From an American I can understand that, SUVs are the norm and Volvo estates have done nothing to make them cool. I have had Cherokees myself and they are great cars (no they were rubbish, but fun in local parks ) but in europe the SUV is slightly frowned upon and see as gas guzzling Chelsea tractors, or mums car! A well specd tourer IMHO is far cooler than its equivalent SUV. I live in Glasgow and 2/3 Q7's, X5's, Range Rover sports, Cayennes, Touregs are either driven by the lady of the house or a pretend footballer (soccer player for those over the pond).

Tourings have a certain, tasteful following, well thats what I think . I am also not going to get my downhill mountain bikes in the rear of a saloon anyway!!

 

Maybe a cultural gap btw Europe and US?

Over here there were article in several magazines a couple of years ago predicting the end of the saloon car, and they have not really been contradicted by the development the last years. No one is buying saloons anymore and the manufacturers are trying different ways to get the customer back by producing different "niche models". I believe the Audi A6 is 70 or 80% Avants (wagon) and the ratio for the E61 in favour of the E60 is increaseing with each model.

In Scandinavia you'll struggle to see saloons; there will probably be 5-6 wagons for each saloon car, and if you come across someone who bought themself a saloon car, the first question they'll get is "Why not a wagon/touring?". Or you are <25 or 55+...

And, as D-boy said; if you buy yourself a big SUV you're ostracised...or have so much money you don't really care.

 

Preferences based on looks are admittedly subjective. You stated wagons look silly. I understand that many Americans would agree with you or not consider purchase of a wagon for reasons of style.

On the other hand, I find the styling of the rear quarter of the E61 wagon much more appealing than the trunk of the E60 which to me does not flow well with the rest of the car. I paid a premium to purchase the wagon and take some jibes from friends for my selection. However, it is much easier to drive my dogs or haul bulky items. I value the flexibility and practicality the wagon offers over popularity and style.

The exterior styling of the current Volvo wagon has little in common with the E61 and older Volvo models are even less relevant. I owned a Volvo 850 turbo wagon 15 years ago, which never allowed me to forget that I was driving a wagon and not a high performance car. The E61 is in a different category and easily outperforms my 2003 E39 530i sedan in objective criteria and driving experience. For me, the E61 is very similar in driving experience to the E60 sedan, which could never be said of the X5. Plus, I enjoy driving a vehicle that is rare compared to the sedan and offers greater utility.

Like hatchbacks, wagons seem out of favor with American buyers. This represents a triumph of style over practicality. For me, most SUVs are an exercise in excess, being much heavier and higher than is desirable for good driving dynamics and offering little cargo space advantage over a wagon in most cases.

I lived in Switzerland for 4 years in the 1990s. Wagons were more common there and SUVs generally disdained. Perhaps this experience opened me to other options.

 

How interesting! It sounds like it's more of a cultural gap than I thought regarding wagons.

 

I wouldn't even want to date a woman who dislikes wagons. Important issues to sort out, religion, politics, active lifestyle, ...wagons