Personally, i credit the enactment of child safety seat laws with the demise of wagons and the rise of minivans & SUV's. It's just too cumbersome to stoop down and install the safety seat and strap the kids in if you're in a wagon.
Wagons the dying breed, loss of two market entries
- Thread starter rjundi
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Volvo has a jump seat for the cargo area for kids.
The techs at the dealer say parents who don't like their kids all have them. They call it the death seat. The rear area is a crumple zone and the jump seat is right in the middle of it.
The techs at the dealer say parents who don't like their kids all have them. They call it the death seat. The rear area is a crumple zone and the jump seat is right in the middle of it.
You're right, of course.
But who wants all that height, space, weight, and expense? I just want to carry a TV or bike every now and then. I want my diesel TSX wagon! Sniff.
I read the next generation Corolla (09?) will include a wagon version.
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Augh! How could I forget the Matra Talbot (Simca) Rancho!
I have no idea if it was available in the US. In Europe it was a pretty popular car with oudoorsy folks and forest rangers in the late '70s to early '80s.
It was not available in the US. More is the pity.
Had two great wagons. A 1966 Ford Country Squire 428-4V and a 1977 Chevrolet Impala 350-4V. 10 or 12 mpg around town, respectively, and 14-17 mpg highway. But they ran like tops, had ice-cold AC, cost under $5,000 new and the second lasted over a quarter-million miles on the original motor, second trans and third brake job.
Slept in 'em, camped out, carried a complete household (when single) in two trips as well as very heavy loads on occasion. The first could tow a house up a hill and the second was bar-none the best car to speed in I ever owned (was invisible to cops).
Wagons are great. A full size version is high on my list if ever I can get out of pickups. Hope someone makes one by then. And brings back the rear-facing third seat.
Slept in 'em, camped out, carried a complete household (when single) in two trips as well as very heavy loads on occasion. The first could tow a house up a hill and the second was bar-none the best car to speed in I ever owned (was invisible to cops).
Wagons are great. A full size version is high on my list if ever I can get out of pickups. Hope someone makes one by then. And brings back the rear-facing third seat.
LMAO. Usual dealer ---- trying to sell you on a XC90. Dealer tesh are a knowlwdgeable bunch aren't they? Glad I don't trust them with my rides.
It's statistically safer than the front seats. Volvo does incorporate a sufficient crumple zone in the rear to accomodate.
Remember, this is the company that has said for about twenty years to not put kids in the front seat. They are going to put a crash test seat in the rear. That makes no sense.
I love the audi a4 wagons. some what sporty, the wonderful Quattro system, and gets awesome gas mileage in the 2.0T form with decent power on 93 octane...and for $400 add a chip and you're pushing close to 250hp with a slight ecu re-map.
Down here, there are more wagons than ever.
The manufacturer who drops them will lose badly.
GM(H) are about to release the SS Crummydore wagon
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/holdenssw.htm
400 horses, six speeds etc etc.
V-8 and 4WD
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/xrt_adventra.htm
As to the difficulty of buckling children, I'd suggest trying to seat them and buckle them into a 2 door E30 BMW before bemoaning wagons.
The manufacturer who drops them will lose badly.
GM(H) are about to release the SS Crummydore wagon
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/holdenssw.htm
400 horses, six speeds etc etc.
V-8 and 4WD
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/xrt_adventra.htm
As to the difficulty of buckling children, I'd suggest trying to seat them and buckle them into a 2 door E30 BMW before bemoaning wagons.
I was perfectly willing to buy a Ford Focus wagon when I bought my Saturn ION. Too bad the Ford felt like it wasn't built nearly as well, and the engine didn't feel powerful enough. I refused to consider the Toyota Matrix because the local Toyota dealership was very unfair to my mom.
While most people can't stand the look, I don't mind. A wagon to me is a car with more trunk space. To people years older than me (I am 23) a wagon was the thing their parents had, that is why they don't want them. Heck, I HATE minivans and compact SUVs with a huge passion, because a generations of moms and dads had them.
SUVs and Vans aren't wagons, because their coeffecient of drag is much higher, which makes good MPG impossible when compared to cars. Also, the center of gravity is much higher, so that handling greatly suffered.
I'm sure if the older generation was not thinking about forced roadtrips, the cursed image of the wagon would not exist. That in mind, many SUV buyers love them because they either like the rugged shape or the high driver's seat.
While most people can't stand the look, I don't mind. A wagon to me is a car with more trunk space. To people years older than me (I am 23) a wagon was the thing their parents had, that is why they don't want them. Heck, I HATE minivans and compact SUVs with a huge passion, because a generations of moms and dads had them.
SUVs and Vans aren't wagons, because their coeffecient of drag is much higher, which makes good MPG impossible when compared to cars. Also, the center of gravity is much higher, so that handling greatly suffered.
I'm sure if the older generation was not thinking about forced roadtrips, the cursed image of the wagon would not exist. That in mind, many SUV buyers love them because they either like the rugged shape or the high driver's seat.
We bought this 7 passenger 1989 Volvo 745T about 3yrs ago. Despite some quirky issues, it's been a great car - very useful. I hope to have it another 8yrs.
Looks great, how do you manage to keep the rust off of it?
ThirdYe;
Cars last a LONG time in my area - very minimal yearly snowfall = little salt on roads. Plus Volvo did a much better job galvinizing the steel/rustproofing compared with the 200 series.
Cars last a LONG time in my area - very minimal yearly snowfall = little salt on roads. Plus Volvo did a much better job galvinizing the steel/rustproofing compared with the 200 series.
Hyundai is bringing either a hatch or a wagon to the US in 09. Sorry to say it likely won't have a diesel.
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I forgot to put a wink on that last pessimistic statement of mine above.
Don't wink too soon, Corvettes are down to about 35% manuel transmissions.
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