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My wife has an '01 Odyssey, total repairs so far have been two (2) brake light bulbs. My '98 Volvo has so many service receipts that they won't fit in the glovebox. Now, after 114,000 miles I still LOVE driving the Volvo! I sometimes actually consider buying another one, but then I slap myself because I realize that this is a completely insane idea! Consumer Reports recommends the new V70, as a new car, but stories about the S80 (similar platform) don't bode well.
Most recently, my '98's AC evaporator went at 101k, thermostat at about 104k and I'm having my heater core replaced next week. It never ends.
I like driving a stick shift, and the number of small, powerful station wagons with stick shifts is limited. Subaru will introduce a turbocharged version of the Forester, called the "XT", with 210hp for 2004, and it will be available with a 5-speed.
Since much of what's FUN about my T5 Volvo is the 236hp, the 210hp of the Subaru XT might be nearly as much fun since it weighs a little less. Even upgrading the wheels and tires of the Subaru, it should still be about 2/3 and 1/2 the price of a new XC. The English magazine Car tested their version of the XT, which is a 2.0 liter, and rated it #1 against several other smaller wagon including the MG ZT. They claim that the H4 lowers the centrer of gravity so in spite of the taller body it has a low center of gravity. Makes some sense when you think about it.
Autoweek has an article about it from the Chicago Motor Show intro.
This is a pdf file, I hope the link works!
Of your non-Japanese choices, I'd exclude the Mercedes 4-Matic wagon because it has the same reliability/durability problems as the Volvo, ditto the Audi. Like just about all of the Eurocars, they may be OK for the first 3 years of a lease, but I predict they'll all be nightmarish when they get old, and much of the point to buying one of these cars has aways been the claimed long-term durability. I wonder if the VW Passat 4-Motion is going to be any better than the Volvo XC after the miles pile up.
The AWD Passat is on the Consumer Reports "Used Cars to Avoid" list. Not a good sign.
If you could find a NICE used BMW 528i Wagon that would probably be the sanest non-Subaru choice in a wagon. I'd be very careful about having it checked out for collision damage and maintainance history. (If you like fixing the Volvo, you're gonna LOVE it when the white-coated service manager with the faux German accent presents you with the bill at your local Bimmer emporium!)
But the sanest choice of all in a sporty wagon would probably be the Subaru XT.
-Punxsutawney Phil
'98 V70T5M 114k mi.
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