How to Buy a Station Wagon
Displaced in popularity first by minivans and then by sport utility vehicles, station wagons are making a comeback. Thought of chiefly as a family vehicle, station wagons can haul children to soccer practice as well as bring home a week's worth of groceries to feed them. Here are things to look for when buying one.
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Instructions
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Establish what you can afford to spend for a station wagon. Depending on the size and features you want, you can expect to spend anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 for a new wagon. You may want to consider buying a year-old demonstrator model or a late-model used station wagon.
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Consider what you normally carry in your vehicle. If you don't have a large family and don't carry around items that you need quick access to, you're probably best off with a sedan and its secure trunk and quiet ride. If you usually carry around a lot of large or heavy items, you may need a pickup truck or van. If you usually carry around children, groceries or sporting gear, a station wagon may be right for you.
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Determine how much cargo space you need. The Volvo V70 XC station wagon, with its rear seats and front passenger seat folded down, for example, has more cargo space than a GMC Jimmy. If you don't carry much stuff around, but like to get to it readily, you may be satisfied with a hatchback or a compact station wagon.
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Evaluate your driving skills honestly. Although SUVs may be more glamorous vehicles, they also have higher centers of gravity, making them more likely to roll over. Also, both SUVs and minivans offer more surface area when driving in a strong cross wind, which is also why station wagons get better gas mileage.
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Look for fuel-efficient models. In mid-sized wagons, the list includes the Ford Focus, the Subaru Legacy, the Honda Fit, the Volvo V70 with a 2.4-liter engine, and the four-cylinder engine versions of the Volkswagen Passat and the Kia Rondo. In compact wagons, the list includes the Volvo V50, the Suzuki Forenza and the Pontiac Vibe.
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Tips & Warnings
Manual transmissions are more fuel-efficient than automatic transmissions, but most people find automatic transmissions easier to drive. Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines, but diesel fuel can be more expensive per gallon than gasoline.
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Comments
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aboyandhispiano
Jun 11, 2009
If you buy a Volvo V70 Cross Country or an XC70 from the years 1998 to 2002, have the transmission checked by a mechanic. The All-Wheel Drive in these models commonly goes out between 90k and 100k miles.
