Remember the wagon? Long ago, for decades, it was the preferred vehicle we used to hop into when people hit the road with family and friends.

Enter the era of SUVs, and the wagons have mostly disappeared as families flocked to the new dominant vehicle type on today’s roadways.

But fear not, wagon lovers, you still have a few choices if you’d like to maintain solid cargo space and a roomy interior, but don’t want to follow the trend of SUV ownership.

The clear leader in the world of wagons today is the Subaru Outback, which is so successful it’s the leading seller for Subaru in the U.S.; sales actually grew by 10 percent in 2023 to reach 161,814 total Outbacks sold. And numbers are trending to grow yet again in 2024.

The wagon is a staple of American car culture.

And even if we don’t use the term much anymore in a world focused on SUVs and crossovers, the fact is they do still exist and are available from a small number of automakers in 2022.

The most obvious example of a wagon that people still take out on the roadways every day is the Subaru Outback, which has for years been the dominant vehicle in the segment — accounting for the vast majority of wagon sales in the U.S. each year..

This long, spacious ride might not look exactly like the wood-paneled vehicles of your childhood, but it serves the same purpose — hauling the family and a bunch of cargo with ease.

With its rugged looks and design, and the introduction of a more off-road friendly Wilderness model for 2022, the Outback continues to work on expanding its foothold in this segment. Combine all that with a truly versatile interior, and the Outback is a vehicle that probably should be even more popular than it is.

I recently spent some time in a 2022 Outback Wilderness, and I’m back with a full report.

The numbers don’t lie.

While wagons represent just 1.4 percent of vehicle sales in the U.S., the Subaru Outback owns the segment, representing nearly 80 percent of those sales.

But it’s not resting on its laurels, and the Outback — one of the few truly affordable options in the wagon category — is back with a brand new design for 2020. 
 
I recently spent some time in a 2020 Outback, and I’m back with a report on how well it measures up against the myriad SUV and wagon options available.

LOOKS 

Built on Subaru’s Global Platform, the 2020 Subaru Outback offers a very spacious cabin that is very comfortable for all passengers.

The vehicle is 191.3 inches long, and features excellent cargo space: specifically 32.5 cubic feet with rear seats up, and 75.7 cubic feet with the seats down.
For 2020, the passenger volume and maximum cargo value both see slight increases. There is also a 60/40 split in the rear seat to boost versatility.