Find Your Ride: The Best Vehicles for a One-Car Household

Let’s begin with a reality check. There is no one car that can do it all. If you get a big car, sometimes you’ll want a small one; get a coupe and sometimes you’ll want a wagon. In fact, if you can only swing one car for your household, a wagon is probably as close to perfection as the car can get. Because of its size and shape, a wagon (or, alternatively, sleek, medium-sized crossover) can seat plenty of people, haul a lot of gear, remains easy to maneuver and control on the road, doesn’t threaten to bulldoze everything in its path, can achieve commendable fuel economy – the list goes on. With few exceptions, you won’t be running ten-second quarter miles or crossing three-foot-deep rivers or cruising with the top down, but these three vehicles provide space, comfort, safety, capability, technology and looks that you’ll definitely be able to live with.

Budget Buy: Subaru Outback Wilderness ($37,000)

Subaru

Somewhat quizzically, Subaru was late to the game in making a truly off-road-focused wagon. The standard Subaru Outback has always been capable, but other brands have offered “rugged” trim levels of similar vehicles for years and years. The Subaru Outback Wilderness has been worth the wait. For under $40,000, it’s a very rugged, intensely capable version of the most-recommended car… perhaps ever? It’s such a significant vehicle, in fact, that there really isn’t a direct competitor unless you cross-shop with small SUVs.

Subaru’s signature symmetrical all-wheel-drive and EyeSight safety suite are standard, but the Wilderness trim adds extra ground clearance for a total of 9.5 inches, redesigned bumpers for improved approach/departure angles off-road, an upgraded version of Subaru’s X-Mode AWD management tech, wheels and tires designed for rough terrain, roof rails engineered to haul gear and plenty of WIlderness-specific styling details. Of course, there are plenty of branded accessories to tack on as well. One note: the Wilderness returns worse fuel economy than its less rugged relative. If you need a family-sized vehicle that can go anywhere but don’t want to shell out for a hulking SUV, look no further.

Also consider: Toyota Rav4 TRD Off Road, Ford Bronco Sport Badlands

Further reading: The Subaru Outback Wilderness Doubles Down on the Outback Formula

Sweet Spot: Genesis GV70 ($41,500+)

David Breun

Sure, up top we said wagons are close to perfection, but the sweet spot in this category is.. not a wagon. Genesis has been absolutely cranking out new models as of late, all of which are quite pretty, priced competitively, and more affordable than their direct competitors. The all-new 2022 Genesis GV70 is the best of the batch. In fact, it’s the best across the board – in our review of the GV70, we said “The GV70 doesn’t just offer better value than the rivals like the BMW X3 or the Audi Q5. It’s just better, and is rightfully getting big-time recommendations and being considered for major awards.” So, uhh, it’s really great.

The GV70 is handsome, plush inside and offers a spirited driving experience, whether you opt for the standard 300-horsepower inline-four or the optional 375-hp 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, both of which sport all-wheel-drive. Everything inside looks and feels extra-premium, from upholstery to control knobs. Genesis may be an “upstart” automaker, but it benefits from its youth, having learned from (and bested) its competition.

Also consider: BMW X3, Audi Q5

Further reading: The 2022 Genesis GV70 Throws Down a Gauntlet to Other Luxury Crossovers

Upgrade Option: Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo ($110,000)

Porsche

There are a lot of electric vehicles available these days, and some of them are cool. Most of them are fast, and a few are very premium. But perhaps none of them take every element – style, performance, tech, comfort, heritage, etc. – and dial each up to 11. Leave it to Porsche to go for the gold and grab it with one swing. The Taycan 4S Cross Turismo (that “4” refers to how many wheels are driven, see?) is as fast as it is sleek. Its 482 horsepower and 477 lb-ft are supplemented by an overboost function, which can temporarily up power to 562 horses. Which is enough power to launch this slick sled to 60 in under four seconds. Silently!

There are some downsides to the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo; namely, at just 215 miles its range isn’t incredible, and it features a 2+2 seating configuration. We feel its full-electric motivation canceled out those criticisms, though, since fuel isn’t getting cheaper and EVs are rapidly becoming the way to go. (And, frankly, if you’re spending $100K on an electric Porsche station wagon, you might actually be able to swing a second car with more range.)

Also consider: Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon, Audi RS 6 Avant

Further reading: The Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo Is a Killer Everyday Electric Wagon

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