[ThorSanchez]

Tesla bought the former NUMMI plant in Fremont, CA, which was a joint venture between Toyota and GM. Tesla is making almost as many cars right now as GM/Toyota did at peak production in that plant. Production was supposed to be the hard part that only established people could do. It's possible they won't figure out how to make a profit but it's not like the other manufacturers are world-class at that.

On station wagons, my newspaper has an article today from Bloomberg News that luxury wagons are the latest trend. A lot of the examples are European models that have been around for a while, but Buick has the TourX which is new. Maybe luxury SUVs are too big now to be stylish?

Last year I went to the Washington Auto Show and stopped by the Buick area to see the TourX. They didn't have one. But they had plenty of all of their SUVs, small, medium, and large. When I asked the person behind the desk about the TourX they said something like maybe next year. A year later I haven't seen a TourX in the wild.

---------- Post added 01-09-19 at 11:26 AM ----------

I read that article. Station Wagon’s are trendy among the too-cool-for-school wealthy intellectual set here (see how different I am?), but the article said the total market is only 70,000 vehicles a year. We bought 17,000,000 light vehicles in N.A. last year.

At the same auto show I sat in a Jaguar XF Sportbrake (not really a sportbrake, but I'll try not to quibble) and it was really nice. But in decent configuration it was about $80k. Audi USA's new boss is a wagon fan and has hinted that the RS4 or RS6 Avant might be coming to the US, which is great, except that the RS adds $10k or $20k premium over the S, which is $10k or more than the A. So an RS6 Avant would be pushing $100k, and RS4 probably $75k or more.

So in the US your choices for wagons are the VW Golf Sportwagon, with a 150 hp engine and all utility/no fun for $30k. The Buick TourX, if they can find one, for $30-45k... nice but not too sporty. BMW just decided to not import the 3-series wagon any more, and they'd dropped the manual transmission years ago. Audi has the plastic-cladded faux-offroad Allroad, which is really an A4 Avant... $40k or so. No S variant, no version without the fake offroad pretension. Beyond that there's the almost insurmountable price and fun gap to the powerful and luxurious Merc and Jag at $70k and way on up. I don't really count the Subaru Outback any more, since it grew several sizes circa 2012.

I think my only hope for something fun and wagony in the $50k ballpark is a used Jag/Merc/BMW. What I really want is my S4 in Avant guise.

[Racer X 69]

I don't really count the Subaru Outback any more, since it grew several sizes circa 2012.

And they no longer offer the Legacy wagon too.

[ThorSanchez]

And they no longer offer the Legacy wagon too.

Really? My brother bought what I thought was a Legacy wagon about a year or so ago. But it's a small wagon, more like a Mazda 3 or slightly plus-sized Golf.

[Racer X 69]

Really? My brother bought what I thought was a Legacy wagon about a year or so ago. But it's a small wagon, more like a Mazda 3 or slightly plus-sized Golf.

The original Outback was based on the Legacy platform, taller suspension, cladding around the wheel openings, more luxury options.

Not shire just when they stopped offering the Legacy wagon, but it has be several years.

The Legacy sedan is still available though.

[ThorSanchez]

The original Outback was based on the Legacy platform, taller suspension, cladding around the wheel openings, more luxury options.

Not shire just when they stopped offering the Legacy wagon, but it has be several years.

The Legacy sedan is still available though.

I think my brother's car is actually an Impreza wagon. But in other Subaru news they now offer a three-row SUV!

Is it just a matter of time before GM and Ford start offering four- and five-row SUVs? Why should people with five kids and three dogs be forced to travel around in some kind of hotel-airport shuttle? That's not safe, and it doesn't look anything like a Tonka truck. Won't anyone think of the people who might one day have an additional three kids and two dogs and want to be prepared now?

[jpzk]

I am another owner of Subaru product ... presently a Legacy and this is my 4th Subaru since the 80's !

We are experiencing quite a snow storm at the moment and, of course, the AWD system on that car is simply superb, especially today.
Will I buy another when the time comes? Yes !!

[Racer X 69]

I think my brother's car is actually an Impreza wagon.

That sounds it. The Imprezza wagon and the Mazda 3 are both very close in size and layout.

But in other Subaru news they now offer a three-row SUV!

The 2019 Ascent.

"The biggest Subaru ever!"

Doesn't look too bad in the pictures on the website.

But I have questions.

Can I get a 6 speed manual?

Does it come in a two door model? That would be awesome.

Can I get a lowering kit for it? I think it would look much better down low. Like my Legacy.




And look!

You can finally get that 70" television you've been drooling after and take it home inside the car, not strapped to the roof.

[Ex Finn.]

80K for import SW or 60K for a domestic full size 4 door pick-up with a V-8 and kick-butt air-conditioning plus 12 cup-holders.

[Just1MoreDave]

I have seen two TourXs in the wild. Possibly Coloradoans are just on the cutting edge.

The wagon to get is the Mercedes AMG E63 S Wagon. Because 603 horsepower is essential in a wagon. I actually see more of these than the regular E wagon. It reminds me of the Jay Leno story about his dad needing a new car and ending up looking at Ford Galaxies. Jay was begging his dad to choose a bigger engine, and finally his mom says "oh, let the boy pick the motor." Jay ended up with the Galaxie 7 Liter package and deleted the muffler.

[edom31]

I also have a couple of hatchbacks, a brown one and a red one.

My first car was a 1985 300ZX (got it used, Florida [nice weather for cars], 1 owner in 2001 for $1.4K)... I still dream of it. Too bad that then 20-year-old me did not appreciate the find of a lifetime.

I took 1 bad picture of it, and I still cannot find it.

[ThorSanchez]

80K for import SW or 60K for a domestic full size 4 door pick-up with a V-8 and kick-butt air-conditioning plus 12 cup-holders.

Life's too short to daily drive a monster truck with Bentley aspirations. I'd find the $20k, or even better just buy used. The other day I read that the BMW 5-series is now a depreciation monster with all the SUV irrational exuberance. You can get a two-year old 5-series that probably stickered over $70k in the $30s. Similar for an Audi A7. That same thing has to be hitting the wagon market, too.

Like this one. Jag XF Sportbrake, red with black wheels, probably stickered around $80k a year or so ago. With 10k on the odometer you can have it for under $60k. If a deer ran out in front of the S4 tonight, that would be high on the list for replacement.

Are there 2018-19 cars that don't have kick butt air conditioning? My Dad's 1976 Chevy Cheyenne half-ton pickup had roll-up windows, an AM-only radio, vinyl bench seat (quantity: 1), and it had pretty good A/C.

---------- Post added 01-10-19 at 07:53 AM ----------

And look!

You can finally get that 70" television you've been drooling after and take it home inside the car, not strapped to the roof.

You could either pay BestBuy $30 to deliver the TV to your living room (or Amazon $0) and pick anything you want to drive, including things that might be fun and/or interesting. Or... daily drive a completely generic 4600 lb, three-row SUV and wrestle the TV home yourself.

Or for option #3, get your father-in-law to give you his 2003 Dodge Dakota for free, and haul your stuff in that while daily driving something fun. I've done #1 and #3.

[edom31]

I am another owner of Subaru product ... presently a Legacy

Same here - my first 'adult/family' car (my wife drives it daily), will go back to Subaru when it is time to upgrade (hopefully in 5+ years at least).

The Imprezza wagon and the Mazda 3 are both very close in size and layout.

Mazda 3 Hatch owner as well - the 3 is smaller than the impreza hatch (at least the 2nd generation/clown face) and does not offer AWD in North America. I believe the 2019 or 2020 Mazda 3 Hatch will offer AWD.

[niblue]

On the way back from a meeting earlier I stopped to take some test shots with a cheap Tokina 19-35mm zoom that had just arrived, so decided to use our SLK as a test subject:

[Canada_Rockies]

On the way back from a meeting earlier I stopped to take some test shots with a cheap Tokina 19-35mm zoom that had just arrived, so decided to use our SLK as a test subject:

Image doesn't show in the viewer, but will come up if I click the link in the email. Is that Safari problem, or something else? I love the sky in the image, and drool over the SLK.

[Racer X 69]

Image doesn't show in the viewer, but will come up if I click the link in the email. Is that Safari problem, or something else?

Not really sure why it doesn’t show.

Try this.