Wagons

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What's behind our wagon Ratings?

CR’s Ratings include road test results and safety information. Reliability and owner satisfaction Ratings are based on surveys of millions of subscribers.

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We look for:

Overall Score
The Highs, Lows, and Overall Rating refer to the model and trim line that we tested. A model earns the "CR Recommended" label by Consumer Reports when it has performed well in our tests, our subscriber -survey data indicate that it should be at least average in reliability, and has performed at least adequately in any government and/or insurance-industry crash tests or government rollover test, if tested. There are several reasons why a model would have no designation: It wasn't tested recently; it didn't test well; it did poorly in a crash test or tip-up in the rollover test; it has a below-average reliability record; it'S too new to have reliability data; or we have insufficeint reliability data.
Predicted Reliability
Predicted reliability is our forecast of how well a model is likely to hold up derived from our latest Annual Car Reliability Survey. We averaged a model's Used Car Verdict for the newest three years, provided the model did not change significantly during that time. Refer to Reliability History for more detailed explanation.
Owner Satisfaction
Indicates percentage of owners surveyed who would definitely purchase the same vehicle again.
Accident Avoidance
A composite score of CR's test results for braking performance, emergency handling, acceleration, driving position, visibility, and seat comfort. Braking and emergency handling carry the most weight.
Overall (Mpg)
Overall MPG (overall mileage) is CR's measurement based on a realistic mix of highway, country-road, and city driving.

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Recommended wagons

See the models that perform well in our tests, and meet our standards for reliability and safety.

Recommended wagons

Wagon buying guide

What to look for when buying a wagon.

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Reliable used wagons

See CR's Good Bets: These used cars have performed well in our tests over the years and have had much better than average overall reliability for multiple years.

Learn more

Wagons can be smart family haulers, combing sedan efficiency and SUV versatility. Wagons come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and costs, with several good models that have performed well in our tests and proved to be safe and reliable.

Ratings & recommended wagons

Overall wagons (4)

Fuel-efficient (2)

With sedan-like handling, affordable pricing, and good fuel-economy, wagons are an appealing alternative to SUVs. The most fuel-efficient wagons tend to be hybrids or diesels, although some four-cylinder wagons excel, as well.

Small (8)

Small station wagons count among their ranks several fun and frugal models that have performed well in our tests. These cars are great alternatives to a small SUV, with better handling and fuel efficiency. See the best of the small wagons in our Ratings.

Three-row (1)

A dying breed, three-row station wagons provide an alternative to not just sedans and SUVs, but also to minivans. The interior flexibility and additional seating help three-row wagons adapt to a variety of needs.

All-wheel-drive (6)

By adding all-wheel drive, wagons can replicate the functionality of many car-based SUVs, yet with better fuel economy and road manners. The best AWD wagons are safe, reliable, and perform well in our test.

Reliable used wagons (11)

Recently reviewed wagons

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Wagon buying guide

Large, wood-sided station wagons are a thing of the past, but the concept lives on in a small number of practical wagons, luxury wagons, and several small hatchbacks. Wagons are usually based on an equivalent sedan, sharing the sedan's performance and features while adding utility with a rear liftgate and flat-folding rear seats. Some, such as the Audi Allroad, Subaru Outback, and Volvo XC70, have all-wheel drive available and a higher ground clearance that help to make them appealing alternatives to an SUV.