07-15-2020, 10:16 PM
Post pix if you got 'em! I missed sharing my wagon love in the other threads from the past year or two. My family had several wagons as I grew up, and I drove our '78 Caprice Classic (baby blue, with plaid polyester seats!) for a short time when I turned 16. That thing was a hoot in the snow as my older brother and I found out.
I drove a '76 Buick Estate Wagon on my book tour back in the early '00s; what an adventure [mostly in learning car repair] that was! This was one of GM's clamshell wagons with the receding tail gate and rear window; both worked fine in mine which was cool.
I've owned an '18.5 TourX for about 18 months and love it. GM pulled the plug (selling Opel to PSA did not do the car any favors, or GM itself imo as Opel has provided many of their platforms in recent decades) on TourX earlier this year which everyone saw coming...but I am grateful that I got mine. It checks a ton of boxes for me, including space for bikes and dogs, mpg, fine in snow and trailhead friendly, driving dynamics, easy infotainment controls (including knobs - rare these days!) and uniqueness.
Major cons for me are 1) XM infotainment presets are unstable - GM has yet to get a software update put out for this since screwing it up last November, and
2) US spec is not as full-featured as the Opel/Vauxhall/Holden wagons - GM bean counters thought we wouldn't appreciate extended thigh bolsters, cooled seats, HUD, different/larger wheels, plus higher quality seat leather, and dash materials. Apparently we are not worthy of such accoutrements here in the USA, thanks, GM!
I still feel like I came out ahead on my deal. Mine is a top-line model with every package/option except pano roof (KC heat was a factor for me there), for $10k off sticker which put me in very low $30s. I guess heavy discounting is common with GM; this is my first new GM. Yes, resale takes a hit on these but I keep my cars for 10+ years so that wasn't much of a factor for me.
Wish there were more (or any I should say) domestic wagons. Ford is rumored to be mule testing the Mondeo (the one I saw looks a lot like Outback) now for USA import next year. Hell, even foreign wagons at this point are few and far between since VW pulled out.
The new Audis and Volvos are cool, but I think are basically special order for US. BMW wagons are here no more. I've read PSA is supposed to be coming back to USA in '25, and they do have a pretty slick replacement for the Insignia/TourX that's very similar looking...but with Covid, who knows if PSA/FCA will arrive alive in '25. If they were smart, they'd bring it over here in proper sporting Euro spec and have a good niche market. Lots of people don't care for the cladding; I think it's fine but I can see their point.
Would be super cool to have a hybrid/electric wagons, I think V60/90 can be had in Europe with those. I do have some mixed feelings on electric/hybrids as the materials procurement process is not earth friendly by any stretch. I hope they can rectify this soon. Share your wagon thoughts and pix if you got 'em!
I drove a '76 Buick Estate Wagon on my book tour back in the early '00s; what an adventure [mostly in learning car repair] that was! This was one of GM's clamshell wagons with the receding tail gate and rear window; both worked fine in mine which was cool.
I've owned an '18.5 TourX for about 18 months and love it. GM pulled the plug (selling Opel to PSA did not do the car any favors, or GM itself imo as Opel has provided many of their platforms in recent decades) on TourX earlier this year which everyone saw coming...but I am grateful that I got mine. It checks a ton of boxes for me, including space for bikes and dogs, mpg, fine in snow and trailhead friendly, driving dynamics, easy infotainment controls (including knobs - rare these days!) and uniqueness.
Major cons for me are 1) XM infotainment presets are unstable - GM has yet to get a software update put out for this since screwing it up last November, and
2) US spec is not as full-featured as the Opel/Vauxhall/Holden wagons - GM bean counters thought we wouldn't appreciate extended thigh bolsters, cooled seats, HUD, different/larger wheels, plus higher quality seat leather, and dash materials. Apparently we are not worthy of such accoutrements here in the USA, thanks, GM!
I still feel like I came out ahead on my deal. Mine is a top-line model with every package/option except pano roof (KC heat was a factor for me there), for $10k off sticker which put me in very low $30s. I guess heavy discounting is common with GM; this is my first new GM. Yes, resale takes a hit on these but I keep my cars for 10+ years so that wasn't much of a factor for me.
Wish there were more (or any I should say) domestic wagons. Ford is rumored to be mule testing the Mondeo (the one I saw looks a lot like Outback) now for USA import next year. Hell, even foreign wagons at this point are few and far between since VW pulled out.
The new Audis and Volvos are cool, but I think are basically special order for US. BMW wagons are here no more. I've read PSA is supposed to be coming back to USA in '25, and they do have a pretty slick replacement for the Insignia/TourX that's very similar looking...but with Covid, who knows if PSA/FCA will arrive alive in '25. If they were smart, they'd bring it over here in proper sporting Euro spec and have a good niche market. Lots of people don't care for the cladding; I think it's fine but I can see their point.
Would be super cool to have a hybrid/electric wagons, I think V60/90 can be had in Europe with those. I do have some mixed feelings on electric/hybrids as the materials procurement process is not earth friendly by any stretch. I hope they can rectify this soon. Share your wagon thoughts and pix if you got 'em!
Very similar to this.