Station wagons, once a common sight, are now a rare breed, overshadowed by the rise of SUVs in the automotive landscape. Even with the onset of the electric revolution, their practicality and versatility remain unmatched, making their revival a necessity.
Over the years, we’ve witnessed some exceptional wagons, particularly from the 1980s. We’ve meticulously curated a list of 13 wagons that we believe are the cream of the crop, each one demonstrating why station wagons are so exceptional and why we yearn for their return.
Mitsubishi Galant (Legnum) VR-4
Mitsubishi began producing the Galant VR-4 in 1987, followed by the station wagon Legnum version. In doing so, Mitsubishi created one of the most aggressive and sporty-looking wagons, with a 2.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 300 hp.
Mitsubishi put its rally pedigree to good use, employing the same people who designed their world rally systems to produce all-wheel drive for the Galant VR-4. This added extra grip and performance, creating one of the best station wagons of the 1980s. They are becoming increasingly scarce as time passes, ensuring the Legnum will become a true collectible in just a few more years.
Mercedes-Benz S124
Mercedes-Benz is one of the most famous manufacturers of exciting station wagons. The S124 is one of them, and Mercedes derived the ‘124 wagon from the W124 sedan in 1984. At the time, the W124 was one of the German manufacturer’s best products, with a 3.0-liter straight-six engine under the hood.
It didn’t take long for the S124 to establish itself as a reliable, comfortable, and luxurious wagon with all the space needed for its occupants. Much work went into the S124, with Mercedes over-engineering it to some degree to ensure it was of the highest quality. Mercedes would produce the S124 and W124 from 1984 to 1995.
Peugeot 505
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Peugeot struggled to maintain a presence in the United States. The marque’s final model in North America was the 505 station wagon. To its credit, the 505 put up a good fight against stiff competition from Volvo as the 1980s went on.
Peugeot tried everything to keep the 505 in the market, including making a wide range of engines available in America and adding a long-wheelbase SW8 version. This was a remarkable addition to the range, offering plenty of interior space with seating for eight. The 505 kept Peugeot afloat in the United States, and it was a tamer, comfortable alternative to some of the V8-powered monsters on offer.
Chevrolet Caprice Classic
Remarkably, Chevrolet’s full-size station wagon of the 1980s dated back to 1977, when General Motors began to downsize its B-body cars. This included a wheelbase shortened from 125 inches to 116 inches. Chevrolet revised the front-end styling for 1980 while it tried to maintain the luxury feel of the Caprice Classic.
This included adding full-wheel covers in place of hubcaps, a hood ornament, exterior brightwork, emblems, and a Quiet Sound Group system, to name just a few. The standard engine was a 120 hp 4.4-liter two-barrel Chevrolet V8, which rose to 155 hp with the four-barrel 5.0-liter Chevrolet V8. Chevrolet would again update the Caprice Classic in 1986.
Volkswagen Quantum
Across Europe and other markets, Volkswagen sold its mid-size cars as the Passat and Santana. In the United States, it was the Quantum, and it arrived on North American shores in 1982 with the GL5, the top-of-the-range version. The number five denotes the number of cylinders under the hood.
The new Quantum marked a significant improvement over the previous Dasher, but sadly, the 2.1-liter inline-five engine under the hood only produced 100 hp. This did make the Quantum unnecessarily slow, yet despite this and the rather basic interior, the Quantum station wagon sold in large numbers even if it did feel outdated by 1988.
Mercury Sable
Mercury didn’t introduce the Sable until late into the 1980s, but it didn’t take long to make a name for itself. It would usurp the Marquis in popularity, a station wagon that made its name in the 1970s. Part of the appeal of the Sable was its more modern shape, and as it was more aerodynamic, it was also more fuel efficient.
Mercury introduced the Sable in 1985, and under the wagon’s hood, you would find two engine options. Firstly, there was a 3.0-liter SFi Vulcan V6 with 140 hp and 160 lb-ft of torque. The second engine option was the 3.8-liter SFI Essex V6, which produced 140 hp and 215 lb-ft of torque. The 2.5-liter CFI HSC inline-four was only available in 1986 on the GS model.
Ford Taurus
Following the launch of the Mercury Sable, parent company Ford introduced its new Taurus station wagon. As expected, the design resembled the Sable’s, and Ford began selling the Taurus in sedan and wagon form in 1986.
Sadly, in the 1990s, Ford dropped the station wagon from the range due to poor sales and instead focused on the Taurus sedan version. Sales of the wagon never troubled sales of the sedan, with Ford selling the most units in 1987, 96,201 units, compared to the 278,562 sedans sold in the same year. Despite the poorer sales, the wagon was no slouch, especially if it had the 140 hp 3.0-liter Vulcan V6 under the hood.
Peugeot 504
Peugeot was once one of the leading automotive manufacturers in the world, and this was especially true in the 1980s with cars such as the Peugeot 504. This classic French beast was in production from 1968 to 1983, and it’s one of the few cars to span just a single generation.
Peugeot began to scale back production of the 504 in the 1980s with the debit of the 505. The wagon, however, was in production until the end of 1983. It had an enormous appeal thanks to the oil crises of the 1970s, which meant more and more people were seeking affordable, family cars with decent cargo space. The 504 is now exceptionally rare and even rarer in good condition.
Dodge/Plymouth Colt DL Wagon
Based on the Mitsubishi Mirage, the fifth generation of the Colt was sold as a station wagon from 1988 until 1991. Although the tall car/small minivan Colta Vista was more popular, the wagon had merits. Firstly, there was more power thanks to the multiport fuel injection SOHC 1.5-liter inline-four, which had 75 hp compared to the two-barrel 68 hp engine.
Second, the wagon also came with an inelegant three-link trailing-arm rear suspension, replacing the torsion beam. While the hatchback’s 1.6-liter turbo wasn’t an option, the five-speed manual transmission made the wagon feel much more alive. While 75 hp also doesn’t sound like a lot, the wagon weighed 2,271 lbs, around 1,000 kg less than the Countryman station wagon.
General Motors J-body Wagons
Some of the best station wagons of the 1980s came from General Motors, including the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird, Oldsmobile Firenza, and Buick Skyhawk. The Cavalier was the most successful, outselling all the other wagons and staying in production from 1984 to 1994.
They weren’t the most revolutionary wagons but reliable, spacious, and competent daily drivers. The original Firenza and Skyhawk were exceptionally sharp in their designs, and the Cavalier and Sunbird, while a bit tamer, were still contemporary. Yes, there were more exciting wagons, but the GM J-Body wagons were some of the most dependable cars of the 1980s.
Honda Civic Wagon
While it might be more of a tall hatchback than a station wagon, the 1985 Honda Civic Wagon had the moniker in its name, which means that by its definition, it is a station wagon. Later on, Honda would confuse people by calling it Civic Wagovan, offered during two generations of the Civic.
The Civic Wagon’s distinct styling is due to its tall, stubby body and high-mounted seats. Inside, the Civic Wagon is spacious and allows plenty of daylight thanks to its large windows. A range of inline-four engines is available under the hood, and after debuting as just two-wheel drive, Honda would later add all-wheel drive in 1987.
Nissan Maxima Wagon
Nissan introduced the second-generation Maximia in 1985, and it took a lot of work to determine the difference between the two as Nissan carefully evolved its styling. However, there were changes under the hood.
Nissan replaced the old inline-six, first seen in the 1969 Datsun 240Z, with a new, more modern transversely-mounted V6 engine straight from the Nissan 300ZX sports car. This dramatically improved how the Maxima felt to drive, and the cargo capacity was an impressive 63 cubic feet. This was 49 cubic feet more than the sedan, and remarkably, it is two more than the modern Nissan Rogue Sport crossover has.
Renault Sportswagon
Outside the United States, the Renault Sportswagon bore the name 18i Station Wagon, but the French manufacturer offered it in the United States thanks to the AMC-Renault alliance. American Sportswagons would gain the DOT welcome kit, which included sealed-beam headlights, massive bumpers, and some bolt-on emissions equipment.
Under the hood, the Sportswagon had a 1.6-liter inline-four engine, which boasted impressive fuel economy figures of 25 MPG combined and 38 MPG on the highway. Its only major problem was that in America, its size made it more of a compact car, ensuring space was at a premium for some owners.
