Issue 152: Death of the Affordable Wagon, Ghiaia Cashmere World, The Cult of Aldi, AirPod Translation, Cairo’s Master Tailors and Spotlight On: The Last Wright.
This Substack is one of the highlights of my week. Always appreciate the stories you guys find and the items and stories you talk about. I am a long time wagon owner and I’m still holding onto my 11-year-old BMW F31… there is a cool company here in Detroit that can redo it into a manual so I’m tempted.
Bought a 2019 Outback during the pandemic because I wanted a wagon. Not an SUV, not a compact SUV, not a crossover—a WAGON. Absolutely love it and would 100% buy again but that 2026 model looks like one of my toddler's toys.
Got an Outback a couple years ago and I’m worried by the time I am looking next, there won’t be any wagon options. Sad.
Blaming CAFE standards seems a cop-out — regulators are easy straw men. The proliferation of larger cartoonish trucks makes roads feel less safe unless your car is high enough to not get crushed. And Ford just canceled the all-electric Lightning. No MPG standards to blame there.
I had a 2015 BMW 328ix wagon up until Christmas, when someone who should never have
been behind the wheel (2 DUI and assorted other criminality) smashed his work trunk into it while I was busy shopping. I’ve been trying to find another but there were never that many to start with (I had to fly to Buffalo to buy this one originally). I’ll probably end up with some type of SUV but everything I’ve driven is not nearly as enjoyable as a 10-year old wagon.
This Substack is one of the highlights of my week. Always appreciate the stories you guys find and the items and stories you talk about. I am a long time wagon owner and I’m still holding onto my 11-year-old BMW F31… there is a cool company here in Detroit that can redo it into a manual so I’m tempted.
I feel like auto companies are missing the mark on the USA wagon market. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I think America needs wayyyy more wagons.
Bought a 2019 Outback during the pandemic because I wanted a wagon. Not an SUV, not a compact SUV, not a crossover—a WAGON. Absolutely love it and would 100% buy again but that 2026 model looks like one of my toddler's toys.
Got an Outback a couple years ago and I’m worried by the time I am looking next, there won’t be any wagon options. Sad.
Blaming CAFE standards seems a cop-out — regulators are easy straw men. The proliferation of larger cartoonish trucks makes roads feel less safe unless your car is high enough to not get crushed. And Ford just canceled the all-electric Lightning. No MPG standards to blame there.
I had a 2015 BMW 328ix wagon up until Christmas, when someone who should never have
been behind the wheel (2 DUI and assorted other criminality) smashed his work trunk into it while I was busy shopping. I’ve been trying to find another but there were never that many to start with (I had to fly to Buffalo to buy this one originally). I’ll probably end up with some type of SUV but everything I’ve driven is not nearly as enjoyable as a 10-year old wagon.