My 1998 Honda CRV is biting the dust. I want a wagon and not an SUV. There aren’t a lot out there. I’m thinking of getting a used Subaru impreza or Prius V and welcome feedback. Also open to other wagon recommendations (station wagons, not small SUVs!)
I live in the Boston area and have two young kids (currently in booster seats, no car seats). Not having anymore kids but will have a dog.
Thank you!
There aren’t many wagons any more, the small CUV’s are the new wagons. The Prius V is a decent car but I am not sure how many miles you drive and if the hybrid system would pay back in gas savings. The Subaru has a good AWD system that would be neat to have during winter, but definitely not a necessity.
If there is not a big price difference, I think you will be happier with the Prius V.
With the good loan rates that are out there now I would not even consider buying a one to three year old all wheel drive vehicle or a hybrid. Those are vehicles I want new with full warranty.
A Subaru Impreza and a Prius are not actually apples to apples for comparison.
With two kids and a dog the Impreza would seem kind of small. Not many wagons, but a Forester is quite roomy, not that tall, and the new ones get decent mpgs. No way you could swing a new base model?
Other than the VW Golf/Jetta Sportwagon there’s little else that comes to mind. Either the Subaru or the Prius would suit your need just fine but one of my co-workers only had her Impreza for about a year before deciding it didn’t have quite enough room and switched to a Forester.
So I test drove a couple imprezas and a couple Prius v. Comments are right on that Impreza is too small for 2 kids and a dog, and didn’t love overall drive of Prius v. But then I test drove 2 Toyota venzas and was surprised to love it. Thought it would feel big and klunky but they were roomy and zippy. Plenty of room in back seat as kids get older/longer legs. So now I’m focusing on looking for a good Venza.
Thanks for replying, I really appreciate it!
This just proves that car selection is just meant to be a personal choice.
There are other SUV’s in this class but you may want to stick with the Venza.
Not all SUV’s are trucks.
I later thought of the Venza as another option, it is a great car
Isn’t the Venza more of a minivan . . . ?
If you liked the Impreza but it was too small I would recommend a Subaru Outback. Better ground clearance than a lot of SUV’s but a low center of gravity like a sedan. Handles more like a car than an SUV.
It’s not a choice that makes sense from my original post - it’s an SUV. I thought I only wanted a wagon or hatchback but I was surprised to find liked this car from test drives. Its 5 passenger. No 3rd row.
No, it’s pretty much a 2-seat-row version of the Highlander. I’d probably be driving one now if it had come out a year or two earlier.
But IMO it looks like a minivan
Really?
Yup
IMO it looks like a minivan
Remember the Mazda MPV . . . it also didn’t have sliding doors, but it was considered a minivan 
I’ve seen at least 4 just today,looks much lower than a minivan or suv
To me, they seem kind of inbetween wagons and SUVs.
The Toyota Venza resembles the Lexus RX350 but with a lower roof in the rear and a smaller rear window.