Best Wagons for the Money

To create the 2026 Forester Wilderness, Subaru adds all-terrain tires, increased ground clearance, and improved angles of approach, breakover, and departure. Drivetrain modifications enhance traction, added underbody protection prevents damage when off-roading, and a full-size all-terrain spare tire is ready when you need it. Styling changes convey this model’s rugged capabilities, and Subaru outfits the interior for easy clean-up. All 2026 Forester models get a new center console design and updated protection for rear passengers in a collision.

Verdict: Push the new 2026 Forester Wilderness to its limits, and you’ll be impressed by its off-roading capability. But, even if you’re not planning to traverse challenging terrain, it is comforting to know that the Wilderness offers more competence than a typical crossover SUV when confronted with unexpected situations.

The redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback may look like an SUV, but it retains all the advantages of its wagon predecessors. It's as impressive off-road as it is comfortable on pavement, while numerous feature enhancements are clear indications that Subaru pays close attention to how its customers use their vehicles.

Verdict: In terms of price, performance, and practicality, we found no notable flaws with the redesigned Outback, making it a top choice for adventure-bound shoppers.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class was the automaker’s entry-level model, but it needed a new role. Mercedes now has a line of compact cars serving as lower-priced entryways to the brand, so it’s moving the C-Class upmarket. The redesigned 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan borrows design elements from the automaker’s flagship S-Class to entice new car buyers on a budget who still want the most Mercedes for their money.

The C-Class competes against a formidable array of small sports sedans. Like the Mercedes, the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS, and Volvo S60 are fixtures in this segment, with nameplates that date back at least two decades. The Acura TLX, Cadillac CT4, and Infiniti Q50 are newer names that build on their respective brands’ experience in the segment. The Genesis G70 is a relative newcomer from a recently launched brand that’s already managed to impress.

The all-new C-Class launches in C300 sedan form with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD), optional 4Matic all-wheel drive (AWD), and Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle trim levels. Our test car was a C300 4Matic in the top Pinnacle trim. An AMG C43 performance model is also on the way, but it’s not expected to hit showrooms until after the C300, which arrives at dealerships later this spring.

Station wagons are to Volvo what pickup trucks are to Ford or Chevrolet. They’re this automaker’s bread and butter, vehicles that are integral to the Volvo brand and that represent a comfort zone for the Swedish automaker’s designers and engineers.

So while wagons have been declining in popularity for decades, Volvo has stuck with them. The current-generation Volvo V60 was introduced for the 2019 model year as the wagon companion to the Volvo S60 sedan. Its closest competitor is the Audi A4 Allroad, a similarly-sized wagon from another luxury brand. Given the lack of choices, the V60 could also be cross-shopped against the larger Audi A6 Allroad and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, as well the Subaru Outback, which lacks a prestige badge but fills a similar functional niche.

Because the V60 is relatively fresh, it gets no significant changes for the 2021 model year. Volvo offers the standard 2021 V60 in Momentum, Inscription, and R-Design trim levels but also has two spinoff versions of the wagon. The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered sports a plug-in hybrid powertrain, while the Volvo V60 Cross Country gets more SUV-like styling. We tested a Cross Country for this review.

There was a time when Volvo wagons were regarded as nerdy professor cars. The type of car that might come with a tweed jacket with elbow patches. In the decades since that reputation took root, nerdy became cool, and Volvo took notice. Today, its entire lineup of sedans, crossovers, and SUVs is among the most sharply-styled on the market today. Chief among them is the V90, the Swedish automaker’s range-topping wagon. And like nerds and Volvo, the V90 has shown the wagon can be cool as well.

But wagons are still relegated to a niche, representing less than 2 percent of the new-car market. And yet, the V90 shows that you don’t need an SUV to get a supremely versatile vehicle. This is especially true of the rugged-yet-posh V90 Cross Country, which has very few rivals. The Audi A6 Allroad, and to a lesser extent the Subaru Outback, represent the only 1-to-1 competition to the Volvo V90 Cross Country. Read on to learn about the 2021 Volvo V90 wagon and we’ll see if it can supplant the SUV as your de facto family vehicle.

Long the yardstick against which its rivals are measured, the 2024 Mercedes E-Class gets a redesign. In addition to understated styling that can stand the test of time, the elegant interior adds an infusion of technology that sets new standards in the segment. Mild-hybrid engines, standard all-wheel drive, the return of the All-Terrain wagon, and an upcoming plug-in hybrid massaged for performance by AMG are all on the new E-Class menu.

Verdict: Based on observations from several days spent with the E 350 4Matic sedan, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class remains at the top of its midsize luxury sedan game when equipped with all the extras. Refined, sophisticated, and soothing to drive, it embodies what a car like this should be.

People buy SUVs for many reasons. Some people prefer to sit up high for a better view out. Some people find them easier to get into and out of than a car. Some people want the added cargo space and utility. Some people want AWD for foul weather and heading into the wilderness. Some people want the rugged image. Some people want the feeling of safety. Some people want all of these things and are willing to trade the superior driving dynamics and greater fuel efficiency of a car in order to get them.

But now it seems like everyone has an SUV, and they’re getting tired. They’re getting old. They’re so Boomer. And some people—who perhaps view themselves as free-thinking individualists—might be seeking a new and different vehicle to drive that isn’t one of those wacky SUV coupes. Enter the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain wagon, which essentially applies a Subaru Outback treatment to a luxury station wagon—and to compelling effect.

With that realization in hand, it launched the Cayenne SUV, then followed it up with the four-door Panamera grand tourer. These decisions proved wise, and today, the successful Panamera is two years past its 2021 model-year freshening and likely closing in on the end of its second-generation run.

The Panamera blends the styling elements of a 911 Carrera with the practical, passenger-friendly configuration of a sportback or sports wagon design. In addition, the lineup is diverse. The 2023 Porsche Panamera is available in three body styles and with your choice between multiple drivetrains.

This year, the only change to the 2023 Panamera is that adaptive cruise control is standard instead of optional.

Now a plug-in hybrid, the redesigned 2025 BMW M5 is a versatile, high-performance sedan that allows drivers to have their cake and eat it, too. It may put out 717 horsepower—and certainly feels like it—but the M5’s repertoire also includes a calming all-electric driving experience for up to 25 miles, which also makes this version the most efficient M5 ever.

Verdict: The new BMW M5 boasts impressive speed, agility, and daily usability. It's not perfect; the exhaust is too quiet for a performance vehicle and its ride is too harsh for a luxury car. But for the shopper who wants a sedan capable of doing a bit of everything, the M5 delivers in excess.