared to the sport wagons above, the Volvo V50 seemed a bit like child's play. At almost $30,000 MSRP, it certainly is in the same league, but world's apart in engine speed and sporty styling.

The 2.5-liter, five-cylinder, turbo charged, all-aluminum, all-wheel-drive, six-speed manual transmission engine was fast enough and handled with ease. The interior was in stark contrast to some of the other wagons: the Scandinavian penchant for minimalist design showed up in one of the most edited interiors we've ever tested. The "ultra slim" bent metallic center console has a small audio screen and four big knobs. That's it.

The exterior has gone from boxy to brilliant. The dolphin-like nose and swooping roof make for an eye-catching design, especially when painted in passion red. The rounded rear with light panel all the way up its back is also surprisingly pleasant to the eyes. Opened up, the trunk room certainly competes with other top sport wagons.

There's no scheduled maintenance or roadside assistance plan for this wagon, but Volvo does offer a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty.

Even though Volvo is known for its top safety ratings, this model did not make it into the IIHS top ratings.

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds