Help from the Hive: spacious wagon that is enjoyable to drive

5-series or A6

have you considered the Volvo XC70 or XC90. I know the 90 looks like a minivan (minus the sliding doors) but they are not too big a penalty box (they are boxy though) in the power, handling, and size department.

2005 XC70 does not look bad

2005 XC90 looks a bit dated.. not sure when they facelifted it

I would recommend a slightly newer (Gen 4) Outback. My 2015 (Gen 5 and same size as Gen 4) has more room (except for height) in it with the seats up or down than my 2010 Transit Connect did.

A6 Avant (even an S6 avant) might fit the bill for you, depreciation is your friend in this matter. Plus you can get quattro on a number of the variants if you wish. A4 might be a bit more cramped depending on the size of the carseats.

Hal wrote: I would recommend a slightly newer (Gen 4) Outback. My 2015 (Gen 5 and same size as Gen 4) has more room (except for height) in it with the seats up or down than my 2010 Transit Connect did.

I'm glad you like yours but "fun to drive" and "Outback" are mutually exclusive terms. My mother has one and beyond the anemic engine is the sorry slushbox, the wallowing suspension, the feeble brakes, and the "quirky" driving position/seat/controls I'm sure it's a very nice car.

Honestly, my German junk may be just that but at least I enjoy driving them. I hate driving her car, it really is sucky.

The only reason I won't consider this is because they were auto only. But that should work for you and check most if not all of your boxes:

Lexus SportCross

following

I asked the same question here a few months ago. It seems that lots of us are looking for something similar in a family hauler. I am still looking...

My thoughts from my search.

1. CTS and (V) wagon. Roomy. Nice to drive. Most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in.

2. Mazda5. Great round town. Noisy and uncomfortable for road trips more than 2 hours.

3. Subaru variants (legacy and outback). Lots of useable space. Seats firm for long trips. Definitely leads the list of reliability as long as you don't mod and crank the rpms for long periods of time.

4. Volv0 V70. I Had one of these (2004 V70 2.4T) for a few years. Fantastic car in everyway except for the automatic (Aisin-Warner) transmission issues. That killed the car. Expensive to fix, expensive to replace. Shop carefully. Most comfortable road trip car ever. Seats are amazing. Cavernous rear cargo space.

I am still hunting for the next one...

In the end, my wife has a 2009 Tahoe and it gets it all done and allows me to tow the car on weekends.

jfryjfry wrote: The only reason I won't consider this is because they were auto only. But that should work for you and check most if not all of your boxes: Lexus SportCross

One thing to watch out for with these is the size of the back seat. The sedan has a small back seat that may cause an issue with car seats and I would guess the wagon is no better.

jfryjfry wrote: The only reason I won't consider this is because they were auto only. But that should work for you and check most if not all of your boxes: Lexus SportCross

No way. They are tiny inside! Only the shortest of people in that tiny lexus back seat.

If the Outback has been mentioned, why not the Forester? I was looking at the Outback/Forester when car shopping a month ago and the dimensions are almost identical.

I think the Mazda CX-9 is a solid choice. Is a CX-5 too small?

Also, I know it falls under suv territory but what about a Pontiac Torrent GXP? All Wheel Drive, 265 hp, has a automatic w/sport mode shifter on it, lower suspension, within your price range:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2017&zip=19446&maxPrice=15000&showcaseListingId=0&trim1=TORRENT%7CGXP&mmt=%5BPONT%5BTORRENT%5BTORRENT%257CGXP%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&modelCode1=TORRENT&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&startYear=1981&makeCode1=PONT&showcaseOwnerId=0&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=0&listingId=436923258&Log=0

Here is a left field choice:

Toyota Prius V Wagon + Koni FSD's/rear swaybar.. . It meets the roomy wagon/good on fuel part of what you are looking for.

Here's a thought I had. The Audi Allroad is nothing more than an A4 or A6 (depending on the year) wagon with higher ride height and some cladding, right? Could you swap in the springs from the sedan version and have an Avant, even though they've stopped making them?

Tom_Spangler wrote: Here's a thought I had. The Audi Allroad is nothing more than an A4 or A6 (depending on the year) wagon with higher ride height and some cladding, right? Could you swap in the springs from the sedan version and have an Avant, even though they've stopped making them?

The 2001-2005 Allroad was based on the A6 platform and has adjustable on the fly air suspension. Some owners swapped that for coilovers to eliminate the problems of leaking airbags but in my mind losing one of the coolest features of the car is silly.

The "new" Allroad is based on the A4 Avant and seems to be mostly cosmetic stuff. Nothing particularly different mechanically.

jfryjfry wrote: The only reason I won't consider this is because they were auto only. But that should work for you and check most if not all of your boxes: Lexus SportCross

Came here to say this. I love mine. https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/project-supra-cross/98740/page3/

BAM! The 2016 Kia Rondo. Spacious. Sporty. Sexy. Features a 320hp turbo-V6, AWD with a Porsche-sourced DSG transmission with suspension tuning by McClaren. I mean, maybe it does. I don't know because you can't buy this particular lustmobile in the US. But it probably does.

Ah yeah, i suppose the Lexus isn't big enough. What about that Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback? I think that also came in auto only....

Acura TSX Sportwagon. VTEC motor, auto with sport mode and paddles. Acura reliability. I have one and it is lots of fun to drive. Handles great. My wife loves it. Might be hard to find. Could use more power.

TSX Wagon is cool--but the back seats aren't very big. Check to see if you or your better half can sit in front of a rear facing car seat before buying one.

I wish Mazda brought the current 6 to the US as a wagon with a manual. I would own one instead of my Accord if they did. A guy can dream...

Drive a well optioned CX-9. My wife gets 20 around town, 3rd row seat, 270 hp with 6 speed auto. Might be tough budget-wise? We have had ours about 3 or 4 years, had to replace an hvac relay to the tune of 20 bucks in that time. Two thumbs up.

NISMO and NISMO RS Juke.

More power, LSD, stiffened unibody, boxed a arms, and with the automatic, AWD with honest-to-goodness torque vectoring. The one I nearly bought was $17,000.

How about an Infiniti EX35? It's practically a wagon version of the G35. Lots of power, and either RWD or AWD.

Mike wrote: NISMO and NISMO RS Juke. More power, LSD, stiffened unibody, boxed a arms, and with the automatic, AWD with honest-to-goodness torque vectoring. The one I nearly bought was $17,000.

But then you'd have to, you know, look at it.

I never thought I would say this.. but in some colours the Juke does not look all that bad. It certainly will not get lost in the parking lot at the mall either.

Why not a Dodge Magnum? The R/T gets pretty good mpg on the highway. You can swap to SRT8 seats SRT8 (or better) suspension and still be under $15K. The interior sucks and the front suspension bits wear out a bit faster than they should. I almost bought one a while back.

The Juke is absolutely tiny inside. The trunk/cargo area may as well be called a Joke. A civic with flip down seats has more useful space.