GM's Mark Reuss says America deserves a new wagon

ok

great idea, but, IMO, this is barley a wagon, the way back is way to small. double the way back and maybe. Judging by the pic I'm asking for another foot to 18 inches. And please, make the rear more upright (square) so it is truley usefull. AND put the license plate in the bumper, not the gate!!!!! John

 

I agree John. It's an almost wagon. I don't understand why someone just doesn't build another real station wagon. I believe even SUV and minivan lovers would like a wagon. If necessary change the name to something sexy, rugged, or whatever it takes. Just make a real longer rearend straight roofed station wagon.

 

The one pictured is only being used as an example of a modern American "wagon". (hatchback sedan). I don't even think it looks "wagonish".

In this age of giant SUVs, America needs a real wagon that can swallow 4x8 sheets of plywood, and float like a luxury car, not rumble like a truck (SUV). Do all the things people buy SUVs for without being an SUV.

 

Seems like the closet thing to a station wagon on the
American market is the Ford Flex....

 

I agree and would like to see it happen, but the major hurdle I see is no available platform to build one on.

All traditional wagons were build off of the Large RWD car chassis, with frame extensions added for more cargo area, at present only Dodge makes a cheap fairly Large RWD car the Charger, and they have done away with the somewhat wagonised version of the car the Magnum due to slow sales.

The other issue is reengineering the rear cargo area with todays crash and fuel tank standards. (this is were the Magnum fell short, no 3rd row seating, could not fit a 8X10 sheet in the back ect.....) I can not see any manufacture spending the needed $$$$ to redesign a current or upcoming product for the limited sales I could forsee. That and the MPG hit the added weight of a good wagon model would impose.

Sorry to say.

 

The old school thinking ( and I have it also ) about being able to fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the back is just that, old school dinosaur age. In the 70's and prior it was a great selling feature and using a wagon as work mule was promoted and used for just that even though they hauled the family around also, but today ...... Just how often would you haul plywood as an example in your wagon when everyone and there dog has or knows some one with a truck? Sure I use mine for lite duty hauling and once did haul a few sheets of plywood in the back of my Buick to them come to my senses after having to take so much extra care not to scratch/rub the interior and yet..... I have access to trucks, I have (had) a mini van but was to lazy to take a seat out, I was to lazy to move a couple cars and use my utility trailer. Now my work mule mini van is dead and a couple weeks back I needed some lumber, I borrowed a friends truck and left him the keys to my Buick.

Really think about it, building a wagon in todays world promoting it can haul plywood is not going to help gain sales for a full size wagon. The caddy posted, I could see why it failed, it's fugly. The magnum, although I do like the looks of it fell short for me not because of the can't haul plywood, but just how limited the rear cargo area is. Sure it advertises 'X" amount of cargo space, but you have more height loading in the side doors..... and on a personal note, My dogs can stand up in my honeys SUV (and my old school wagons) Both of witch have a roof rack for that extra stuff.... and the rear windows open on all of our rides.

The tide has changed, And I really hate to say it as a wagon lover but.... if they keep designing bigger wagons the way they have tried in the recent past, the wagon will be just in our forum, not on show room floors.

 

we should all write to the invite and discuss the things we discussed some month ago on the young kid's wagon design ideas :banana:

 

Tedy's right - wagons back in the day had metal interiors to handle that wood; no buyer would tolerate that today. My Fairlane is bare metal on the wagon floor and 2nd row seat back, plus there's an inch or so of metal going up the sides. Wagons now need to haul lifestyle stuff (toys) and dogs, plus light household maintenance. Nobody's going to haul the materials to build a $1000 shed in their new $25-30,000 ride - they'll be too worried about getting dirt, dust, splinters, tears, stains, etc.

 

Ya want honest? Here's honest. Ever since I bought my 55 Chevy wagon in 1987 and put it on the road I've never hauled anything larger than a few cement blocks, bags of reddy-mix concrete and mostly car parts.
Even my pickup with a crappy 6 1/2' bed is barely large enough for a 4X8 piece of plywood with the tailgate opened.
I use my 18' flatbed trailer or borrow a smaller one from a friend.
Still i like the idea of room to crawl in the wagon and lay down or put camping gear. Besides, they just look kool!

 

I just noticed that....8x10???? That would the mother of all wagons and I would not mess with the guy who is packing a 8x10 sheet!

 

The problem with a lot of the new 'things' on the road is that unless it is a truck, they just cannot handle weight! Ma's old Arthur had 3 squares of shingles, 2 rolls of roofing felt and all the nails and drip edges inside, and 4 sheets of 1 inch 4X8 roof sheathing on the roof. One trip. The guy at the store thought she was nuts when she told him to load up the little 4 cylinder Volvo, but Arthur didn't even blink.

 

OK, maybee my 8X10 Sheet comment was aliitle much, (but my 78 Impala has, and my 71 & 73 Lemans wagons can handle them) but my point was that there is not enough cargo room in them. They have have to deal with Fuel tank location, Rear suspension design (remember all most all older mid size and large wagons had different rear suspension designs than the sedans. and And no my little sunbird wagon does not count)

I just do not see the economic upside for the producer, Though I wish one or more were available.

 

Mark Reuss should look at more Westerns to see how Stationwagons started out!

 

NO wagon can handle an 8' x 10' sheet of anything! Nor can any pickup, unless it has a flatbed on it!