Looking for a station wagon.....
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Northeast of Toronto.
Looking for a station wagon.....
My parents are considering trading in their 2001 minivan for a station wagon. I'm interested in anyone with feedback on their experiences with owning a station wagon. My parents have ten grand to spend. My dad says the car can't be anymore than five years old. We have a dog that travels with us quite often. My parents also like to drive to their holiday destinations...it could be a 3 hour drive or a 3 day drive.
Any input is appreciated. I hope I can steer them towards an AWD Subaru or Volvo. The Ford Freestyle and Five Hundred are too new and beyond their budget.
Any input is appreciated. I hope I can steer them towards an AWD Subaru or Volvo. The Ford Freestyle and Five Hundred are too new and beyond their budget.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: salem now then boxford
bang for the buck...subaru hands down. what else can you get that comes with AWD through out their entire line-up...stock. Subarus are very capable cars and very reliable...i've had 2 that have gone beyond 180,000 miles wit no major repairs. I've jumped them, brought them off road and they always were up to the task...except for when i landed on a snow bank and none of my wheels we're touching the ground. Volvos are great cars too...built like tanks but they are pricey..just think about it.. a base non-AWD Volvo starts at the price of moderatly equiped AWD subaru. just for kicks guide you parent to the turbo charged forester...its been clocked 0-60mph in about 6 seconds...stock.
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2005
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subaru is the best for the money, my friend had an older one and it just ran and ran until he broke it trying to do something it wasn't designed to do(keeping up with my f350 going off roading) but if he didn't do that, it would still be running i think.
volvo is also a great car, relaible but pricey, but looks and runs good and holds the value good also.
i don't know about subaru parts, but i know fixing a volvo when it breaks can be pricey also.
volvo is also a great car, relaible but pricey, but looks and runs good and holds the value good also.
i don't know about subaru parts, but i know fixing a volvo when it breaks can be pricey also.
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Northeast of Toronto.
I'm not 100% my dad will go for an AWD vehicle. His rationale is that there are more things to go wrong. He was talking about a Toyota Camry Wagon yesterday.
We do live in a snow belt area. I love my Control-Trac when I'm coming up the hill at the end of our road....it's damn steep!!!
We do live in a snow belt area. I love my Control-Trac when I'm coming up the hill at the end of our road....it's damn steep!!!
Last edited by CowboyPenner; May 13, 2006 at 07:35 AM.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Northern PA
What about a used Jeep Cherokee? 4WD and more like a staion wagon than a truck?
We picked up a '95 Cherokee Sport, in very nice condition, for 1000. I know the guy that owned it, so I know it was taken care of. That's older than you're looking for, but the Cherokees are good vehicles.
You should be able to find a newer one for 10 grand or less.
Maybe a Malibu Maxx? They're more like a station wagon.
We picked up a '95 Cherokee Sport, in very nice condition, for 1000. I know the guy that owned it, so I know it was taken care of. That's older than you're looking for, but the Cherokees are good vehicles.
You should be able to find a newer one for 10 grand or less.
Maybe a Malibu Maxx? They're more like a station wagon.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2005
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the older volvo wagons are very safe and reliable cars. How about a ford focus or taurus wagon?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Travelers Rest SC
The Focus is supposed to be pretty good, but they had a lot of problems the first year or two of production. Around here, you can get a Ford Escort in pristine condition for under 4 grand. They have a pretty good reliability record, because they have a Mazda drivetrain. I agree w/ the Subaru, but they are rare and expensive around here. Toyota stopped making the Camry wagon quite a while ago (1996), so they might be hard to find.
Last edited by FLgargoyle; May 13, 2006 at 02:58 PM.
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: SW VA
My first choice would be a Subaru outback, or secondly a Forester. Let me tell ya a little secret 'bout that Outback with the 3.0HO. My wife's friend had me do a tune up on her's and when I took it out for a test drive, I got on it, and man did that thing scoot! Honestly, I think it would give my 4.6 T-Bird a god run!
The only problem I have with a Volvo, aside from the price of the parts for it, is that every one that I have driven has been waaaaaaaay underpowered (IMHO). Maybe that's why they never seem to break...they just don't have enough power to break anything.
One other one to check out would be a 5 series BMW wagon. BWM makes one of the most reliable cars that I know of. And for some reason, nobody seems to want a used wagon. I regulary see late 90's to eaarly 00's wagons on e-bay with under 80k miles for $10-12K.
The only problem I have with a Volvo, aside from the price of the parts for it, is that every one that I have driven has been waaaaaaaay underpowered (IMHO). Maybe that's why they never seem to break...they just don't have enough power to break anything.
One other one to check out would be a 5 series BMW wagon. BWM makes one of the most reliable cars that I know of. And for some reason, nobody seems to want a used wagon. I regulary see late 90's to eaarly 00's wagons on e-bay with under 80k miles for $10-12K.
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Northeast of Toronto.
Apparently they stopped making the Toyota wagon in '96. He wants a vehicle with lots of room for stuff...a dog...gym bags...suitcases and other travel gear and to move people along with my wheelchair when I travel with them.
He mentioned the Toyota Matrix today as something he'd be interested in but I know it's too pricey for him.
He mentioned the Toyota Matrix today as something he'd be interested in but I know it's too pricey for him.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
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I think it would be hard to beat a ford taruas, or mercury sable wagon, and they can be had reasonable these days. When ever a question comes up in this forum about what car to buy, the first thing that pops out of peoples mouth is some sort of japanese junk. Why is there somany japanese lovers hovering over a ford site, isn't that called trolling?
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
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What it's called is sickening, japanese this, japanese that, for the love of pete, this is a ford site, have some loyalty allready!! Subaur might be allright if you want a small wagon, but if the guy is replacing a van, I thought he may need a bigger one. I've had taurus cars, and I thought they were great, I never had any problems, they were fast, comfortable, good mpg, they had the 24 valve 3.0, I thought was a good motor. So how can the wagons be worse than the cars, when there basicaly the same thing?