Howdy. I’m Matt Barchetto, Automotive Journalist at the Glen Echo. Today I’ll be discussing the original family car: The Station Wagon. Wikipedia describes it as “an automotive body-style variant of a sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume…” The station wagon was the Minivan before the Minivan was a thing.
The wagon was robbed, in all honesty. The wagon got its start in railroads, where they were modified to fit more passengers to taxi them around the station, hence the name station wagon. Wagons have had their fair share of representation in pop culture, with everyone from the Ghostbusters to the Wattersons in The Amazing World of Gumball having one.
Wagons have an extensive history, especially in the 70s, during their prime. In the ’70s, minivans entered the arena. They were more fuel efficient, and during the ‘73 gas crisis, they overtook the poor wagon. Since the 90s wagons have been fighting the SUV and losing. It’s not even close. The graph pictured is a comparison of the popularity of the SUV vs. the wagon.
The wagon is the blue line. Yikes. In a more positive light, wagons are absolutely groovy (yes I used 60s slang, but look at you still reading). Personally, I am a fan of wagons. On my list of favorite car body styles, second only to the hatchback.
Performance wagons are a thing, if you can believe it, such as the Audi RS6, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX Wagon, and the Nissan Stagea.
Wagons are just better than SUVs. SUVs are LARGE. Have you seen the Chevrolet Suburban? It’s the bane of my existence. I harbor a distaste for SUVs because they’re impractical. According to The Verge, cars with hoods over 40 inches tall (such as many SUVs) are 45% more likely to kill pedestrians in a crash. Wagons are low to the ground with sloped hoods, so they are much safer for pedestrians, notably small kids.
SUV stands for Sport Utility Vehicle. I rarely see them used for sports or utilities, unless shuttling five kids to soccer practice counts. On the other hand, I see videos of wagons at the race track all the time, and they are also practical.
SUVs also tend to be an eyesore. Off the top of my head, I can’t name a single good-looking SUV. Wagons on the contrary, as you (hopefully) can see, are beautiful. The wagon is an underappreciated classic. Unfortunately with the rise of the SUV, it has been dethroned. With help from the minivan. I don’t hate minivans. Shoutout to Honda Odyssey drivers. I think the wagon has been left on the cutting room floor for too long. We need more wagons on the streets. With the comfort and practicality of an SUV combined with the safety of a sedan, you truly get the best of both worlds. ‘What can I do to help?’ I hear you not saying. But I’ll detail it anyway. You should drive a wagon. Ditch the Ford Explorer. Leave the Subaru Outback. Drive a wagon. For your sake, for the roads’ sake, for pedestrians’ sake, do it. Thank all three of you for reading. That’s right, we have another.
