QOTD: What Car Would You Purchase If It Was Offered As a Wagon?
The Internet Car Enthusiast, or ICE (see what I did there?), is always telling us how they would purchase Vehicle X if it were only offered in a wagon variant. But because it invariably isn’t offered in a wagon variant, they purchase a Toyota Highlander or equivalent instead. Woe is the ICE and their lack of enthusiast vehicle choice!
Well, here’s your chance for a flight of fancy. I want you to tell me which wagon you’d choose if the Gods of Motoring smiled upon ye and provided you the wagon of your dreams.
Now, in order to provide for more on-topic fun and good times, your free will has been restricted. There is exactly one rule: the vehicle you’re pitching as your wagon choice must currently be offered in some other variant. What the other variant is remains up to you. I’ve used One Simple Trick to give you a wide berth, so I don’t want to see any Pontiac G8 Safari Wagon suggestions or other post-WWII fantasies which still roam the halls of your mind.
The glorious wagon in the headline image is the Holden Commodore Calais Sportwagon. It’s still in production in Australia (for now), and features the same RWD configuration and 6.3-liter V8 as found in our Chevrolet SS — made right in the same factory. But you can’t have it because GM and Holden reasons. This example is probably a bit too easy though, because eventually you’ll be able to import one into the United States under the 25-year rule. So why not aim a little higher?
Here’s where I land. I’d love a Lexus ES Sportcross as nicely rendered above. Though the model shown is a hybrid, I’m going to mandate an all-wheel-drive variation. It’s high enough volume to be realistic — the GS isn’t — and would capture some Volvo customers who aren’t willing to make the leap to CUV, or Subaru customers who’ve given up on vaping and backward hats.
So, which wagon would you wagon?
[Image: GM Holden Ltd]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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Lexus LS Sportcross
I'm one of the people who put their money where their mouth is. 12 years ago, I bought a brand-new 2005 Subaru Legacy GT wagon with a 5MT. They only made them that one year. The upside: it's fast (with just a Cobb Stage 1 flash), attractive, relatively nice inside, roomy and unique. With upgraded tires and suspension, it handles OK for a big car. With snow tires, it's fantastic in the snow. With a roof box and trailer hitch for bikes, we've taken plenty of family vacations. Downside: It doesn't handle or feel like my 98 M3 sedan (stock). It's not as nice inside as a contemporary BMW or Audi, tho it's miles ahead of the Imprezas of the day. I hate the dealers, they didn't know anything, borderline incompetent, and put divots on my dash, twice. Fortunately, I found a good local shop and I do almost all my own repairs. Good thing, too, because the car has broken, quite a lot. I've put WAY more money and parts into the LGT than my M3. Both cars only have 90k miles, I've had the BMW since 2006 at 12k miles. Some little things have gone wrong with M3, but nothing that made it undriveable. The LGT, by contrast, had a timing belt idler explode at 63k, and since 80k it has demanded (short list): a new clutch (bad TO bearing, but the clutch was almost toast), trans rebuild (bearings), all 4 wheel bearings, 2 new half-shafts, and a steering rack. Bottom line, I love driving the M3, it just feels right. I don't love the LGT. And it cost more. And it has cost way more to maintain. And it's a pain to work on. I'm probably going to sell the LGT and get an E46 wagon. So, I'd buy an E36 M3 wagon in a heartbeat. Or an E46 ZHP wagon. New, a 3 series wagon with a 6 cyl motor and a manual trans, because now it only comes with the 4 cyl turbo and an auto, and still costs $54k with some options. Or a 2 series wagon, or hatch, again with a 6cyl and manual. -Paul Andrews