Your opinion of station wagons could be tainted by thoughts of woodgrain. It’s understandable – that defined a classic era of family vacations, trips to the beach, or holidays on the way to Grandma’s house in a cream-colored Ford Country Squire. But a rear-facing seat is no longer the norm and wagons are a different breed.
Like station wagons, what you think of hatchbacks could be flawed. You may think it’s a poor man’s car, for someone who can’t afford the whole thing. Or you might get flashbacks of your high school days, driving a Pinto.
The hatchbacks and wagons in today’s market are something else altogether. It’s an impressive grouping of utilitarian and funky vehicles, designed to make driving enjoyable and functional. And according to J.D. Power, these are the best five hatchbacks of 2017 in terms of reliability, in no particular order.
Up front, it’s all business. The familiar front grille with sleek, sloped hood are just like the E-Class sedan. Around back, the E-Class Wagon shows its true colors. The E-Class makes station wagons sexy, if that’s possible. The long cabin looks all-natural, unlike other cars that seem to have an extra appendage grafted on.
Powered by its 329-hp biturbo V6 and a nine-speed transmission, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon is as fun to drive as it is attractive. And 4MATIC AWD is standard equipment, keeping you and all your passengers safe.
With seating for seven – wait, what? It’s true, the E-Class Wagon stows two extra passengers in a third row. And in typical station wagon fashion, it’s rear-facing. That’s a throwback to an era most millennials won’t remember.
The Kia Soul is a bargain with an entry price of just over $16,000. But what’s neat about this hatchback is that it’s not…boring? In every sense, the Kia Soul takes your attention away from its utilitarian purpose. Instead, your focus is on its squarish, boxy shape that feels like a teeny tiny SUV. This Kia has soul.
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The Kia Soul runs the gamut of options too. You can choose to keep it simple with the 130-horsepower, manual-transmission base package. You can wave jazz hands from the Soul with either the 161-hp or 201-hp engine also, with your choice of seven-speed dual-clutch auto, six speed auto, or 6-speed manual gearbox.
Some might think it’s the ugly duckling in this pond. It looks like an oddly shaped sedan with a blunt butt end. Is it a hatchback? Is it a wagon? We’re not sure. But if you appreciate performance and function all in one package, the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo might be a welcome sight.
The 535i Gran Turismo has BMW’s 3.0-liter Twin-Scroll TwinPower Turbo with 300 ponies and 300 lb-ft of torque. But the more impressive option is the 550i. Now you get the 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 with 445 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. That goes like stink, especially paired with BMW’s xDrive system.
You can get the Gran Turismo styling in the 3-Series also. But why would you? The 5-Series is much more impressive.
If you drove a Civic or Focus hatchback when you were a poor, ramen noodle-eating student, you may be attuned to the Kia Forte5. It’s your usual hatchback style with the steeply sloped liftgate in the back and modest affordability up front. You’ll find the Forte5 is a five-door vehicle – four doors plus the hatch, hence the five in the name.
Unlike that beater you drove years ago, the Forte5 is a blast. In a compact car like this, 201 horsepower and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission make it feel more like a sports car than a compact runabout.
You can load this Kia up with all the goodies too. Rearview camera, power sunroof, blind spot detection system, push-button start and dual-zone automatic climate control are just a few of the available features on this car peppy little hatchback.
Let’s skip past the VW Golf and hit up their luxury brand, Audi. The Audi A4 Allroad is another veritable wagon with crazy cool skills. It can be a premium daily driver to the office. It can be the grocery-getter and sports practice attender. Or it can be that ravishing beauty you take for a drive just for fun. Its structure looks more wagon-like than the others, but it’s still good-looking. It definitely helps that the Audi grille has vertical lines to stretch its jaws wide open.
Its only engine option is the 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder that VW and Audi are known for, so 252 horsepower will have to do. The most impressive powertrain feature is the Quattro all-wheel drive system that’s paired with the Audi drive select with Offroad mode. Unlike other station wagons, the Allroad can confidently handle a bit of rough terrain.
Audi’s A3 Sportback is an option as well, if the A4 Allroad is too much to handle. You might regret it though.
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