Best wagon with convertible third row of seats

August 31, 2015 5:08 PM

I just spent a few weeks in Britain where I rented a Toyota Verso, which is an example of a common vehicle style in Europe known as "5+2", meaning it's a five seater with an optional extra two seats in the luggage compartment (they fold away if you need more luggage space).

The only U.S. Example of this I can find isl the Mercedes E series wagon, but that's out of my price range (unless ancient models are still worth buying).
I have a Honda Odyssey, and I don't want something so big. What are my options for something smaller, I the U.S. ?

posted by grubby to Travel & Transportation (16 answers total)

Toyota Highlander/Honda Pilot/Mazda CX-9 ?
posted by iamabot at 5:15 PM on August 31, 2015

It's worth noting that Ford deliberately does not sell the 7-seat C-Max wagon in the U.S., presumably to force you to purchase an SUV.
posted by wnissen at 5:23 PM on August 31, 2015

I really want to avoid an SUV or minivan
posted by grubby at 5:25 PM on August 31, 2015

I've rented Renault Grand Scenics in Europe that have 7 seats and apparently the equivalent in the US is the Nissan Versa Note...which is only offered without the third row.
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:28 PM on August 31, 2015

Three-row station wagons have been pretty much replaced in the U.S. by three-row “crossover utility vehicles.”

You can still get the Mazda5, which is basically a minivan but is significantly smaller than a Honda Odyssey in every dimension (almost two feet shorter, ten inches narrower, almost a thousand pounds lighter).
posted by mbrubeck at 5:57 PM on August 31, 2015

The mazda5 is a van, but it is almost two feet shorter and 10 inches narrower than an odyssey, so it might be worth a look.
posted by rockindata at 5:59 PM on August 31, 2015

I think the only cars currently sold in the US that are close to what you describe (four swinging doors, hatch, foldaway third row, not an SUV, not super expensive) are the Dodge Journey and Ford Flex. Both have to bill themselves as a "crossover" to get any attention in this country, but they're pretty much wagons with absolutely zero off road aspirations or pretensions. The Flex is a bit bigger than the Journey, which is a bit bigger than the Verso.

There was also the Kia Rondo, which is about the same size as the Verso, but the last year it was sold in the US was 2010.

The Mazda5 is also nice, but only seats six in the US model. 2015 will be the last year it will be sold.
posted by zsazsa at 6:12 PM on August 31, 2015

I love my Mazda 5, it is 4+2 (no middle middle seat), but small and super convenient. I can park in "Compact" spots, and the sliding side doors mean my kid's don't dent the adjacent cars.
posted by nickggully at 6:47 PM on August 31, 2015

Also check out the Kia Rondo. It is a 5+2 and you can fold down all the back seats if you really need the space.
posted by keeo at 8:02 PM on August 31, 2015

Audi, Volvo and maybe BMW used to sell wagons with a third seat but it seems only Mercedes E Class still has them.
posted by littlewater at 8:30 PM on August 31, 2015

I'm looking for that too! The closest I've found is the Nissan Rogue sv with the family package, which is a folding 3rd row. Carmax.com let's you search based on features and body type. Folding third row is one of their options, and I found that helpful in hunting down alternatives.
posted by selfmedicating at 8:36 PM on August 31, 2015

The Flex is technically a wagon but is heavier, larger, and gets worse mileage than a mid-size SUV such as a Toyota Highlander. I grew up with those wagons and would love to buy one, but they are profoundly out of fashion in the US market.
posted by wnissen at 9:00 PM on August 31, 2015

I've got a Mazda 5, and it's great, as long as you're not too tall. I do love mine, but it fits me well. Maybe the Ford Transit is an option for you. There are some that are geared toward businesses/small cargo, but they're also making small passenger vans with the Ford Transit name too. They're boxy, but I still think they're more preferable than a mini-van. They are a bit more european-inspired than the Honda Odyssey.
posted by hydra77 at 9:10 PM on August 31, 2015

I'm always evangelising about the 7-seater E-Class, although they can be very pricey to fix if they go wrong (and the US market gets the more complex 4x4 version I think). Not sure what it's like in the US but in Europe the values tend to fall off a cliff after 5 years or so; a £40k car will be worth less than half that after five years, a quarter after 8-9 years. I tend to wait a bit longer than that... A well cared for facelifted W210 is probably better than the first of the W211s, but go for the facelifted W211 model if you can.
posted by srednivashtar at 4:59 AM on September 1, 2015

I'm another fan of the Mazda5! It's been the perfect car for my family of 4. Road trip down the east coast? No problem. Grandparents in town or you want to take you kid's friends to the movies? The two seats in the third row are super easy to pop up and down. Need to pick up a big flat pack something at IKEA? The second row folds down to create some serious cargo space. I also love the side sliding doors...it makes accessing the cabin much easier and I don't cringe and worry about a lawsuit every time my kids explode from the car in the Target parking lot. I'm sad to hear they won't be continuing the line because we were considering another one when we replace our 2nd car at some point.
posted by victoriab at 6:02 AM on September 1, 2015

Another huge fan of the Mazda5, not a single other car out there that I'd trade ours for. I'm 6'4" and the front row is perfect for me. The third row is tiny tho, nearly impossible to use if you have car seats in the middle, unless you are very short. But it's handy to have just in case you need it.

But now I totally want that Toyota Verso!
posted by emoeby at 11:38 AM on September 1, 2015