I Need A Cheap European Wagon! What Car Should I Buy?

Nick lives in Fort Greene in the Brooklyn area, where everyone either seems to drive an old Land Cruiser or a funky wagon. He is looking for an affordable longroof that can get him and his partner out of the city for the weekend. With a budget of around $8,000 what car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario.

I live in Fort Greene, where everybody has a Volvo 240 or a Land Cruiser! I'm looking for a wagon, have been interested in more European brands like Audi, Saab, and Volvo. My budget is up to $8K, and I want something my partner can easily drive upstate hauling friends or or furniture while enjoying the drive! Also it needs to be an automatic and have AWD. I would really like a sunroof as well.

Quick Facts:

Budget: around $8,000

Location: Brooklyn, NYC

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Wagon, AWD, sunroof

Doesn't want: A manual transmission

Nick, you have already created a bit of a challenge by simply checking the wagon box. When paired with a budget of about eight grand, we have double trouble, especially if you lean towards the European stuff. I imagine you are already coming into this with an understanding that some heavier maintenance is going to be a factor with a wagon at this price point, so the goal is to score the highest quality example you can.

I spotted this excellent 2005 VW Passat V6 wagon with only 71,000 miles. Sure, it's a 20+ year old Volkswagen, but I don't think that is any riskier than a 12-15 year old Volvo, Audi, BMW etc... However, this car looks super clean and very well cared for. Supposedly, this was a California car, and while it's a tad over budget it may be worth paying a small premium for it.

Nicky boy, how about them Knicks? Feeling good? I know I am. Anyway, I know your heart wants a European wagon. Trust me, mine does too, but they just don't make sense — not at your budget, at least. Sure, there are plenty of long-roof Audis, Saabs, BMWs and Volvos to choose from for under $8,000, but you're going to end up spending way more than that just to keep the damn things on the road. It's not worth it, unfortunately.

Luckily, there's a solution for you, and it has the exact same sort of Zohran-voting hipster cred old Volvo 240s and Land Crusiers get you: a Subaru Outback. I know it's not as cool as a Euro Wagon, but I promise it's going to fit the bill far better and it'll probably end up being more comfortable and capable as our winters get worse with each passing year.

Since I'm such a fantastic guy, I decided to help you, a fellow New Yorker, out. I found you and your betrothed the Perfect Outback. It's listed for sale privately by some yuppie in Danbury, Connecticut, and while the miles are a bit high for a 2016 model (169,000 and change), it boasts a clean CarFax and an even cleaner interior. Plus, it has other niceties like leather, a cargo basket on the roof, Subaru-appropriate green paint and radar cruise control that is sure to make your trips upstate more pleasant. I mean, dude, it's the Limited trim for Christ's sake. It also has tons of room for whatever crap you're hauling. There's really not much more you could ask for, Nick, and all for the low price of $7,800. This is the car for you, my friend.

I get your plight, Nick. You want to hang with the fancypants Fort Greene folks and their expensive cars, but only with the cash left over after paying Fort Greene rent. Not an enviable position to be in. Luckily for you, though, I have a solution: A depreciated BMW 5-series wagon.

To be honest, my first pick for you was a Saab 9-2x Aero. The problem is, every single one of those is now beat to hell and selling for $500. If you can find one, go for it, but I don't think you can. This, though, is the next best thing. When you think of Germans whipping around the Autobahn, ferrying kids and groceries to and fro, this is the car they actually do those chores in.

The 5-series is reasonably sized (especially in this generation), available in all-wheel-drive (which this one has), and even has some nice interior specs available — just look at those seats! Won't those be nice as you're sitting at a standstill on the FDR, because you for some reason want to leave New York City while the Knicks are in the finals? I'm not judging, just pointing out.Get yourself a depreciated 5-series, and take it on long road trips in the salty Northeast. You'll be fine. Don't worry about it.

I'm sure this is going to sound weird coming from a car guy on a car site, but Nick, I don't think you should buy a car. I know Fort Greene isn't quite Midtown, but it's still about as walkable as the U.S. gets, and public transportation options are literally all around you. Your budget would mean buying an older wagon that needs more frequent repairs, gas will probably stay expensive for a while, and things like new tires and insurance add up. You'll also be stuck moving your car twice a week unless you pay for parking.

Based on what you wrote, it also sounds like you mainly need the car to haul things that are too big to carry yourself or to get out of the city. Those are good reasons to want access to a car, but how often do you actually need a car, really? I don't know anything about you other than what you wrote in your submission, so maybe you and your partner do more driving than I assume, but I bet not. If that's the case, just rent something any time you need a vehicle. Especially when you're headed upstate in the winter. Instead of buying one car that can do it all, just rent the one you need for that particular trip.

For some reason, Americans get really weird about renting cars, and it just doesn't make sense to me. Why spend a bunch of money to buy something you only need once or twice a month when you could just rent instead? It's not like it's some moral failure to rent a car or join a carshare service. We don't get this weird about renting boats. But for some reason, renting cars is bad. It doesn't make any sense, but I also refuse to change my mind just because others disagree. The money you'd spend on insurance alone would cover several weekend rentals, and who wants to do the alt-side parking shuffle twice a week for a car they barely drive?