KraneXL

Nope, Americans love SUVs. The SW is virtually none existent here. In any event, the SW is more maneuverable, and can at least match the carrying capacity of a comparable SUV.

WhyFi

... but a good portion of that love springs from the other part of Merlin's quote that you chose not to highlight. How much marketing has gone in to making SUVs big, tough, STRONG! while making wagons and (gasp) minivans emasculation vehicles?

merlinextraligh

And a big reason they love SUV's is that they've been marketed SUV's for the last 30 years. With the advent of CAFE fuel economy standards, it became more profitable to market SUV's which count as trucks for CAFE standards than station wagons, which count as cars.

The development of SUV's, and their rise in popularity directly correlates to the advent of CAFE standards

ExPatTyke

I run a Volvo V70. Got a rear mounted rack, but hardly ever use it as we can get up to three bikes in the back (wheels taken out), even with the back seats up. Very comfortable seats too, and nice to drive.

str8jakett

Add me to the list of wagon fans. I have a B5.5 (2005) 1.8t VW Passat 4motion. Absolutely love this car and will more than likely replace it with another wagon down the road. Carry the bike on a roof rack but can easily fit it in the back with the front wheel off.

The only thing I hate is the tiptronic auto. I thought I was ready for an auto when I bought it (at the time I also had an MKIV Jetta VR6 manual), but I only ever shift the car in tip mode, and it's all around terrible.

I fell in love with the Giulia when it hit the US, and if this rendering ever becomes a reality, I may sell a kid to park a Quadrifoglio in the garage.

nycphotography

If you want to haul (small to medium) stuff, and never go on anything more gnarly than a gravel road, a wagon is the better choice.

If you want to haul (medium to large) stuff, and never go on anything more gnarly than a gravel road, and don't have to navigate over 6" of unplowed snow, a minivan is the better choice.

jitteringjr

A mini van is never the better choice.

KraneXL

The "chicken/egg" conundrum?I think that's known as a spurious correlation. However, neither trucks nor SUVs are omitted from the regulation.That's just the thing, you can still buy a Jetta wagon and an Audi Avante but neither appear to be flying off the proverbial shelves.

noglider 

I once fit seven bikes inside a VW Passat wagon. I agree about wagons.

Minivans are fantastic in their own respects. A good one (not a Honda Element) is luxurious, especially for road trips.

Tall vehicles (SUVs and minivans) are not only at increased risk of rollovers, they are also much more lethal to people outside the vehicle (pedestrians and bicycles). So people buy them thinking they are avoiding danger when they are, in fact, creating the danger they think they're avoiding.

nycphotography

If you need your car to get laid, then it could be a problem. But if your self esteem and social status are not built entirely on your vehicle, then the minivan is a better choice.

TimothyH

For some reason this struck me as really, really funny.

I pictured the cowns getting out of the little car at the circus or the guy carrying a bunch of 2x4's in his Corvette.

jitteringjr

I like to drive for the enjoyment of driving which means I need a vehicle that doesn’t handle like a soup sandwich boat/van floating down the lanes. A van is never a good choice. And I have been married too long for a car to make the difference in me getting laid on any given night or not.

jordanair45

I have no problem driving the lambo.

I just have the bike dropped off . Don't see a problem.

Vans are the best for cyclists. Teams own vans for a reason.

Wanna be a hardcore cyclist ?

Get a class b camper. Go to the mountains. Youll have all your bases covered. Place to sleep. Eat. Train. Fix bikes. Etc.

Next car I get will be a van. Maybe a class b. Kinda expensive. Might do my own conversion. But that takes too Much time.

You can get cheap old vans for bike days and keep a daily driver on the side.

chaadster

A Giulia Q-wagon sounds unlikely, but if they'd throw a de-tuned version of the 2.9 6cyl Q motor, perhaps down to 350hp, in a slightly longer wheelbase "Giulio" which could sell for sub-$60k, they might have something there.

nycphotography

I have the AMG SL for fun days. I'd have a AMG GT-R, but really decided I just don't really want to deal with one on public roads. The SL is very civilized... yet an absolute track capable beast.

But turns out the Town and Country is luxe enough, handles well enough, has a good enough stereo, and is so much more utlitarian that I end up driving the minivan 90% of the time. It's not like I'm torturing myself with my heated seats and steering wheel on US freeways designed so even complete morons find it hard to kill themselves.

Besides, what would the point really be of any horribly compromised POS that is neither sporty nor utilitarian? Ironically, the Town and Country minivan is one of the most pure uncompromised vehicles available.

jitteringjr

My parents own one and I have driven it enough. Sorry I am sticking to the soup sandwich comment.

merlinextraligh

Not at all a spurious correlation. There's a direct causal effect. Station wagons got classified as cars and held to higher mileage standards; SUV's got classified as light trucks and held to a lower mileage standard. Making station wagons that met CAFE standards was more difficult and expensive than making SUV's that go you a lower standard.

So by selling SUV's you made more money and helped with your overall CAFE numbers. Building station wagons conversely, hurt your overall CAFE numbers. No brainer for Car Manufacturers.

"Station wagons were very popular prior to CAFE. Those vehicles were particularly popular among families because of the room they afforded multiple passengers. When CAFE became law, automakers could not create station wagons that met the higher fuel efficiency standards for cars, so the companies nixed the popular models.

Car manufacturers still seeking a product that would make consumers happy and comply with government regulations found their solution in the SUV. It offered the larger vehicle size consumers demanded but fell under the CAFE definition of a light truck. This classification allowed SUVs to be subject to the lower fuel economy requirement of 21 mpg. Therefore, the government’s action in imposing CAFE standards, which was intended to curb oil consumption, helped prompt the creation of the SUV and subsequent “gas guzzling.”
If not for the federal government’s intervention, companies would not have had nearly as strong — or as bizarre — an incentive to develop the SUV. Manufacturers might have continued producing the already-popular family-oriented station wagons, whose emissions, while higher than a sedan, are lower than an SUV."

https://www.cfif.org/htdocs/freedomli...d-insanity.htm

And more recent changes in CAFE regs make it worse by creating incentives for manufacturers to make bigger SUV's.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ations-feature
https://www.greencarreports.com/news...ck-do-you-care

https://moneyning.com/misc/where-have...n-wagons-gone/

beechnutC23

Depends where. Here in Quebec, gas just hit $1.36/litre. That's $5.15 per US gallon. Golf wagons are literally flying off the shelves I see them everywhere. We have two and love 'em. My wife's FWD gets somewhat better mileage than my 4MOTION (both have manual transmissions), but the 4MOTION ain't too shabby, now that the summer tires are on, I'm averaging 32 mpg, and my wife's FWD is doing about 35.

Her previous TDI wagon was even better... WAY better, but we all know that story.

tomato coupe

That must be quite the sight.

chaadster

Just seeing them on shelves, before they started taking flight, must’ve been something!

I swear, Canada has gotten so much cooler under Trudeau...

Harumph

I still have to go with my Ford F-150. Love this vehicle. It's big and roomy, handles great, and still gets 26 mpg on the highway. I can also fit a boat load of bikes in the back.

As for minivans, I hate the idea of having to turn in your man card before dealer hands you the keys...

Abe_Froman

If you needed a cool car to get a man card, you were an illegitimate man in the first place

nycphotography

Should someone tell him all the adult fun and games you can have in the back of a van? My T&C seats fold down. Hint Hint.

chaadster

I won't go that far, but I will say that when I had my '89 Toyota Van AWD, an original minivan, the girls really loved it! I, for my part, loved them all...including the van. My brother rolled it, ending that chapter of my car life.

It was a great van for cyling, and I took two buddies and 3 MTBs all inside the van down to Kentucky to do some trail riding, and the Van got us across some sweet doubletrack deep in the forests. Good times, those.

chaadster

Absolutely. My aforementioned Toyota Van even had a refrigerator between the front seats, perfect for a 6pk of beer or a bottle of wine to enhance those adult escapades.