The station wagons will probably no longer have a great future. At the latest with the complete switch to electric drives, one or the other station wagon version should no longer get a successor. There are vehicles that are a real show, especially as station wagons, and are more practical than ever. Doesn’t everyone need an SUV? If you think of a station wagon, you can hardly avoid an Audi A4 / A6 Avant in Europe. It doesn’t always have to be a new car or a young, current-generation used vehicle, because the previous models didn’t just look good, they’re more practical than ever. The drive portfolio is as diverse as the level of equipment. The current basic petrol engine Audi A4 Avant 35 TFSI with a manageable 110 kW / 150 PS and mediocre equipment starts from the 2021 model year with less than 30,000 km at less than 28,000 euros. The 204 hp diesel version of the 40 TDI offers significantly more driving pleasure and lower consumption for around 30,000 euros. Quite surprising: the larger Audi A6 Avant with the 204 hp diesel, automatic, but only front-wheel drive is just two years old and better equipped and hardly more expensive and starts at around 32,000 euros. The four-wheel drive versions, which quickly cost 2,000 to 3,000 euros, are in greater demand and have better equipment, are significantly better.
The basic models are not very popular with many models and so the prospective buyer should think carefully about which version is the right one for their own needs. If you want to experience driving pleasure, and still want to be on the road quickly even on longer journeys with a load or even towing a trailer, you should definitely opt for all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission with a powerful petrol engine. The high-torque and efficient diesels are often tempting; but in terms of resale, it will probably be difficult to sell them well in the coming years.
This also applies to the VW Passat, because for those who do not necessarily want to be in the premium segment, the Passat is always a solid alternative that offers plenty of space for leisure and family. With the Passat, the range of particularly efficient diesel engines is particularly high and, apart from the difficult to calculate resale situation in a few years, these are also the best choice. However, if you want to decide on a VW Passat, you will increasingly find petrol engines or plug-in hybrids on offer, although these will probably only be of interest to customers with a special hybrid driving profile. Without electric support, the small 1.4-liter turbo is a bit too little of a good thing for the large Passat. A VW Passat 1.5 TSI from 2021 with around 50,000 kilometers and less comfort equipment costs just under 24,000 euros. The 150 kW / 204 hp plug-in hybrid of the GTE also starts at less than 25,000 euros – but usually offers more standard equipment with less mileage.
And if the Passat is too expensive for you, you can definitely take a look at the little brother, the VW Golf, because the Golf Variant is also an impressive size and usually offers more than enough space inside for four people for everyday events. This is where the entry-level engine 1.0 eTSI / TSI from the end of 2021 / beginning of 2022 starts at around 21,000 euros. Here, too, the diesels – often offered with a very low mileage of less than 10,000 km – are more popular and expensive. An almost new VW Golf Variant 2.0 TDI costs 26,000 euros. The light cross variants, which carry Crosstrack at Volkswagen, are particularly popular. Just as popular as the Golf Variant and much cheaper: the Opel Astra or Ford Focus as station wagon versions, which with good equipment and modern drive portfolio are usually much cheaper than the competition from Wolfsburg. An Opel Astra ST 1.5 diesel from the previous generation with 90 kW / 122 hp as the basic equipment with 50,000 km just two years old costs little more than 15,000 euros. A comparable Ford Focus tournament with a 1.0 liter turbo petrol engine can hardly be had for less than 20,000 euros. But the Astra ST is already available with a 145 hp petrol engine in the top configuration.
And if you are looking for a lot of station wagon for fair money, you cannot avoid a Skoda Octavia Combi in your search. The Octavia offers almost the same drive portfolio as the Golf. But over the years, the Skoda Octavia has become even more popular with many customers than the VW Golf Varianz and therefore costs little less – on the contrary: a Skoda Octavia Combi with the 81 kW / 110 hp basic petrol engine is from the 2021 vintage at less than 40,000 km hardly available for less than 25,000 euros. A 150 hp diesel with solid equipment even quickly costs 28,000 to 30,000 euros. If it can be a little bigger: Skoda also offers its Superb as a variable combi variant and this is mighty large, offers a lot of equipment and a wide range of services. If space only plays a subordinate role despite the choice of station wagon, there is still a particularly chic temptation: the Peugeot 508 SW. The noble GT variant with 131 hp diesel from 2021 with less than 50,000 km costs almost 25,000 euros. You should definitely give this a thought. And if you don’t want one of these station wagons, there are a few more. Not only with the premium competition from BMW or Mercedes.
