Hatchback vs. Wagon
 

The thread on what makes a sports car a sports car, and if a sports car can have 4-doors, got me thinking. It seems like the line between a hatchback and wagon is increasingly blured. The Audi A3, for example, is obviously a hatchback in 3-door but more of a wagon in 5-door. I've always considered the length and addition of a D-pillar to be the defining characteristic of a wagon not the number of doors.

But then, some hatchbacks have a D-pillar
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296587663.jpg

and some don't...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296588051.jpg

So is this a subjective thing?

A wagon has an upper pivot to the gate that is significantly aft of the rear wheels or rear C pillar and therefore nearly upright.

A hatch has an upper pivot to the gate that is near the rear wheels or C-pillar, and therefore usually greater than 30 degrees slope.

I think length is the biggest deciding factor for me.

My A4 is a wagon, while my Rabbit was not. Both are 4 door, with the same general layout.

The Audi A3 TDI is what I need. The salesman says it's a 4 door hatchback, my wife says it's a wagon.

When I take my WRX in for work the shop calls it a 5 door.
We can the car a wagon....

subjective ? maybe; definitional, yes

call it anything that makes it's social acceptableness high enuff to surmount the WAF barrier

My wife doesn't care for wagons, even though she had a PT Cruiser...which is a wagon by Kaisen's def. I think wagon brings something entirely different to mind for her.

What about an "estate" or a "shooting brake"?

My son calls cayennes "Porsche vans". :)

My hatchback...
 

I've owned a MazdaSpeed3 hatchback since Feb 2007 and I find it to be a very practical and fun car... I've hauled drums, guitars and amps, shelving, computers, etc... No problems getting a lot of stuff loaded into and out of this hatchback!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296602942.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296602951.jpg

that's a wagon, not a hatchback

Here is my wagon:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296605123.jpg

Now that's a wagon :D I like the old Torino/Montego wagons:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296606659.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296606811.jpg

I like those as well Brian. My Buick is a big block car that has pretty much every option. Under the shoddy paint work, it is a solid car. I've got a ram air hood off a 1969 GS400 for it as well. The 911 is pretty sorted out, so I am having fun playing with this during the winter while the other car is hibernating.

Bill

Nice, I like the skylights in those Buicks and the Vista Cruiser. Someday I'd like to pick up an old American wagon.