[hip]

What's your opinion, should Honda bring back wagons to North American market again? I can't think of a better vehicle to start with than a TSX wagon, after all the Accord wagon is already available everywhere else.

By David Kiley, USA TODAY
DETROIT — "Station wagon" is practically a forbidden term in the auto industry because it is thought to conjure images of wallowing grocery haulers from the 1970s that were replaced by minivans.

However, today's popular car-based crossover sport-utility vehicles, such as the Toyota (TM) Highlander and Acura (HMC) MDX, have begun to look more and more like ordinary station wagons.

Perhaps the timing is good for DaimlerChrysler (DCX) and Ford (F) Motor to introduce four wagons this year.

•Dodge Magnum. The DaimlerChrsyler mainstream brand will launch the Magnum wagon in May, starting at $22,495. It's a rear-wheel-drive vehicle; all-wheel drive is optional. An RT version will be equipped with the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and priced at $29,995.

Chrysler Group sales and marketing chief Joe Eberhardt says that the company is betting there is demand for vehicles that hew to the old station wagon formula: Three rows of seats (or two rows and lots of cargo space) with nimbler reflexes and a more comfortable ride than an SUV or a minivan.


Mercedes Vision Grand Sports Tourer has seating for six.


•Mercedes Vision Grand Sports Tourer. The DaimlerChrysler luxury brand plans what it prefers to call a tourer early next year "to gain a firm foothold in what is a new and exciting market segment," says Jürgen Hubbert, DaimlerChrysler board member in charge of the Mercedes Car Group.

Vision Grand Sports Tourer is distinguished by luxurious individual seating for six and a glass roof. The GST will be built at the Vance, Ala., factory that makes the Mercedes M-class SUV. Price and other details haven't been announced.

•Volvo V50. The Ford Motor premium brand expects to have the small wagon at dealerships this summer. It's mechanically similar to the redesigned S40 sedan on sale now.

The wagon is powered by either a 2.4-liter or 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine. All-wheel drive is optional. Anti-skid and traction controls are standard.

Volvo worked overtime trying to get the small S40 and V50 cars to be as crashworthy as the large S80 sedan, and says it has succeeded.

The Swedish automaker helped put Ford's struggling Premier Automotive Group back in the black last year by rolling up record worldwide sales. Volvo U.S. sales soared 22%, thanks to strong demand for Volvo's XC90 and XC70 sport-utility wagons.

•Ford Freestyle. The automaker's namesake brand moves back into the wagon business this summer, though Ford will market Freestyle as a crossover SUV despite its wagon trappings.

Sharing underpinnings with the Volvo S80, it is front-drive with an all-wheel-drive option — the same AWD that Volvo uses. Like the Ford Five Hundred sedan it complements, the Freestyle has a spacious interior that Ford views as its top selling feature. All passenger seats fold to create a flat load floor 9 feet, 6 inches long.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-01-13-carshow_x.htm

 

[Ray]

Yea I think it will be a hot seller too.

 

[gbtsx]

I owned a Volvo all-wheel drive wagon before buying my TSX. The car was a dud, but I liked having the flexibility of a wagon to haul stuff. I would buy a TSX wagon if Acura offered one.

 

[tony4311]

I don't see it happening personally. Honda is trying to use Acura as an upscale car brand and the wagon would bring that down. I personally don't agree with that but I think the average person rather then the car enthusiast does.

 

[kiteboy]

I don't see it happening personally. Honda is trying to use Acura as an upscale car brand and the wagon would bring that down. I personally don't agree with that but I think the average person rather then the car enthusiast does.

Agreed. Out of the current worldwide inventory, the UK 5-door Civic will be a logical choice. Also, the Fit if it actually gets over here.

 

[hip]

I don't think you can necessarily make that argument when you have companies like Jaguar who just intro'd a new X-Type wagon or all the other high end Euro wagons out there like the Audi, Benz BMW, etc.?

IMHO, a TSX wagon would really add to the lineup. You'd have the MDX at the upper end and the TSX wagon below it. Not everyone wants an SUV just because they want more space.

I always thought Honda missed the boat on doing a convertible Accord. I you think the S2000 is the answer it really isn't the same thing. Just look at the Toyota Solara, for a 2 door Camry it's doing pretty well, even the convertible.

How about an RSX converible to compete with the Mitsu Eclipse Spyder?

 

[johnej]

I think I would but a wagon just for the added carrying capacity....

 

[bob shiftright]

I owned a Volvo all-wheel drive wagon before buying my TSX. The car was a dud, but I liked having the flexibility of a wagon to haul stuff. I would buy a TSX wagon if Acura offered one.

I still have mine, a T5 5-speed wagon with 135,000 miles. Wouldn't call it a "dud", exactly, more like a firecracker. But it certainly has been a "maintenance intensive" car.

I'd trade in my TSX sedan for a wagon in a minute if Honda ever decided to import them.

 

[jcg878]

I'd trade in my TSX sedan for a wagon in a minute if Honda ever decided to import them.

Agreed.

I think I just aged 10 years by posting that

 

[hondafreak4eva]

Agreed.

I think I just aged 10 years by posting that

hahaha you can justify it as a shaggin wagon.. and maintain that your still a kid at heart

 

[Junkster]

I think with the wagon market going up, Honda has to consider bringing the wagon stateside.

Most journalists have been making the statement this year that wagons might be the next wave of hot market, with all the negatives of SUVs catching up, fuel prices being unsteady, and people wanting sportier driving experiences.

Subaru and Volvo have been enjoying this resurgence of wagons for the last five years now. Subaru wouldn't be jack if they didn't have their Outbacks to push up sales. 60% of all Volvo sales are racked up by wagons. And, in looking deeply into the products, the RX and FX are nothing but very large station wagons riding a few inches higher than it's predecessors.

Honda gave up on the wagon in the traditional sedan format with the accord about 2 gens ago, but they have to be thinking about it. If what the Honda execs are true, and they are gunning for the entry lux market along the lines of Audi, they have to invest in a wagon format in the US/CN market sometime in the near future.

Junkster, whose now thinking about a full switch to this forum.

 

[larchmont]

.....Most journalists have been making the statement this year that wagons might be the next wave of hot market, with all the negatives of SUVs catching up, fuel prices being unsteady, and people wanting sportier driving experiences....

It does seem that the buzz has turned the other way on SUV's, even to the point of entering the political winds. That kind of thing often signals the turning of a trend. And the good wagons would be the likely candidates to pick up the pieces.

 

[kiteboy]

Honda gave up on the wagon in the traditional sedan format with the accord about 2 gens ago, but they have to be thinking about it.

I think much of the cargo and people hauling duties previously performed by sedan-based wagons were taken over by minivans in the late 80's and SUV's a few years later. In that segment, Honda is well represented with the Ody, CR-V, Element, Pilot and MDX.

We are already seeing a resurgence of better performing cargo-haulers, but marketing-types will call them anything-but-wagons. Protege5, Mazda3 Sport, Vibe/Matrix, IS300 SportCross, Elantra GT come to mind. Hopefully, Acura will offer a TSX Touring since their model lineup isn't very deep anyways.

What's next, a diesel TSX? (gasp!)