Station wagons. Like fine wine, they are an acquired taste. Car reviewers seem to have a strange fixation with them. The general public, on the other hand, has de-camped to minivans and SUVs. So if you hanker for a high-fuel economy station wagon — or for any station wagon at all these days — you are in a distinct but tasteful minority. You want the ride and handling of a sedan with the added carrying ability of a station wagon-style rear quarter. And these days you get not only that but also sleek and chic body lines that, arguably, are better-looking than many sedans and, dare we say it, coupes. So if you want a station wagon, you don’t have to be shy about it. You are simply showing advanced taste that not everyone can appreciate. Here is our list of the station wagons that remain with us for 2021.
Subaru Outback
With the Outback Subaru managed to make the midsize Legacy wagon into a cool off-road-type vehicle, and it has been a mainstay of its product line ever since. With standard all-wheel-drive, room for five, and a wealth of safety features the Outback is a perfect family vehicle for anyone who has to battle inclement weather. With 32.5 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 75.7 cubic feet with the rear setback folded, the Outback offers plenty of cargo room, and you can get a handsfree lift gate on upper-level trims. The most common infotainment system offers six speakers and an 11.6-inch touchscreen. Wireless phone charging is another convenient feature. The standard 182-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine won’t overwhelm you with power but it offers better fuel economy than the 260-horsepower turbocharged version. Thanks in part to its CVT transmission, the Outback gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway with the base engine. Starting price is about $28,000.
Volvo V60
Volvo has long been known for its exceptional station wagons, and the V60 lives up to that reputation with attractive exterior style, a well-finished interior, and a choice of interesting powertrains. The V60 accommodates five in what many say are the most comfortable and supportive seats in the business. If you don’t want leather seats, Volvo also offers you plaid cloth. The wagon’s infotainment system has some leading-edge features but many find it difficult to operate despite its large touchscreen. The wagon offers about 23 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and nearly 51 cubic feet with the second-row seat back folded. The V60 with the highest fuel economy is also the fastest and most expensive version. The plug-in hybrid Recharge T8 eAWD PHEV Polestar turns in EPA marks of 69 mpge and 30 mpg on premium gasoline. Combined horsepower for the $68,000 station wagon is 415. Other versions of the V60 also deliver great versatility, sedan-like handling, and good fuel economy at lower prices.
Audi A4 Allroad
The 2021 Audi A4 Allroad is a station wagon that has SUV pretensions and some SUV-like capabilities. The engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that is supplemented with a 12-volt hybrid system. Total horsepower is 261 accompanied by 273 lb.-ft. of torque. The all-wheel-drive vehicle with seven-speed automatic transmission delivers gas mileage of 24 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Its bold and attractive exterior is matched by a convenience-laden interior. Leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, and three-zone climate control are among the highlights. We also like the operation and looks of the 10.1-inch MMI infotainment system. Safety features include driver-assistance technologies include automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane-keep assistance, and adaptive cruise control. It is priced starting at about $45,000.
MINI Clubman
There are a great many similarities between the MINI Clubman and the MINI Countryman, MINI’s SUV entrant. What is interesting is the number of differences between the two vehicles. While neither is labeled a “station wagon” both feature the classic station wagon shape and thus both have more carrying capacity than a typical subcompact hatchback. For instance, the Clubman has 17.5 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and a total of 47.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, similar to the Clubman. In the powertrain department, however, the differences are stark. The Clubman doesn’t offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain or a three-cylinder engine. Instead, it gives buyers the choice of a 189-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a 301-horsepower version of the engine in the sporty John CooperWorks edition. A throwback six-speed manual transmission is standard. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is available on front-drive models, while all-wheel-drive models can be equipped with an eight-speed automatic. The MINI Clubman Cooper S is based-priced at about $31,000 and is rated 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.
Volvo V90
The Volvo V90 is the larger, roomier kissing cousin of the V60 wagon. They two are built using the same general architecture, but the V90 is plusher and more feature-filled than the V60. Both share the Volvo warm-yet-minimal interior vibe, and the Sensus infotainment system crosses over both as well. In base form, the V90 is a front-drive vehicle, but it can be equipped with all-wheel-drive and there is a Cross Country version that goes head-to-head with the Audi A6 Allroad. For as big as it is the V90′s cargo capacity isn’t all that roomy — 19.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and about 54 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Powertrain choices include a 250-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged T5 engine or a 316-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged T6 engine. The base T5 delivers 22 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive. It is priced from about $52,000.
Audi A6 Allroad
The 2021 Audi A6 Allroad is an exceptionally stylish European station wagon that turns the idea of a wagon being dumpy right on its head. The A6 Allroad has a very attractive exterior design with a prominent Audi grille leading the way. Its flanks are curvaceously sculpted, and it sports a roof rack to demonstrate its utilitarian intentions. The interior is both perfectly tailored and ergonomically intelligent. Convenience features abound including a power liftgate and power-folding exterior mirrors. The five-passenger wagon is propelled by a 3.0-liter 335-horsepower turbocharged V-6 engine. It is backed by a seven-speed automatic transmission that transfers torque to all four wheels. While the tapered rear end robs the cargo hold of some carrying capacity the A6 Allroad still offers 30 cubic feet of space. On the road, it handles like the A6 sedan and has a base price of around $65,000.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagons
We can say without any hesitation that the Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagons aren’t your grandfather’s VistaCruiser. Oddly, though, they do offer one VistaCruiser-like feature — a rear-facing seat that gives them room for up to seven. Cargo volume is substantial as well. There are 35 cubic feet of room behind the second row and 64 cubic feet with the second and third-row seats folded away. The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain Wagon is the milder of the two station wagon options. It’s an all-wheel-drive vehicle with a 362-horsepower inter-cooled turbocharged in-line 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine assisted by a mild hybrid system. Impressive as that is, the AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ Wagon takes the whole thing to its logical extreme. Also with all-wheel-drive as the 4MATIC+ designation indicates, the E 63 S Wagon has a 603-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine. Fuel economy for that bad boy is 16 mpg city / 23 mpg highway, while the All Terrain EPA fuel economy is 22 mpg city / 28 mpg highway. The All Terrain has a base price of around $68,000, while the E 63 S wagon lists at about $112,000, so economy of any kind is not really the object.
