Station wagons are an interesting topic, especially when discussed in the United States. This body style used to be the vehicle of choice for family road trips and weekend soccer tournaments, but it has since been replaced by SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks. Wagons are still going strong in places like Europe, where they represent over 8% of the market (as of 2022), but even that number has dwindled in recent years.
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Unfortunately, most of these never made it to the USA.
Things are far bleaker here in the US, where out of a total of 15.5 million vehicles sold in 2023, wagons made up approximately 1% of sales. Things get worse when you consider that over 97% of that volume came from a single model, one that we personally don’t believe should be considered a wagon. If you count only the “purest” wagons, Americans took home fewer than 5,000 in 2023 or 0.03% of all new cars. For comparison, over 6,000 people took home a new Rolls-Royce that same year.
Subaru Outback
Subaru Outback US Sales
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
178,854
181,178
153,290
154,623
147,262
161,812
The Subaru Outback accounts for more than 97% of station wagon volume in the US, with 161,812 units sold in 2023. It may derive its origins from the Legacy Wagon, but the Outback has transformed in recent years to the point where it is clearly more of a crossover than a true wagon. Subaru even calls it a “midsize SUV” on its website.
We could trust EPA classifications, which do not count the Outback as a wagon, but that can get pretty wonky. The EPA has some odd choices for what it considers a wagon, including the Buick Envista, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Kia EV6, Kia Niro, Nissan Ariya, Nissan Kicks, Subaru Impreza, and even the Rolls-Royce Cullinan at one point.
US Wagon Sales (Outback Excluded)
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
28,900
20,600
12,100
7,700
4,900
4,800
For the purposes of this exercise, we are going to use common sense to rule out SUVs, crossovers, and hatchbacks. Lightly lifted wagons like the Audi Allroad and Volvo Cross Country models are fine, but technicalities like the Cullinan will not. Determining wagon sales isn’t a simple task, as many automakers do not break down individual body style sales within models, but thanks to data provided by Auto Pacific, we determined that roughly 4,800 wagons were sold in 2023.
Audi Allroads & RS6 Avant
Audi currently sells three wagon models in the US market: the Audi A4 allroad, the Audi A6 allroad, and the Audi RS6 Avant. The allroad models are lifted, similar to the Outback, while the RS6 is a true wagon with a performance theme. According to the Auto Pacific data, Audi sold around 900 A4 allroad units and around 800 A6 units (allroad and RS6). These numbers represent around 6.6% of total A4 sales (13,550 units) and 13.3% of A6 sales (6,003 units).
The sales numbers may not be significant, but Audi remains one of the few companies dedicated to offering wagons in the US. In fact, Audi recently released its fastest wagon ever, the RS6 GT and it has new models in the works, like the A5 Avant.
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Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain & AMG
For the 2023 model year, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class was available in two wagon variants: the lifted and rugged E-Class All-Terrain, and the performance-focused AMG E63. We don’t have the sales breakdown for each version, but the two E-Class models combined for around 300 units, so the numbers aren’t significant enough to matter. Wagons made up just 1.7% of all E-Class sales (including CLS) in 2023, a truly miniscule percentage. It’s no wonder why Mercedes decided not to bring the C-Class All-Terrain stateside. The new All-Terrain has been introduced by Mercedes, but we’re still waiting for news about the new E63.
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Do you really need a truck when a wagon can get the job done just as well?
Volvo Cross Country
Thanks to a small sales spike in 2023, Volvo sold more wagons than any of the German luxury brands on this list, with 2,539 sold. And unlike any of those other brands, Volvo actually breaks down its sales, so we can see the exact volumes. The Volvo V60 (now available only as an Engineered By Polestar model) sold 602 units in 2023, a 400% increase from the previous year. That still pales in comparison with the V60 Cross Country with 1,360 units. With over 2,000 units, the V60 is the best-selling wagon in the US, which isn’t the Subaru Outback. The larger V90 Cross Country (the standard V90 is no longer sold in the US) was less impressive, with 577 units. Volvo has always been a brand synonymous with wagons, but it’s unclear if the company will keep making them with sales being so low.
Porsche Taycan Cross/Sport Turismo
Porsche gave wagons a nice shot for a short period, offering the Panamera and Taycan with long roof variants. With the Panamera Sport Turismo now gone, the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo are the only wagons left. We don’t know the breakdown, but Porsche only sold roughly 200 Taycan wagons in 2023. The Taycan as a whole moved 7,570 units that year, so the Sport and Cross Turismo only accounted for 2.6% of sales.
We thought electric cars might help save the wagon body style because their lower ride height would yield superior range with more storage space than a sedan. So far, however, the first and only electric wagon in the US has not sold well.
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When Will The Wagon Die?
US Wagon Vs. SUV Sales Projections (Outback Excluded)
Years
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
Wagons
4,700
3,600
1,000
600
400
400
SUVs/Crossovers
9,245,500
9,581,900
9,998,400
10,258,400
10,294,200
10,298,700
The sales data shows that wagon sales (not counting the Outback) took a nosedive post-pandemic. One obvious explanation for the lack of sales is the lack of availability. There are fewer wagon models available in the US market, and the ones that are still sold are not easy to find on dealer lots. Some automakers are still willing to take a chance on selling small volumes, like the BMW M5 Touring, but wagons will undoubtedly continue on a downhill trajectory.
Auto Pacific predicts a steep decline until wagons are virtually eliminated from the market. By 2029, the research firm predicts there will be fewer than 500 station wagons sold in the US. There will be far more mid-engine supercars at that point. In stark contrast, crossovers & SUVs will continue to grow from a projected 9.2 million in 2024 to nearly 10.3 million in 2029. There may be a small cult following for station wagons in the US, but the data proves it’s not enough to keep the body style alive for much longer.