What Qualifies as a Wagon?

I don't know if it helps any, but on my Suburban's registration papers, it's listed as a station wagon. It is technically a truck-based vehicle, but if you lowered it enough, I reckon it would look a bit more like a station wagon.

 

Personally registration papers are not worth the paper they are written on. I had a maroon Dodge van and it was listed as RED. Now I have a maroon Impala that is listed as RED.
I like Suburbans and if I ever get one I'm calling it a station wagon, even if it's not RED.

My son had a Chevy El Camino and even when stopped by the police to tell him he needed a lap belt which it didn't have from the factory in his 1976 El Camino truck they tried to tell him it was a car. In reality an El Camino is closer to a station wagon because they used a station wagon platform.
A Suburban is basically a Chevy truck or van with a different roof and enterior.
My friend has a lowered and customized 80's Suburban that looks kool whether it's a truck, wagon, or SUV!

 

How about if it's a '55 Chebby with the rear door section hacked out of it and put back together? I couldn't get a pic of it, but sure as I own a Ranchero, it was a 'short' 2-door.

 

I meant "do" there, not "no". Whoops. No edit button.

I have a 1999 Suburban K2500 and legally it's considered a station wagon. I literally don't have to stop and have it weighed at a weigh station even if I'm towing a car behind me.

Now, it doesn't have faux wood siding on it... It has "Barn doors" on it, so no magic tailgate... I guess it more or less is a wagon, as I can haul a lot with it (6.5 Diesel Engine) and it has a roof rack. It's close to being a truck but it just isn't a pickup truck. It fits these qualifications:

>Seating for at least five (removed rear seat.)
>Roof Rack (I want to remove it though since I'm not making use of it.)
>Big cargo room capable of fitting 4x8 sheet of plywood
>Is based on another type of vehicle (rather moot point, some Wagons are based on Sedans and now I can consider others based on trucks.)
>Has a towing package (Was optional on old wagons)

Huh. I realize this is also considered an SUV, and it has 4WD. However, the whole "Station Wagon" name is from "Wagons that go to the railroad station" which wasn't limited to height size. Picture linked below is of a 1920s Model T, which is undoubtedly a station wagon; just not the 1950s-1996 type.



So, ride height doesn't really matter as much as I previously thought. Yes I'd still like to call a Minivan a Minivan or a "Van" and an SUV an SUV and a Pickup Truck a Pickup Truck or Truck, yet it's starting to sound a lot like comparing apples to oranges here. Just eat what serves you well and move on. Though personally, being a Pennsylvania resident I find eating oranges in October mighty unfriendly to preparing me for my colder weather conditions. There's a reason why tropical foods don't grow up here outside controlled environments; I'd rather eat apples for that reason.

 

Well as I sit here in Florida suckin on a fresh orange I find these "what's a station wagon" discusions more and more confusing. I'd rather have that 1920 Model T station wagon or depot hack than all of the other Shooting Brakes and Suburbans put together.
As much as I formerly hated minivans I sort of like them now and find most very practical after riding in those of friends.
An apple a day may be what the doctor ordered. But I love bananas and I can haul a lot of them in a station wagon.

 

Interesting......I had an 83 S-10 blazer that the registration listed as a carry-all. SUV's didn't exist yet. They came later when the yuppies discovered soccer got their kids out of the house.

 

The term "Sport-utility vehicle" existed about 15 or so years before soccer moms jumped at them. I cannot remember if Ford or Jeep coined the term, but the basic designs have existed since Chebby brought out the original Suburbans back in the late Thirties.

 

Eh, SUV, wagon, carry-all... I couldn't care less what you call them. If it's old and unique, I dig it. Someday I'd like to own at least one of each generation of Suburban. And I definitely wouldn't mind expanding my long-roof collection. Had my eye on a mid-90's Roadmaster wagon for a while, but at the same time drooling over pretty much everything with a longer wheelbase and a rear-facing 3rd seat. I just wish I hadn't skipped out on the opportunity to buy that '57 Dodge wagon that stayed on Craigslist for about a year.

 

just my 2 cents
suburban or even a blazer we always called a truck
rode like a truck
usually based off a truck's frame
commercial grade tires usually back in the day
motor vehicle told me my vin number on a 68 ford ranchero i owned was actually a boat trailer and not a car
el camino's and ranchero's were car's
at the 100 anniversary of ford in detroit we got to ride in an old woodie wagon like that. greenfield village in detroit still offers rides in model a's and t's for $5 i believe

 

I know a lot of people do not consider one of my Cars a Wagon, the 78 Sunbird Safari, only a 250 HP V-6, only has 2 doors and just a Hatch no Tailgate.

And My 73 Lemans Safari while having a 400 V-8, and 4-Doors, based on a Sedans body, also does not have a tail gate, so I guess its not a wagon either by some peoples definition.

I consider them both Wagons and the title on both lists them as Wagons,

 

seems that every state describes them differently on the titles which help add to the confusion

 

As I wrote before my son's two El Caminos were listed as trucks. The 1976 was exempt from having a three point seat belt and did not have to run no-lead fuel. The 1977 was also a truck but now had to meet car standards, a shoulder belt and non lead fuel.

I've never owned a Suburban but have always liked them, especially the older models. As being on a truck chassis I feel a Suburban is a MAN'S station wagon even though some ladies drive them. I may own a beat up older Suburban but there is no chance of owning a late model that costs more than the last house and lot we bought.
Many other companies called station wagons Suburbans. Manufacturers have changed the names of many vehicles to get the Soccer mom's and dads to buy them. An SUV just sounds kooler than station wagon and has more cup holders. Also an SUV can be parked in most HOA gated communities where trucks and station wagons may not.
The amount of side doors has nothing to do with whether it's a station wagon or not. But a HATCHBACK is a car with a long trunk lid. Yes some station wagons have barn door rear doors, two piece upper and lower "gates" and some have a one piece lift gate, usually for commercial use.

 

I can't say a Suburban is exactly the Station Wagon I grew up with.

1: No wood siding. (Could be added, possibly with a refinish if I don't like the Pewter/Silver color it came with.)
2: Truck-like ride. (If I hit a pothole, boy am I'm gonna feel it!)
3: Not based on a Sedan; it's based on a Truck.

Still, I can consider it a "Truck-Based Station Wagon" and not a "Sedan-Based Station Wagon". Both "Station Wagons" are indeed capable of much cargo capacity and are also utility vehicles. So yeah, to some degree I can still call it a Wagon. I'm not calling it "Wagon Cozy" as I've known it though.

I'd still like my Suburban in some other finish with faux wood siding. But, I don't want to be hasty about it. It's OK without that, gotta get an undercoating and some rusty metal on it replaced first.

 

IMO, I see no reason why Chevy Tahoes, Suburbans and GMC Yukon / Yukon XL's (new or old, doesn't matter) can't be considered as 'station wagons'. They have the same basic construction as your typical full-size car-based station wagon from the 70's and 80's (full frame, 2/3 seats, full-height cargo area in back; various tail gate configurations). They're just bigger that's all.