If your daily activities involve lugging an excessive amount of goods around, then you need to buy a vehicle that can ease the process. And if that is the case then you should consider buying a Wagon. Wagons are so spacious and are a great way to accommodate both you, your loved ones, and their luggage.
Wagons are cars that balance ergonomics and efficiency, frugality and fun, practicality and performance. The rear cargo space in wagons is often big and sometimes even bigger than in some SUVs. Please read on to see how featured wagons compare.
Wagon
Toyota Corolla Fielder
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA COROLLA FIELDER MODELS
The Toyota Corolla Fielder is a small station wagon with looks that differ from other Corollas. The face of the Fielder features a short, flat nose, with a stylized ‘C’ Corolla badge in place of a Toyota badge. The exterior is very soft and curvy. The rear of the car features taillights placed on the corners to give room to a large boot space as possible. Some models also come with a small spoiler at the top of the tailgate.
The interior treats you with comfortable and supportive front seats that have enough leg, head, and shoulder room. The flat and wide rear seat offers acceptable legroom, with headrests for all three passengers. Three adults will feel cramped up, with the center position affected by the transmission tunnel so it’s better for children.
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA COROLLA FIELDER MODELS
The center console houses a simple stereo AM/FM radio with a CD player at the top. Below the radio, you find three rotary climate control knobs. The car offers plenty of storage with two glove boxes, front seat jacket pockets, large door pockets, and a cubby in the center console.
The Fielder has a flexible and impressive boot. The boot is 407-liters with seats up, and 872-liters with seats folded flat. Underneath the boot floor, there is an extra storage space for items that pull attention.
The most recent Fielders came fitted with the 1.8-liter 140 HP 2ZR or the 1.5-liter 109 HP 1NZ engine with average fuel consumption of 15 KM/L and 23 KM/L respectively. These engines are mated with a CVT or automatic transmission.
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA COROLLA FIELDER MODELS
The Fielder comes fitted with safety features such as front, side and curtain airbags, EBD and ABS, while ESC is optional. The rear seat features three-point belts in all three positions and ISOFIX child seat mounts on the window positions.
Subaru Legacy Touring Wagon
BROWSE LOW COST SUBARU LEGACY TOURING WAGON MODELS
The Subaru Legacy Touring Wagon is a great car that combines space, reliability, practicality, and AWD very well.
The Legacy Wagon has an angular raked nose at the front with projector-style headlamps and a large chrome-plated grille. From the side, the rear privacy glasses, the high roofline, and alloy wheels make the car look sporty.
The Legacy has a spacious interior with some quality finishing. The binnacle features two large and two small chrome-ringed dials with a black background and bright white illustrations/text. The steering wheel has audio controls, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and cruise control. The Legacy Wagon is a 5 passenger car, with comfortable front and rear seats. The front seats are spacious offering enough leg, head, and shoulder room, while the rear seat is also spacious with plenty of headroom, and legroom for the window seat, while the center seat depending on the model can have limited legroom if there is the interference of the transmission tunnel.
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The Legacy wagon has plenty of storage compartments such as the glove box, cup holders, door pockets, and center cubby box. You also get 526-liters of boot space that can be extended to 1677-liters with rear seats folded flat.
The Legacy Touring Wagon came fitted with either a 2-liter four-cylinder turbocharged or naturally aspirated petrol, and 2.5-liter four-cylinder petrol. These engines were mated with a 5-speed automatic, 6-speed manual, or 8-speed lineartronic CVT.
BROWSE LOW COST SUBARU LEGACY TOURING WAGON MODELS
Standard safety features include ISOFIX child seat mounts, electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control, and driver, passenger, knee, side and curtain airbags. Premium models come with Subaru’s ‘eyesight’ camera-based safety assistant which includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist.
Nissan Wingroad
BROWSE LOW COST NISSAN WINGROAD MODELS
The Wingroad is a small wagon with a low, sloped nose at the front. Its rear is steep and curvy.
The steering wheel is nice and comes wrapped in leather with a rake adjustment. The instrument panel with a white background is easy to read and has a sporty look. The Wingroad comes with a simple standard AM/FM radio with a CD player.
The front seats of the Wingroad are comfy and offer excellent side support. The rear seat can be adjusted back and forth by about 250mm for that extra storage or legroom.
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The Wingroad offers storage in terms of large door pockets, a glove box, cup holders, a center cubby box, and front-seat jacket pockets. Its 412-liter boot with rear seat up is large and practical and can be expanded by folding flat the rear seat. The boot has two storage sections beneath, with one of them removable designed for wet items.
BROWSE LOW COST NISSAN WINGROAD MODELS
The Wingroad comes fitted with a 1.5-liter98 HP HR15 or 1.8-liter 125 HP MR18 engine with average fuel consumption of 18 KM/L and 13 KM/L respectively. The engines are mated with a 4-speed automatic or CVT transmission.
Toyota Succeed Wagon
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA SUCCEED WAGON MODELS
The Toyota Succeed is a small, flexible, and spacious 5-door 5-seat wagon. The face of the Succeed features a short, but wide nose, large halogen headlights, and a black mesh grille with a Toyota badge.
The Succeed was built with basic functionality as a daily workhorse. The front seats of the Succeed are cushy with enough comfort, with enough headroom and legroom, while the rear seat also offers some reasonable legroom for the window seating passenger while legroom for the center seat is distracted by the presence of the transmission tunnel. As basic as the Succeed is, it also features a basic AM/FM radio, a basic binnacle that features a half-circle speedometer with a small digital display that displays a fuel gauge and odometer.
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA SUCCEED WAGON MODELS
The Succeed has several storage compartments such as the glove box, cup holders, and door pockets. The cargo area of the Succeed is large enough to accommodate several suitcases, and if necessary the cargo area can be extended by folding flat the rear seats.
The Succeed comes fitted with either a 1.3-liter 87 HP 2NZ-FE or a 1.5-liter 109 HP 1NZ-FE petrol engine with average fuel consumption of 15 KM/L and 23 KM/L respectively. These engines were mated with either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual, and 4WD as an option.
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA SUCCEED WAGON MODELS
Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid
BROWSE LOW COST HONDA FIT SHUTTLE HYBRID MODELS
The Honda Shuttle Hybrid is a car that is fun, but also practical and efficient.
The Shuttle’s face of the latest model is very modern, combining large headlights and the grille to look like a unit. The front bumper is also modern with aggressive looks. It features a lip spoiler with thin fins that give the car a sportier look.
The rear features a large window that provides better rear visibility and taillights that are well designed with some American feel.
BROWSE LOW COST HONDA FIT SHUTTLE HYBRID MODELS
The interior of the Shuttle is tall and narrow with an upright sitting position and large windows that make the car feel spacious. The dashboard is nice and features a touchscreen infotainment system and climate control buttons that are placed close to the driver for ease of access. The seats are firm and you sit high, with great head and legroom for all passengers.
The Shuttle offers loads of storage space including cup holders, door pockets with bottle holders, a large central cubby bin, glovebox, and a tray in front of the gear stick. You also get 470-liter of cargo space that can be extended to 1143-liters utilizing the 60/40 rear seat fold flat, and if that is not enough, the Shuttle also offers Honda’s ‘MagicSeat’.
The Fit Shuttle comes fitted with a 1.5-liter 101 HP L15A or 1.5-liter 130 HP L15B hybrid combinations with the latter having a fuel efficiency of 34 KM/L. These engines are mated with either a 5-speed automatic, CVT, or 7-speed DCT transmissions.
BROWSE LOW COST HONDA FIT SHUTTLE HYBRID MODELS
Standard safety features include ABS, ESC and side, front, and curtain airbags. ISOFIX child seat mounts are provided on the rear window seat positions.
Honda Airwave
BROWSE LOW COST HONDA AIRWAVE MODELS
The Honda Airwave is a 5-seat five-door station wagon with a skyroof.
The Airwave is handsome with its front featuring a chrome-tipped bonnet and louver grille. The rear features a curved back-glass and taillights that add some sizzling and a chrome strip adornment.
The interior is exceptionally spacious. The front and rear seats offer enough head, leg, and foot room. The Airwave comes with a three-spoke steering wheel with audio and cruise control functionality. The instrument panel is divided into four round meters, two large for speed and RPM, and two small for the fuel gauge and coolant temperature.
BROWSE LOW COST HONDA AIRWAVE MODELS
The Airwave has several storage compartments such as door pockets, glovebox, central cubby bin, a tray in front of the gear lever, and front-seat jacket pockets. You also get a 473-liter boot, that can be extended by folding the rear and front passenger seat enabling a cargo of up to 2.7m long to be accommodated.
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The Airwave comes fitted with a 1.5-liter 100 HP L15A engine that is mated to a 5-Speed automatic transmission with 4WD as an option.
Toyota Probox Wagon
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA PROBOX WAGON MODELS
The Toyota Probox is a 5-door 5-seats wagon that is so similar to its predecessor the Succeed, with the Probox a few mm shorter. The Probox has a spacious interior with enough legroom and headroom for front passengers, while the rear seat space is a bit limited such that tall passengers may struggle. The rear center seat legroom is also affected by the presence of the transmission channel.
BROWSE LOW COST TOYOTA PROBOX WAGON MODELS
The Probox is built with basic features, such as the three-spoke steering without any controls, an instrument panel with one large half-circle speedometer and a small digital display for the odometer, fuel gauge, and trip meter. The center console features a radio, climate control knobs, a 12-volt socket, and a pull-out tray.
Concerning storage, the Probox offers front seat jacket pockets, door pockets, cup holders, a tray in place of the glove box, and a tray under the steering. The luggage area is massive, with very good engines and it’s one reason people opt for the Probox. This area can be extended by folding flat the rear seat to utilize the maximum cargo area.
The Probox has a wide nose, a meshy grille with large halogen headlights on either side. At the rear, the Probox is fitted with small but visible taillights placed on the extreme corners of the car to realize maximum boot space.
As standard, the Probox comes fitted with a 1.5-liter 109 HP 1NZ petrol engine with average fuel consumption of 23 KM/L. This engine is attached to a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission, with 4WD as an option.
Volkswagen Golf Variant
BROWSE LOW COST VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VARIANT MODELS
The VW Golf Variant is a 5-door 5-seat state-of-the-art wagon that is efficient and practical. The interior of the Variant is a touch of class. Its seats are comfortable and supportive, but overall the car offers enough legroom, headroom shoulder room, and foot room. The 8-inch infotainment system comes with a DAB radio, USB connection, and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Variant has several storage options, such as the glove compartment, a cubby box between the front seats, front seat jacket pockets, door pockets, and cup holders. The Variant has a 605-liters cargo space that can be extended to 1620-liters with the 60/40 rear seats folding flat configuration.
BROWSE LOW COST VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VARIANT MODELS
The Variant has been fitted with different engines depending on the year of manufacture. The engines began from a 1.2-liter 74 HP to 1.4-liter 178 HP. These engines were mated with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission.
The face of the Variant features a well-designed 2 fins grille and a VW badge at the center. The bi-xenon headlights include LED daytime running lamps, while at the rear you find LED taillights.
The Standard advanced safety features include Forward collision warning, Automatic emergency braking, Post-collision braking, Pedestrian detection, Blind-spot monitoring, Rear cross-traffic alert, and Rearview camera.
Honda Shuttle
BROWSE LOW COST HONDA SHUTTLE MODELS
The Honda Shuttle is a sensible, reliable, and powerful 5-door 5-Seater wagon.
The front fascia of the Shuttle is adorned by Honda’s signature chrome winged grille that stretches to the adaptive LED headlights with daytime running lights. The rear end is simple, it features a chrome strip that runs across the boot from one LED rear light to the other.
BROWSE LOW COST HONDA SHUTTLE MODELS
The Shuttles’ multifunction steering wheel is modern with steering controls for audio and cruise control.
The instrument panel has one large analog central speedometer that is easy to read.
The Shuttle is fitted with either a 130 HP 1.5-liter engine or a 135 HP 1.5-liter and motor Hybrid i-DCD system. These engines are mated with a CVT or 7-speed DCT transmission respectively.
Active safety features of the Shuttle include Traction control, City Brake Active System, Front, rear, and side airbag system, curtain airbags, ABS, Hill-Start, and EBD.
Audi A4
BROWSE LOW COST AUDI A4 MODELS
The Audi A4 Wagon (Avant) is a 5-door 5-seat car with a very fine and spacious interior. The seats are supportive and comfortable with the front offering enough legroom and headroom, while the rear center seat is affected by the presence of the transmission tunnel which limits its legroom.
BROWSE LOW COST AUDI A4 MODELS
The A4 offers plenty of storage compartments which include large door pockets, a cubby bin between the front seats, cup-holders, and a glovebox. The A4 Wagon has 505 liters boot that extends to 1510 liters with the rear seats folded in the 40/20/40 split configuration.
The A4 has employed several petrol and diesel engines that are all great in their own way, with power ranging from 100 HP to 190 HP. These engines are impressively refined offering great efficiency as well. Power is transferred to the wheels via a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with Audi’s Quattro 4WD as an option.
BROWSE LOW COST AUDI A4 MODELS
Safety features of the A4 include three ISOFIX child-seat mounts, ABS, stability control, front, side, and overhead airbags.
Conclusion
Most wagons are honest and efficient cars. They are efficient and spacious, sometimes even more spacious than some SUVs. But unlike SUVs, wagons are cheap to run, cheap to buy, and have a better center of gravity. As we have seen above, most of these wagons offer handsome styling and lively dynamics. And last but not least, these wagons are great family cars. One of these wagons has to be on your next shopping list if you are looking for a cargo and family hauler.
I am a Telecom & ICT specialist with a career spanning over 15 years in the demanding Tanzanian telecom industry.
I am also an avid DIYer with a good knack for everything technical and a wealth of vocational skills, with automotive being the top, and here I am writing about cars.
In 2017 a guy created a WhatsApp group called MyCar for the sole purpose of members helping each other with all matters regarding cars. I joined this group in 2018, and with my enormous wealth of knowledge regarding cars, and my readiness to share the knowledge with others, I became a top contributor, and that didn’t go unnoticed, as one member thought I was a potential writer and had contacts with Be Forward Japan who were looking for writers then. Fast forward to January 2020, I began writing for the Be Forward blog with 2024 being my fourth year.
As far as I can remember, I love cars, and growing up in the farming and tourist city of Arusha Tanzania in the ’80s and ’90s, I ended up being drawn to the Ranger Rover Classic for leisure and Land Cruiser 70 pickup as a workhorse. These were tough cars then, cars that could take you anywhere any time no matter the weather.
