I am in the market for a new (used) car. Currently I have a '94 Volvo 850 turbo wagon that I’ve enjoyed however, constant repairs have made me think twice about another volvo. Wld like a recommendation for another wagon or SUV type vehicle (used: '95-'97). Something that will hold my 2 large dogs and hiking, biking, sailing gear.
See if you can find a Buick Estate Wagon, '88-'89. The Ultimate Station Wagon. Low mileage examples (Geezer mobiles) are out there…
We very much enjoyed our 99 Nissan Pathfinder. Nice ride, decent off road, reliable.
Anything 10+ year old will require repairs and maintenance ongoing. I would seriously consider moving your criteria into this decade. What is your budget?
If inexpensive is what your after try taking a peek at a Ford Focus wagon. They have a great amount of room for their size and average reliability coupled to inexpensive repair costs.
Have you considered a mini-van? From what you say you carry around, you might be better off buying one of those instead.
Saturn LW200 or 300 is a very nice wagon. Don’t get the earliest models tho.
A Toyota RAV 4 is pretty good too, and there’s always a Minivan.
Most SUVs don’t have much cargo room, atleast not considering your gear and two large dogs.
The bikes can go onto a hitch mounted rack and the other long equipment can go on the roof racks.
I have a Chevy Tahoe 4x4 that I use for towing my travel trailer and if I want to haul plywood home, the seats have to be removed (or as in some vans the seats will fold flat).
A friend of mine has a Taurus wagon and loves it.
He likes all the space inside, just like one poster has said.
You may also want to consider an extended or crew cab pickup with a cap.
You can get a 2003 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab for less than $15,000 if that’s in your budget. My cousin has a Frontier and loves it.