Station wagons, aka estate or estate wagons, used to symbolise material comfort. You’d see them all the time on old TV shows! These days, people tend to focus on all the hype surrounding SUVs and the latest, shiniest sedans. So, the humble and all-round station wagons have lost the limelight, leaving some to wonder if they even still exist.
In this article, we will look at some of the station wagons that still exist on our shores. The odds are that you've seen them on Aussie streets, whether or not you noticed them.
Let’s get started.
Do station wagons still exist? Or have they stopped making station wagons?
Some of you may have seen the headline and wondered, "Are station wagons still a thing?" The answer is YES. Station wagons are still a prominent feature in most leading carmakers' lineups. Big brands like Peugeot, Mazda, and even Volkswagen all have station wagon options that car buyers can choose from.
And if you’re wondering why car manufacturers still make station wagons, then the answer is pretty simple. Carmakers still produce station wagons because there’s still significant demand for them. And people demand them because they offer loads of value for all sorts of drivers, not just families with kids and pets in tow.
What’s so good about station wagons?
Here’s a quick sample of the benefits offered by station wagons:
- Very spacious, for both cargo in the trunk and passengers in the back
- Excellent fuel economy
- Available at all price points (i.e. even from luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW)
- Unique aesthetics
Station wagons aren’t so common these days, making their design unique compared to other everyday vehicles.
What are the best station wagons that you can still buy in Australia?
Now, let’s look at the best station wagons you can buy in Australia today.
Skoda Fabia Wagon
To start this list, we’ll look at the compact wagon by Czech carmaker Skoda and their Fabia Wagon.
Overview: This Skoda Fabia Wagon is a perfect example of how carmakers keep up with the times when it comes to the humble station wagon. The car carries a turbocharged wagon under the hood while the interior boasts plenty of connectivity and in-car entertainment tech.
More importantly, this wagon also includes plenty of driver-assist technologies like front assist with city emergency brake that prevents collisions with the use of built-in radar tech.
Specs: The Skoda Fabia Wagon comes in both 7-speed auto and 5-speed manual transmissions. At best, the engine generates 81kW of power and 200 Nm of torque and gets the car from 0 to 100 in 10.2 seconds.
Put into perspective, that’s a lot of power for a family vehicle.
Volkswagen Golf Wagon
The Germans have also built an impressive station wagon with the Volkswagen Golf.
Overview: The Volkswagen Golf Wagon is all about space and comfort. Among other impressive specs, VW boasts of 605-litre luggage capacity and high fuel efficiency as some of its primary selling points.
Naturally, the interior has an impressive entertainment system, too. This one comes with an 8-inch screen for entertainment and navigation to stay you on the right track while keeping entertained.
Specs: It’s a VW, so you expect it to have some impressive specs, and rightly so. The engine generates a max output of 100 kW with 250 Nm of torque. Plenty of airbags all around, parking assistance, and even driver fatigue detection all emphasise that this wagon was built with safety in mind.
Skoda Octavia Wagon
Okay, so this is the second Skoda on this list, but I assure you that it’s worth its place in the list. Skoda is part of the Volkswagen Group so, technically, VW tops our first three station wagon shortlist. This time around, we’re looking at Skoda Octavia Wagon (the previous one was Fabia). Think of this one as Skoda’s ‘performance’ wagon that’s somewhat more powerful than the Fabia.
Overview: People often view station wagons as the safest vehicle possible to transport their families, and the Skoda Octavia Wagon is a perfect example of why that is. Apart from its relatively-superior performance, the car also comes with a long list of safety features.
There are seven airbags all around, plus front and side emergency detection, rearview cameras and sensors, and so much more.
That is the kind of station wagon you’ll want if you’re shopping for a car with power but also plenty of space and safety features for the family.
Specs: You get the choice of the 7-speed auto or 6-speed manual transmission with this wagon. Both offer a maximum output of 100 kW of power, with 250 Nm of torque. To put that into perspective, it takes the wagon 8.2 seconds to go from 0 to 100 (whereas the Skoda Fabia Wagon takes 10.2 seconds instead).
Peugeot 308 Wagon
French carmaker Peugeot is also a part of Australia’s station wagon bunch, with its Peugeot 308 Wagon.
Overview: It’s sporty, it performs well, and it’s got plenty of comfort and tech to offer. Sure, Peugeot designed this station wagon with efficiency in mind, but they still put a touch of class into it. For instance, the car has a panoramic glass roof that offers plenty of natural light and stunning views (depending on where you’re driving, of course).
Inside, connectivity to your smart devices and navigation are seamless while everything is handled through a larger 9.7” capacitive colour touchscreen.
Specs: This wagon carries Peugeot’s award-winning PureTech e-THP turbo petrol engine. All of that sounds well and good, but what about the numbers? Well, this engine has a maximum output of 96kW of power and 230 Nm of torque, with precisely the kind of fuel consumption and emissions that you’d expect from an environmentally-friendly family wagon.
Mazda 6 Wagon
This list wouldn’t be complete without Mazda’s contribution to the Australian station wagon lineup. There are quite a few variants for the Mazda 6 wagon, so we’re going to look at the Atenza version for this one.
Overview: Mazda does not spare any expense when it comes to this station wagon. The interior boasts a heated steering wheel, ventilated seats, Nappa leather chair and so much more. All of the connectivity and tech is controlled through a screen, though this one is only 7” in size. Not the largest of the bunch but you’ll see that it makes up for that with what it’s got under the hood.
Specs: Well, this station wagon certainly blows others out of the water. It has a maximum output of 170 kW of power and 420 Nm of torque. That’s all thanks to a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine that it’s got under the hood.
Performance-wise at least, this may be the best station wagon you could buy in Australia.
Find parts for your station wagons the easy way!
As you can see, Australians looking for station wagons to buy have access to plenty of impressive choices from major brands in the country. To keep up-to-date with news on station wagons and other types of cars in the country and beyond, stay tuned to the Blog at Carpart.com.au.
If you’re looking for parts, you can search the Classifieds. For instance, you may need a Mazda 6 fuel tank; the easy way to locate a seller will be to use Carpart.com.au’s Ads search engine. For old-model station wagons, especially, you’ll have a better chance finding a part by requesting CarpartAU to search it for you. All you need is fill out this online form and wait for quotations to arrive. Don’t delay—get that part now!
By Ray Hasbollah