View Photos Of The 1999 Euro Wagon Comparison Test
Audi A6 2.8 Avant Quattro, BMW 528i, Mercedes-Benz E320 4MATIC, Saab 9-5 SE and Volvo V70R AWD wagons exterior and interior photos.
The domestic manufacturers have all but abandoned station wagons, but in Europe the fire burns bright. Thus, in this five-way comparison, all the players hail from Europe: three Germans and two Swedes. All of them tackle their cargo-hauling mission with style, delivering practicality along with luxury-sedan handling and refinement. Heck, the Volvo even tows 3300 pounds, so hitch up that Boston Whaler and leave the SUV at home.
Behold our 1999-model-year combatants: the Audi A6 2.8 Avant Quattro, BMW 528i wagon, Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic, Saab 9-5 SE, and Volvo V70R AWD.
These aren't sports cars, but they're all happy enough on a winding road in Ohio's Hocking Hills.
Wagon train.
We didn't arrange this shot according to speed, but it's almost correct—the Volvo is quickest, Audi slowest.
Circle the wagons? Yes, we did that.
Please enjoy the cover art for our critically acclaimed 1999 pan flute album, "Hatchlings."
It seems like Saab should always have been a wagon company, but this is its first: the 9-5 SE.
The light-pressure-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 makes 200 horsepower.
The Saab offers ventilated seats, albeit with noisy fans.
Plenty of flexibility for securing cargo in the Saab 9-5 SE.
The 1999 Saab 9-5 SE is great for picking up hitchhikers.
The 1999 Volvo V70R AWD is the hotrod of the group.
The Volvo V70R AWD didn't come with that bumper guard. We brought ours from home.
Any of these wagons will haul plenty of our favorite craft beer.
The Volvo V70R's interior is handsome, if looking a little dated.
The 2.3-liter turbocharged five-cylinder pushes this brick to 141 mph.
Like all these wagons, the Volvo V70R was fitted with an automatic transmission.
The Audi A6 2.8 Avant Quattro looks slick but could use more power.
Just imagine how many bags from J. Crew you could fit in there.
The Audi's 2.8-liter V-6 makes us wish this car was available with the sedan's V-8.
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