Are Station Wagons Making a Comeback in the United States? Small Cars Certainly Aren't

Sedans are driving towards extinction and SUVs are the supposed heirs to the throne; but, what about wagons? These long, not-so-pretty vehicles actually make for a perfect family car and are quite practical as a daily commuter as well. In Europe, wagons sell in huge numbers, but that’s not the case here in the U.S. Even though all sizes of SUVs are dominating the market and killing competition, wagons are in a league of their own and seem to be on a come up.

Wagon Sales Are Expected To Rise In The Future

It’s time these slaves, who expect nothing from the owner, get some prominence. And, statistically speaking, people have started recognizing them as worthy, reliable commuters. According to Edmunds, 212,000 brand-new station wagons were sold in the U.S.; it was actually a down year. However, it is 29-percent more than what they did five years earlier. Still, they constitute just two-percent of the market share. Even though the numbers don’t reflect it, the wagon segment is one of the fastest-growing segments lately.

Segment	Growth Percentage
Compact Crossover	75%
Entry Luxury SUV	71%
Midsize Pickup	60%
Station Wagon	29%
Fullsize Pickup	14%
Large SUV	-8%
Compact Car	-24%
Sports Car	-47%
Subcompact Car	-52%

To think of it, wagons are the perfect blend of SUVs and hatches. Previously, wagons were considered to be luggage haulers and a vehicle chosen out of need; not want. They are now strong, powerful, and all the more practical. Since they’re ‘down to earth,’ they even handle better. Karl Brauer, the executive publisher for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, said, “The winner in the death of the car is the station wagon. You’ve got the car on one end of the spectrum and the SUV on the other; the wagon sits right in between those two.”

They Will Be Back Again

For some reason, most of the automakers don’t see the States as a wagon-loving nation. Volvo, for instance, sells them only on a special-order basis. BMW is ditching wagons here altogether. But Buick thinks differently. Sam Russel, Buick’s Marketing Director, told Bloomberg, "There’s a group of consumers who are greatly interested in the versatility and capability of an SUV."

To give where credit is due, automakers did try to tap into this niche segment to cater to the occasional buyer who would want nothing but a wagon. It was not just the three Germans who rolled out wagons form their stables; Volvo brought in the successor of its claim-to-fame back in the 80s – the V90 – in 2016, Buick experimented with the Regal TourX the same year, Volkswagen introduced the Golf SportWagen a year before that. In 2017, Jaguar and Porsche tried to take a share of the small pie with the XF Sportback and Panamera respectively.

Blessing In Disguise For Buick

Although BMW is pulling the plug on its 3 Series wagon here in the U.S., Porsche, Volvo, and Jaguar are still trying to find their feet in this shallow pool. Apparently, Buick has already benefited from BMW’s walk-out as the company is already conquesting some BMW buyers. On a different note, Buick introduced this to change its image of serving to aged people with sober cars - it worked well for them.

Indeed, TourX sales have increased steadily in the 12 months it’s been in dealerships.

Who Said Wagons Are Lousy?

There are some wagons that have changed the way people look at this segment. One of them is the Ferrari GTC4Lusso. It comes packed with a 6.3-liter, V-12 engine that churns out 680 ponies. Unlike other Ferraris, this one actually has oodles of space – 28 cubic-feet inside the cabin, to be specific.

Our second pick would be the ultimate all-rounder from the three-star point’s stable – the E-Class Wagon. If you want luxury with practicality, this should be your choice. Other than being a comfortable urban commuter, you can fulfill your adrenalin rush desires as well. This long vehicle can sprint to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. Not enough? Drop the seats down, and you will have 64 cubic feet of cargo space available at your disposal. Should we sell this to you anymore?

Do you think wagon sales will pick up pace if they are launched in fully electric form? Let us know you thoughts in the comments section below.