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2020 Subaru Outback test drive
The 2020 Subaru Outback may look familiar, but it’s an all-new vehicle with facial recognition technology that can recognize drivers and adjust itself to their liking. Fox News Autos editor Gary Gastelu took one for a spin to find out how good its memory is.
And then there were eight.
The Jaguar XF Sportbrake has been discontinued for 2021.
So have plenty of vehicles, but what makes this significant is that “sportbrake” is a fancy way to say “station wagon,” and whatever you like to call it, this type of vehicle is quickly going extinct in the United States.
American brands don’t even make them anymore, ever since the Buick Regal TourX ended production this year, and many of the ones that are left are disguised as SUVs
For those of you who just can’t bear to drive an actual utility vehicle, here are the station wagon options that remain:
Audi A4/A6
Audi offers wagons in two size classes, which is enough to make it one of the leaders in the segment. The $45,645 A4 allroad and $66,945 A6 allroad are compact and midsized models with rugged styling and a raised ride heights that hint at adventure, while the RS6 Avant is a 591 hp super wagon with a 189 mph top speed and a starting price of $110,045.
Ferrari GTC4 Lusso
It may stretch the definition of the name, but the Ferrari GTC4Lusso holds the distinctions of being the only 2-door and V12-powered wagon you can buy — if you can afford it’s $263,750 starting price.
Not to be overshadowed by its German competitor, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon is available as either the “brawny” $68,595 All-Terrain or the sporty $112,745 AMG E 63 S, which takes on the RS6 Avant with a 603 hp V8.
The MINI Clubman is the smallest wagon on sale today, but with a base price of $30,750 it’s not the cheapest. Barn-style rear doors add to its quirkiness while the top of the line $40,350 John Cooper Works model comes with all-wheel-drive and a 301 hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Not to be outdone by Sportbrake on the cool wagon euphemism tier chart, Porsche calls its Panamera-based wagons Sport Turismos. Prices run from $99,350 to a whopping $193,050 for the Turbo S E-Hybrid, which is the world’s most powerful wagon and combines a turbocharged V8 and plug-in electric power to provide 677 hp, a 192 mph top speed and 11 miles of all-electric driving.
The Outback plays the part of a compact SUV in the brand’s lineup, but if you strip away the body cladding, roof racks and lifted suspension you’ll pretty much end up with the body of a Subaru Legacy wagon, which doesn’t actually exist. At $27,845, the Outback the both lowest-priced wagon and the only one still made in USA.
Volvo offers a wide array of midsize V60 and full-size V90 wagons from $42,590 to $68,940 that include conventional models, Cross Country versions dressed to get dirty and the V60 Recharge plug-in hybrid that’s designed to help clean the air.