If your sense of style is bigger than your budget and a sedan or hatchback moreover doesn’t give you enough space, then options quickly become thin. Yet we have found three beautiful station wagons that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, but that do compel you to keep some money aside.
Well, if life were simple, we’d all be driving around in the same little car. But one person wants something sporty, another has reliability at the top of their wish list, and a third is looking for something stylish. For that latter category, we’ve rounded up three station wagons that each cost less than €5,000. Which used car will you arrive in style with; an Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon, an Audi A4 Avant, or a Volvo V50?
Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon 2.0 JTS 16V Selespeed Distinctive – 2004 – 158,484 kilometers – €4,999
We have yet to meet the first person who doesn’t find the Alfa Romeo 156 beautiful. What a bullseye Walter de’Silva hit with it in 1997! The Sportwagon that appeared shortly thereafter was hardly inferior, but those who wanted to be beautiful had to suffer: the Italian offered a maximum of 1,180 liters of cargo space, which is quite little for a D-segment station wagon. The 156 has now been out of production for almost two decades (the Crosswagon closed the ball in 2007), and you notice that: on the streets, the once so common sight has become a rarity.
For those who can’t bear that, this Alfa Romeo 156 is ready in Drenthe. It’s a late model: the facelift with the 2.0 JTS engine. This atmospheric two-liter is powerful, but not too economical and can sometimes lose some horsepower over time. Another aspect of the 43-PR-DV (which has had eight owners since 2004 who together have driven no more than a good one and a half tons with it) is the Selespeed – Alfa’s name for the semi-automatic. Perhaps not the most fortunate combination, but the ninth owner may call themselves a guardian of Italian mobile heritage. No word on warranty, but the seller states that the 156 is in excellent condition, free from defects, malfunctions or noises, that the timing belt has recently been renewed, and that it does not suffer from the well-known 156 ailment: worn wishbones. Furthermore, the Distinctive – for its time – is richly equipped: beige leather upholstery, heated front seats, headlight cleaning, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, automatic level control, cruise and climate control, and beautiful alloy wheels. Behind the sportily designed dashboard, you sit comfortably, as long as you are no taller than a good 1.90 meters. We can be brief about the driving characteristics: wonderfully direct and characterful, a real Alfa! Who will take care of this Italian beauty?
Audi A4 Avant 2.0 Pro Line aut. – 2006 – 219,646 kilometers – €4,950
No, the B7-generation Audi A4 Avant, with a maximum of 1,184 liters under the tailgate, was no pack mule either. Instead, it had to rely on its calm, powerful lines with a nice design element here and there (such as the shape of the taillight units) for its style, even though its approach was very different from that of the 156 SW. Instead of flair, solidity prevailed, a theme continued in the well-built interior. Everything felt as if it were built for eternity. This Audi A4 is almost two years younger than the Alfa but has covered over 60,000 kilometers more, for which six owners were responsible. These kilometers were driven with an atmospheric twenty-valve two-liter (from before the T(F)SI era, although this engine also likes a sip of oil) paired with a sequential automatic transmission. The asking price is roughly the same, but here there *is* a warranty – despite at an extra cost. Always go for it, because used Audis are never cheap to maintain.
As a Pro Line, the German car is also well-equipped (black leather, climate and cruise control, navigation, rain sensor), but rear passengers have to wind down windows for fresh air, and moreover, the interior of the aforementioned 156 has a more attractive color scheme.
In this generation of A4, the rear suspension features wishbones previously only fitted to the S4. Additionally, shock absorbers and mounts were adopted from the larger A6 of that time. All this was intended to result in greater directional stability of the chassis, but the A4 cannot truly be called sporty. For that, the suspension and damping are set too softly. The steering also feels a bit too light to challenge the 156 SW in terms of driving characteristics. Moreover, the A4’s performance is slightly lower, but it is somewhat more economical. Who will commit to him?
Volvo V50 1.8 Elite – 2005 – 164,729 kilometers – €4,944
This Volvo V50 sits between the other two in terms of age and mileage and has a comparable asking price. Unfortunately, this advertisement also makes no mention of a warranty; its history (= four previous owners) is the most straightforward. It is noteworthy that the Swede is referred to as ‘Elite’, but according to our CarBase database, the 1.8 was not available in combination with this trim level. But why a V50? Well, Volvo did its best to create something stylish. Although the engine and chassis are the same as those of the Ford Focus, the bodywork is truly Volvo.
Uh… based on the Focus? That implies the V50 is a size smaller than the 156 SW and A4 Avant. That’s correct, but if we take out the measuring tape, it turns out that with a maximum of 1,307 liters of cargo space, it is still the largest (or least small…) guzzler. The family tie with the Focus also implies that we are dealing with a fine driver’s car, and that’s true. The V50 is set up a notch softer and more comfortable than the Focus (and thus two notches compared to the 156 SW), but it is still a pleasant means of transport to be active on the road with, partly thanks to the excellent furniture (unfortunately with a tear in the driver’s seat upholstery). The stylish aspect is reflected in the good build quality and beautiful details, such as the floating center console – all of which contributes to a calm, Scandinavian design. On the downside, we note the rear space – here the A4 Avant truly offers a bit more. Also, in terms of comfort-enhancing features, the 49-RG-NF carries the red lantern. It has climate and cruise control, but for example, no navigation system. What is pleasant regarding operating costs is the significantly lower weight of the V50: it saves no less than 170 kilos compared to the German. The Volvo is also the most economical.
Three older, stylish station wagons. Which one should it be?
For those who want to stay under €5,000 when purchasing a stylish station wagon, these three used cars offer both a sporty option (Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon) and a robustly built example (Audi A4 Avant), and one that is more or less in between (Volvo V50). As an alternative, we think of the Saab 9-3 Sport Estate. Or do you have better suggestions? Let us know!