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 station wagon, once the vehicle most associated with family excursions, is arguably the most overlooked class of vehicles available today.

It doesn’t help that so few wagons are being produced (they make up only 1.4 percent of U.S. auto sales), and the biggest factor in this trend is the 500 SUVs and crossovers that dominate family vehicle buying these days.

But for folks who have SUV fatigue and want some alternative options, a few brands are still in the wagon business. In the luxury realm, the most notable player is Volvo, who offers a couple wagon options in the V90 and V60.

I recently tested a Volvo V60, which was redesigned for the 2019 model year, and I’m back with a full report on what it offers.