Quote:
Originally Posted by jcp123
That's about on par for a wagon that size if not a little better. FE regs killed wagons like these, shunting American buyers into SUVs.
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I think it was the minivan that did that. It was a fad that displaced the wagon then fizzled out leaving no other option but SUVs. Also, consider the stalwart European manufacturers that still offer wagons that nobody in America will buy, like BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, VW, even non Europeans like Subaru and Mazda. Their wagons are niche market vehicles in the USA despite being volume sellers in Europe and Asia. I can cite my wife as an example. We have a Suburban because she didn't want a station wagon. I was going to do the diesel swap to an 88 Custom Cruiser I had found with a beautiful body but a blown Olds 307. She wanted no parts of it. So I found the next best thing, a 2wd Suburban with a knocking 250,000 mile 350 and a slipping 700R4, and did the diesel swap to it instead. FE regs didn't do that. Further, I do better than most minivans on fuel economy. My brother in law has a Honda Odyssey and gets 25 mpg and that's with premium. I do 26 on regular. Besides, think how awesome a modern version of one of these could be with a variable displacement 5.3L LS or a Ford Country Squire with an Ecoboost V6 from the F-150. There is no doubt they could be in the low to mid 30s, and with a baby Duramax or Powerstroke they could be in the 40s.