The other day I bought a refrigerator at Costco. When a guy rolled it out on a flat to help me lift it into the car, he said, “This isn’t going to fit in there.” Then it did.
It might not have fit in some SUVs. And while it would have fit in the bed of a pickup, I would have had to drive around a pickup all the time. Instead, I’m driving a quiet, comfy, and zippy little car with lots of cargo space.
When SUVs first came along, I craved one. I loved backroads, camping, and what one could do with four-wheel or all-wheel drive. But eventually I realized that the percentage of time I’d spend doing chancy things in places AAA wouldn’t go was sub-minimal, and that I would still need cargo space. So at various times I opted for boxy little cars:
- 1966 Peugeot 404 Wagon
- 1985 Subaru Legacy
- 2000 Volkswagen Passat
- 2005 Subaru Outback
- 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack XLE
I’ve only loved the Volkswagens.
The Peugeot was a bizarre piece of shit—though it was big as a hearse in the back.
The first Subaru had a stick shift and four-wheel-drive, but one couldn’t get it into that mode if all four tires hadn’t been worn to the identical tread depth. Seriously. It was also a noisy rattletrap.
The second Subaru was a mostly good car, but not comfortable for long drives. But, like the others, it held a lot of stuff.
The Passat was great all around. It needed a lot of work*, but it was good to 211,108 miles, when I was told the transmission was toast. So I sold it on Craigslist for $125 to a guy who replaced the transmission fluid and said it was actually fine.
*It was only 5 years old and worth $15,000 when I bought it for $5,000, but I then put >$10,000 into it.
The VW Alltrack is close to ideal. The cargo space is smaller than the others, but not by too much. (Hell, it ate a refrigerator.) It’s a great fit, so I don’t feel like I drive it so much as wear it.
Of course, it’s discontinued. The Alltrack line ran from 2017 to 2019, and that was it. Meanwhile, generations of Subaru Outbacks since the ’00s have morphed into wagon-like SUVs.
To find which station wagons are still sold in the U.S., ask an AI. Or two. Or three. I just did, but pasting a linky copy of the results requires a bunch of HTML post-processing.
I can at least say this: the closest new car to the old VW Alltrack line is the Audi Allroad Quattro. The styling is more pinched in the back than the Alltrack, so it might not ingest a whole refrigerator, but at least it’s a nice small wagon, and luxe as well. I don’t want to look closer at them because I might want one.
And right now I don’t, because I just spent $4,000 replacing all four tires (worn Yokohamas for new Michelins) and two wheel bearings (one front, one rear), straightening two bent rims, aligning the wheels, and fixing something leaky (I forget what) in the cooling system. Now it feels like a new car. It is quieter than when I bought it (18k miles ago), and it handles better than ever. I loved the improvement so much that I spent half a day driving around the hilly Southern Indiana countryside, digging every turn and straightaway.
Now, during our brief sojourn to Southern California, we’re getting around in a very nice 2020 Camry XLE Hybrid. It’s still new, with less than 30k on the odometer. Smells like it too. There is much to like about the Camry, especially 45mpg on the cheapest gas, and the sense that it’s a solid and competent machine. But it also feels like, well a very good rental car. And in the trunk is mainly good for the usual: groceries and suitcases. You’ll never get a refrigerator in there.
Leave a Reply