A wagon or estate can also go by its longer names, station wagon or estate wagon. In recent years, car manufacturers have come up with terms like sportback and avant to describe what is essentially the same body type. The three traditional words used interchangeably for this type of vehicle – station, wagon and estate – come from a specialised wagon solely used to transport people and their luggage between country estates and train stations. Yes, station wagons/estate wagons were originally wagons used as transport between country estates and train stations.
Wagons are large passenger cars that share many common features with SUVs, sedans and hatchbacks, making them difficult to distinguish at times. The main distinguishing feature of a wagon is that the roofline continues past the vehicle's rear doors. This extended roofline provides for a generous, full-sized storage compartment that is fully integrated into the passenger area, rather than being a separate compartment like in a hatchback or sedan. Accessible via the passenger cabin or via a full-sized rear door, you can easily expand this storage area by lowering or removing one or more of the rear seats.
While wagon models offer different specifications and accessories depending on the car manufacturer, most wagons share the following common features:
Wagons are just one type of vehicle and have their share of advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of a wagon include the following:
The disadvantages of the wagon include the following:
Once you've decided that a wagon could be the right choice for you, it's time to compare the different makes and models available in Australia.
When comparing wagons, consider the following:
Is a wagon the right vehicle choice for you? The answer will come down to the specific features you're looking for in your new car and how you plan to use it. Wagons are ideally suited for people with big transport needs – whether that means passengers, cargo or both. The flexibility of a wagon means that you can choose whether to increase the number of passengers or maximise storage space on a day-to-day basis, achieved by collapsing or removing rear seats as necessary.
Perhaps the most defining feature of a wagon is its full-sized storage area, with none of the roof tapering or floor contours found in hatchbacks or sedans. If you're looking for a larger car with plenty of room for passengers, the flexibility to change the way you use the car depending on your needs, and a full-sized storage area to maximise the amount of cargo you carry, a wagon could be an excellent choice.
Picture: Shutterstock
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