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Yes, there is something about a station wagon that shouts “Labrador!” when you see it. Especially that bulky rear-end, with space intended for a whole junior hockey team plus the family dog. But throughout the years, there have been some standout wagons that have defied the notion of being only a labrador-carrier. The modern leaders of the pack are the BMW M5 Touring and the Audi RS6 Avant, though you won’t get those at a reasonable price.

We’ve rounded up a list of wagons that we think are some of the cooler versions of the auto industry’s uncool category of cars.

10

Saab 9-3X

Model years: 2002 – 2012

What could be cooler than a svelte Swede in station wagon guise? In its final years, Saab tried everything to get some market traction. Faster than you could say “Husky,” the small Swedish automaker beefed up its 9-3 Sport Combi (the station wagon based on the 9-3 Sedan) just as the new craze for crossovers started to take shape at the turn of the century.

With four-wheel-drive, a lifted riding height and some extra cladding on the wheel arches, the 9-3X looked cooler than Ray-Bans on Tom Cruise. Just remember your skis on the roof, right?

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9

Audi RS2 Avant

Model years: 1994 – 1995

As a maker of family cars, Audi has a long history of wagons. But in the mid-1990s, the automaker from Ingolstadt got the great idea to make a performance version of its bigger wagon, based on the A6 Estate. As Audi, at the time, didn’t have all the expertise at hand for performance models, and maybe also to get a bit of marketing traction, a collaboration with nearby Porsche was started. The wagon would be sent to Zuffenhausen to get the Porsche 968 Clubsport’s brakes, wheels and tires, plus the uprated 2.2-liter-inline-5 from Audi, a six-speed-manual, and new door mirrors. The package was then sent back to Ingolstadt, where the rest of the fitment was done.

In today’s terms, the performance figures wouldn’t really get anyone’s attention, but in the mid-1990s were Ferrari 456 matching numbers. The RS2, the brand’s first RS car, sparked quite some interest, and the limited production run was quickly grabbed up. If anything, we just love those red brake calipers with their “Porsche” branding. How cool is that?

8

Alfa-Romeo 156 GTA Sportwagon

Model years: 2000 – 2003

Alfa Romeo’s 156 GTA is one of the best sports sedans ever made, and then the Italians made it even better by offering it as a wagon. Turin knew it had to stand out from the boxy crowd offered by European competitors, so it came up with a timeless design by Walter de Silva that is even today still in fashion. Just look at the smooth lines, no creases, and the hidden rear door handles.

It’s equipped with the 3.2-liter version of the famous Busso V6 engine. Fitted with broad, low-profile tires, wrapped around a rim with an aggressive spoke pattern, the GTA demanded attention on the school run.

7

Ford Focus Wagon

Model years: 2000 – 2007

Remember Ford’s New Edge design language of the late 1990s? The Focus was one of the first to carry the theme, and if you thought it looked quite fine on the hatchback, the longer wagon was a revelation. Up to the B-pillar, everything was standard Focus hatchback. But then the lines extended slightly further, and more horizontal, but luckily not quite too far over the rear wheels. It kept the hatchback’s feel of compactness, combined with the new design language’s edgy style.

As was the case up until the 2000s, the glass house was quite big. That’s one thing a modern designer will change today. But the rest is still classic and timeless. And so proportionate. Just look at the beautifully integrated roof rails, the slightly forward angled tailback and compact size. It was a favorite then, and would still be today.

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6

Acura TSX Sport Wagon

Model years: 2011 – 2015

The Acura TSX sedan was, well, really nice. But in wagon format, Acura really got something right. The interior was spacious with front seats so big and comfortable you could drive coast to coast without wanting to get out. The design was clever, as well. Honda hid the longer rear end quite well with the angled rear hatch, and in all the car looked quite sporty even for a big wagon, which it was.

It was only available with a 2.4-liter-inline-4, and not the sedan’s optional 3.5-liter-V6. Not that it matters, because the V6 was never available with a manual gearbox, while the 2.4 could be ordered with a slick-shifting six-speed.

5

Mini Clubman

Model years: 2007 – 2014

Let’s be honest, BMW has done really well to capture the essence of the classic Mini, presented as a modern, practical hatchback along with its various other iterations in the model lineup. Shortly after the hatchback was presented around the turn of the century, BMW got round to extending the family with new versions, one of which was the Clubman, a modern shooting brake if you like. We’re quite fond of the compact wagon, which is the Clubman. Like its name, it exudes a more classy and classic aura, not pretending to be a labrador-carrier but rather a gentleman’s weekend getaway car.

The Clubman’s coupe de grace was, of course, its two rear doors, which opened like a cupboard, and not like a normal hatchback that would swing up to open. BMW did toy initially with a 2+1 door design, where there was a half-sized door on the passenger side to aid entry to the rear. But this was thankfully ditched for two full-sized doors in later generations.

4

Volvo 850 Estate

Model years: 1991 – 1996

Yes, the Swedes’ wagons are the archetype of safety, stability and families around Christmas trees. And when you look at the 850’s design, it even gets worse. It’s like Gothenburg took a snow boot shoebox and added four wheels and some windows to it.

But, in a stroke of marketing genius (and a rare sense of humor, that no-one knows where it came from), Volvo decided to enter an 850 Estate into the very popular British Touring Car Championship. In the late 1990s, this was where Audi A4s and Alfa 156s battled it out. Not a soccer-mom wagon. Kudos to Volvo, though. The big estate hurtled around the tracks and gave a good outing of itself. For the brazenness to race in a wagon, we’ll give Volvo all the thumbs up (but still hold out on Abba).

3

Jaguar X-Type Sportwagon

Model years: 2005 – 2008

Critics lambasted the new, small Jaguar X-Type as a Ford Mondeo in drag. Which it technically was, as the Brits became part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group. But, just look at the X-Type Sportwagon. It retained the sedan’s squarish lines, and up until the B-pillar it was all X-Type sedan.

Stateside, the Jag had Ford’s Duratec 3.0-liter-V6, which was a bit thirsty. But it was worth it because the Mondeo had one of the best chassis in the business at the time.

2

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

Model years: 2017 – 2024

It’s more than 15 feet long, weighs in at 1.9 tons, but can still accelerate like a sports car, while keeping the groceries intact in the back. Until a few years back, no-one would’ve given it a chance that the revered German sports carmaker would try its hand at a station wagon. But, if Ferrari and Rolls-Royce can build an SUV, then Porsche certainly can make a wagon.

The Panamera Sport Turismo has a bit of Italian in its name, some Audi RS2 in its long, square looks, and a lot of Stuttgart desirability that we’re sure more would admit if they could stay anonymous. Of course, it’s not quite 911 but more Panamera in its approach and execution. It is a practical Porsche, if you don’t want a Cayenne SUV to lumber around in. And fast. As cool wagons go, this one has the right badge.

1

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake

Model years: 2011 – 2018

And then there is our favorite, most desirable wagon of them all, the Mercedes CSL Shooting Brake. Stuttgart nailed the design with that elongated profile that drops elegantly down from the B-pillars to the rear end. Open the tail gate, and you’ll find a stunningly beautiful wooden floor with metal strips to load your baggage onto. If it reminds you of a Lake Como boat’s deck, you’re right. That’s where the inspiration came from.

The CLS Shooting Brake is a bit more understated than the Audi RS2 and the modern Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. But with Merc’s powerful engines, it still produces the goods – and is efficient. For us, it hits all the right buttons: stunning and unique design, fine touches inside, and a quality brand name. What more would you want?

Sources: Wikipedia, Porsche, Mercedes, Audi