Too bad MB USA doesn't give us an E500 Estate with rwd.
I see a number of Subaru wagons where I live.

The VW Passat is available with a diesel this year.

While I sometmies miss my TE, I could get by with this:



Photo Gallery: The 2004 E500 4MATIC Wagon

http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container.jsp?/models/gallery/photo_gallery/index.jsp&mcode=E500S4&modelCode=E500S4&style=wagon&menu=5

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...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

I saw a c-class wagon on the road here the other day.. looks better than the sedan, IMO

E55 AMG 4-Matic wagon with a 5 spd would be cool, with E320 badgeing of course.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Doe's anyone here own a 540IT? If so what were your impressions (pre I drive).

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Happy Benzing
Darryl, Hill
2005 SL55 AMG Kleemanized
1984 500 SEC
1967 W113 California Coupe
[SIGPIC]
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos

I think SUVs have stomped out the American desire for wagons. Americans enjoy the feeling that they can do more with a vehicle than they would ever want or need to, like drive off road or whatever. Gas mileage, regardless what most people say, doesn't seem to impact consumers very much. And, the cargo room in an SUV can really be huge. Mine's come in handy moving fridges and other appliances. During a blinding snow storm. All up-hill both ways. Just kidding. Plus, minivans are saddled with the image of a family car, and a lot of parents still want to "look cool" driving and can't afford more cars, so they buy an SUV over the minivan. Its just my reflections, not nec. my opinion.

Wood on the outside: The one thing the british can really make fun of US cars about without a good come back-we put the wood on the "out" side of the car!? Pretty crazy looking. But, the old Jeep Grand Wagoneers with wood on the outside are totally cool IMO, and I would love to have one. Again, total Americana. I'd even settle for one of the earlier ones with the Native American/Indian symbols running down the side! Producing a car like that takes some nerve.

As for Subarus. The WRX is cool, and the wagon makes it more practical I guess. One friend bought a wagon b/c he couldn't find a sedan in the same price range after someone totalled his car while parked. The cargo space is very limited, though. Not much better than a hatchback, which also also don't sell well in America.

Does anyone remember the old Pontiac Bonneville wagon with the hood scoops AND exterior wood panelling? Holy cow. The last one I saw also had "400" graphics by the rear wheel.

The Pacifica is nice, I rode in one recently. It looks pretty cool and is comfortable, is quasi wagon/SUV. Same with the Caddy all the mags love.

Remember the Lynx Eventer? Or the Austin Martin shooting brakes? I also thought a Lincoln LS wagon would have been cool to compete with the germans, etc.

Nice Peugot wagon. Peugots are great. I think one of the sharpest MB wagons was the 240 (?), or the one before the 300DT. Kind of small, but really classic and clean design.

in techtite grey, navigation, etc.

i'll take mine totally debadged.

the wife and i are somewhat after a w210 4matic wagon.

i want low miles, xenon, navigation, 17" 5 spoke oem. both packages.

we want a '00-'02. the steering wheel changed-controls added, new lower grill [?], turn signals added to mirrors.

anybody know of any problems on the later 210's

thanks
peter

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*92 400e 124.034, SOLD

*92 300e 124.030, SOLD

I think National Lampoon's Summer Vacation with Chevy Chase driving the ultimate fogey-mobile was the low point of American station wagons. The green color and fake wood completed the picture!

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

growing up in Britain with large doses of Yank TV and film (the A team was my favourite programme ever!) I remember seeing national lampoons and wandering what was up with that wagon (or Estate, as we say). Firstly it was enormous and ugly as hell, and what the hell was the wood side panelling all about?! We all thought every american family owned one of these monsters.
I often joke to my wife now that I should get one, just for a laugh. She just looks at me funny.

What I did think were cool were the old 'woodys' I heard the Beach Boys sing about. I've seen a couple of Chrysler PT cruisers with side panelling like them that looked cool.

In England we had an 'old man car' called the morris minor you could get in 'estate' version with wood panels... they rocked.

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

I have this one for sale from my Dad's estate. It has full leather interior and every gizmo inthe book from that time. The hood is large enough to play tennis on but it still gets respectable gas mileage. 1988 Mercury Colony Park.

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I think most folks choose based upon what is currently fashionable, what they see on the road, what their friends drive... My point being that vehicle choice is not particularly rational. Why should it be? Are people completely rational in other areas of their life where image is important? What to wear, where to live?

The station wagon is the fuddy-duddy-mobile of the 70s. The minivan is the fuddy-duddy-mobile of the 80s into the 90s. Nobody wants to drive what their mom drove. Eventually SUVs will fall out of fashion because all the kids that grew up in them won't want anything as dorky as what their mom drove. (And by definition, mom's car was dorky. Wouldn't matter if mom drove a Ferrari, it would be dorky.)

Everyone I know raves about the utility of their SUV. But I don't know anyone that does much more than put groceries in it. They love having all those seats, but I don't know anyone that has eight friends good enough to ride together. If they thought about it, they could get by with less, but that's just not the American way. Guess that's what it boils down to.

- JimY

Dorky 1987 300TD wagon
Dorky 1993 300E sedan

Subaru wagons sell well in the NW. Go ski/snowboard and
the Outback wgn is the most common car. SUV's are for soccer
moms. I get 20-25pmg with regular gas in the 96 outback and
20-25 mpg in the 91 190e 2.6 with super.

i must say, i have a different opinion :re your soccer mom statement.
i love my '02 explorer.

MOST soccer moms i observe driving around do it in min-vans.

if you outback gets 25 mpg on the highway count your self fortunate. most outback owners i know say 20-21 mpg 'best day' on highway.

your 190 should do about 28+ on the highway.

peter

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*92 400e 124.034, SOLD

*92 300e 124.030, SOLD

How can you say SUVs are for soccer moms? Believe it or not, some people need to buy an SUV out of necessity. My family owns a Ford Excursion, the SUV everyone loves to claim is completely over the top and to excess in every way. There are 5 children in my family, as well as a 100lb dog. We do not fit into a station wagon or a minivan. We have a boat to tow. A minivan, or even a full size van simply didn't cut it, thus the Excursion.

My beloved '63 New Yorker wagon, miss here. This baby is longer then a Suburban.......

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).