I think the best value right now on a used wagon would probably be the Elantra Touring. I've seen these for sale with 2-3 years remaining on their warranty and under 50,000 kms for around $9,000. I sat in one when we bought our Santa Fe and it had more room in the back seats than the SUV, and I'd bet the cargo space was pretty similar as well.
Yep, it's got LOTS of room - especially for it's compact footprint. Hyundai calimed 689L cargo space, and 1800+ L with the seats folded. I think they were on crack about that second number - they must be including the space under the front seats, under the cargo floor, etc to come up with 1800+ L ("more than a Murano or Hummer H3" was quoted in the brochure...)
But it hauled a new tub (in its box) for me, and Lord knows we've packed more stuff in there than I would have thought possible. As for reliability, the sample size for ETs is pretty small so it's hard to get an accurate estimation. Ours has been very good, some excessive tire wear due to alignment issues but otherwise just routine maintenance. I've been very happy with the purchase.
As for the wagons on this list - I can honestly say that at some point and time I've "built and priced" every single one on the web! I considered buying each one - some only until I saw the specs (no manual - Magnum, Crosstour), some because the price was out of my reach (CTS-V with stick), some because of terrible reliability (buddy's co-worker's V70R that was offered). The others (Mazda6, Legacy wagon, and especially Golf Wagon) were all test-driven and seriously considered.
Justin, based on your research of all the wagons in the article, as of today which is the most compelling choice to you? (All things considered, price, reliability, performance, etc.)
