Audi A4 allroad
Base price: $43,700
Audi has long offered a wagon version of the compact A4 under the Avant label. But when the (slightly) more off-pavement-oriented allroad was introduced for 2013, it became the only version in Canada. Powered by a sweet 220-hp, 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, the little-“a” allroad comes in three trim levels.
BMW 3 Series Touring
Base price: $47,850
BMW has always called it Touring, but this is still unapologetically a wagon in the traditional sense. All-wheel-drive is standard (as is automatic transmission) but there are no pretend-SUV styling cues. Powertrain choices are a 240-hp, 2.0-litre turbo gasoline four or a 181-hp, 2.0-litre diesel perfect for upwardly-mobile VW TDI owners.
Mercedes-Benz E400/E63 Wagon 4Matic
Base price: $72,800
Mercedes calls the five-door E-Class a “mid-size executive wagon,” which hardly does justice to its blend of practicality and performance. It’s the only wagon still to have a rear-facing third-row seat (E400) … or the only one capable of exploding from 0-100 km/h in less than four seconds (E63 AMG).
Subaru Outback
Base price: $27,995
Twenty years ago, Subaru arguably invented the crossover category by giving the pseudo-SUV treatment to its Legacy wagon. The result was such a hit that the regular wagon isn’t even made any more. The mid-size Outback is offered in nine models with a choice of 2.5-litre four-cylinder or 3.6-litre six-cylinder engines plus, of course, Subaru's signature symmetrical all-wheel-drive.
Volvo V60
Base price: $40,200
While the bigger XC70 hews to “boxy Volvo” tradition, the V60 is a style maven in which form trumps function: there’s not much space inside. It’s a sweet drive, though, with an all-turbo lineup that includes a 2.0-litre four-cylinder FWD model and three AWDs ranging from 250 to 325 horsepower; the SUV-ish Cross Country gets only the 250-hp engine.