My beloved 2001 Pontiac Aztek was demolished in a wreck. What used car can I replace it with that will have the cargo capacity with seats removed, a tailgate/hatchback combo, good mileage and a good sound system? I had 20 drums in the Aztek when we wrecked and need to haul at last that many.
The first question for me is how much do you want to spend?
First of all I have no idea what a ā djembes ā is. Take the measurements of the cargo you plan to haul and just measure all the vehicles you look at. This is one of those see it person things.
Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth minivan with āstow and goā seats.
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Hereās a Djembe:
I could probably fit at least 20 in my Chrysler Town and Country with the Stow & Go. A large cargo van would work too.
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Bring your Djembes with you when you go shopping and try stuffing them in. Youāll draw a crowd of onlookers, but hey, make it fun!
By the way, did any of the Djembes get hurt?
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Only my personal djembe popped its head. Not bad for a rollover accident.
I would prefer not a van. The tailgate with a hatch on top is one thing I really liked about the Aztek. I would be grateful for ideas so that I do not have to measure vehicles as I go.
You have a better idea of your needs than anyone. There are so many web sites to search for vehicles itās crazy. If you see one you can just put it in Google and find reviews , pictures and dimensions . I donāt understand peoples reluctance to vans . There is nothing more practical to drive and haul stuff made. The hatch and tail gate combo may be a thing of the past.
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Out of curiosity, why?
Iām not sure how many options will have both the necessary space and the hatch on top outside of trucks with a cab on top of the bedā¦I know my grandfather can fit his upright bass into the back of his Subaru forester with the back seats folded downā¦not sure how many Djembes you could fit, thoughā¦
I bet Forester is too small for 20, getting something like full-size-SUV does not rhyme with āfuel efficientā at allā¦
Minivan is lesser fun to drive, but is probably the best combination.
Something like Ford Transit might have the space, but does not seem to be as universal as minivan.
I really wish I had 20 of them so I could take them over to my grandfatherās Forester and checkā¦I think between my dad and I we only have 1-3ā¦I could give a much better answer than a guess! 
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Can you recommend one website? I have searched but not found one, hence my post here! I wish there was a site to check off features as specific as the tailgate.
Maybe this would fit the bill, had it not been made by Citroen:
Well, nowadays, they are old, rare and very expensive.
Donāt they sell good sized station wagons in USA anymore?
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Not really, station wagon has become something to be avoided for some reason . Those that do look like station wagons are the size of VW Jetta and Volvo V60 . The USA has the idea that you must have a SUV .
The KIA SOUL is listed as a station wagon but I think that is a stretch .
The Honda Element might be a decent replacement, canāt speak for the sound system but it does have a tailgate/hatch combination and is basically a boxier Honda CRV (same platform as the 2002-2006 CRV)
Kia Soul is my other car. I can get 10 djembes and a balafon in it.
Yes, the Element might do the job.
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Consumer Reports classifies the Subaru Outbackāeven the much larger ones made since 2010āas station wagons. The now-discontinued Toyota Venza was also classified by CR as a station wagon.
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I think I have the solution for the OP. He does not want a van , has a KIA SOUL to drive and is hung up the tailgate thing. Simple , find a decent used pickup trunk with a camper shell on it.
The Ford Flex is a large station wagon no matter what they call it but I have no idea how the back opens. The OP had a Pontiac Aztek that suited him perfectly. Why not look for another one?
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