Station Wagons Buying Guide
Find everything you need to know about used station wagons
What are station wagons?
Looking for a new sedan or hatchback for everyday life, but you need just a little bit more storage and luggage capacity? Enter the station wagon. A staple of major automakers’ lineups for decades, the station wagon may have been overshadowed in recent years by crossovers and SUVs, but there are still plenty of unique models available to suit your lifestyle. If you’re after the capacious cabin space of a full-size SUV, blended with the driving experience of a sedan or compact, a station wagon is the perfect fit for you.
Benefits of owning a used station wagon
The most obvious benefit of any station wagon is the roomy interior, which is easily able to carry passengers and their cargo. You get lots of legroom across both rows of seating, along with plenty of luggage space behind the rear seats. This trunk space can also be expanded by folding the seats flat.
Roomy cabin
Plenty of legroom in all rows of seats
Good headroom across all rows
Lots of luggage space
Rear seats can also fold flat
Not only do station wagons provide great passenger and cargo capacity, but such versatility also makes them incredibly practical for everyday use. Loading and unloading is easy, and the passenger space makes them ideal for busy families, especially when combined with a frugal engine.
Easy to load and unload
Low cargo floor
Ideal for families
Great for roadtrippers
Frugal engines available
Station wagons are built on the platform of a sedan or compact, which means they can be tailored for different driving experiences. Whether you want a sporty and dynamic driving experience or more rugged off-road capabilities, there's a station wagon to suit you.
Smaller size
Lots of styles on offer
Satisfying and fun handling
Variety of powertrains on offer
All-wheel drive options available
A spacious cabin allows you and your passengers to get comfortable and stretch out, and many station wagons back this up with a refined, feature-rich interior. Models like the Volvo V90 Cross Country offer stylish interior design, with plenty of upmarket materials, and numerous tech and comfort features.
Premium interior materials
Space to get comfortable
Comfortable seats
Numerous standard comfort features
Plenty of tech options
How to choose a used station wagon
Consider how a station wagon would fit in with your lifestyle. Are you looking for a road trip companion that can store all your luggage? Want an easy daily driver that has space for adult passengers? How important is performance to you? For a busy lifestyle, a station wagon can be the perfect fit. Think about the following factors.
Daily journeys, e.g., commuting
Passenger and cargo capacity
Performance and practicality preferences
When searching for a used station wagon, carefully consider your budget. There’s a variety of station wagon models to choose from, so you’ll be able to find one to suit any budget. If you're using finance, think about how affordable they are based on your down payment and the monthly cost. Make sure you do the following checks.
Compare upfront payments versus monthly
Use RepairPal® to determine potential future costs
Consider factors that will impact total ownership cost, e.g., fuel efficiency
Look at the key specs and decide what is most important to you based on your needs. How much of a priority is comfort and practicality? Are you looking for lots of tech features? Would you prefer to prioritize performance or fuel savings? Take a close look at the spec sheets and compare the following:
Driver convenience technology
Comfort and entertainment features
Powertrain options
Compare used station wagons
Two very different station wagons, both with their own unique strengths. The Kia Soul is compact and practical, while the Subaru XV Crosstrek is rugged and versatile. Both are spacious inside and offer frugal powertrain options.
Kia Soul Advantages
Compact exterior, spacious interior
Agile handling
Strong selection of features on all trims
Subaru XV Crosstrek Advantages
All-wheel drive as standard
Good off-road capability
Frugal powertrain options
These are two conventional station wagons that combine the ride of a sedan with the practicality of an SUV. The rugged Subaru Outback even has the off-road abilities of a small SUV. Both models feature a comfortable and spacious cabin.
Subaru Outback Advantages
Smooth ride
Strong off-road ability thanks to standard AWD
Easy to load cargo area and roof rack
Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Advantages
Comfortable and upmarket interior
All-wheel drive as standard
Large cargo capacity
With a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Volvo V60 offers thrifty performance in one sleek package. In comparison, the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack offers a roomy cabin and numerous driver-assist features as standard.
Volvo V60 Advantages
Strong acceleration from plug-in hybrid powertrain
Comfortable interior
Sporty handling
Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Advantages
Plenty of standard driver convenience features
Premium and spacious interior
Lots of cargo space available
Want to compare more models in further detail?
Try out our comparison toolStation Wagon Types
Ideal for city driving, the compact station wagon blends the agility and diminutive size of a small car with the practicality of a station wagon. Compact station wagons like the Kia Soul and Ford C-Max are popular for their frugal nature and cargo versatility.
Key Features
Nimble handling
Frugal powertrains
Easy to maneuver
Still offers great passenger and luggage space
Popular Models
This is the most common size for a station wagon, so you've got plenty of choice. From the ultra-practical Volkswagen Golf Alltrack to the rugged Volvo V60, it's easy to find something to fit your needs. These models all offer spacious interiors with great passenger and cargo capacity.
Key Features
Comfortable and smooth ride
Spacious cabin with great legroom
Lots of tech and comfort features available
Different powertrain options for efficiency or performance
Popular Models
Large station wagons offer as much space as many SUVs, while still offering car-like handling. Popular choices include the comfortable and luxurious Volvo V90, the good-looking Audi A6 Allroad, and the powerful BMW M5 Touring.
Popular Models
FAQs about station wagons
A station wagon is a sedan or compact vehicle with a longer, taller roofline to extend the trunk. This gives station wagons excellent interior space. By contrast, a crossover is a small vehicle with SUV-style size and handling.
Sometimes. Large SUVs will always win out on space, but if you're comparing a station wagon with a smaller SUV, you'll find the cargo and cabin space comparable. For example, the Audi A6 Allroad provides 30 cu-ft of luggage volume, equivalent to a Mazda CX-5.
The Subaru Outback provides a very generous 32.7 cu-ft of cargo volume behind the rear seats. It also features 60/40 split-folding rear seats and great off-road capabilities. It's ideal for taking your dogs on adventures!
The term "station wagon" actually predates the automobile altogether and was first used to describe horse-drawn carriages. It derives from how early vehicles were often used to transport people to and from stations, hence the name!
The definition of a station wagon is a bit murky and they come in a few different flavors. The Subaru Outback is a wagon that also comes with a load of ground clearance for light off-roading, while the Volvo V90 Cross Country is a more classic wagon with a low ride height, large trunk and fifth door to access it.
Wagons can, at times, be confused with crossovers. The most noticeable difference, generally, is the wagon's sloping roof and lower ride height. SUVs, particularly those with all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, are often built to do some manner of off-roading, while wagons are typically people haulers. So while the Chevrolet Suburban has been referred to as a wagon in the past, it doesn't mesh with the style of a typical wagon.
You can think of wagons as stretched out hatchbacks; or of hatchbacks as scrunched up wagons. They typically have a large trunk opening, referred to as a hatch, liftback, or fifth-door, but wagons are generally more than 20 inches longer than hatchbacks. A wagon's length gives it the sleek proportions that differentiate it from other vehicle types.
A hot hatch is essentially a sporty hatchback. Examples include the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Hyundai Veloster N. If you're looking for the increased storage of a hatchback without compromising on spirited driving, this category is for you.
Yes, but they're an endangered species thanks to increased competition from SUVs. You won't find manufacturers referring to them as station wagons anymore; they're simply "wagons." The Mercedes-Benz E Class and Audi A6 are examples of modern wagons.
Popular station wagons
All-wheel drive wagons
Enjoy a balance of all-weather capability and ample space
2011 - 2024 models
Subaru Outback
75.6 cu.ft. max cargo space (2023)
26 city, 32 highway MPG (2023)
Prices range from $14k-$48k
2015 - 2024 models
Volvo V60 Cross Country
60.5 cu.ft. max cargo space (2022)
22 city, 31 highway MPG (2022)
Prices range from $20k-$55k
2018 - 2023 models
Audi A4 Allroad
58.5 cu.ft. max cargo space (2023)
24 city, 30 highway MPG (2022)
Prices range from $20k-$47k
2018 - 2020 models
Buick Regal TourX
73.5 cu.ft. max cargo space (2020)
21 city, 29 highway MPG (2020)
Prices range from $22k-$35k
Research station wagon models
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How we ranked these vehicles
Our "Best of" lists represent the most popular vehicles with CarMax customers. To create the Best lists, our analysts look at CarMax vehicle and sales data over a recent 6-month period and rank the top selling vehicles in order. Looking back over a 6-month period allows for the highest sample size possible while also providing up-to-date pricing information. Each list includes the specific dates used when it was generated. Some articles may include data points with lower sample sizes.
To create our "Most Reliable" lists, our analysts pull the top most reliable vehicles—in order—according to RepairPal rankings. RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2006-2020 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features. RepairPal Reliability Ratings are provided by RepairPal and CarMax is not responsible for their accuracy. Learn more about RepairPal reliability ratings.
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