What Wagon Would You Like To See Offered?

southwagon

I'll be in the market for a new wagon by early 2013 and would love to be able to make the difficult choice among a Ford Fusion, a Camry hybrid, or a VW Passat wagon. If the Passat came in a hybrid, too, I'd just march into my local dealership and order one, but VW doesn't seem to be heading in the hybrid direction just yet, or at least not quickly enough to suit me. The bottom line for me is, well ... the bottom line. I can't afford to put more than $30K into a car, and would prefer to keep it closer to $25K, but I'm addicted to the convenience, size, and decent mileage of the 2001 VW Passat 1.4L turbo wagon I currently drive. Can't stand big-[non-permissible content removed] SUVs, and crossovers just seem like the worst of all worlds; there's nothing quite right about any of them (and I've recently test-driven the Mazda 5 and Toyota Venza, both which are unsatisfying). Four cylinders are plenty for me--I'm a conservative driver who has no addiction to speed, and I prefer caution as a safety tactic over quick maneuverability (though I recognize that there are times when the latter is indispensable). I hope the manufacturers all realize that wagons--real ones, not crossovers--are still a very viable niche.